51 to have as its goal appearing good in photographs as much as it does being good to play. Flashy features – mostly bunkers – abound, because these show up well in online imagery. “Frankly, I am tired of the golf feature arms race. So much is driven by the size of the image on the iPhone,” says veteran architect Ron Forse. “I have to confess to having become a bit desensitised to it, as it so prevalent now,” echoes Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design. So is this real? If so, how has it come to pass, and what, if anything, should be the industry’s response? Bill Coore, along with his partner Ben Crenshaw, is, in essence, the godfather of today’s golf design scene. As anyone who knows him will assert, Coore is the last person in the world to go over the top with anything. Is the problem people trying to ape a Coore & Crenshaw look? Coore says he thinks not, at least not consciously. “I have never thought the newer courses were deliberately trying to mimic our courses, but styles of bunkering and courses often reflect the trends that are in favour and receiving attention at any given time,” he says. “I do think restraint in design is one of the most difficult disciplines to adhere to, especially for young designers who – for understandable business reasons – are trying to bring attention to their work. When you’re young and talented, you want to display your artistic talents and given the uncertainty of future projects, there’s a strong temptation to add too many elements or overcook your designs, especially if it’s one of your first. Knowing what to leave in and what to take out is a skill that seems to come more with experience than raw talent; or as Ben and I have said through the years to our associates, ‘Know when to quit!’ I often joke with our guys that ‘one or two beers are really good, but five, six or more is a really bad idea!’ “In a lot of newer designs, there seems to be an overabundance of bunkers, sandscapes and visual elements extending horizontally far, far outside the lines of play. I think it was Alister MacKenzie who said visual design elements more than 30 yards off the intended line of play are not just superfluous but distracting.” But then, as Canadian architect Jeff Mingay points out, visual drama has always been a feature of some of the world’s best courses, and who is to say where drama becomes overkill? “I definitely think there is a tendency to overbunker courses for visual drama,” he says. “But visual drama has long been a key characteristic of many of the best courses, such Pine Valley, Cypress Point or Royal Melbourne.” Mingay points out that Pinehurst No. 2, in many ways one of the most visually restrained of all great courses, could be said to have embraced a very dramatic look with the restoration led by… Coore & Crenshaw – a project which was hailed as a triumph by pretty much the entire industry. “Pinehurst doesn’t have overshaped artificial bunkers, but those sandy, scrubby areas present quite a bit of visual drama,” he says. “The difference is very hard to explain, “ Restraint in design is one of the most difficult disciplines to adhere to” BUNKER DESIGN The combination of a linksy look and bunkers that resemble natural sand scars have played a role in the success of the Bandon Dunes courses (pictured, the second on Bandon Preserve) Photo: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
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