What do you think is the most important topic/issue we discuss here?

[Peter Pallotta]

All our threads and all our posts here can be placed in one of a limited number of 'baskets'
Which basket do you think is the most important one? Which has the most value, or has the potential to do the most good?
(You can define what 'important', 'value' and 'good' means to you).
Is it where to play/what ranks highest?
Equipment?
Sustainability?
New projects/renovations?
History, and historical research?
Construction and maintenance practices?
Publicity and Marketing?
Organizing gca.com events?
Etc

Peter   

[Duncan Cheslett]

Navel gazing analysis threads.


 

[Ian Mackenzie]

Peter, it's quite obvious....

It's the "Mucci basket"...:-)


But, seriously, to channel Pat, we should focus more on core GCA issues and less "OT" topics.
Or, have Ran implement an "OT section" like many other hobby forums have.


I love all things related to golf courses - travel, photos, architectural discussions, etc.
The rest is just filler.

[Joe Hancock]

Peter,


I'd say, simply, it is people...for myriad reasons.

[Sean_A]

All our threads and all our posts here can be placed in one of a limited number of 'baskets'
Which basket do you think is the most important one? Which has the most value, or has the potential to do the most good?
(You can define what 'important', 'value' and 'good' means to you).
Is it where to play/what ranks highest?
Equipment?
Sustainability?
New projects/renovations?
History, and historical research?
Construction and maintenance practices?
Publicity and Marketing?
Organizing gca.com events?
Etc

Peter

Pietro


You caught one of the most important...gca.com events because any discussion board is ultimately about the people.


The second you didn't catch...the bloody courses. For me, after the folks, it is seeing the course tours which keeps me coming back.


Ciao 

[Steve Salmen]

I like that there are many people here that are in tuned to what's going on in the world of GCA and post in real time ie: changes at Dornoch and Shinnecock.

[Marty Bonnar]

I'd very, very much like it to be about sustainability and biodiversity, but I realise they might not be the sexiest subjects for most around here, so Course tours will have to suffice.
However, compared to most of the news nowadays, there's very little important about golf course architecture.
F.

[John Connolly]

I'd very, very much like it to be about sustainability and biodiversity, but I realise they might not be the sexiest subjects for most around here, so Course tours will have to suffice.
However, compared to most of the news nowadays, there's very little important about golf course architecture.
F.

By that standard, nothing is important. I don't think anyone here is confused by the position of golf architecture in the world order. 

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,


We're all here for different reasons, even if we're united in common themes/causes otherwise.


I mainly come for seeing something new or cool that blows my hair back.  I still vividly recall seeing pictures of Lakota Canyon for the first time.  I know its not everyone's cup of tea, but for me....it was something I had never seen before and it was intriguing and I eventually played it.


I could say the same for at least a few dozen other courses I've seen here as well.  Sure I'll never get to play most of them, but its that spirit of adventure of something new and unique that keeps me coming back.

[cary lichtenstein]

The Greatness of ...

[BHoover]

The threads about how few clubs posters use to play golf.

[BCowan]

Buddy up and rake n runners. Cultural threads

[Pat Burke]

water


drier, firmer golf ideally, becoming more acceptable, influencing the architecture more.

[James Brown]

1.  Learning about the great courses.


2.  Understanding the perspectives of the people who actually run courses.


3.  Hearing about new courses in development.

[Ian Andrew]

What's new ... it's why most come to the site.
See what's being built, what the new ideas are being tried, find out who's doing what.


On a bad day this is devolves to Golf Club TMZ ...
On a good day its full of insight and you re given the gift of some really interesting courses worth going to see.


The other reason is history, the site has always been very good at figuring out who did what and when.
If you ignore the battles of ego, the insights surrounding history is often tremendous.

[Jud_T]

To the outside world it’s probably. 1) promoting firm and fast golf where the quality of the soil and turf significantly enhances options & fun while letting the design really shine through.
2) highlighting truly minimalist designs like the Loop @ Forest Dunes and Sweetens Cove that may show a way forward for the game.
3) debunking the sacred cows of magazine rankings
Internally, it’s getting to pick Archie’s thoughts on specific holes and the details of strategy and routing from a GCA’s perspective as well as all the great historical discoveries done by many here.

[Steve Lang]

water


drier, firmer golf ideally, becoming more acceptable, influencing the architecture more.

I'd second that, but offer the corrollary topic of drainage, as the water goes, so goes the golf ball...

[Joe Bausch]

For years the most important part of the site to me was the tremendous amount of early historical research presented, discussed, and dissected.  Sadly, that his diminished significantly over the last handful of years.

So what use to be second for me is now first:  discussion of the nuts-and-bolts of architecture by many of the talented architects in the business.

[Rich Goodale]

The future of golf.


The top ~30 or so courses will both survive and prevail.  The next ~30-500 will survive.  So will the large but declining well kept and well kent local courses.  The ones in the middle (85+% of all the golf courses in the world) will all struggle to survive.

[Martin Lehmann]

The future of golf.


The top ~30 or so courses will both survive and prevail.  The next ~30-500 will survive.  So will the large but declining well kept and well kent local courses.  The ones in the middle (85+% of all the golf courses in the world) will all struggle to survive.

Yes, I fully agree. The future of golf and the role golf course architecture has to play to keep the game attractive, sustainable and prosperous on the long run.

[Thomas Dai]

Shame that Mr Photobucket's recent activity has deprived us of so many wonderful historically posted photo-tours, misc photo analysis and the like and the ability to carry on posting them. That has always been a real highlight in terms of sharing information, learning and education.
Tips on photo-sharing in the post-Photobucket era would be appreciated.
atb

[Jerry Kluger]

I would say the most important topic is how golf course architecture can make the game more fun and challenging without necessarily making it more difficult.  I had never been to the UK and Ireland before last year and now having played maybe 30 rounds over there I can see how a course can be fun and challenging without being extremely difficult. It brought home to me what some of today's architects have learned from those courses and brought it to the US. So as we discuss the courses in the US which we feel are great examples of quality architecture we see so many that are fun and challenging but not necessarily extremely difficult.  By extremely difficult I mean courses that require shots that only the very best players can execute. There is a place for the extremely difficult courses and they can certainly be great architecture but those that are not extremely difficult can be great as well.

[Tom_Doak]

Jerry: well put.


Jud_T:  did you really describe Sweetens Cove as minimalist?  I have not been there but every description I have read makes it sound like a total shape-fest on what was once flat ground.  That's fine if you like it, but calling that minimalist just confuses the subject completely.  It's got more in common with Tobacco Road than The Loop.

[Adam Lawrence]

Jerry: well put.


Jud_T:  did you really describe Sweetens Cove as minimalist?  I have not been there but every description I have read makes it sound like a total shape-fest on what was once flat ground.  That's fine if you like it, but calling that minimalist just confuses the subject completely.  It's got more in common with Tobacco Road than The Loop.

Yes, I found the suggestion that SC was minimalist as a bit odd too. I love the place to death, but when you sand cap a site it's hard to call it minimal.

[BCowan]

SC is also on heavy clay.  Debunking the sand elitist world view...  As thee Cove plays fast.