Tim Liddy, ASGCA

Tim Liddy, ASGCA comments on China's potential to advance the game of golf, sharing a few pointers to consider as the country shapes the future of its golf. President of Tim Liddy/Associates, Liddy has been an ASGCA Member since 1999.

Understand the roots of the game...

Since the beginnings of golf course architecture, the main practitioners of the field have been familiar with the attractions of natural golf, perhaps conjuring up a mental image of the Old Course at St. Andrews. They have known that certain design guidelines are important and that new projects can benefit from adhering to them. Although St. Andrews is home to more than a half-dozen private clubs and is, in 2010, the host of the largest golf tournament in the world, it is a place where golf is known firstly as a game. In the same way, adhering to golf's roots provides a time-tested blueprint for China as it decides what type of facilities to build.

Make the game affordable...

The roots of golf are strongest in places where golf is available to the highest number of people. The most coveted private clubs generally exist in these locales too, as providing golf to the public increases interest in private clubs. Hopefully China will follow this pattern as it decides how to make golf available to the public and at what price.

Hole 3, The Duke's Course in St. Andrews, Scotland

Recognize importance of site selection...

As traditional golf takes place on a human scale, an important starting point for courses is finding a site that either has interesting features at a human scale or that lends itself to the creation of features at that scale. Many benefits can be reaped from investing time and effort in finding the best site available for a given development, and China has tremendous potential in this regard. The country has a huge brain trust and work force available that, with the right kind of guidance, can identify and promote good sites, positioning golf course development in China on a healthy path.

Craft a course...

Few courses of distinction are built and finished in accordance with a set of plans; rather, good golf is crafted, using a combination of plans for guidance and abundant field adjustments. Natural courses are full of wonderful contours and interesting, attractive features. Crafting such features artificially, however, is a skill that involves both machinery and hand finishing.

This will present a challenge for modern China initially, as everything is currently quantified and measured in advance. In time, the challenge will be mastered, however, and China will then be able to fully reap its manpower advantage. Courses will be built gradually, allowing the architect to mold a project as it happens. Manual labor slows down the process and provides for the creation of something of greater interest than if a heavier, faster impact is made by mechanical means.

Content for this piece was taken from an article that appeared in Asian Golf Magazine. To view this article, please visit here.

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