Golf Course Architecture - Issue 60, April 2020

WELCOME ADAM LAWRENCE 1 The importance of architecture W hen we started GCA more than fifteen years ago, golf architecture was something of a niche interest, even among regular and passionate golfers. It always seemed strange to us that no-one (other than the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects, with their excellent annual publication) had launched a magazine focused on golf course design. The topic was, and is, a great subject, filled with compelling personalities, strong stories, a little bit of controversy here and there, and wonderful imagery. And yet no-one really wrote about it. Surely this was a gap waiting to be filled. Since then, interest in golf architecture has exploded. We don’t claim responsibility for this; the growth of internet publishing, in text, audio and video, has made any number of new channels available to consumers. But it’s not just a question of user interest; architecture becomes more important in challenging times. Courses and clubs that succeed share a number of characteristics. They are well run, they don’t waste money on fripperies, and they are closely focused on what golfers want. And good to great golf course architecture is a huge part of that. Good courses (with exceptions for sure) are not closing. Bad courses are. Golfers may not be apparently interested in architecture, but they are; when it is bad, they go away. Good architecture has never been more important. Not every course can win awards, but every course is capable of being improved, being more fun to play and, in the end, doing better business. And it is golf course architecture that is the big difference. It is too early to understand what impact the global coronavirus pandemic will have on golf. Clubhouses across the golfing world will surely stay closed for some time. There are reports of courses that stayed open being very busy. Certainly, golf seems like a good way of getting fresh air and exercise while keeping one’s distance from potential virus carriers. Our best wishes go to everyone.