Golf is often described as a game where we must overcome the elements. Usually this describes climatic variables like wind, temperature, or precipitation. As I was rereading the Streamsong Blue criticism thread, I remembered many other threads where tees boxes on high points are criticized. Then I saw where someone criticized steep fall offs around greens. Or having to approach a green aerially.
It struck me then that in all of these instances, the “enemy” is gravity. Gravity is potentially harder to overcome than any of the permanent forces we deal with as a species. And when an architect is acutely aware of its affect, whether making a course more easily walkable or locating and designing a green with the difficulties of overcoming or the ease of working with gravity, we tend to notice.
This discussion may seem quite obvious. But I actually don’t think so.