Tribute Courses

[SPDB]

"All three are among the very least impressive holes on the course, probably leading the uninitiated who play there into believing that the trio were some brainless troglydytes of ancient past, or worse yet, some boring, fey Victorian sophisticates whose designs challenged the player by putting them into a stultifying haze of disinterested apathy and instant narcolepsy."    

Mike Cirba,

With a little cleaning up, that has the potential to easily be the most outstanding paragraph posted on this board in years. Let's try it again.

All three are the least impressive offerings on the course, misleading uninitiated neophytes to an impression the trio were brainless troglydytes of ancient past, or worse yet, boring, fey Victorian sophisticates whose designs induced a stultifying haze of disinterested apathy and instant narcolepsy.    

Speaking of Victorian!

[rjsimper]

"As I said, I don't expect, nor do I want to find replicas of the 3 best holes at NGLA on the Oregon cliffs."

I don't think there is much risk of that happening!

 

And for that, I think we are both thankful  

[A.G._Crockett]

The Bear's Best courses?  Jack Nicklaus' tribute to Jack Nicklaus?

[BCrosby]

Add to the tribute course list Chateau Elan's "Legends" course.

I had trouble on some holes figuring out whether they were  tributes or satires (sometimes it's a fine line), but an interesting course.

Bob

 

[Guy Nicholson]

Ryan,

Would an engineer have a sophisticated enough understanding of factors like turf and wind to replicate playing characteristics? Just asking.

To me, that's what sticks out about these courses in places like Ontario and Florida. Why bother replicating links holes if your turf doesn't match? (I know, the answer is 'Because someone will pay for it.')

[Mike_Cirba]

"All three are among the very least impressive holes on the course, probably leading the uninitiated who play there into believing that the trio were some brainless troglydytes of ancient past, or worse yet, some boring, fey Victorian sophisticates whose designs challenged the player by putting them into a stultifying haze of disinterested apathy and instant narcolepsy."    

Mike Cirba,

With a little cleaning up, that has the potential to easily be the most outstanding paragraph posted on this board in years. Let's try it again.

All three are the least impressive offerings on the course, misleading uninitiated neophytes to an impression the trio were brainless troglydytes of ancient past, or worse yet, boring, fey Victorian sophisticates whose designs induced a stultifying haze of disinterested apathy and instant narcolepsy.    

Speaking of Victorian!

Sean?

Which part is haughty and condescendingly overbearing to you?  

Brainless troglydyte, stultifying, or narcolepsy?  

Have you played The Architects Club?   I'm guessing not, because if you had you might very well be still be doing a Rip Van Winkle out there after pondering why anyone has ever heard of Macdonald, Raynor, and Banks other than as a history lesson.

[rjsimper]

Ryan,

Would an engineer have a sophisticated enough understanding of factors like turf and wind to replicate playing characteristics? Just asking.

To me, that's what sticks out about these courses in places like Ontario and Florida. Why bother replicating links holes if your turf doesn't match? (I know, the answer is 'Because someone will pay for it.')

Guy -

You're precisely right - "Because MANY will play it"

I thought about that as well, but a skilled agricultural mind with a penchant for golf, or a well-traveled superintendant could make the same decisions to help replicate grass types, soil conditions, etc.  I'm not saying you don't want an architect to help, just that you don't need one if your goal is exact replication.

Joe Weekender pretty much wants one of these courses to look like the holes it emulates, to be able to say "Hey I parred the road hole" regardless of the fact that he was able to stick a 5 iron in it's pitch mark on the green from 200 yards away, and stop and pose on the bridge on "18 at St. Andrews" as he finishes his round.

[SPDB]

Mike - I just thought the critique was wonderfully overwrought. Sublimely meta.

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike - I just thought the critique was wonderfully overwrought. Sublimely meta.

Hahaha...Thanks, Sean!  

Sometimes, a little bit of overwrought hyperbole goes a long way towards making a more subtle point around this joint.