Jim Kennedy:
I could frankly care less what the magazines say because often times the link between advertising and editorial product is quite strong.
Let me also mention that when you name a few courses of distinction I would urge you to RE-READ the part where I included a selected listing of a few courses of high quality. Would they really make a top 100 in the USA -- I can only say a very small amount would (possibly 3-5) and given the fact that Florida leads the nation in courses it speaks VOLUMES about how low the bar is regarding course quality in the state. NJ has only 1/4 of the courses of the Sunshine State but the quality is like comparing a minor league team to a major league one. Not even remotely close.
Jim -- here's the MO on Florida golf ...
1). Houses flanking fairways like spectactors at a pararde. They vary in size but they clog the natural flow by simply overwhelming the landscape. When you mention the aspect of people living there I can understand the affinity for the warm weather and the desire to move away from snow, ice, etc, etc. But, how does that justify the piss-poor architecture? It doesn't. You're simply making excuses why people have decided to "invest" themselves into the state.
2). Since you have houses and since you also have people who want to maintain their closeness to the course but still be separate you must have OB on nearly every hole at so many Florida courses. I bet if one estimated the total number of OB stakes & signs in Florida you could dwarf several golf states put together. There is also more cart signage than on most interestates.
3). Of course, if you have OB on one side you get the obligatory overdosing of H20 on nearly every other hole. Let's also not forget the obligatory water in front of par-3 hole which is an absolute must on any course you play.
4). The bermuda turf, with again a few exceptions, drains quite slowly and is VERY, VERY slow. Bermuda accentuates the aerial game -- it is simply point-to-point type stuff.
5). The greens are also so much "fun" to putt -- yes, there are some courses that keep the bermuda closely cropped but the added joy in figuring out the grain makes for nothing more than a "poke and hope" stroke. Again, for those who are not following me -- there are a select number of courses that try to keep the surface as tightly cropped as possible but Bermuda as still Bermuda.
Jim -- just because "live there" doesn't mean I can't opine on the golf component. If you read again my initial thrust I did say the weather and people are first rate. You must have skipped that part or simply paid no attention to it.
The golf side in Florida, however, is simply dreadful stuff -- what's wrong in acknowledging the obviousness of that comment? Might it be that you live there and are simply validating your personal situation? Nothing wrong with living there -- but the golf side?? Only Texas and California can made a valid claim that they have nearly as many boring and uneventful golf courses as the Sunshine State. But, there are a number of places in the other two states that have solid topography and do offer a much deeper stream of quality layouts than the Sunshine State.
SPDB:
Please realize the gentleman in question knows full well how to contact me and since he is knowledgable about Jersey golf I simply mentioned that nature of what has been said about plenty of layouts by the publication regarding the overdosing of trees that clog various golf courses in the Garden State. Anyone desiring back articles / issues can simply contact me. Sad to say -- we're not at Barnes & Nobles magazine rack just yet.
Adam C:
Please send me the weefer you're smoking following the comments you made.
Florida is an architectural wasteland (with few exceptions). The designs are simply pro forma "excuses" in order to promote housing -- pure and simple. It's nothing more than the same tired variation of the menus you see with fast food restaurants.
I simply "enjoy" the "clever" design schemes that favor housing (with OB next to them) on one side of the hole and H20 on the other. Then the braintrusts that put these places together flip the pattern to the other side of the hole. Solid creativity!
quassi:
Appreciate your comments -- Florida has plenty of golf courses. The issue of architectural quality is simply not present (with a very, very few exceptions). I wish people well who decide to make Florida their home because they are generally going to be playing nothing more than "fast food" courses that are nothing more than props to sell the homes there. If that floats their boat (no pun intended) so be it.
Just realize this -- just because people have to legitimize their "investment" choices doesn't mean I need to validate the golf course "merits" or lack thereof.