Lido Contest 2017

[Tim Gallant]

Congratulations to Bryan Orellana!


http://www.golfdigest.com/story/2017-lido-contest-winner?mbid=Social_Twitter_GolfWorld


What does everyone think of the winning hole? I really like it overall and would love to play it.


Only comment would be i'm not sure about the fairway bunker on the left. To me, playing short would leave most too far out to reach in two, so the angle doesn't then matter. Also, if you just about carry the bunker, you are on a hill, so unpredictable lie/stance. Would it have been better to keep that side of the fairway clear of a bunker, and let those who see the bunkers on the outside of the leg play away, only to find they can't reach, and now have the worse angle for their layup?

[George Pazin]

Best contest hole I've seen in years. Maybe ever.


Gotta think a bit more about Tim's one criticism, but as a quick impression, I like the fairway bunker on the left.


Though it's appearance does bring to mind the upholstered bunkers at Berkshire Blue...


Sorry, reaching waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back for that one.

[Mark McKeever]

What was the design criteria?

[George Pazin]

It's been a long while since I entered a Lido competition, but I believe it's simply, design your ideal par 5.

[Matthew Mollica]

Mark, the entry criteria are contained in the link below -


http://www.golfdigest.com/story/2017-lido-prize-competition-rules

[Garland Bayley]

Double hazards of bunkers backed by gorse. Give me a break. Should not have made the final cut.

[Garland Bayley]

I love Cameron's runner up design.

[Matthew Mollica]

Cameron has serious talent, both as an artist and a designer of golf holes. He has won this twice, once as a young boy. Faldo said to him at that time - "Come see me in ten years". Nick could do worse than hire him today!

[Brett Wiesley]

It seemed to have a little flavor of #5 at Bethpage Black and #15 at Pine Valley.

[Thomas Dai]

Just an observation, but the three leading entries each have either 8 or 9 sand bunkers on their designed hole.
Atb

[Garland Bayley]

Just an observation, but the three leading entries each have either 8 or 9 sand bunkers on their designed hole.
Atb

Just an observation, but these bunkers have little to do with the average golfer who cannot place his tee shot in the range of the first set of bunkers, his second shot in the range of the second set of bunkers, and likely his approach shot in the range of the third set of bunkers. To a certain extent we are seeing a formulaic design style being rewarded.

[Matthew Mollica]

"On many courses there are far too many bunkers. The sides of the fairways are riddled with them, and many of these courses would be equally interesting if half of the bunkers were turfed over making them into grassy hollows".


Alister MacKenzie, The Spirit of St Andrews

[Thomas Dai]

"On many courses there are far too many bunkers. The sides of the fairways are riddled with them, and many of these courses would be equally interesting if half of the bunkers were turfed over making them into grassy hollows".
Alister MacKenzie, The Spirit of St Andrews

For the other side of the coin see - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,846.0.html
As with many things I guess, moderation from both perspectives rather than over use.
atb

[Matthew Mollica]

Thanks Thomas - good old thread.


It is interesting with MacKenzie isn't it. For every mention of economy of construction in his texts, and for every example of his good holes sparingly bunkered, we play his holes like Kingston Heath 15, Royal Melbourne West 5 and 18, and Cypress Point Club 5 and other such gems where sand abounds.

[Thomas Dai]

It would be interesting to add up the number of bunkers per course as designed/built on various Mackenzie courses....and then compare the figures to the number of bunkers currently in place.
I also wonder if a pattern of bunker usage over the period of his design work would emerge or if there'd be some sort of site specific pattern?
Atb

[Ben Malach]

Thomas:


The reason the Lido rewards holes with lots of bunkers is due to the simple fact that it is an art contest first and a design contest second.


Bunkers render well in plan view where as hillocks and dells do not. Therefore those seeking to win should add bunkers to define the strategy of the hole rather than defining play through use of landforms that do not read impressively from plan. 

[Garland Bayley]

...
The reason the Lido rewards holes with lots of bunkers is due to the simple fact that it is an art contest first and a design contest second.
...

That has been my impression. I think they would show better golf holes if they took the artistically challenged, but more interesting holes and had a pro redraw them for presentation as a winner.

One year we saw a much larger selection of entries and the top 3 were the better drawn entries, but not the better golf holes.

[Sean_A]

Since the "archie" is presumably given free reign as to no previous hole, I would have thought creating more thoughtful angles by spreading out the tees would have been a good idea. 

I don't care for the second design at all, the 175 yardage spread in tees is not something I want to see promoted or built.

Ciao