Introduction

The new bloom of indigenous flowers on the Sandbelt is an exciting time of the year. It signifies the approaching summer of golf in Melbourne, Australia. A six month stretch of unrivalled golfing conditions. An opportunity to accomplish personal bests on the golf course and a space to solidify friendships in the spike bar. A worthy time to take stock of the fortunes found in the game of golf.

The Spring of 2022 was a significant one in my lifetime. It had been 3 years since I was last able to see the Epacris impressa bloom at Kingston Heath. Stripped of the privilege and opportunity to stretch the legs on the golf course, something I will never take for granted again. To not dwell on the past, the latest season of spring brings new growth and exciting opportunities to venture beyond my 5km radius of Melbourne.

Volume One is a handful of images taken on my iphone over the last 12 months. Observations of golf from around the world and questions of what is good golf design?

The Dragon that Lost its Flame

 

Heathland golf courses of the United Kingdom is a flavour of architectural design that I will never get tired of playing. Mystical sites that suspend the landscape in time far greater than its Links styled cousin. The optimal combination of elements such as soil profile, climate, vegetational class, terrain and location, help fend away the erosion and disposition of the landscape. This combination generally allows for the golf courses to play with the original architects design in mind. It also helps that a lot of the great British heathland courses were designed in the Golden Age of Golf Architecture, with Tom Simpson, Alister MacKenzie and Harry Colt being some of the notable names credited for their contribution to Heathland Golf.

St. George’s Hill is an English Club just South of London, with great heritage and affluence. A privileged place with all the finest elements an architect like Harry Colt would want, to produce the best Heathland Golf Course on the planet and what should be England’s answer to Pine Valley. It comes with great shame that the course currently does not live up to the bill or Colt’s intention. The most glaring example of the courses decay is on the Signature 8th Hole. One of Colt’s boldest one shot holes in his prolific career. A long par 3 that plays slightly down hill and through a Valley, guarded by 3 bunkers. The middle bunker is a large crevice-like hazard that evilly splits the extra large green in half, like the way a large bolt of lightning can split a Pine tree. The Green itself used to be the size of a small Australian town, split in two by the middle bunker and cascading halfway down the Valley. Each pin location would require a completely different strategy from the other. Golfers would of needed to anticipate at least a dozen different pin locations upon arriving to the original 8th hole. In addition, the 7th Green sits on a wonderful crest, hiding enough of the mystery that surrounded the flag’s location, giving the golfer as little time as possible to come to a decision. Unfortunately, I could only use my imagination, drop a ball or two and try to play to what once was. It was consistent theme throughout the round that the greens were put through the dryer and shrunk. Hazards looking tired or not their former self, as well as the natural encroachment of Pine Trees. Which seemed to of capitalized on a club that had been asleep at the wheel.

Not all is lost though, with the recent news of the club appointing a fresh trio of architects. Appointed with the diligent task of restoring the course to its former glory. I really look forward to returning to a rejuvenated St. George’s Hill.

 
 
 

The Splashworld Exam

As a matter of respect to the golf course and its traditions. There will be no photo documentation used. The image and name of Splashworld, should suffice as a suitable substitute.

In the fortnight leading up to my trip to Splashworld, I asked my friends about their time and experience of the place. In order to gauge a deeper understanding and appreciation of Splashworld, beyond the fly over videos or old footage that exists. The general consensus was that Splashworld was one of the best places they have ever visited in their lives and the difficulty of Splashworld was made abundantly clear to me.

Upon reflection, the feedback given wasn’t helpful in the slightest. In fact, I wasn’t prepared for the examination that occurred in the slightest. So today I come to you as a fellow student or tutor if you will. To best help you best succeed or cope with ‘The Splashworld Exam.’

If you are one of the fortunate ones that has received an invitation to Splashworld. I would first of all like to congratulate you. You’ve reached a significant standard and standing as a golfer to warrant an invite. The pass mark of the Splashworld Exam is a Par 72 or better. Frequently asked questions for the exam do include ‘But I’m not going to Splashworld to be examined, I’m going there to have fun!’ I had similar intentions when going to Splashworld, but if you intend to tee a ball up on the first, then you’ll be examined against your will. You can try and not keep score, but deep down you will know whether you have passed or failed.

The duration of the exam is over the 18 holes of golf, with the first section of four holes testing the fundamentals of ball control. The first hole and opening question being, can you hit 2 consecutive straight golf shots? The dog leg right Par 4 plays to a green complex that is walking the plank. A miss left or a miss right and your caddie will be calling for “man overboard!” Question number two in the test has 3 parts to the question and is over the duration of 2 holes. How good is your distance control? Can you lay back the distance of your drive to the optimal position? Can you control the distance with an uphill approach shot? Can you control the distance with a downhill approach shot? Splashworld places a premium on ball control and it puts you to the test immediately through the first 3 holes. The fourth hole is a long bending par 4 that climbs up an over a large dune formation, the perfect time to question the golfers ability to shape a golfball and to shape the ball with control.

If you’ve managed to answer the first section of questions in the Exam, then hey! you might in with a chance with passing the exam. If you’re on the fence as to whether you’re going to pass or fail, you’ll definitely know once you’ve finished hole 5. As for the rest of the exam, it’s combination of all the opening questions, like a sickening algebraic algorithm where ‘x’ is your golf ball and every question from here on out looks completely different from the last. Remain in control and don’t do anything you haven’t studied for in the Splashworld Exam, Good Luck.

 

Bunkers

 Bunkers can be fun sculptural elements that form or pose a green complex in an elegant way. A counter design to the fundamental nature of a bunker, which is to hide and be buried from the forces of nature at play. The Travis and Maxwell designs in the US are great examples of the contrasting style, which flash up to be a focal point of a golf hole. This is a great learning curve for me over the last 12 months. There is still a litany of overused bunkers on golf courses, a hazard of choice for a lazy design solution...