News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Adam Sherer

  • Karma: +0/-0
The Biggest Golf Cliche
« on: December 06, 2006, 03:37:33 PM »
To start off:

Hello everyone in the GCA forum. I'm a "long time listener, first time caller" so to speak. I thought it might be appropriate for my first posted topic in this forum to address what to say and what not to say.

Moreover, what are the biggest cliches in the golf vocabulary that are used commonly in the discourse of design. What terms are used to the point of exhaustion and inevitably loose their impact.

i.e.  "links style"
      "minimilism"
      "Top 100 course"
      "firm and fast"
      "Championship course"
      "ground game"
      "Signature design"
     
      et. al.
Logged
"Spem successus alit"
 (success nourishes hope)
 
         - Ross clan motto

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2006, 03:43:47 PM »
Welcome Adam,  The use of Championship Course will cause one to hide in a corner lest he be pummeled by the treehouse.
Logged
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2006, 03:52:56 PM »
Adam:

Pretty much everything which works becomes a cliche pretty quickly in this business.  It's a marketing-oriented business, and there are a lot of people who are not afraid to say what they don't mean if it helps them get work.
Logged

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2006, 04:02:24 PM »
"let the terrain dictate the design"
or other versions of the same concept

"holes that blend in with their natural surroundings"
"finding, not building, the holes"
Logged

Rick Shefchik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2006, 04:11:38 PM »
If you can find one course description that does not include the word "challenging," I'd love to see it. And I'll play it.
Logged
"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Mike_Sweeney

Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2006, 04:14:30 PM »
Quote from: Adam_Sherer on December 06, 2006, 03:37:33 PM
     "Top 100 course"
   

My wife used to bite on this one, but after using it a dozen times or so she figured out there are 400 or so Top 100's.
Logged

Mike_Cirba

Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2006, 04:15:02 PM »
We had a really special property to work with (special meaning it was over 80% wetlands, steep ledging, and rock), and the members will enjoy playing the course over and over (they can't afford to play anywhere else after paying the 250K initiation).  
« Last Edit: December 06, 2006, 04:16:45 PM by Mike Cirba »
Logged

Glenn Spencer

Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2006, 04:18:55 PM »
'this wonderful layout will provide fun for the professional and the beginning amateur alike"
Logged

Adam Sherer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2006, 04:18:59 PM »
Mike-

Thanks, that gave me a good laugh.

Those are the cliches that make you cringe. But, TD is right: some things you just have to say. It seems like is a knee-jerk reaction to say those phrases for the purpose of PR and marketing.
Logged
"Spem successus alit"
 (success nourishes hope)
 
         - Ross clan motto

Gary Slatter

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2006, 04:31:12 PM »
cliches seem to change as the project progresses from construction to operational.  My least favorite is "PGA rated" and "championship course enjoyable from beginners to experts" or "six sets of tees"
Logged
Gary Slatter
gary.slatter@raffles.com

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2006, 04:32:01 PM »
I think "Minimalism" has almost jumped the shark as a term.  Golf course design is not techinically minimal, as that would just be cutting greens and planting a flag.

I know it's been a decent term to describe a trend of design in the past 15 years vs. trends in the previous 30, but I think one thing this site has taught me is that minimalism doesn't necessarily equal quality, and there are many great designs built and to be built around the world that will never be called minimalist.

Welcome!

-Brad, Boston
« Last Edit: December 06, 2006, 04:32:47 PM by Brad Tufts »
Logged
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

George Pazin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2006, 04:39:51 PM »
Quote from: Glenn Spencer on December 06, 2006, 04:18:55 PM
'this wonderful layout will provide fun for the professional and the beginning amateur alike"

This is probably the biggest cliche, followed closely by "This course makes you use every club in your bag."
Logged
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04

Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #12 on: December 06, 2006, 04:42:22 PM »
USGA specification greens......on UK courses
Logged
Cave Nil Vino

SL_Solow

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2006, 04:44:38 PM »
Lets go all the way back to the beginning;  "The almighty intended this property to be a golf course."  Variations of this statement date back to Old Tom.
Logged

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2006, 05:02:58 PM »
Shelly:

The late David Earl (once the associate editor who handled my stuff at GOLF, then editor of GOLF JOURNAL for several years) found me the original version of that quote:  it was Lord Moncrieffe of St. Andrews proclaiming the land at Westward Ho! as perfect for the laying out of a golf course.  (David was an overseas member at Royal North Devon and found it in their club history.)  Old Tom stole it from him.
Logged

Tim_Cronin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2006, 06:49:20 PM »
"We have 18 signature holes here at West Gullane Ranch and Country Club. Wanna buy a condo or just do time share?"
Logged
The website: www.illinoisgolfer.net
On Twitter: @illinoisgolfer

Michael Dugger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2006, 07:35:01 PM »
"it's a links course," this one really gets to me.
Logged
What does it matter if the poor player can putt all the way from tee to green, provided that he has to zigzag so frequently that he takes six or seven putts to reach it?     --Alistair Mackenzie--

Jim Nugent

Re:The Biggest Golf Cliche
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2006, 02:26:41 AM »
My favorite is "Shot Values."  Mainly because I don't really understand what it means.  
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up