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mike_malone

  • Karma: +0/-0
  Played a fairly well thought of course at the New Jersey shore yesterday.It was great to play a sandy course since it drained well this time of year.
   BUT  i feel letdown by these flattish courses that are carved out of trees.My trips to Ireland convince me that these seaside courses need that wind.Without the wind these flattish courses seem manufactured to create some interest,but without the wind i think it is a hopeless effort.
    Great parkland courses have that elevation change that creates the interest.

        Parkland needs elevation change--- flattish needs wind.


      Does anyone else feel this way? Or please help correct my narrowmindedness.
       
« Last Edit: February 11, 2004, 09:56:36 AM by mayday_malone »
AKA Mayday

Chris_Clouser

Mayday,

I agree in a sense.  With any course, if there is no wind, your challenge remains the same, static.  The conditions can only be changed as the course is maintained (fast/firm vs. moist/slow) and your ability on that given day.  If you use Flynn's three constraints on the golf shot, carry no longer becomes a varying factor.  Length depends on the conditioning of the course still and Accuracy still depends on the player.  Without wind you do lose that third dynamic factor and it does limit the potential of any given site in my mind.  So lack of wind, because of the static factor of carry, could lead to a designer creating a much more heroic or penal course.  And as we know that might be good for a hole or two, but it does get repetitive unless you're someone who truly enjoys getting your head bashed in repeatedly, as some low handicappers do as the challenge is what they pursue.  The lack of wind takes "luck" out of the equation and creates a "fair" challenge of the man vs. the course straight up.  The player sees a predictable playing field and knows exactly what it takes to score well on a course every day.  
« Last Edit: February 11, 2004, 10:19:52 AM by Chris_Clouser »

munson

The 9 hole golf course in Lincoln Park (Marovitz) sits right on Lake Michigan. On any given day, playing would be dangerous without the trees. It is flat, but the wind is a bigger factor. Is it a good course? Sure, for government work.

GeoffreyC

Mayday

Winged Foot is a pretty good parkland golf course on a very flat property.

Are we talking about
Galloway National?
Blue Heron Pines?
Hidden Creek?

coniferator

Can any course cut out of the trees be truly good?

Why knock flat courses?  Pine Tree in FL is a billiard table and it as a very nice place to play and arguably a great course.(Arguably better than all those listed by our resident gene-splicer.)

As a note:  Those tall skinny pine trees with their needles on top as the signature trees at PT are some of the least offensive trees in play I have ever seen.  They still allow options.  Don't necessarily have to cut them down.

So Mike, which course was it?  We won't tell.  Not a soul.