What is the worst thing that has happened in the history of

[Matthew Essig]

A) golf
B) golf course architecture

[Sam Morrow]

A. Mandatory cart path
B. The internet

[Jim_Kennedy]

A) Too much money
B) See 'A'

[Garland Bayley]

A) golf : Elitism as evidenced by the Squire's scorn for the Slammer.
B) golf course architecture: Artificial ponds. (Everyone knew I was going to say that.) 

Good couple of questions/posts Matthew.

[Mark Bourgeois]

A) Caucasian Clause
B) Television (for many reasons)

[Garland Bayley]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

[Matthew Essig]

B) Television (for many reasons)

That is what I was thinking of...

Thanks Garland.

[Sam Morrow]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

I will try to explain. The internet, like much of modern technology is a double edged sword. Though the internet has given us many great resources it has also given us pompous windbags with blogs and who can post on sites like this. They think because they read a book that somebody wrote 100 years ago it makes them an expert on GCA.

[Garland Bayley]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

I will try to explain. The internet, like much of modern technology is a double edged sword. Though the internet has given us many great resources it has also given us pompous windbags with blogs and who can post on sites like this. They think because they read a book that somebody wrote 100 years ago it makes them an expert on GCA.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I resemble that post in some ways. However, be careful with the ad hominem.

[Sam Morrow]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

I will try to explain. The internet, like much of modern technology is a double edged sword. Though the internet has given us many great resources it has also given us pompous windbags with blogs and who can post on sites like this. They think because they read a book that somebody wrote 100 years ago it makes them an expert on GCA.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I resemble that post in some ways. However, be careful with the ad hominem.

Who you calling a homo?

[Tom_Doak]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

[Bart Bradley]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?

Bart

[Sam Morrow]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?

Bart

$

[Bart Bradley]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?

Bart

Oh, and why do you feel competition between architects is bad for GCA?  the "one-upmanship" factor?

Bart

[Mark Bourgeois]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?

Bart

$

Actually, $ = f (TV).

[Sam Morrow]

I'm not sure what was the worst thing that ever happened to golf.  I will think on that for a while.

The worst thing that ever happened to golf course architecture was probably ... rankings.  I think we were better off in the previous Golden Age.  Tillinghast and Ross and MacKenzie may have competed with each other to some degree, but not as overtly as today's designers do.  And hardly any of the limited commentary that has accompanied rankings has done the art any good.

The internet, IMHO, has not been around long enough to have a serious effect on golf course architecture.

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?

Bart

$

Actually, $ = f (TV).

If Pacific Dunes = highly ranked then X = a new pool at Casa de Doak.

[Morgan Clawson]

Worst thing to happen to golf:  Golfers allowed or perpetuated the feelings that 1) golf is an elitist sport, and that 2) the time spent on a golf course is “screwing off”.  Both of these have made it harder for people to take up and play the sport.

Worst thing to happen to architecture:  The mentality that if a course was considered good, it had to be difficult, or very long, or a championship lay-out. This lead to the creation of lots of courses that were poorly designed, too difficult to play, and sometimes boring.  People stopped playing because it wasn’t fun.

[Stephen Davis]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

I will try to explain. The internet, like much of modern technology is a double edged sword. Though the internet has given us many great resources it has also given us pompous windbags with blogs and who can post on sites like this. They think because they read a book that somebody wrote 100 years ago it makes them an expert on GCA.

The problem with this idea is that golf architecture was bad far before the internet came around. In fact, it has actually improved since the internet, although I don't think there is a correlation.

[Sam Morrow]

...
B. The internet

Sam,

A moron like me needs some explanation to that answer.

I will try to explain. The internet, like much of modern technology is a double edged sword. Though the internet has given us many great resources it has also given us pompous windbags with blogs and who can post on sites like this. They think because they read a book that somebody wrote 100 years ago it makes them an expert on GCA.

The problem with this idea is that golf architecture was bad far before the internet came around. In fact, it has actually improved since the internet, although I don't think there is a correlation.

As a whole has it really gotten better in the internet area?

[Jeffrey Conners]

A.  The golf cart
B.  The golf cart

[Rich Goodale]

a.  The Haskell ball
b.  The concept that there is such a thing as a "golf course architect"

[Philippe Binette]

Answer to A and B... the emergence and dominance of medal play

[Thomas Dai]

worst thing to have happened...in a), golf - colour TV and (because I'm in a mild, temperate area) fixed sprinkler systems.

worst thing to have happened in...b) golf course architecture - self propelled machinery and cart paths.

All the best.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom:

Please elaborate.  If rankings are the worst thing that has happened to GCA, why do participate in them?


Oh, and why do you feel competition between architects is bad for GCA?  the "one-upmanship" factor?

Bart

Bart:

I got involved in rankings a long time ago, because I believed that if they existed, it was important to golf to try and make them as inclusive and "accurate" as possible.  [with the understanding that it is ultimately all a matter of opinion]

I didn't realize until much later that the more people believed them, the more effect they would have on what people were building.

If the question had been "What's the worst thing that's happened to Politics?", my answer would have been "Polling", for the same reason.  The rankings have led to a lack of innovation -- to everyone copying what's popular, instead of to real leadership.

I might have to take back what I said about competition between architects, though.  It depends on the architect, and how he is encouraged to compete.

[V. Kmetz]

WORST THING?

a. in the history of Golf... STEEL CLUB SHAFT (with Metal "Wood" heads)

b. in the history of Golf Course Architecture...INFLUENCE/ABSORPTION of ELITE, "TV" GOLF on Course Design, Renovation etc (fairly broad, but I'm also including the Augusta Nationalization (perfect, green turf, fast greens, etc)

cheers

vk