Looking at those stunning pictures of Bandon posted by Joe it appears that Bandon has texture in spades provided by the ocean, native grasses,darker bunkers,undulating fairways and greens, and gorse.
From all reports the courses at Bandon are also extremely playable.
An example of another favorite,highly playable (though less so now) course of mine that has lost its texture is ANGC with the fake circular pine beds around trees, blinding white sand, and same bright green color as fairways "2nd cut" (somehow wall to wall fairways had more texture leading into the wooded pine straw)
How does an architect balance the demands of both masters?My guesses?
1.width-seems to be most important-yet within this width hazards can/should be contained
2.making use of whatever native vegetation is available especially near tees and other places where more likely to be out of play, or clean enough to find if in play
3.bunkers
4.mature specimen trees that may or may not create strategic choices
5. grassing lines
6 micro-undulations in fairways
7. Native ground covers that are playable(pine straw, low lying heather, sand in California now? what else?)
additions from the board
8. Pinehurst's wire/sand/unirrigated edges-curious about the long temr maintenance of this
9.Elevation change-per Peter
running out of guesses
