Some thoughts from Trinity Forest

Full-out architecture fans had been looking forward to the Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest, perhaps as some sort of statement that somehow the architects of the course are clearly the best. Just remember that Professional Men's Golf is not Golf and as I wrote a week ago, we like what we like, we ought to recognize why and test ourselves more. Golf is life and we kid ourselves if we stick to things that flatter our strengths and hide realities from us. The fact is that this course set up "the proper way" was leading to 30 under par pace the first two days. Wind and rain didn't take too much out. Those who know can point to this and say there is nothing like Links but Links IS. Overall there was no undying love for the place and none terribly unhappy, save Matt Kuchar one of the days he flubbed.

I've heard the criticism that Coore & Crenshaw don't go far enough. That they need to enhance nature a bit more. I'll admit this is usually my feeling after playing one of their courses. Not the "Hater" I get called by the sycophants, but just not in love, this is a reason, if not the reason why. It is why I'm generally more excited by a new Doak or Hanse more. A new Smyers. A chance for a new Kelly Blake Moran. Did we see just another version of the RTJ hard par, easy bogie except sometimes it was easy birdie.  We did see the fallacy of Fast & Firm couples with equipment out of control, routine 350 yard drives on the flat.

Tom Doak has oft been quoted as liking short grass as a hazard. It is a major tenet of the minimalist-naturalist-renaissance-(...) movement. (Sometimes I don't know what to call it) Bigger contours are often more challenging to these players, but that combination of major contours and great(er) speed on a continuum shows that the balance is on a knife's edge.

Then when you throw together various combinations of firm/fast  dry/wet  no wind/wind we arrive at Links or proper golf. Sometimes it's very take-able, sometimes it's unplayable. Then consider that the USA is a virtually unnatural place for golf. But enough of that, I'm NOT a hater, I truly enjoy Coore & Crenshaw's work, I just want that enhancement.

We did see far more linear reward and punishment. We did see the big ball rewarded.The landscape to the uninitiated as seen on TV was frankly just boring. But any flat course is very hard to catch on camera, unlike the lie that you cannot tell how much elevation change is really out there (ANGC, e.g.) oh yes you can if you know how to use a camera, you sure do. I learned that in Colorado and tried to foster that in my photography of Lehigh CC, well-documented here.

I just think there's not enough there to truly baffle the professionals, but it was great to see the modern wave of design presented front and center on TV. Nice to see a landfill/toxic site used nicely.