In the "Humor in Architecture" topic there are a few photos of modern architecture of the "geometric" style--one photo of Muirhead in the Far East and another one of Bob Cupp called Palmetto Hill(?).
In a post in that topic Tommy Nacarrato makes reference to early 20th century American "geometric" architecture regarding the Cupp photo.
There's a very representive photo of that early 20th century American "geometric" architecture in the beginning of GeoffShac's "The Golden Age of Golf Design". The photo is of the Annandale G.C., Pasadena, California, circa 1900.
Is there anything in any of those photos worth seriously studying architecturally in golf design? I don't really know, except to say that I don't really like it personally. But there probably is something worth studying.
What might be worth studying is why it was initially used in early American architecture, presumably the first examples of its use. But was that actually its first use in architecture? Maybe not! It may have evolved out of the beginnings of architecture itself in the mid to late 1800s due to the man-made basically "geometric" shapes and construction techniques of early architecture and feature construction like greens or particularly bunker supports!
Another reason it might be worth studying is because it seemed to make a concerted comeback in the later stages of "modern" architecture towards the end of the 20th century!
Basically this type of architecture uses very stark or at least readily identifiable rectilinear and curvilinear lines in the creation and look of many golf architectural features (greens, tees, fairways, bunkers etc!).
Anyone who saw The Tour Championship at Dye's TPC could easily see that the course is a blend of various random architectural shapes in combination with very identifiable "geometric" shapes!
Even NGLA itself has architecture that seemed to use somewhat identifiable "geometry" in its engineering and manufacturing here and there, although today the years and maintenance may have softened it significantly.
MacDonald clearly wanted to break away from that highly "geometric" style of early 20th century American design that he found so obnoxious but how much did he break away from it with the creation of NGLA which was at least representative of what he found and admired in the European architecture of that time?
He broke away from it a lot, in my opinion, but not completely! He may not have broken with it completely because what he copied from Europe might have had some geometry applied to the construction of some of its features in a sort of a rough manufactured way! He may not have broken with it competely simply because to do so at that early time was very difficult to do given the available construction methods and the expense involved at that time.
The ones who seem to have departed from "geometric" application first and completely and taken architecture to the completely "natural" look in design and construction may have been MacKenzie, or at least MacKenzie and Colt and some of their later collaborating contemporaries.
So is there anything worth considering in "geometric" architecture of any form or any era? Are there any interesting distinctions that could be made with the various "looks", applications or functions of it from early architecture in Europe, to the early 20th century American style, to even MacDonald/Raynor, Muirhead, Cupp or even Pete Dye?
There certainly are distinctions between "geometric" applications of those architects but what are they? Are the distinctions only in degree?
Should "geometry" be used at all in golf architecture? And if it is used does the fact that a golf course plays great, plays strategically and thoughtfully and testing despite this "geometric look" make it acceptable? Or should architects strive to rid architecture of it as an obvioius vestige of the unnatural and manmade?
I certainly have plenty of feelings about why it was used, maybe even why it came back and also if it should continue to be used, but I think I'll wait to see what others feel about it.