Breathtaking Scenery

[Eric Smith]

The next great golf course - Machu Picchu Golf Links



It's all right there in front of you.

Doak does a wonderful job of blending the golf course to the natural environment.



 



I know - I've had too much spiked coffee today while taking the day off.   Just having a little fun with the continuing discussion and debate about how much of an impact breathtaking scenery has on the golfer's evaluation of a golf course. eg Cape Kidnappers, Pebble, etc.  I just watched (again) the Kiwi Challenge and continue to be fascinated by Cape K.

I don't see how the surrounding scenery couldn't help but be a factor, but like most anything, it is a balance of many things that makes something great.

Below are pics from one of Tom Doak's golf courses, one in which I thoroughly enjoy going to play about every three years or so.  It is NOT in a breathtaking environment, it is built on dead-flat ground, but it is still inspiring, imo.  It'll never be considered among the world's greatest, but is a shining example of thoughtful architecture meant to keep the golfer thinking his way around the course while having a blast playing it.














I think it would be a mistake to place too much emphasis on the ocean and cliffs at CK.  It does look amazing on television.  If it is as good a golf course as many believe it to be, then maybe it will crack the top 10 ONE day, 20 - 40 - 100 years from now, who knows.

Doak Machu Picchu?  World top 10?  Don't count 'em out. 



edit -- The course above is Heathland in MB.

[Tom Huckaby]

That second course seems to me to have pretty cool scenery also.

But I get the point.   I agree with you when you say:

think it would be a mistake to place too much emphasis on the ocean and cliffs at CK.

I have never said scenery should be the be all and end all, despite the words that Mucci puts in my mouth.  Where I differ from him is his take that scenery doesn't matter AT ALL.  If one sees it and feels it, it matters.  And to say the scenery there should have zero role is as wrong as putting too much emphasis on it.

I also think it's silly to downgrade the course just BECAUSE it has great scenery.  Shoot, what was Doak supposed to do, put up walls?  He has said that maximizing views is a thing to be striven for by an architect.  I have to believe he achieved that at CK -and to no detriment to any shots to be played.

TH

[Tom_Doak]

Eric:

I haven't been back to The Legends in a while.  What hole is that in your last two pictures?

It looks like #6, but there wasn't a bunker in that mound the last time I saw it.  When we built it, it was supposed to be a fairway-height mound which deflected shots, as on the fourth hole at St. Andrews.  But we built it a bit severe, and God forbid anyone in Myrtle Beach would walk-mow an approach, so they left it rough and planted tufts of grass ... and now they've dug a bunker.

Maybe I'll have to get back down there this winter and fix it for them.

[George Pazin]

Tom sends me a check every time I share this story :

I was printing t's for a guy one day. It was a rush order, so he was hanging out at my shop while I printed them. While we were setting the job up, he noted we were watching The Open Championship (it was 2005, Jack's last Open round, on Friday). He saw someone get in a pot bunker, and he said, man, those things are a b@#$% to get out of. I said, you've been over there? And he said, no, but I've played this course down in Myrtle called The Legends....

[Rick Sides]

I love the Heathland course.  Tom, do you think you will ever get to build again at Myrtyle Beach?

[Tom_Doak]

Are they still building golf courses in Myrtle Beach?  I figured they were out of dry land by now.

We would love to build a golf course just about anywhere next year.

[Eric Smith]

Eric:

I haven't been back to The Legends in a while.  What hole is that in your last two pictures?

It looks like #6, but there wasn't a bunker in that mound the last time I saw it.  When we built it, it was supposed to be a fairway-height mound which deflected shots, as on the fourth hole at St. Andrews.  But we built it a bit severe, and God forbid anyone in Myrtle Beach would walk-mow an approach, so they left it rough and planted tufts of grass ... and now they've dug a bunker.

Maybe I'll have to get back down there this winter and fix it for them.

Hi Tom, yep that's six.  Here's another pic of the bunker in that mound



...and here is the hole diagram from their website (without a bunker)

[Anthony Gray]

  Eric,

   Ingeniuos. I think all these top 10 and top 100 lists do golf a disservice at times. I think the most important thing is which courses do you like playing the most. With that criteria the setting has a hugh effect on how one would rate the course. How about which course gives you a top 10 experience? Shouldn't that be the most important thing we are judging. Doesn't that appear to be the focus of Tom Doak's courses. Well done Eric.


    Anthony



 

[Eric Smith]

Gray's Anatomy,

Yes, it is the experience (for me), and thank you by the way.  I think you're right about Tom's courses.  He's not only building courses that are top 10 experiences, as you say, he's garnering critical acclaim with each and every one of them.

How's the Barenaked Ladies song go, "If I had 5 million dollars..."