The Starting Point
IN: Golf Architecture | by Tony Cashmore | 26 Jul 2004
Many learned treatises have been written about how to route the golf course - there are even computer programs now which purport to assemble and analyse all relevant information in any selected site, and then devise routing patters through the terrain as alternatives, a series of 18 linked golf holes which apparently exploit little advantages in the contours, the swales, ridges, valleys, where water can be stored, how that basin will then be exploited (inevitably) by at least one par-3 hole (do you want an island green? Click!) and the 'risk and reward' approach to a par-5 hole (the programs are from America, please note!) - everything the modern golf course architect needs, just print out the alternative routings in living colour, and won't the client be impressed!
Course Planning
Well, it really does not work like that of course. To work through a competent course planning exercise is a specialist endeavour, the result of long experience, a particular eye for distinguishing often very subtle changes in land forms in context - that is with wildly different and vast background expanses entering the vision and influencing it, ditto foreground matters, all offering, informing, conditioning the scope and opportunities for strategy of a possible individual golf examination - the computer cannot fathom that thinking; and there needs to be 18 of these, say, and linked generally head to toe, minimal walking green to next tee, hopefully, (the computer programme envisaged carts, of course, so that wasn't a problem!) - and let's utterly avoid parallel holes, that 'back and forth' syndrome, please, the holes should constantly play in different directions - where's the prevailing wind here anyway?
All this: it's almost the most joyous part of a golf architect's work, studying the site in all weathers and at different times of the day, and coming up finally with a course routing which really does exploit and exalt the landforms, which requires the least amount of big earthworks, which touches the land gently, which convinces...You know when it's right; and you know when something doesn't quite gel: the enigma is always close to your forehead, and demands to be unwoven.
When Alister Mackenzie was taken out to Royal Melbourne's (then) assembled land parcels in 1926 (some holes we know today are laid out on land perhaps only a few background Club figures had in their minds and intentions at that time), he met Alex Russell, who had already drawn up a course plan for the Club. It is said that Mackenzie went up and down the available land in a little carriage, around and around, talking to Russell, pointing, humming away to himself. For a long, long time. From all that, a layout was produced balanced between two nine hole loops which started from and returned to the clubhouse node then envisaged - on the hill where the 7th hole West Course is now.
The Starting Point
And so, here's the starting point for the golf architect: where's the best location for the clubhouse or 'hub' control precinct? There's scant value in devising a memorable arrangement of golf holes, a waxing and waning of the intensity of the golf examination in the most stimulating way, if it is all predicated on some unserviceable clubhouse node, or requiring madly difficult and expensive road access. Think of what has to happen at that clubhouse node: easy road access, cost-effective services available, separate road access to service areas, carpark, plus 'occasional' overload space; two golf holes going away from there, and not towards the east, with two good length holes (hopefully) returning to it (not towards the west), all safe one from another, and from the road, and often today from close-by accommodation units as well; and a practice fairway preferably serving those opening holes closely; a practice putting green, perhaps a chipping/pitching/bunker practice area.
Better start with that huge and complex land-take requirement, locate it carefully, plan its resources and movement patterns so that it all works like a machine - it has to.
There are very few clubhouses, and very few clubhouse precincts in the whole of greater Melbourne, say, which work like that. Even some recent examples, vastly expensive, do not satisfy basic planning needs, no matter how majestic their architectural statements. The reason is simple: few club committees, and very few architects understand what has to happen, to make a functioning, valuable, flexible golf control building, set properly in its vehicular and pedestrian movement arena.
We may examine some good examples of golf control precincts and working buildings later. And understand why therefore this needs to start the architect's course routing endeavours.
