At Wisconsin's latitude the golf season has been brought to an end by early snow and freezing weather, and my personal 6 decades+ relationship with golf is also nearing an end, so I wanted to share this image that I found this past spring while browsing the internet.
There is much to be said for (and against) the sport of golf, but one aspect that's hard to deny is that a properly-designed golf course can present some remarkable vistas of the natural world. Even non-golfers are likely familiar with the azalea-laden backdrop of 12th hole at Augusta National, but even local private and public courses may have elevated tees that overlook expanses of grass, trees, ponds, creeks, and shorelines that look like something designed by Capability Brown.
This image captivated me because it features a design where the golfer needs to choose between a "safe" play to the manicured fairway at the left, or the aggressive approach straight at the hole, where the pin can even be located behind a deep bunker. I would love the challenge of playing this hole, perhaps on my fifth mulligan dropping the ball pin high.
I wondered where it was. The golfer's clothing (long sleeves and pants, down vest) suggest cool weather, and the trees look like spring foliage rather than autumn. So I figured probably May in the upper Midwest. It turned out to be Dublin, Ireland.
The poster, with its memorial text, is available at Just Happy Tears.
one aspect that's hard to deny is that a properly-designed golf course can present some remarkable vistas of the natural world
ReplyDeleteAs long as you realize that those vistas are entirely artificial. Just like a garden center. Golf courses *look* like nature but are factually incredibly manicured places.
Absolutely - and nowadays moreso than ever. Early golf courses accommodated natural contours; modern courses are created with GPS-guided earthmoving equipment. If I can find it I have a link to an incredible article explaining the technology involved in creating a sand trap.
DeleteJust what I was thinking. I was also thinking that this would be a much lovelier picture if it had been left alone. There's just something about sculpted and manicured and arranged vistas that sets my teeth on edge.
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