George,
Golf has always been a funny business..just look at the original golf stocks.....business men that would never have made such a stupid decision in their company would fall head over heels to be in a golf stock or golf company.....golfers have a hard time separating the game from the business....why would a golf grip ever go public? How much $$$ did Greg Norman make off of Cobra??
Most people would not write a will without a lawyer or think they could do knee surgery w/o a doctor yet that same person would attempt to handle $5 million as an architect. All because he has an idea. I am not one to discourage people from following their dreams but most people feel they can do this golf architecture stuff...I see it everyday....And in truth they have no idea where it begins and ends....
I see these "design contest" and some guy sends in a 2 dimensional hole design and somebody chooses. Nothing is stated as to drainage, irrigation grassing etc. these are just some simple examples.
I have followed college BB for years and have watched how many fans think they can coach....and many have no respect for many of the coaches......only those that win get their respect.....yet there are 300 D1 coaches that have some idea of what they are doing.
Same goes for architects....people only respect those that they THINK are the "winners"....and so we end up with an idividual respect issue yet an overall disrespect for the business because most only know enough to be dangerous and feel they can do the entire process better. I see it everyday.
Mike
Mike, speaking as someone who enters all those contest, we, or at least I, do it because it's fun. It's an interesting intellectual exercise, and it's fun to do. To me, it's analogous to the various fantasy leagues for sport. It's a way of participating on a very low level in something I really love, the game of golf and its tremendous playing fields. I love the feedback of others telling me what they think is wrong and what they like. In no way whatsoever do I harbor any delusions that I could build a golf course.
And I think there are plenty that respect everyone out there making a living out there in the dirt. The reason "the winners" are so widely spoken of is because there is a certain critical mass that must be attained before anyone or any course can even be discussed.
Look at someone like Kelly Blake Moran. He doesn't have a wide following, but he does have a slight advantage in that the courses he's built happen to be in the neighborhood of a small group of devoted architecture nuts, so his courses get discussed.
I am dying to discuss Rawls, but only a handful of posters have played it and I've discussed it with them already. And that's Tom D, one of the guys I'm guessing you'd lump in with the winners.
If you think that golf course architecture is the only business that gets the type of second guessing from amateurs that one sees on here, you couldn't be more wrong. My piddling little t shirt business draws comments from people I encounter on a daily basis. Everyone seems to know have an idea for a t shirt that will sell millions, and everyone seems to know how to run my business better than me, in spite of the fact that I started it with nothing and have been doing it for 13 years. Some have good ideas, some not, some are insulting, some are complimentary. That's life.
You're in a business that is seen as somewhat glamorous by those outside of the industry who love the game. It's no different from the second guessing that goes on by every couch potato sports commentator who calls into his local sports talk show, criticising the coach or manager. Or every person who's been to a movie, offering his own thumbs up or down, thinking he has a great idea for a better movie.
I hope I can tee it up at one of your courses someday so we can discuss it on here.