I am not a rater and thus I have no concern whether my seeing or imagining the potential is somehow fair or valid as having a specific function of why I look at courses in certain ways. If one is trying to be true to the task of rating a course, one should evaluate as to what is clearly there at the time, and issues of maintenance or current seasonal conditions should only play a specific and clearly defined aspect of one's ratings, stated as such in the rating.
But I was first attracted to this entire GCA subject based on seeing or imagining potential in both existing courses and raw land. I made a personal study of construction techniques and and turf science and maintenance practices because the subjects fascinated me based on what were the possibilities and what were the remarkable and meritorious aspects and features of projects through history that were completed and revered, and why.
I never just play a course- no matter what course- and not see and imagine what in my own amateur and marginally educated mind may suggest alternative potential. Even the finest and most revered classic courses have aspects I find myself thinking about alternatives to things from grading and green shapes, FW angles and construction, to where drainage may or may not be, to the maintenance meld to the extent I can understand the technicalities. As a matter of fact, I had a cooks tour this year with the Superintendent of SHGC where we looked at on-going works in progress of turf maintenance and practices to some tweaking and cleaning up of bunker construction. We discussed both retaining the vision and lost potentials if certain practices are not done and maintained or implemented. I just love that stuff!
Even playing RM, KH and Barneygoogles this year, I played all courses with an eye towards 'potential' both as things that can go on to lose vision and thus restrict potential, and even with an eye on what I might have done differently. When dealing with an historical and iconic classic gem, I would not have the temerity to tamper with it if I were in a position of course/club decision making without deep serious study of the historical implications, preservation of the classic ideals that are deployed in the original vision of the archie, and what must be done to preserve. Yet, nothing stands still or frozen in time. Potential and eventuality of decline in aspects of a living tract of land must be managed and alterations are inevitable. So one needs both a critical, educated and sensitive eye as to potential.
I love walking raw land and evaluating its potential. I have been doing this for years with topo maps in hand, scouring properties where I have had the chance, imagining and evaluating potential. This is the sort of activity that keeps me here on GCA.com for all these years.