The Biggest Golf Cliche

[Adam Sherer]

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.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Welcome Adam,  The use of Championship Course will cause one to hide in a corner lest he be pummeled by the treehouse.

[Tom_Doak]

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.

[rjsimper]

"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"

[Rick Shefchik]

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.

[Mike_Sweeney]

     "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.

[Mike_Cirba]

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).  

[Glenn Spencer]

'this wonderful layout will provide fun for the professional and the beginning amateur alike"

[Adam Sherer]

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.

[Gary Slatter]

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"

[Brad Tufts]

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

[George Pazin]

'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."

[Mark Chaplin]

USGA specification greens......on UK courses

[SL_Solow]

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.

[Tom_Doak]

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.

[Tim_Cronin]

"We have 18 signature holes here at West Gullane Ranch and Country Club. Wanna buy a condo or just do time share?"

[Michael Dugger]

"it's a links course," this one really gets to me.

[Jim Nugent]

My favorite is "Shot Values."  Mainly because I don't really understand what it means.