Gaudy golf courses

[Mike Hendren]

I simply don't buy the idea that Augusta National Golf Club has been desecrated. 


Off the top of my head holes 2, 9 (the original green should have extracted by a dentist), 10, and 16 (sure it's "ugly") are better than the originals.  Jack's trough behind 13 improves that hole as well.  Admittedly, 7 is deplorable as the forestation of 11.    The establishment of "rough" is a straw man's argument given how thin and closely mowed it is.  Perhaps it's over-treed, but historic photographs show plenty of young plantings. 


The constant battle cry of the Stupifying Jones crowd grows tiresome. 


Bogey

[Mike Hendren]

Arguably, Mammoth Dunes and Whistling Straits are both gaudy.  One of them is outstanding, however.


Bogey

[SL_Solow]

It has been sometime since I visited the European Club.  When I was there the course was replete with plaques declaring various holes as "best par ____ in Europe" or the world and other such accolades from various polls.  I thought it was tacky.  What say you?  Are the plaques still there?

[Tommy Naccarato]

I simply don't buy the idea that Augusta National Golf Club has been desecrated. 


Off the top of my head holes 2, 9 (the original green should have extracted by a dentist), 10, and 16 (sure it's "ugly") are better than the originals.  Jack's trough behind 13 improves that hole as well.  Admittedly, 7 is deplorable as the forestation of 11.    The establishment of "rough" is a straw man's argument given how thin and closely mowed it is.  Perhaps it's over-treed, but historic photographs show plenty of young plantings. 


The constant battle cry of the Stupifying Jones crowd grows tiresome. 


Bogey

That’s because you have no idea what the word, “strategy” means along with the intimate knowledge of MacKenzie & Jone’s subtleties…

[Mike Hendren]

Nice to hear from you Tommy.  Thank you for that well-supported rebuttal. 


Hope you're well.

Mike

[Tommy Naccarato]

Hope you are well too!


My point is this:  Here on this thread you’re decrying the very essence of fun and excitement that drove the dynamics of the original design. Yet on another thread at least the way I’m reading it—you don’t like or want change. Especially if it means a course shuts down for a year.


You say that #9 looks like it’s extracted from a dentist’s chair when that green was a wonderment of challenging pin positions that would test a great golfer. (It was originally the 18th green) The intricacies of shaping leading to and around that old 9th people I believe don’t really understand.  Both Jones & MacKenzie were pretty adamant in their beliefs—it was a renegade club President, (Roberts) who changed them while aggravating Jones to the point that they no longer spoke, and as Dr. MacKenzie had passed.


Yet, on that other thread https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,70359.0.html you claim, and I quote:

I can't help but wonder if golf courses were meant to be enjoyed or renovated.   While the current restoration(?) trend is yielding excellent results,  at my age I can't imagine sacrificing even one year of play to turn a very good course into an even better(?) one.  One can always hang another ornament on a beautiful Christmas tree. Does every wall need another brick?
Are money and ego driving the trend under the guise of stewardship? 

Mike, Golf courses are living.  Things change.  Trees grow, bunkers become out of shape, literally move in some cases.  New committees and green chairs with different ideals come in and influence.  These once original whimsical designs become altered, many times without a direction of a Masterplan. Members behind those changes are very resistant to seeing what they changed under their watch, changed even if it’s for the better. Many of these changes are being driven to entice new members and in these COVID times, handle Golf’s popularity again.


So, my point is that you can’t have it both ways and when it comes to ANGC, driven by constant tinkering for one annual four day event, destroying the masterpiece of Bobby Jones & Dr. A. MacKenzie….

[mike_malone]

I find the look of many of these fancy restorations to be gaudy. They have too many highly fashioned features and super white sand.

[Mike Wagner]

What's the gaudiest golf course you've played?


Gaudy being "extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless".



I'm sure a Trump course will get mentioned but for me what Tom Fazio has done at the Mountain course at Vintage Club was so over the top with water features and white bunkers it was offensive.

Whistling Straits takes the title in a landslide.

[Jeff Johnston]

It has been sometime since I visited the European Club.  When I was there the course was replete with plaques declaring various holes as "best par ____ in Europe" or the world and other such accolades from various polls.  I thought it was tacky.  What say you?  Are the plaques still there?

yes I remember the plaques from the early days too - probably 4/5 years now since I last payed TEC but I think the plaques are still there. Wouldn't be completely mad about that sort of thing either TBH but it's Mr Ruddy's pitch....