While successful people will advise that maturity is what anchors you and prepares you to take on the real world I am disappointed in most successful people as they age and seemingly accept the ways of the world, accommodate themselves to the way things are, and strive to do what they must to get along. Even young people today seem to be absorbed in the commercial world, their gadgets, their culture. I am disappointed no one sees the need to literally go and burn down Wall Street, burn the banks, march on the White House, the State Houses. There is so much corruption within the government and big business that should stir the souls of the idealistic youth yet they seem to be sitting on their hands. It emboldens me to see the Arab world erupt and cast off the chains that those horrible leaders wrapped them in for so long and sad that American President after American President coddled those despicable leaders and gave them arms and money. Why have we lost the lessons of freedom, why have we forgotten the blessings of it, and why have we forgotten the lesson that to whom much is given, much is expected. I am especially thinking of our governmental leaders who seem to justify coddling these disgusting world leaders which I find disheartening, but I have strayed off topic!
Kelly,
I came back to review this thread, and I'm glad I did. Hard to believe, but illuminating, that we vote for different parties. There is so much jive bullshit in the world these days. Revolution is not out of the question, and neither is bankruptcy.
I had a preconceived agenda when I saw this thread. The greatest deterrent to good golf architecture is a housing development. Perhaps I compare golf courses to music too often, but what happens in music is that record executives want to make money off the artist's work, and modify whatever they feel is necessary to sell the most records, or most tickets.
I went to a professional basketball game the other night. The noise is deafening, plus the giveaways of useless junk, with people climbing all over themselves to catch a t-shirt, are just examples of the jive bullshit used to sell a product, a game with some very gifted and talented athletes, that does not need gussying up. It's why I hardly ever go anymore, instead choosing high school ball.
Golf is the same. Some marketing genius figured out he could make money by spreading out the holes and selling a newfangled American dream to people. "See, this is the way YOU want to live. Right on the golf course. Just look at that view!"
You know those pharmaceutical ads on television? My dad called it "selling sickness."
Marketeers and salesmen have completely overrun the country, and in the process, have bastardized the work of some fine artists in order to maximize profit. Sorry if I have offended, but it's bullshit.
Last thing. Functionality in golf architecture is beauty. All other adornments are jive bullshit.