IMPORTANT NOTE: Every year, I get literally dozens of complaints from people who don’t read this section. They include people who miss that I’ve named these the best courses I played during the past year…and, worse, people who are way, way too self-righteous and self-serious to be reading a blog titled “Bethpage Black Metal.” Don’t be one of those people.
I have a unique affliction; on one hand, I don’t like dragging (most) work through the mud, which makes it difficult for me to participate in “theoretical course improvement” exercises. On the other hand, I also struggle to denote anything in existence as “perfect” (except for my wife, and even that is a practical, pragmatic survival instinct). It helps stand out in a world where the bulk of golf course commentary on social media is “that place is special.”
I don’t use the word “special” because social media has watered it down but I’m happy to admit that many golf courses, including numerous I played this year, are pretty great.
I’m not going to use this space to describe why they’re pretty great; that’s what other peoples’ course tour blogs are for. I’m going to use this space to describe how the least interesting holes at these pretty great courses could be pretty greater.
Not in my voice, however! I’m just a lowly blogger. Instead, we’re going to channel the spirit of another course architect, who also has a hole on this year’s list, and how they would improve the hole in question. For example, last year’s exercise included Mike Strantz-on-MacKenzie, Tom Doak at Firestone and other perversions of logic.
Again, these courses are pretty great. They aren’t perfect. Don’t hurt me for having fun. And yes, I do say that because the headlining swap this year is from a course by the architect in whom I most detect the willingness to hurt me.