2008 - Favorite Pictures

[Ed Oden]

I have taken A LOT of pictures this year.  It has become a bit of an addiction, albeit an amatuerish one.  I love catching a course when the light and shadows are just right or where there is a setting so perfect the picture literally takes itself.  Of the hundreds (if not thousands) of photos I have taken this year, there are two which over time have become my favorites.  Here they are:

Ballyneal #9


Diamond Creek #1


I just thought I would share them with the group.  Feel free to add your 2008 favorites.

Ed

[Rob Rigg]

Ed,

Ballyneal is one of the most photogenic courses I have ever seen pics of - almost every hole brings something interesting to the table - truly spectacular aesthetics.

Great idea for this thread and nice pics!

[Ed Oden]

Rob, I agree about Ballyneal.  The best collection of pictures I've taken anywhere are of Ballyneal.  That's partly due to the absolutely perfect late afternoon conditions we encountered.  But mostly its a function of the course itself.  Just stunning.  But I didn't want to post 30 Ballyneal pics.  So I picked the one picture from there that I am drawn to more than all the others.

Ed

[Joe Bausch]

Here's a couple of my faves from the thousands of photos I took in 2008, the first I've posted before, the 2nd I have not until now.

[Brad Tufts]

Can you believe people pay a few cents for desktop wallpaper sometimes?

I change mine almost daily with the work of people from this site.  Fantastic!

[Ted Kramer]

Ed,

Don't sell yourself short with that "amatuerish" tag.
That picture of #9 Ballyneal is one of the best I've seen in a long time.
Granted, I'm not an expert in terms of judging such things, but I think you took an outstanding picture!!

-Ted

[Guy Nicholson]

I didn't take many this year, but managed to fire a few off at Nirwana Bali in October. I was without my best camera, but had plenty of time, since my caddy also insisted on driving the mandatory cart.

Hole 6: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2965691877/in/set-72157610577915489/

Hole 7: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2965692159/in/set-72157610577915489/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2966539476/in/set-72157610577915489/

Hole 12: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2982436175/in/set-72157610577915489/

Hole 13: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2982436701/in/set-72157610577915489/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2982437043/in/set-72157610577915489/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2982437891/in/set-72157610577915489/

Hole 14: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guynick/2982437327/in/set-72157610577915489/

[Ed Oden]

Joe, great pics as always.  I remember the first picture from one of your reviews.  Is it Saucon?  Funny, I took a picture from virtually an identical position as your second photo of HVCC.  That's a beautiful spot looking back down the C-7 fairway toward the C-5 green.  Of course, my shot was nowhere near as good as yours.

Ed

[Joe Bausch]

Joe, great pics as always.  I remember the first picture from one of your reviews.  Is it Saucon?  Funny, I took a picture from virtually an identical position as your second photo of HVCC.  That's a beautiful spot looking back down the C-7 fairway toward the C-5 green.  Of course, my shot was nowhere near as good as yours.

Ed

Ed, that first one is from near the 17th green at Bedford Springs.

[Trey Kemp]

Here is one I like from Dallas National.

[Jeff Taylor]

A few from my trip to Scotland in May.









Lastly, from River Marsh in Cambridge, Maryland.

[Sean_A]

I like the texture of this series of photos.  They reveal very well the character of the courses and what the holes are about from a player perspective.

#17 Beau Desert


#12 St Georges Hill


#18 St Georges Hill


#18 Kington


#1 Strandhill


#5 Strandhill


Ciao

[Phil McDade]

Winner, most frequently posted picture (GB&I category), GCA.

Sean -- I never tire of seeing that picture.

[Anthony Gray]

  What course is it?

  Thanks......Anthony

[Mike Benham]

I like the texture of this series of photos.  They reveal very well the character of the courses and what the holes are about from a player perspective.

Sean - I am little disappointed, I thought you would fancy a photo such as this ...

[Matt OBrien]

The best pic of the year came last week in Kyle Hendersons pics from Bandon Dunes

[Ed Oden]

One thing I've noticed about some of my favorite pictures (including both that I posted above) is that they are often taken from an angle somewhere behind the hole.  I like having the green site close so it shows in greater detail since I normally find that to be the most interesting area.  But I don't like losing the connection to the rest of the hole or the surrounding landscape which often happens from in front of the green.  Anyone else have this expreience?

Ed

[Jordan Wall]

18 at Pasa



Again, five hours later, wondering how I just made some thirty foot, ball busting downhill putt.  And how it didn't matter.

[Ted Kramer]

One thing I've noticed about some of my favorite pictures (including both that I posted above) is that they are often taken from an angle somewhere behind the hole.  I like having the green site close so it shows in greater detail since I normally find that to be the most interesting area.  But I don't like losing the connection to the rest of the hole or the surrounding landscape which often happens from in front of the green.  Anyone else have this expreience?

Ed

Yes, I've often liked those pics best too.
I just never realized why until I read your post!

-Ted

[Sean_A]

Winner, most frequently posted picture (GB&I category), GCA.

Sean -- I never tire of seeing that picture.

Phil

I know I use variations of this photo a lot, but this hole encapsulates for me so much of what golf should be and how simple it is to create it.  Sometimes I think we have become so far removed from the pleasures which golf and only golf can provide.  In many ways, Melvyn is spot on with his commentary.

Mike

Those were the days.  Thus far this year things aren't looking nearly as rosy.  The Wings are winning, but not the way that will win Stanley Cups.  They seem lights years behind Boston (though I don't think they will hold form) and San Jose.


Anthony

The photo is the world's greatest finishing (#18 at Kington) hole.  If anybody tries to tell you different, send them to Melvyn for an explanation.

Ciao

[Bart Bradley]

This is my favorite picture from this year:

I also have a lot of great ones from Ballyneal but none are as good as Ed's 

Hole #13 Grandfather Golf and CC:




GREAT THREAD.

Bart

[Ulrich Mayring]

My favorite picture is of the 9 holes in Realp, Switzerland. It's not necessarily the prettiest picture I took, but it is unique, because when you look at it you really don't see the course. There's a village and the holes are scattered all over the place, one here, one there - really one of the most interesting routings I have ever seen.

The first fairway is the flat spot in the middle, then you go up the mountain in the left background, play alongside it towards the street in the front and then over it onto the hill in the right center, which has the rocky outcrops on its right side and then for the final hole a drop shot down that hill back to the flat spot in the middle.

Ulrich

[paul westland]

Sean!  Did I just experience a Perranporthian moment? 

[Tim Gavrich]

#17 at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards


#8 at The Greenbrier (Old White)


#13 at Crail Golfing Society, Balcomie Links


And my personal favorite--our victory at the ODAC Championship back in April, which sent us to the D-III National Championship (yours truly holding the wooden championship plague/trophy).

[Kalen Braley]