From "The Spirit of St. Andrews" soft cover 1995 edition...page 37, first paragraph...
"It is often suggested that changes in the ball may necessitate alterations to a golf course, but this is nonsense. A well designed golf course should suit any golf ball or any class of player. The Old Course at St. Andrews is a classic example. It was the best in the days of the feather, guttie, and the Haskell ball, and Bobby Jones still describes it as the best today.
There are many golf course architects who have never had a golf course altered when they have been given a free hand to carry out their ideas in the first place.
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In the United States, golf courses are becoming more and more perfect. American golfers owe a debt of gratitude to Charles Blair MacDonald.
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He had an uphill fight in educating American golfers to an appreciation of a really good golf course."
So...I still feel these words hold some weight today. But I also feel that the "uphill fight" Dr. Mackenzie was talking about is still being fought and we (true lovers of quality architecture) are losing. I say this because many courses seem to get redesigned time and again, at great expense to members, owners, and golfers.
Also, it seems this "uphill fight" is being lost because many courses originally considered "great" by golfers (that is get on a Top 100 list) fail to hold the interest of golfers over time and lose their status (that is fall off the Top 100 lists). It seems golfers, even avid golfers, don't know what good is (to steal a line from Tom Doak, which he used in his Confidential Guide).
Furthermore, truly great courses seem to face aggressive criticism from golfers during the period of time from their inception through their "incubation". That is the time the masses "get" the course. The Old Course and Bobby Jones' experience with it, seem to fit this bill. As does Ballyneal's initial failure to break into the Top 100 and its subsequent rankings on all the Top 100 lists. And Kingsley only being listed on the Golfweek Top 100 appears to be another example of this to me.
In the end, it seems like most golfers don't understand what makes golf great, fun, and endlessley enjoyable.
What makes The Old Course great and timeless?
What are features which give a feeling of "greatness" but fade over time?
Why do people misunderstand what makes golf courses endlessly fascinating and "hate" great courses at first?
Any other thoughts, ideas, tangents, etc are welcome.