Thanks, David. Lovely piece -- and likely true!
It reminded me of a beautiful passage from an old God-fearing Scot from the late 1800s, poet and writer and theologian/minister George MacDonald. I liked it so much I went to look it up again (excuse the overtly 'religious' language/terms in some spots):
"'Sky and wind and water and birds and trees said to him, "Forget thyself, and we will think of thee. Sing no more to thyself thy foolish songs of decay, and we will sing to thee of love and hope and faith and resurrection.' Earth and air had grown full of hints and sparkles and vital motions, as if between them and his soul an abiding community of fundamental existence had manifested itself."
I think if God *did* design golf courses, He would design exemplary *fields of play*, nothing more and nothing less -- and let the *rest* of His 'scenery' and surroundings take care of themselves.