Ben
As I say, that is your opinion and I can understand you preferring Porthcawl. What I can't understand is an archie who would have the arrogance to want to see a truly unique course such as Pennard bulldozed in favour of a cookie cutter design to suit modern tastes . That sort of thinking makes absolutely no sense to me. Rankings, lists and any other such criteria have no pull in a conversation of this sort. There isn't much point in going back and forth because while my opinion isn't set in stone, I would say it is set in amber.
Ciao
Sean
I would used the natural slopes or design greens that blend in with the landscape rather than some of Pennard's cookie cutter style greens like 2, 5, 9, 12, 13, 15.
The problem is I can see the potential where you can't. This is similar to everyday people like to see what they see like for instance architecture rather than think out of the box. Our esteemed friend Tom Doak would make Pennard a world class course and it would be interesting to see what he comes up with if he had the opportunity to do so.
Porthcawl's greens blend in with its landscape better than Pennard.
The worst cookie cutter greens for me are on David Thomas' designed courses they all seem to be the same!! For instance the Belfry, Mottram Hall, Slaley Hall etc
Cheers
Ben
Ben - you don't get it. Pennard is unique. If you let these modern guys onto the course it will begin to look a lot like many other modern courses. What is the point - to chase rankings? Interestingly, the same terrain which makes Pennard a one-off likely means it can never be considered great. The course is, however, plenty good enough and more importantly - it scores out of this world on the funometer. Have you noticed how so many of the "great" courses in the world look so similar? There are reasons for that mostly to do with with design concepts being copied endlessly. Originality should still count for something and Pennard has that in spades.
Ciao
Sean
You don't get it either in my view - I guess we have to agree to disagree. I have always though Braid was a good designer and his work at Pennard is not one of his best IMO - there is a better golf course out there and it would then be more fun! Pity there was no other holes that were a similar calibre to Hole 7 and 8. I thought there were too many mundane holes considering the land available at its disposal and 2 was a shocker! There is a better piece of land right of 2 with a natural looking bunker which could have been a really good short par 4.
I guess you need to come to Rutland Water and see for yourself - I have created several holes and not one of them are similar to each other even though some green features are similar in a different way
Mr Boon will probably testify to this. I have had a few Americans saying wow and you do really have to think your way around here!
I would say that Brancaster is much more fun to play than Pennard in my opinion and it is a better course.
Ben