Quirk at TOC

[John Shimp]

There was an AP article about how quirky the road hole is/has become that focused on the new tee box and hitting over buildings.  The article got me thinking about the over used term "quirk" in gca.  I don't think I know what it means.  Can entire courses be quirky or just features or certain holes?  Are the double greens at TOC quirky?  Is the the 17th tee shot quirky?  How about the 6th hole at Riviera or the 17th at TPC Sawgrass?  Are the entire courses of Cruden Bay or Tobacco Rd or even NGLA quirky? 

Does quirk really mean unique and interesting and fun?  Or is it odd and frustrating and outside of the standard mode of "fair" golf course design whatever that is?

BTW, this topic has been brought up on here broadly years ago but I didn't think the discussions were that helpful overall.

[Bill_McBride]

I think "quirk" is like "obscene;"  I know it when I see it.  (To quote a Supreme)

[Carl Johnson]

I think "quirk" is like "obscene;"  I know it when I see it.  (To quote a Supreme)

Justice Potter Stewart

[Bill_McBride]

I think "quirk" is like "obscene;"  I know it when I see it.  (To quote a Supreme)

Justice Potter Stewart

I was thinking Diana Ross.   

[Carl Johnson]

I think "quirk" is like "obscene;"  I know it when I see it.  (To quote a Supreme)

Justice Potter Stewart

I was thinking Diana Ross.  

I stand to be corrected.  Thanks. 

[Mac Plumart]

I've heard these are quirky...

Painswick
Prestwick
North Berwick
Rye
White Bear Yacht Club
Plymouth (Mass.) CC
Misquamicut
Engineers
Myopia Hunt C
Hollywood (N.J.)
Indianwood (Old), Mich.
Huntington CC, N.Y.

[Phil McDade]

I think "quirk" is like "obscene;"  I know it when I see it.  (To quote a Supreme)

Justice Potter Stewart

"an uncommonly silly law...."

Stewart, always a stalwart defender of 1st amendment rights, was one of the primary sources for Woodward and Armstrong's book "The Brethren," about the inner workings of the Burger court.

[Dan Herrmann]

Back to the OP..

If a course were built today with a hole like TOC #17, would anybody take it seriously?  Trust me, I know 17 is a world-class golf hole with oodles of history - but - hitting over a building isn't exactly what we think of when we imagine great golf design.

Personally, I LOVE the Road hole - it personifies quirk at TOC perfectly.  And quirk is usually a good thing.

[David Lott]

Back to the OP..

If a course were built today with a hole like TOC #17, would anybody take it seriously?  Trust me, I know 17 is a world-class golf hole with oodles of history - but - hitting over a building isn't exactly what we think of when we imagine great golf design.

Personally, I LOVE the Road hole - it personifies quirk at TOC perfectly.  And quirk is usually a good thing.

In the next golf building boom (about 2045), the signature holes will all involve blind carries over hotels.

[Bill_McBride]

Back to the OP..

If a course were built today with a hole like TOC #17, would anybody take it seriously?  Trust me, I know 17 is a world-class golf hole with oodles of history - but - hitting over a building isn't exactly what we think of when we imagine great golf design.

Personally, I LOVE the Road hole - it personifies quirk at TOC perfectly.  And quirk is usually a good thing.

In the next golf building boom (about 2045), the signature holes will all involve blind carries over hotels.

I think an indispensable element of quirk is that it has to be sui generis and unique.

The Road Hole
The "Pit" Hole at North Berwick with the wall
The 16th green at North Berwick
Painswick  (yes, the whole course!    )
 

[David Lott]

Back to the OP..

If a course were built today with a hole like TOC #17, would anybody take it seriously?  Trust me, I know 17 is a world-class golf hole with oodles of history - but - hitting over a building isn't exactly what we think of when we imagine great golf design.

Personally, I LOVE the Road hole - it personifies quirk at TOC perfectly.  And quirk is usually a good thing.

In the next golf building boom (about 2045), the signature holes will all involve blind carries over hotels.

I think an indispensable element of quirk is that it has to be sui generis and unique.

The Road Hole
The "Pit" Hole at North Berwick with the wall
The 16th green at North Berwick
Painswick  (yes, the whole course!    )
 

I suppose they could have moved the tee up and made it a 299 yard par 3. That would be quirky.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I found this on Amazon a few weeks ago and bought it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Britains-100-Extraordinary-Golf-Holes/dp/1904328121/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279092251&sr=1-1

I wasn't going to share it with anyone because I planned to use some of the best features myself... But hey, if I can help a Tom Doak or Jack Nicklaus get a foot upon the career ladder, then I'll sleep better at night...