Is Augusta the Standard for How a Course Should Be Bunkered?

[Benjamin Litman]

I should have posted here what I posted in the 1935-pictures thread--Joe Passov's article today about the influence ANGC has had on golf-course design. Not much about bunkering, but still apropos of the larger issue of whether ANGC is/can/should be a standard:

http://www.golf.com/courses-and-travel/masters-2015-6-great-courses-influenced-augusta-national

[Patrick_Mucci]

How much does the need for good photographs of a golf course cause additional bunkers to be built?

NONE !

Jason, do you really believe that the conversation in Green Committee meetings and Board rooms goes like this:

"Our holes need to be more photogenic, let's add some bunkers to make for a better picture.

That's beyond moronic. 

[Garland Bayley]

How much does the need for good photographs of a golf course cause additional bunkers to be built?

NONE !

Jason, do you really believe that the conversation in Green Committee meetings and Board rooms goes like this:

"Our holes need to be more photogenic, let's add some bunkers to make for a better picture.

That's beyond moronic. 

I don't think Jason was talking about Green Committee priorities. I think you should have known that.

I do think he was talking about courses that need to sell themselves, e.g., resorts, CCFADs.

[Jeff_Brauer]

How much does the need for good photographs of a golf course cause additional bunkers to be built?

NONE !

Jason, do you really believe that the conversation in Green Committee meetings and Board rooms goes like this:

"Our holes need to be more photogenic, let's add some bunkers to make for a better picture.

That's beyond moronic. 

Pat,  And moronic things never happen?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jeff,

They sure do, but that was beyond moronic.

Plus, that's an expensive photo

[Jason Topp]

Jeff,

They sure do, but that was beyond moronic.

Plus, that's an expensive photo

Pat - this is a green on a 340 yard par 4.  This type of picture appears repeatedly in promotional materials for the course.  Why do you think the second row of bunkers exist behind the green? 

[Jim Nugent]

Jason, I wonder if whoever put together those promotional photos knows for sure they actually draw more golfers to the course.  To me they look terrible, and have the opposite effect. 

[Jason Topp]

Whistling Straits

[Jason Topp]

Augusta National

[Brent Hutto]

Looking at Jason's photo links to Whistling Straits and Augusta National, one thing strikes me. Both are visually pleasing but it's like the boys at Augusta have not only "perfected" the presentation of their golf course but they have carefully excluded every possible shade of anything resembling brown from the color palette.

Grass is only green. Nothing shading toward yellowish, much less brown. Sand is brilliant white, not a hint of the pale tan color one might think of a "sandy colored".

Part of their concept of "perfection" is the total replacement of brown with either green or white. I have to say from a purely visual design perspective it leaves photos of the course rather limited and even sterile looking. It's like comparing the picture of a horizon-to-horizon 100% azure blue sky versus a blue sky with a few fluffy clouds in it. Or better yet a photo of a sunset with just the sun versus the sun reflecting off a spectacular cloudscape.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Whistling Straits

Years ago, I recall playing PGA West, where Dye had some bunkers well beyond the green, similar to WS above.  My mentor went on and on about those not being necessary or a good idea.  "Why would he put bunkers so far from the green where they never come into play?"  Of course, my answer was, "Because they look Mahvelous?" (thank you Billy Crystal)

So, my take is that it is one of Dye's ways of pushing the envelope, being different from other '60's designers, raising the art, etc. as well as getting away from the dreaded formula design so many here decry.   So, we can look at it now and in the future and see that the second row of bunkers, well behind the green, when Ross and a few others rarely used one bunker behind greens because they rarely come into play, as bad design.

I guess you don't get everything in any one design theory.