The Modern Golf Course

I was recently involved in a discussion on Golf Club Atlas regarding the balance between subtlety and eye candy on a golf course.  The question asked if a golf course could be overcooked with visual distraction?  I believe this varies greater depending on the architect, character of the site, and time period. The point was also made about a particular golf course feeling highly stylized.  One architect who is most famous (and skilled) for his highly stylized designs in Mike Stranz.  His work at Tobacco Road is so artful, purposed, and screaming with style that it feels artificial despite a beautiful natural setting.

I guess this all comes down to a matter of taste as mine clearly leans toward a seamless natural landscape that happens to have some golf holes draped over the grass.  In the modern day Tom D and Bill Coore do this better than most and have the restraint to let their sites speak for themselves when the opportunity presents itself.

How about C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Mike Stranz, and even Gil Hanse...?

Takin' it all In, The Bandon Preserve

I decided to publish this one on Out and Back, an online golf journal that I greatly admire. The journal is run by Thomas Dunne, former senior editor for Travel + Leisure Golf magazine. Mr. Dunne's "...site is an attempt to bring some of the qualities that readers enjoy in a printed magazine–among them strong writing, an editorial point-of-view, a commitment to clarity and accuracy–to the Web....Editorially, the goal is to create a haven for original writing and, as resources grow, to fairly compensate professionals and talented “part-time” writers for their work."

I am not only thrilled to be working on this new and exciting project, but also participating in a growing community of online journalism.