Ostentation

[Charlie Goerges]

The only thing I saw at Pebble was the guy flying a Ferrari flag above his home. Talk about a hat on a hat.

Yep. Only thing I can say is maybe he's an Italian who's a really big fan of the F1 team.

[John Kavanaugh]

The only thing I saw at Pebble was the guy flying a Ferrari flag above his home. Talk about a hat on a hat.

Yep. Only thing I can say is maybe he's an Italian who's a really big fan of the F1 team.

Damn, I shouldn’t be so quick to judge. When I get some time I’ll do a deep dive on your course and share an opinion. That name has me curious.

[Kalen Braley]

I think we can't really get away from what David T pointed out, that like it or not golf is tied at the hip with the perception of wealth and massive amounts of disposable income being tossed at it.

So in that context, I would also concur with the other David that courses damn well better be ostentatious if nothing else to justify the large sums of money spent to play them.

Don't know about you, but the Bandon Resort is one of the most beautiful things I've seen.

Not to play word games too much, but I hope you're not equating ostentation with beauty Kalen. Ostentation can be fun but it's rarely beautiful. I think Bandon gets around my own specific definition regarding use of space by being in a sparsely populated area.

Edit: And yes a Bandon-like resort built through Los Angeles would be pretty vulgar in my opinion.

Charlie,

I would agree in concept that its perhaps not as concise as we might like. I've looked at several definitions of the word and they all include some form of being attractive or impressive and drawing people into something via implied wealth, status, or luxury. And beauty correlates highly in achieving that.

To boot, if being able to afford spending significant time at Bandon enjoying several rounds, onsite lodging, meals, caddies, travel costs, etc. isn't a sign of wealth and luxury, then i'm not sure what is.  One definition references 'vulgar' and argument could be made it requires a vulgar amount of money to do that! 

[John Kavanaugh]

The only time sacrifice is ostentatious is when you brag about how much it hurts.

[Charlie Goerges]

I think we can't really get away from what David T pointed out, that like it or not golf is tied at the hip with the perception of wealth and massive amounts of disposable income being tossed at it.

So in that context, I would also concur with the other David that courses damn well better be ostentatious if nothing else to justify the large sums of money spent to play them.

Don't know about you, but the Bandon Resort is one of the most beautiful things I've seen.

Not to play word games too much, but I hope you're not equating ostentation with beauty Kalen. Ostentation can be fun but it's rarely beautiful. I think Bandon gets around my own specific definition regarding use of space by being in a sparsely populated area.

Edit: And yes a Bandon-like resort built through Los Angeles would be pretty vulgar in my opinion.

Charlie,

I would agree in concept that its perhaps not as concise as we might like. I've looked at several definitions of the word and they all include some form of being attractive or impressive and drawing people into something via implied wealth, status, or luxury. And beauty correlates highly in achieving that.

To boot, if being able to afford spending significant time at Bandon enjoying several rounds, onsite lodging, meals, caddies, travel costs, etc. isn't a sign of wealth and luxury, then i'm not sure what is.  One definition references 'vulgar' and argument could be made it requires a vulgar amount of money to do that! 

I don't want to quibble too much, Bandon would certainly be luxurious maybe even opulent. I still don't feel it would fit even in my expanded definition of ostentatious. The attraction it implies is more like a roadside attraction, not the magnetism of real beauty. I did have to look it up because I was questioning myself.

[Tim Martin]

If you look past the image and into the mind of a photographer you see sadness awash in ostentation. They are playing make believe. Make believe anyone cares.


There are rare examples such as Joe Bausch and Mark Kiely. Please show me one ostentatious photo in Joe’s collection of thousands.


http://myphillygolf.com/gallery.asp

Although I’m not familiar with Mark’s work I am with Joe’s and agree wholeheartedly as I’m a big fan. It’s the heavy handed post processing tricks that the influencers thrive on and use to get looks. To me they appear more like paintings than photographs with the colors just a bit too vivid to be believed. They are pretty and appeal to the masses but I think in all my years I’ve maybe seen a half dozen sunsets that compare to those I’m referencing. I’m not opposed to looking at captivating photos but realize after playing my share of golf courses that I’m rarely if ever going to be treated to an image with my own eyes the way I see it on an instagram page.The process alone is ostentatious from where I sit.

[Jim Hoak]

I may be going off on a tangent, but the thing I find most ostentatious in golf courses are some of the modern greens, that look more like they belong on a Putt-Putt course than a real golf course.  I find it amazing that some of the best-known, modern golf course architects--who profess to be minimalists who stick to natural land formations--would create greens with obviously manufactured bumps and rolls that look nothing like natural land.  Perry Maxwell must be turning in his grave!  When will minimalism apply to greens as well as routings?

[Sean_A]

If you look past the image and into the mind of a photographer you see sadness awash in ostentation. They are playing make believe. Make believe anyone cares.


There are rare examples such as Joe Bausch and Mark Kiely. Please show me one ostentatious photo in Joe’s collection of thousands.


http://myphillygolf.com/gallery.asp

Although I’m not familiar with Mark’s work I am with Joe’s and agree wholeheartedly as I’m a big fan. It’s the heavy handed post processing tricks that the influencers thrive on and use to get looks. To me they appear more like paintings than photographs with the colors just a bit too vivid to be believed. They are pretty and appeal to the masses but I think in all my years I’ve maybe seen a half dozen sunsets that compare to those I’m referencing. I’m not opposed to looking at captivating photos but realize after playing my share of golf courses that I’m rarely if ever going to be treated to an image with my own eyes the way I see it on an instagram page.The process alone is ostentatious from where I sit.

A big reason why you don't see what is on Instagram is that you aren't a bird flying over a course at dawn or dusk. Even with the crazy efforts to capture images and then process them, there are some good shots which reveal something of the playing nature of courses beyond their beauty.

My PoV is that golf wastes resources. To some degree that is true no matter how efficient clubs are because golf is an immensely luxurious game in terms of space. Yes, we have to be smarter in how resources are used as well as design courses and houses with this in mind. I do think this happens, but few care about these places. Social media covers the famous courses which inevitably waste resources.

Beyond resources, we need to find ways to make golf an essential amenity of communities. Make golf virtually bullet proof despite its faults. This happens now, but often times the golf becomes so essential that it runs wild and becomes more a money making machine. Anytime there are money making machines there is sure to be ostentatiousness close by. Unfortunately, golf is heavily linked to money and that is more the perception with the general public which know nothing about golf. Golfers can help reverse public opinion with a community caring attitude. However, I am not convinced golf is there yet. There are too many selfish golfers who care little about their neighbours or how the course can be an invaluable community asset.

And we haven't touched on the latest trend of building courses in far flung places with the goal of attracting air travellers from far flung places to survive. This is high art ostentatious.

It's a tricky balance. There is a ton of money in golf and people like to splash their cash on ostentatious stuff. This isn't new...and if it wasn't golf it would be something else. I don't see golf as special this way. It's a microcosm of society which is at least somewhat predicated on have and havenots. That ain't going to change soon.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

I defy anyone to visit some of the new clubhouses built in the last few decades (I was most struck by this on my trip to Australia 6 years ago) and not see ostentation.  Great clubs, great courses, absurd monoliths of "look at me" architecture, far, far too large and over-equipped to serve as golf club clubhouses.

[Mike_Young]

Drone footage gives one a completely different perspective of any golf course. I have been wanting to do a calendar each year for golf dudes.  I'm trying to find 12 architects to pose nude or at least with swim trunks in front of their favorite hole and have the photographer shoot from eye level.  That should stop much of the "ostentatious" thoughts.