[Ally Mcintosh]

We all have GCA subjects that we return to over and over again on this message board.


Above all else, I probably return to my uneasiness with the trend towards homogenisation in GB&I links course “improvements”.


If you had to pick just one subject where you find yourself on repeat, what would it be?

[Niall C]

Well a favourite one of mine is arguing against the theory that UK links are being homogenised, that tends to be a recurring subject. 

Also, generally anything of historical interest in a UK context.

Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

Niall, I’d be more than happy - of course - to turn this whole thread in to just such an argument. QED.

[Bernie Bell]

I participated in a board on a different subject years ago where one of the guys posted a "Dear Santa" list most years requesting "gifts" for many of the frequent posters.  Pretty funny in the right hands.

[Niall C]

Niall, I’d be more than happy - of course - to turn this whole thread in to just such an argument. QED.

Ally

Don't let me derail your thread one post in. Please carry on.

Niall

[Tom_Doak]

Ally:


Your topic prompted me to post a new thread on my own pet subject. 

[John Kavanaugh]

I love a thread about "Ballyneal". I don't know why it's so hard to get anyone to say a good word about where they are a member.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Probably a thread on practical design in the real, high play, public golf course world, where the design object is to create a nice course that has more than a bat's chance in hell of doing well financially.....(i.e., not require a subsidy)

[Ira Fishman]

The relationship between the quality of the site (including soil) and the quality of the course.


Ira

[Mike Hendren]

The 15th green at Fenway.


Mike

[Jim Sherma]

Over the past couple of years I've been stuck with the idea that the "Dark Ages" of RTJ, the Gordon's, George Fazio, Ed Ault, etc. were really pretty good and left behind a lot of good golf. It's my opinion that much of the cult of the golden age courses is really more a cult of the clubs that have these courses and have continually maintained (conditioning and architectural changes both good and ill) and improved their courses through the decades. If many of the dark age courses received the same love and investment as the local Tillinghast or Raynor I have no doubt that they would be thought of much more highly.

[Peter Flory]

I'm definitely drawn to the old pics and the architectural histories of courses, plus restoration news.  After that, it's probably new course development. 

[Bernie Bell]

Over the past couple of years I've been stuck with the idea that the "Dark Ages" of RTJ, the Gordon's, George Fazio, Ed Ault, etc. were really pretty good and left behind a lot of good golf. It's my opinion that much of the cult of the golden age courses is really more a cult of the clubs that have these courses and have continually maintained (conditioning and architectural changes both good and ill) and improved their courses through the decades. If many of the dark age courses received the same love and investment as the local Tillinghast or Raynor I have no doubt that they would be thought of much more highly.

+1 and I think this also fits in with Jeff Brauer's thought above on practical design. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

I'm definitely drawn to the old pics and the architectural histories of courses, plus restoration news.  After that, it's probably new course development.

I spend more time on Historic Aerials than I do here......

[Bruce Katona]

The moronic Blue Blazers of Far Hills with their heads in the sand regarding the distance the ball travels; the defense of par at "their national championship" and the calling in of and ridiculous adjudication & interpretations of the rules. 

[Kalen Braley]

Ditto for me on the distance issue and implementing a tournament ball for top level golf, especially given the solution is so stupid simple relative to the tens of millions spent in the aggregate for the land acquisition, building, and maintaining of longer and longer golf courses.

That one really grinds my gears and I find it difficult to resist.

[Peter Pallotta]

I don't understand how analyzing/judging golf course architecture is necessarily "subjective". [And I don't understand those who say it's all subjective turning right around and posting constantly-arguing vociferously about yet another in an endless stream of ranking-rating threads.] And I don't understand why it's supposedly so difficult to separate the "course" from the "architecture".  And I think the penal-strategic dichotomy is simplistic and un-historical, and worst of all has led to an idiot obsession with the concept of "fun".

[Tim Martin]

I don't understand how analyzing/judging golf course architecture is necessarily "subjective".

Peter-Isn’t anything that requires an opinion “subjective” by nature”?

[Terry Lavin]

One of the most frequently observed trends in classic course renovation: the semi-obligatory, closely mown, green to tee walk-off, often combined with runoffs on other sides of greens hi his used to have thick rough to stop the ball...

[Tom_Doak]

Ditto for me on the distance issue and implementing a tournament ball for top level golf, especially given the solution is so stupid simple relative to the tens of millions spent in the aggregate for the land acquisition, building, and maintaining of longer and longer golf courses.

Pfft . . . some places are spending more than ten million just on one golf course!

[Kalen Braley]

Ditto for me on the distance issue and implementing a tournament ball for top level golf, especially given the solution is so stupid simple relative to the tens of millions spent in the aggregate for the land acquisition, building, and maintaining of longer and longer golf courses.

Pfft . . . some places are spending more than ten million just on one golf course!

That's funny you mention that Tom, I had initially wrote that to say "hundreds of millions in the aggregate" but edited it because I thought it may be an exaggeration.  Sounds like my initial inkling may have been correct..

[Peter Pallotta]

Tim - sure, if you begin with the assumption that all anyone can offer is an 'opinion' then I do understand why it would all be considered 'subjective'. What I'm referring to (as not understanding) is the popular notion around here that no one can ever offer any 'statements of facts' about gca -- statements that are 'true', and 'objectively' so.  As per Ally's question, that's my pet subject.

[Kalen Braley]

Tim - sure, if you begin with the assumption that all anyone can offer is an 'opinion' then I do understand why it would all be considered 'subjective'. What I'm referring to (as not understanding) is the popular notion around here that no one can ever offer any 'statements of facts' about gca -- statements that are 'true', and 'objectively' so.  As per Ally's question, that's my pet subject.

Peter,

Its one thing to acknowledge a feature like a gnarly bunker, giant swale, or potato chip green.

Its an entirely different thing to assign values to them that would indicate how well liked they are....and that is the rankings process....attempting to apply empirical values to what is preferred or less preferred across a large group of end users that appeals to most or even some for that matter.

[Lou_Duran]

Probably a thread on practical design in the real, high play, public golf course world, where the design object is to create a nice course that has more than a bat's chance in hell of doing well financially.....(i.e., not require a subsidy)

As I might have mentioned, I have had in my possession for several years a copy of Joe Finger's unpublished memoir with his widow's permission to do something with it.  Mr. Finger worked some in the space you describe, much like his predecessor Ralph Plummer.  Unfortunately, the zeitgeist of this website is not that, reference the scant, tepid response to my piece on Plummer.  Perhaps when I start playing less I'll take a run at summarizing his approach to his craft.  Joe's courses don't often elicit surperlatives, but I typically enjoyed his work.  Cedar Ridge CC near Tulsa is one of his best, IMO. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

To be honest, those guys didn't miss much in the practical realm.  Find me a Wilson, Jones, or Finger course (among others) and I'll show you it was easy to maintain, there were no instances of water draining over the top of greens or bunkers, etc., a thing I see a lot as the younger generation makes the same mistakes of formerly younger gca's of previous generations made.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()