A couple of days ago, I was driving past Warwick county park, about 5 miles from Stonewall and French Creek here in PA. It's mostly an undeveloped park with a lot of trees (mature and immature), scrub, some open fields, and a creek. I couldn't help but think of the miracle that takes place when a golf course architect "sees" holes in such an environment.
I honestly have no idea how they do it.
And to think back to the days before topo maps and satellite images were used - wow!
Just how does a guy set foot on such land and start thinking "golf"? And so many architects get "it" right - after all, you don't really get many mulligans when routing a course through such country.
Guys - it's an amazing art and science, and it just continues to blow me away.