Front Page Photo Caption

[Niall C]

"Tragic – both the late Samuel Ryder and Seve Ballesteros deserve so much more than for such a fine event to be contested over such ghastly design work. The symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall are even more unsightly than the symmetry of the bunkers"

The above is the caption that goes with the front page photo of the par 3 green at Medinah. I'm not sure what Samual Ryder did for golf course architecture but I've played a couple of courses that Seve put his name to and all I can say is that he was a great golfer ! I wonder if Seve, or indeed Samual Ryder, would consider the architecture at Medinah as being tragic.

Thoughts ?

Niall   

[Jon Wiggett]

Hi Niall,

hope your enjoying the wind and natural irrigation at the moment

I have only played one Seve course which was Pont Royal in southern France. I really enjoyed it. Good use of the land with interesting variation in holes and direction.

Jon

[Chris Buie]

Hello Niall, not trying to be mean but what word would you use to describe architecture which has "symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall"? I would say the corrugated retaining wall would fit in nicely on a double wide trailer. The symmetrical waves have an artistry that would not be out of place in a 3rd grade drawing contest.

[Jim Colton]

Celtic Manor?

[JR Potts]

The caption shows how little attention the author has shown to determining the facts behind the installation of those walls.  The resources we clearly available to him...he chose not access them.  I will say this, those walls we not designed by any golf course architect at Medinah.

That said, the aesthetics of the bunkering on 17 is awful.

[Mark Bourgeois]

JR, if whatever the problem was could be solved only through metallic corrugation, it seems fair to me at least to call into question the entire hole's design / redesign. For the record, I also think the famous "lone cypress" on 17 Mile Drive might as well be plastic for all the "remediation" done to it.

[Eric Smith]

Sign of the times, perhaps? It wasn't all THAT long ago when Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday used similar images to draw tens of thousands of golfers worldwide to their shores.

[Kyle Harris]

That doesn't look like corrugated metal (perhaps teak?), nor do I see anything that approaches "symmetry" in those curvilinear lines.

[Terry Lavin]

It's the Ryder Cup not the Buda. The course and it's environs are well suited for this sort of mega golf event. If it's too garish, turn off the tube and don't try to AW your way on when in town.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Kyle,
It's vinyl:

That doesn't look like corrugated metal (perhaps teak?), nor do I see anything that approaches "symmetry" in those curvilinear lines.

http://www.cmiwaterfront.com/CMIProducts.aspx

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/11/prweb476930.htm

[Gary Slatter]

relax and enjoy the show!  it's sick to hear wanking as the game evolves without them!

[Jud_T]

The course clearly wasn't built for most of our aesthetic sensibilitites or golf games.  Doesn't detract from my ability to enjoy the event.  Hell,  Medinah is arguably the poster child for the Chicago school of brawny parkland golf.  Would you rather have the Ryder Cup be contested at Old Musselburgh with hickories and gutties?  On second thought don't answer that...

[Joshua Pettit]

"Tragic – both the late Samuel Ryder and Seve Ballesteros deserve so much more than for such a fine event to be contested over such ghastly design work. The symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall are even more unsightly than the symmetry of the bunkers"

Well done Ran!  Don't be afraid to put up examples of BAD architecture on the front page every now and again!  I don't want to sound like a cynic, but when relevant I think it can be valuable to point out and discuss such flawed works.

[JR Potts]

"Tragic – both the late Samuel Ryder and Seve Ballesteros deserve so much more than for such a fine event to be contested over such ghastly design work. The symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall are even more unsightly than the symmetry of the bunkers"

Well done Ran!  Don't be afraid to put up examples of BAD architecture on the front page every now and again!  I don't want to sound like a cynic, but when relevant I think it can be valuable to point out and discuss such flawed works.

I don't disagree, I just would have expected Ran to be a little more careful in his facts before discussing "architecture".  If an architect designs a hole and a third party comes in and requires that work to be slightly altered, after the work, is that the architects fault?  

As most every working architect knows today, what one may want re: design is very often dramatically affected by regulatory bodies, permitting and factors out of one control.  If Ran attempted to learn the facts about the wall, he would have learned that the Army Corps of Engineers controls the waterway, and they required the installation of the wall...yes, that exact wall.

Again, that doesn't excuse the bunkering...especially the right bunker.  That said, it's a great hole to play and is turning out to be a great hole to compete on.

[Chris Buie]

Other than the color and the wavy line, what would you say is the difference between the skirt on the double wide and the industrially manufactured look of the retaining wall?  Do you believe this is a design element to be defended and encouraged?

[jeffwarne]

"Tragic – both the late Samuel Ryder and Seve Ballesteros deserve so much more than for such a fine event to be contested over such ghastly design work. The symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall are even more unsightly than the symmetry of the bunkers"

Well done Ran!  Don't be afraid to put up examples of BAD architecture on the front page every now and again!  I don't want to sound like a cynic, but when relevant I think it can be valuable to point out and discuss such flawed works.

I don't disagree, I just would have expected Ran to be a little more careful in his facts before discussing "architecture".  If an architect designs a hole and a third party comes in and requires that work to be slightly altered, after the work, is that the architects fault?  

As most every working architect knows today, what one may want re: design is very often dramatically affected by regulatory bodies, permitting and factors out of one control.  If Ran attempted to learn the facts about the wall, he would have learned that the Army Corps of Engineers controls the waterway, and they required the installation of the wall...yes, that exact wall.

perhaps by requiring a expensive, ugly wall, the Corps of Engineers was suggesting that the seventeenth hole not be (virtually)identical to two other par threes at the course?

[Mike Hendren]

"Tragic – both the late Samuel Ryder and Seve Ballesteros deserve so much more than for such a fine event to be contested over such ghastly design work. The symmetrical waves in the corrugated retaining wall are even more unsightly than the symmetry of the bunkers"

Well done Ran!  Don't be afraid to put up examples of BAD architecture on the front page every now and again!  I don't want to sound like a cynic, but when relevant I think it can be valuable to point out and discuss such flawed works.

The "ghastly" and "bad" 17th separated the men from the boys today.  I can't think of a better testament to solid design when the place in the routing, hazards, hole location and wind conspire to test the best players in the world. 

Mike

[John Kavanaugh]

I loved the look of the corrugated metal hard against the water. It was like trying to land a fighter plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier, sideways.

[John Chilver-Stainer]

This is actually a ZIP with the green hinged at the back.

Unzip and lift - revealing the USGA Green Profile and Subair systems for inspection.

No flies on Medina!!!