How well can you judge a course from TV?

[Padraig Dooley]

Is it possible to give a good judgment on a course from TV or photographs?

Just looked at a small bit of the coverage of the course in Bahrain. It looks interesting, plenty of movement and criticism from the tour pros which is an attraction for me, but I don't really get a very good feel of the movement or elevation changes without playing the course or at least walking it.

Augusta is probably a better example, we all know it very well, but everybody that I know that has been there says that they never had an idea of the real elevation changes until you get there. The 18th is a great example, it looks fractionally uphill on tv but is meant to be substantially uphill in reality.

Do first time Augusta visitors here get amazed by the elevation changes as well?

[Tim Martin]

I think your reference to Augusta answers the question. Not only as far as the elevation changes but the green contours as well. You can`t begin to appreciate what is really on the ground until you are there.

[Mac Plumart]

I sure can't.  But maybe that is not saying much. 

But I truly believe a lot of the magic in golf architecture is the routing and, for me, routing is next to impossible to get a feel for from pictures and tv.

[Padraig Dooley]

I suppose the next question is have you ever played a course that looked great on tv and was a disappointment when played?

And the collorary, have you ever played a course that wasn't so appetising on tv but was great to play?

[Wade Whitehead]

I suppose the next question is have you ever played a course that looked great on tv and was a disappointment when played?

Doral isn't as good as it looks on television.

WW

[Andy Hodson]

And Kapalua Plantation, IMO, is way better in person than on TV. But then, Hawaii is way better in person than on TV.

BTW, I can hardly tell squat about a course from TV.

[Sam Morrow]

I think TPC at Sugarloaf looks really good on TV.

[Mac Plumart]

Sam...

I play Sugarloaf from time to time...it is a real ball buster, but I don't think it is great due to routing issues.  And the fact that it is a neighborhood course might make the routing tough to perfect.