Golf Courses

In the recent wake of golf course construction some projects became much more of concept art than having an underlying element of game challenge. Some are even more picturesque than testing or too stereotypical than unique. Yet others do offer fine elements of everything that became a standard of the ever revolutionizing concepts of golf courses.

Like the TPC at Sawgrass. Though really neat, picturesque and with a radical “stadium” concept, the TPC at Sawgrass by architects Pete and Alice Dye is also the toughest golf course in the whole world. TPC at Sawgrass’ concept of “Target Golf” can earn worthy challenges by superb golfers, after all its being built to honor tournament players. Too bad, however, TPC at Sawgrass offers no room for mistake. These tournament players it supposed to honor are getting grinded and minced from the first tee on the fairways. These narrow fairways are lined with various hazards that catch even the slightest misplaced shot, and mounds that create too many obstructions, along with palm trees that even more obstruct sight and shot. The green isn’t as forgiving as well, so hardly compact that it doesn’t generate enough stopping action. All that until they reach the “Island Green” or the 17th hole and wet their pants. TPC at Sawgrass did receive major renovations though, lessening the severity of the course. It’s still under reconstruction until late 2006. And for the expectant, of course the 17th hole stays.

Yet out of so much fluke, other golf architects do create withstanding golf courses when they dabble with concept art and challenge, such as what happen with the Pebble Beach Golf Links of Western United States. Actually part of the Pebble Beach Company that has three hotels and a spa, the Pebble Beach Golf Links is the reason by far why peoples go to this part of California. This course was designed originally by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant but it did a major facelift with Jack Nicklaus before it opened for the 1992 US Open. Pebble Beach Golf Links is regarded as many as being the most impressive golf course to be found in US. In fact it did appear several times in the Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and hitting the no.1 spot once in 2001. Pebble Beach did have an illustrious operation; it had hosted four occasions of US Open aside from several amateur golf tournaments and high profile championships.