Ordinary/ Natural or Outstanding/ Artificial?

[Joe Hancock]

What would you rather play? What makes for "better" golf?

Several other threads are almost asking this question, so I pose it to ponder. Many of you well traveled GCA'ers can give better examples than I....

Joe

[ed_getka]

Joe,
  I am in the camp of outstanding in any form is fine with me. Outstanding being thought-provoking and fun. A local example for me is Stevinson Ranch, where the land is pretty much pancake flat, but within that property John Harbottle built some really good holes. Nobody would ever think the "Alps" hole is remotely natural, but it sure is fun to play.
   

[Joe Hancock]

Not coincidently, Ed, I was thinking of you when i said "well traveled...". Thanks for the response.

Joe

[Wayne_Freedman]

If you categorize yourself as liking one school and not another, you limit yourself. I can appreciate both.

A 'natural' golf course is often more subtle.

A manufactured one is often more exciting, whether fair or not.

But---no manufactured course can match the excitment of a back nine at Cypress Point, for example.
To me, a place like that is the ultimate.


 

[ed_getka]

Wayne,
  You are not following the rules. Cypress back nine is clearly outstanding/natural and that was not a choice. Try again.
   Joe,
   I was thinking more about your question yesterday and Wolf Creek (Matt W's fave) came to mind. I would think that would be an exception for me, because the pictures I have seen show holes that are SO artificial, I think I would have trouble seeing the outstanding features there, which I would imagine there are some.

[John Foley]

90% of the time I'll go for Outstanding/Artificial. A great example is Morgan Hill by Kelly Blake Moran. Some of the wildest, most intriguing, funest greens around, but totall 100% overshaped & artificial. I'd go back and play and be challanged every day.

[RJ_Daley]

It depends on what the natural has to offer.  If it is natural across some interesting ground, I'll take that sort of ordinary natural.  If it is on a plain, unremarkable, uninteresting plot of ground, with ordinary uncontoured greens, and bland hazards, well no one wants a snoozathon...

Give me natural on ground that was ideal for a natural golf course routing and done by some one that knows what to do and not to do with it.