Empty space

[Sean_A]

Do ya think the common use of trees as essentially rows to form corridors is the antithesis of "empty space"?  Then again, even if we allow that magnificent oak to take centre stage isn't this a way to focus the eye?  I can see one of the problems of empty space being a difficulty in allowing bold features to exist. 

It strikes me that archies do practically everything they can to focus the eye on some aspect of the course at nearly any given moment.  Other than the obvious element of blindness (making the golfer imagine the space), it must be awfully hard not to define in some manner or another. I spose it is relative though as all must work within the bounds of golf.  One of the few holes which I think manages to pull this off is Pennard's 4th.  The 4th is not just open in its aspect, its usually quite unsettling for golfers who first encounter it.   


But then I have a hard time fully comprehending this concept of empty space without some sort of blindness or deception.  I would think a lot of time people confuse empty space with a beautiful off-course vista - am I reading the concept correctly?  I will throw out another example which may illustrate the concept - Knole Park's 6th - yes or no?


How bout Minch Old #12?


What can I say? I am a visual learner!

Ciao

[Don_Mahaffey]

One aspect of empty space...negative space, background space is in how the course fits within it's environment. I think a lot of architects focus on that; the traditional subject matter framed by the filler space.
But when you want to challenge the greatest golfers in the world, and yet leave the course highly playable for the masses, I think you have to bring the empty space into the subject matter, like TD alluded to with the 2nd hole at PD.
Yes, you can make courses hard for the pros, and super hard for the guys like us, by challenging execution. I'm thinking of TPC Sawgrass, TPC Stadium...there are many others as well.
It is my belief that the best players like targets. Sure a deep green side bunker is to be avoided, but it also something the +6 can work the ball off of. Its a sign post. Take that same green and blend away the edge, stick the flag over there where the edge is invisible, pin sheet or not, it adds something. Now put that hole on a slope where you have to feed the ball to the hole, and firm up the green. Now where do you hit it, where do you aim? I can play that hole, my 72 year old mother can play that hole, and it can also challenge good players because of the empty space around the flag.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Don,

I haven't read many replies, but, isn't empty spaces the perceived culprit that resulted in indiscriminate tree planting ?

[Ken Moum]

Blake - thanks for contributing that; the insight of a visual artist is much better/more useful than using music or writing as a parallel. 

Peter

As a photographer,, I got a reputation among my friends as a lover of negative space. Most of my favorite pics have large areas of white or black space.

It's why I love that St. Exupery quote I posted here a couple of weeks ago.

"In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there's is nothing left add but when there is nothing left to take away."

I tell people all the time that it's easy to make a golf course hard.... Add bunkers, add rough, add trees etc. But it's really, really hard to make one interesting.

K