How has your appreciation of course architecture changed as you’ve got older?

[archie_struthers]

 


More and more I appreciate some quirky features of the best courses. Less formulaic more from the hip. Always thought that the greens at the end are the real show, and if given a chance to build or design any more holes would put in more time. Think that if you imagine the green and build back from there it makes for better design.


Distance is out of control, sad that we have to build 7600 yard courses for the best players. It would be interesting if you built a course with a bunch of holes like #3 at Augusta if you would be lynched for tricking it up?  Might start a trend!


No matter how you slice it the atmosphere impacts appreciation. So little things that make you comfortable impact on the experience. While Pine Valley has hole after hole of great architecture architecture,  the drive thru Clementon and then up Atlantic Avenue builds to the arrival at the gatehouse. Then Brigadoon awaits inside!


Natural features that flow seamlessly are fun, harsh staccato of difficult holes not so good. Ebb and flow you know!

[Matt Schoolfield]

I see two different questions:

Has my appreciation for course design changed? Effectively no, I have just always preferred links-style, and sought out wide open courses where wind is a major factor, that play a bit more randomly, where every good shot may not be rewarded, but a good player will endure. My current favorite local course in this respect is Corica (North), which I'm currently mapping the greens to from my notes. If anything in this design respect, I've gain a huge appreciation for strategic trees that mold prevailing winds. I wrote specifically about this and a par 3 I just thought was so great at muni I played in Edinburgh while in graduate school there: https://golfcoursewiki.substack.com/p/great-par-3s-13-at-carrick-knowe
Have I changed my appreciation for the landscape architecture of courses? Absolutely. Grass-types (I laughed out loud visiting Spanish Bay when I noticed the Poa). Unusual drainage features. Interesting routings. I can now see the difference in the artistry of an unusually placed bunker diverting heavy rain instead of a ditch. I can now appreciate the beautiful natural movements of a well made artificial pond vs the obvious lazy ones. Not all of this is good, honestly (I fear encroaching snobbery).
That's my reaction, anyway. Perhaps my taste for design will change as I get older, but I doubt it.

[Matt Wharton]

I am like most others on here, started playing golf on hard scrabble courses as a teen, and yearned for a day when I could gain access to courses with more resources and manicured conditions. I fell in love with greenkeeping and have pursued the career for the better part of the past 35 years. Over that time I have been fortunate to climb the industry ladder and achieve numerous levels of success.


I've used my industry connections to travel and play those very courses I yearned for in my youth. And then starting in 2019 I began travelling abroad to Scotland and Ireland playing links courses. And somewhere along the way I learned those hard scrabble courses from my youth were more fun than the overly manicured courses I yearned for.


Now don't get me wrong, there are some wonderfully maintained and manicured golf courses that are off the charts fun, and they usually were designed during the Golden Age. Over time I find myself impressed more with cool features rather than conditions, and challenging shots rather than challenging lies. In other words, give me a golf course designed by Donald Ross and I can appreciate and enjoy it regardless if it's an elite private club or a 9-hole course owned and operated by a municipality.