[J Sadowsky]

No offense to PB Dye, and I've complimented the sister course he designed in Mexico (Iberostar Paraiso Golf Club), but this cheesiness may exceed the Micky Mouse Green at Disney.  FWIW, Iberostar's logo is a curved starfish:



EDIT:  I forgot to mention that this is the Iberostar Bavaro Golf Club in the Dominican Republic.  I looked on Google Maps and I can't find the hole, which could mean that the satellite photo is pre-course, that they removed the course (I can't imagine maintenance of such a hole to be cheap) or that it is photoshopped. The last makes sense (the sand on the hole above seems to cut right across a fairway that has....bunkers nearby?), but it would seem odd that they would use a photoshopped picture of the course for their website.

[Mike Nuzzo]

it depends on the angles...

[Kyle Harris]

How does it look on the ground? Does it play as a short hole from that tee in the upper right?

The site looks to be windy, as well.

While it certainly is a contrived concept, the hole could very well be a good play.

[J Sadowsky]

How does it look on the ground? Does it play as a short hole from that tee in the upper right?

The site looks to be windy, as well.

While it certainly is a contrived concept, the hole could very way be a good play.

To be honest, we really enjoyed our stay in Mexico and I was looking at the Dominican resort for a possible family vacation, and just saw the photo of the green on their website.  If anyone can chime in on how it plays, that would be interesting. 

[David_Elvins]

Looks like a classic example of green shrinkage.  Much better if the putting surface extended up the tentacles. 

[Melvyn Morrow]

It seems that some designers do not like computers or models of their courses, preferring the client has a copy with him at all times – name the course, not quite a starfish but getting there.




Having Designed a course with so much sand and a starfish Green, have you considered what the designer sees, or should I say how he tries to see the modern golfing world – beauty is certainly in the eye(s) of the beholder


Melvyn

PS I am not saying that it looks like Tom or anyone else, but it certainly has more hazards than many a modern course, so perhaps designers need to take a long deep look at themselves before undertaking a design, thinking penal as strategic has nothing to do with the above photo

[J Sadowsky]

Here's another photo.  Definitely a par 3.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I actually did the Cowboys GC putting green as a star, as in their logo, not wanting to get cheesy on the course.  The first superintendent stopped mowing the points before the course even opened.

As many know, I also did the footprint bunker at Giants Ridge, but it really happened to fit the hole and ground.  There was some discussion about it, but most golfers love it, and now that the logo inspired by it has sold a bazillion shirts, I think the Owner is quite taken by it.

The short version is that there is a limited amount of wiggle room for whimsical design, and most of it comes on resort type courses.  If that green (or my bunker) was the only thing golfers talked about regarding the course, it would be a bad thing, but if its a good course with one or two whimsical features, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Its just resort golf, after all.

[mike_beene]

is the heart shaped green at Salado(heart of Texas)still there? I much prefer a theme be on the practice green if it is to be anywhere.I can do without the heart,or Mickeys ears or the state of Texas with Oklahoma as a sand tra.Nicely raked of course.

[Kyle Henderson]

Here's another photo.  Definitely a par 3.

The grassing lines are not totally congruent. How close together (temporally) were these photos taken, I wonder...

[Jeff_Brauer]

A good example of the super subtly changing things for ease of mowing.  Those points had to be a bear to mow.  I have always thought that something hard to maintain, no matter what the architectural merits (and these are questionable, but it also happens to "great" features) it will get changed.

[Tom_Doak]

The original photo looks like it's photoshopped, to me.  The color of the grass isn't quite the same as the rest of the course in the background, and there is no evidence of shadowing or "banks" off the grass into the sand on any side.

[Chris Johnston]

Does it "whirl" when a player steps on the tee?

A work of art, innovative in how it fits its surroundings.

[Gene Greco]

Its just resort golf, after all.

And that's my observation as well.

Royal County Down it isn't. But for many it is their preference.

[J Sadowsky]

The original photo looks like it's photoshopped, to me.  The color of the grass isn't quite the same as the rest of the course in the background, and there is no evidence of shadowing or "banks" off the grass into the sand on any side.

I originally thought the whole thing might be photoshopped, and that there was no starfish green at all, but then I saw the second photo.  The second photo also seems to confirm that there's a "hell's eighth-acre" of sand across the fairway near it, but strangely fairways bunkers right after the acre (which makes no sense to me at all).  I also see that the dimensions are slightly different, which now leads me to suspect that the photo was photoshopped slightly for effect but the starfish green as well as the peculiarities of the fairway near it are both real, or at least were at some point (I looked last week on Google Maps satellite view and could not find the green on the course).  Very strange stuff.

[Anthony Gray]

  It's all fun.

  Anthony

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