Memory – an organism’s ability to store, retain, and subsequently retrieve information.
What makes a golf hole or course memorable?
I have found that I often associate positive feelings for a golf course or hole based on how “memorable” I found it.
If I were designing an ideal golf course, I would strive to make every hole memorable. This is very elusive. What makes a golfer remember? Is it the beauty, the good shots, the birdie, the unexpected result, the poor result, the company, a joke someone told on the tee, the smell of blooming fruit trees, a water feature, an unusual bunker, the sense of history….so many different things might play into this equation.
And yet, much of my appreciation for a golf venue depends on how I remember it months or years later. Now, obviously, playing a course repeatedly or seeing it on TV countless times changes the scenario. I “remember” all of the holes of Augusta National without ever having been to Augusta. But what about the first time you see and play a course?
Everyone’s memory is different. My wife can remember every one of her birthdays, her parties and the presents she received. I can only remember a few details of my birthdays and of my childhood, in general. When I see and play a great course for the first time, I still often only remember the specifics of a few holes. Generally, I will remember the overall feeling of such a course (the style, setting, ..etc), but only the specifics of those few holes. What made those holes stand out? There are innumerable, nameless courses that I have played where I remember very few details at all. I tend to play new golf courses in bunches…I have taken a weeklong trip, playing 36 holes/day for the past 9 years with three of the best golf buddies a guy can have. I find that after playing 12 different courses in 7 days that only the truly remarkable holes/courses stand out. Maybe I would remember more if I just played one new course on my golf trips. I don’t know.
Despite all the vagaries of memory, I still think that making a golf course MEMORABLE is incredibly important. What holes are the most memorable for you? Why? What can and should golf course architects do to make their courses memorable?
If you find this tedious, just FORGET I ever wrote it.