Looking Long-Term

Similarly golf architects rely on complex sets of data and figures in their work. Agronomists, civil engineers, hydrological engineers, planners and irrigation designers (and so on) provide the architect with a storybook of information that help in decision making and design. Pick up any of the most recent books on golf architecture and you will find they contain complex and detailed sets of data derived from intense research - think elaborate pie and Gantt charts describing such issues as length, safety, green construction, irrigation and drainage. It is astounding.

In fact the amount of data architects have at their disposal today is incomparable with the information pre-World War II architects had to work with. What’s interesting is that many of the world’s best golf courses were built before the global conflict, so perhaps there is a message in this.

My problem is not that data is a bad thing, it's that we have become too reliant on it for guiding our decision-making and everyday living. Moreover many of our decisions are based on what works in the short-term when our decisions should really be focused on what gives the greatest benefit long-term.

For instance many of the golf courses built before the 2008 global financial crisis paid little respect to the future. Many were designed and built to feed the architects ego and the owner enjoyed the idea that their course was longer, bigger and more colorful than the competition. Sustainable and responsible design were hardly “buzz words” at the time as golf courses became a model of excess, with high construction and maintenance costs thanks in part to the design. With economic and climatic change many of these golf clubs are finding it difficult to stay afloat today.

It is more complicated than this but what is certain is that the golfer - over the years - has been fed a model of design and maintenance that could hardly be deemed sustainable moving forward. Many golf courses will need to adapt - and change their policies - if they are to stand the test of time. This means that some architects will need to rethink their design strategy as well. This will take time but market and climatic forces will dictate this change. Whilst figures may suggest the current model for attracting golfers and selling memberships, at least out in Asia, is a golf course high on visual and less on content, it’s important that developers and existing golf clubs understand the long-term cost of such a model. I also urge developers and golf clubs to look at how some of the long-standing golf clubs have weathered the storms and remain prosperous to this day.

I am not one for politics and am rarely entertained by it but in this case it's fitting Obama won the 2008 election based on his slogan of "Change" - although you could argue how much change has actually happened. In the case of golf a "change" is in order because the figures don't always tell the real truth.

Paul Jansen is the principal architect for Jansen Golf Design. For more information visit his website at www.jansengolfdesign.com