Follow Up On "Best New" Photo Criticism

It took them a few days but all of a sudden my email box filled up with notes from photographers to let me know about the apparent evilness of my suggestion that Stephen Szurlej's Golf Digest Best New photos were less than excellent.

I normally feel bad when people whose work I so admire say I was "mean-spirited," but one also suggested that if I could just keep my "writing at the same level as Steve's photography," I'd be "right up there with Herbert Warren Wynn."

That's when I realized that A) Norm Crosby would have wished he'd come up with that line, and (B) the work of our friends in the golf photography profession largely goes unappreciated and therefore, rarely critiqued. In other words, any criticism might rattle some cages.

I was going to let this go but the emails suggest a discussion of golf course photography might be worthwhile.

First, a few points.

Stephen Szurlej is probably the best tournament photographer in golf. He's always at the right place at the right time and has done some amazing work. His list of epic photographs is endless.

However, he exclusively photographs the Golf Digest "Best New" courses each year. This is a difficult assignment because it has to be accomplished in short time with dicey weather. But can one person capture all of the award winners without some quality compromise? I understand Szurlej insists on this exclusive arrangement, and therefore must accept that less-than-inspiring image will be noticed and called out. Especially when architects have clients or potential clients asking why they ran a rear view shot that shows nothing.


Click to enlarge the 2003 Rustic Canyon Best New image, scanned out of the magazine (cropped to fit my scanner, but you get the idea...it's not flattering)It just so happens that I was involved with a course that won a Best New in 2003 and the image prompted a few Golf Digest folks to apologize. They suggested that the constraints of having one person photographing these courses in a very short amount of time may have led to an image that artfully highlighted a weed, captured the late light glistening off a cart path curb and for good measure, included a pair of carts in the shot. Other than that, it was stupendous.

What is most disappointing about the non-aerial photos this year--particularly the TPC Boston set--is that the reader gets no feel for the architecture or what the golfer faces. In a spread highlighting the best new architecture, I don't think it's a lot to ask for something more than a ground level, rear view of a hole.

For example, here is the photo that ran in the magazine under the caption: "No. 1/ TPC Boston: It's not often a makeover results in an older look."

 
The photo depicts the par-4 10th, which was probably the least-tinkered with hole on the course and most certainly does not look old. So when considering the options for possible photos, you have to wonder why a hole that did not really represent the impact of the remodel was chosen. Furthermore, photographed from an angle that fails to capture the new look bunkering or much else of interest.

Perhaps I've just been spoiled by Golf Digest's consistent high quality and often cutting-edge photography. But when architects and their teams put so much into a design and panelists recognize such work, it would be seem fitting that the photography should match.

In the case of the remodel category, it also would have been great to see before-after comparisons. But since this was the final year of that category, I won't bother to ramble on about the importance of demonstrating how courses get transformed. (For some comparison shots of TPC Boston, you can go here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

So I put it to you all. What do you like to see in golf course imagery? Whose work do you admire, and why?

"Fans want to see big great scores and everything but they want to see people hit the long ball. That's one of the big draws of golf."

Thanks to reader John for The Age's Phil Lutton who quotes J.B. Holmes, who has this to say about about PGA Tour course setup:

Holmes, 25, is ranked third on the US PGA tour in driving distance behind Bubba Watson and notorious ball thug John Daly, averaging 285m every time he unleashes the driver off the tee.

Now his driver is starting to amass cobwebs as tournament bodies and courses shape their layouts to trap up the long hitters, narrowing fairways in strategic areas and carving out bunkers to entangle the heavy swingers.

Holmes says the moves, designed to make courses a more level playing field for the shorter hitters, robs fans of one of the great entertainment factors in the game.

"A lot of fans go out there to watch somebody hit it a long way. You get on some golf courses and it just takes the driver out of your hands. You don't want to disappoint anybody but then again, you're playing a golf tournament and can't just wail away on the driver every time," Holmes said.

"I'd like to see it opened up a little bit. Some courses out there you can do that. You just don't see people hit it 340 yards.

"Fans want to see big great scores and everything but they want to see people hit the long ball. That's one of the big draws of golf."

"For some reason, the tour keeps eliminating Q-school spots."

Buried on page 4 of the designed-to-generate-page-views setup of Steve Elling's latest Knockdown Shots, was this  item:

News item: All precincts have reported and the toll at the polls can be tallied. A whopping 14 of the 25 Nationwide players who will receive promotions to the PGA Tour for 2008 have previously played in the major leagues. Conversely, of the 26 who navigated though Q-school to land their cards, 15 will qualify as big-league rookies.

Knockdown shot: For some reason, the tour keeps eliminating Q-school spots. This year the number of cards was pared from 30 to the low 25 and ties. Why, for heaven's sake? Players like Gainey (a former furniture mover and assembly-line worker), Yong-Eun Yang (who beat Woods in China last year), Cody Freeman (an insurance salesman) and Bob Sowards (a club pro) are interesting folks and represent the American ideal, even if Q-schoolers do often struggle to retain their cards. Note to Ponte Vedra: From a storytelling perspective, rookies trump retreads nearly every time.

I will never understand why our friends in Ponte Vedra continue to eliminate the chances for those potentially outstanding stories that make golf so unique. And not just on the PGA Tour, but also the Champions where I'd sure rather hear about a Jim Albus or Tom Wargo than some Tour player who was boring in his prime, is just as boring now and who doesn't need the money. 

"The saturation point came when it opted to serve as title sponsor for the AT&T National, the event hosted by Tiger Woods."

Stan Awtrey details AT&T's decision to opt of the Atlanta tour stop after 2008 and includes this:

The saturation point came when it opted to serve as title sponsor for the AT&T National, the event hosted by Tiger Woods.

And when the decision was made to dump a tournament, the Atlanta tournament — not the one affiliated with Woods — drew the short straw. AT&T officials notified Kaplan that it was invoking an escape clause, which allowed the corporation to withdraw upon giving a six-month notification.

It's amazing what havoc the Tour's decision to abandon the Chicago/Western July 4 date has wreaked: the demise of the International, horrible press and fan relations in Chicago that the Tour is trying to remedy, and now one less sponsor for Atlanta. I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting.

Par-3: Live Or Tape Delay?

In the great news about the par-3 contest being televised, the Augusta Chronicle's John Boyette says it will be on from 3-5 p.m.

I'm assuming this is live?

I actually think it would be fun if they tape delayed it to preserve some cache for patrons, while also allowing them to watch it after they've left the course.

Not complaining, mind you, just a thought! 

Par-3 Televised! Kids Free! Second Cut...Still Around

Mark Lamport-Stokes on the latest great news out of Augusta:

Youngsters aged between eight and 16 will be given free admission to next year's U.S. Masters if accompanied by an accredited patron.

"We want to inspire the next generation of golfers," Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne said in a statement on Thursday. "We're serious about exposing youngsters to golf and the Masters."

Really, shouldn't this just be the case at all PGA Tour and LPGA events. What do you think?

This is the best news, though I suspect we'll see some criticism in the coming days:

Payne also said the popular par-three contest, traditionally held on the eve of the Masters, would be televised for the first time next year by ESPN to reach a wider, younger audience.

"These initiatives are important first steps and a great kickoff to our ongoing mission of growing the game," he said.

"The par-three contest is fun and exciting for the entire family. It's an event everyone enjoys and we think it will demonstrate to kids just how fun golf can be."

On that note, I have just completed some market research that says the 18-34 demo loves the old tight grass look of Augusta National and believes the Masters would be a lot more fun without all that rough and tree planting.

Oh well, maybe next year.

"Do you ever swing the club as hard as you can?"

Thanks to reader Steven T. for this Craig Dolch story recapping Tiger's Monday clinic in Palm Beach where he faced tough scrutiny from the assembled media:

What was your favorite statistic this year?

"Seven wins," Woods said.

Michael (Jordan) used to throw away his shoes after every basketball game? How long do you wear your shoes?"

"Michael did give his shoes away after only one game," Woods said. "But in golf, once you break your shoes in, you want to keep them. I probably keep them for three months."

What type of a grip do you use?

"I use an interlocking grip," he said. "I used a baseball grip until I was 4. But I use different grips when I chip, depending on the shot."

Do you ever swing the club as hard as you can?

"I try not to go much over 90 percent," he said. "You can try and generate more clubhead speed, but I've found the ball goes the farthest when you hit it flush. If you swing hard and don't hit it flush, it goes out there like a 3-iron."

And Now A Word From Our Sponsors...

They've revamped USGA.org. You can probably guess what I think.

Tell me (and our Far Hills readership) what you think of the key difference between the USGA and R&A home pages, and what is says about the two organizations.

 

"The development he has proposed is much more Myrtle Beach than Balmedie."

Alasdeir Reid pens a must read Telegraph piece calls the entire Donald Trump saga "Swiftean" and says the course should not be built because of the proposed surrounding development's very un-Scottish approach to the land. Then again, this is the same country that approved a grotesque looking hotel on the Road hole, so they aren't entirely immune from acts of reckless taste.

Of course, the First Minister has kept a public distance from the wrangle between Trump and the Aberdeenshire planning authorities, but reports have suggested that he was furious over the Council's decision to reject the American magnate's plans. Certainly, the move to 'call in' the planning application for consideration at senior government level is not the sort of assistance the rest of us can expect when our plans for modest conservatory extensions are turfed out by local planning officials.

There are some whose opposition to Trump is probably based on nothing more than a visceral antipathy to the larger-and-louder-than-life figure he presents, the mouthy yank who would sooner push down any door than knock and politely wait his turn.

Those who witnessed his toe-curling contribution to the 2004 Ryder Cup's opening ceremony might suggest he should immediately have been served with a lifetime ban from any further involvement in golf. Yet if Trump has been guilty of hyperbole at times, it is still unquestionably true that the links of Balmedie offer a canvas on which a great course could indeed be painted.

Yet golf is a relatively small component of a development which, if implemented in full, would almost inevitably be known as Trumpton. In full, the proposal under consideration is for two courses, a training academy, a five-star hotel, 450 holiday homes and around 1,000 houses. Trump's most remarkable achievement has been to set an agenda in which everyone seems to be discussing golf courses, when even his own website suggests a construction project that could comfortably be seen from outer space.

And this really gets at the main concern many clearly have:

The fact of the matter is that Trump has come up with a plan that pays no heed whatsoever to local tradition. For all his moist-eyed claims about honouring the land of his mother's birth - Mary Anne Trump, nee MacLeod, came from the Isle of Lewis - the development he has proposed is much more Myrtle Beach than Balmedie. Golf was Scotland's gift to the world; it would do better to stick to the original version rather than re-import its American form.

18 Hole Year In Review

Doug Ferguson puts a new twist on the year-in-review story, taking us through 18 key holes.

Rory: Media Twists My Idiotic Tiger-Related Remarks

See, I didn't twist his remarks!

Geoff Roach reports on Rory Sabbatini's sit-down with the Aussie inkslingers to explain how he's entitled to his high sense of self esteem even if Tiger mops the floor with him every time they play head-to-head.

"But then those same people want to burn you for it. Sure I speak my mind because I'm just as entitled to my opinions as everyone else is. The thing is, if you are going to say something, at least have the courage to say it to the person concerned and not behind their back."

Well, he was asked, is there a bit of behind-your back-stuff out there on Tour?

"Definitely," he said. "Quite a bit of it. But I'm not a person who is going to step back and be a follower. I'm one of those guys that wants to be up there. l want to be leader of the pack.

"If you spend your whole life trying to please everybody in this world you're going to be miserable because you're not going to be able to achieve that.

"You may as well be the person you are and enjoy that. I know whose opinions I respect and trust and they're the ones I listen to."

But does the unpopular tag bother you, he was asked.

"Look, a lot of that is being unfortunately created by the media," he replied.

"Some of my remarks, like those about Tiger, have been twisted. I know what I said. I know the person I am."

You know Geoff Ogilvy is opinionated yet he never seems to have a problem with the media twisting his words. I wonder what the difference is? Hmmm... 

What A Compliment: Rory Calls Day's Remarks Admirable

Rory Sabbitini was asked about Jason Day's assertion that he's going to take Tiger down as well as hopefully join his neighbor for java at the same time:

"Personally, I think Jason Day is a phenomenal talent. I think he is going to be one of the fiercest competitors in years to come.

"I think a good question is would you want to raise a kid saying 'hey, listen, you can be No2, you can't be No1'.

"I think it is admirable that someone is willing to go out there and say, 'yes, I do want to beat him'. You can't let Tiger sit at No1 forever, because that's not going to happen.

"There will be a time when someone's going to overtake him. For him to say I want to be the one that's going to take down Tiger, good for him."

"Nobody at Golf Magazine would dispute Chicago is one of the great cities in the world as far as passion for the game."

Ed Sherman effectively dismantle's Golf Magazine's case for Chicago as America's 46th best golf city in the U.S. and includes an apology from this L.A. resident.

Perhaps fearing area readers might cancel their subscriptions, deputy editor Michael Cochran said, "Nobody at Golf Magazine would dispute Chicago is one of the great cities in the world as far as passion for the game."

But …?

Cochran said weather and affordability weighed heaviest in the equation.

"There may be a slew of great public-access courses in Chicago, [which our numbers acknowledge,] but if you're stuck with too many unplayable, lousy days to play, then it also hurts in the rankings," Cochran said.

OK, we'll concede Chicago has about five good weather days per year. But Cochran's weather argument takes a hit when you consider Columbus, Rochester, Detroit (12th) and Indianapolis (16th) all are in the top 20. At last check, those towns have weather comparable to Chicago. There aren't many January days where you see players in shorts on the golf courses in Detroit.

Then further defying logic is Chicago's ranking under the category of quality of courses, which is defined as "The best courses in the best overall condition." Chicago is fourth.

And Chicago placed first in number of courses designed by "esteemed architects."

John Kaczkowski, the BMW Championship tournament director, asks the obvious.

"How can Chicago be 46th and ranked one and four in those categories?" Kaczkowski said. "Those are two pretty big categories, aren't they?"

It almost sounds like a scouting report for a baseball player saying, "All he can do is hit for average and power."

"Yes, 'quality' was a significant category," Cochran said. "But if the citizenry can't afford them or they have to fight for the tee times, then it doesn't resonate as well."

“A branded golf course will boost the value and income of a resort.”

The San Diego Union Tribune's Diane Lindquist covered a gathering of real estate minds to talk about the future of projects in Baja California. Jack Nicklaus was a guest speaker.

The most popular and lucrative projects now are those that are branded, such as golf courses designed by champion golfer Jack Nicklaus, who spoke yesterday about his role as the top golf course architect in Mexico.

“As soon as golf became part of the equation, prices went up,” he said. “A branded golf course will boost the value and income of a resort.”

The Donald Serves 30 Day Notice; Scottish Government Folds Like Beach Chair

Andrew Hough reports in The Guardian that the Scottish government is looking for ways to overturn the Aberdeen council's decision to vote down Donald Trump's proposed project.

The timing is curious considering Frank Urquhart's story of The Donald's purported 30-day option on a piece of land in Northern Ireland, along with Trump's threats to the council.

Last night, George Sorial, the Trump executive charged with masterminding the resort development, warned: "The clock is ticking. We are not going to compound one disaster with another."

Mr Sorial said: "There are several reasons behind our decision not to pursue the appeals process - the length of time it would take, the uncertainty of the outcome and also other business deals that we are actively pursuing. If we have an option to build what we want in another place it may be a better business decision for us."

He continued: "I have spent the whole weekend in Aberdeen and I have been reading about the public outcry [over the infrastructure services decision]. There have been two different surveys in which the support of the population has been put at 93 and 89 per cent.

"Over the past couple of days, an overwhelming number of the people have sent me e-mails and come up to me in the street and just expressed their complete dissatisfaction with the result and implored me to impress upon Mr Trump that the people really want this project. 

It's worth reading some of the comments of users following the Urquhart piece. (294 when I last looked). I'd say it's split more like 50-50.