Golf club atlas

Shapland · April 6, 2012

This is a great website and some enjoyable reads on the courses around the world. Is anyone a member? The registration is currently closed.

Shapland · April 6, 2012

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/

teejaywhy · April 6, 2012

You only need to be registered to post in the forum. The site is a wealth of information on the subject of golf course architecture with interesting course profiles, interviews with designers and industry people, opinion pieces and lively forum exchanges.

sabram · April 6, 2012

Yes, GCA is a great site that should be bookmarked as a source for intersting and detailed info about golf courses. The articles and discusion group are excellent. I am a member but do not post there very often. It is amazing that so many talented golf course architects and authors post there, some quite frequently. There is a tendency on GCA to bow down at the altar of Tom Doak (of whom I am a big fan) and to be critical of courses that were not designed by either one of the "Golden Era" archies...who are referred to as "ODGs" (Old Dead Guys) or by one of the current wave of minimalist archies (Doak, C&C, Hanse, et al.) The views and course preferences on GCA come, almost exclusively, from an architectural/design perspective (which is the purpose of that site.) I think that most every day golfers, including most of GolfWrx, do not hold the same views about which courses they like to play and why, as the posters on GCA. That's okay, but I think many of the members there would cringe if they read some of the posts here and on other sites about "great" courses and course preferences. They certailnly cringe at, and get quite critical of, one another as well. Some of the arguments on GCA are the most compelling threads on that site. Like watching a train wreck. GCA provides a perspective that can't be found many other places on the web about what makes a course good, what the archie was trying to accomplish when creating a hole and other aspects of course architecture/design.

Mainlinegolfer · April 6, 2012

[quote name='sabram' timestamp='1333717729' post='4663766']
Yes, GCA is a great site that should be bookmarked as a source for intersting and detailed info about golf courses. The articles and discusion group are excellent. I am a member but do not post there very often. It is amazing that so many talented golf course architects and authors post there, some quite frequently. There is a tendency on GCA to bow down at the altar of Tom Doak (of whom I am a big fan) and to be critical of courses that were not designed by either one of the "Golden Era" archies...who are referred to as "ODGs" (Old Dead Guys) or by one of the current wave of minimalist archies (Doak, C&C, Hanse, et al.) The views and course preferences on GCA come, almost exclusively, from an architectural/design perspective (which is the purpose of that site.) I think that most every day golfers, including most of GolfWrx, do not hold the same views about which courses they like to play and why, as the posters on GCA. That's okay, but I think many of the members there would cringe if they read some of the posts here and on other sites about "great" courses and course preferences. They certailnly cringe at, and get quite critical of, one another as well. Some of the arguments on GCA are the most compelling threads on that site. Like watching a train wreck. GCA provides a perspective that can't be found many other places on the web about what makes a course good, what the archie was trying to accomplish when creating a hole and other aspects of course architecture/design.
[/quote]
...and, mostly, informed grown-ups are the ones posting on GCA.

postfold · April 6, 2012

I recently stumbled across GCA while reading up on Pinehurst area courses and it has some tremendously interesting content. Actually tried to register and noticed like OP did that registration is closed. I would have liked to ask some of the folks there about whether there are any updates on possible plans to restore the abandoned nine at Southern Pines GC.

DLiver · April 7, 2012

Like any site that relies on member opinions for content, it has some great stuff and not so great stuff. In general, there is a lot of quality information on the site. There are a couple of nutcases who post a lot, but in general people there demonstrate intelligence and maturity. There is definitely a "we know better than the unwashed masses" mentality among some there, and good luck if you get caught behind a group of GCAers on a golf course. My buddy played behind such a group at Old Macdonald and it took 5-1/2 hours to play 18 holes.

The course reviews by the owner of the site (Ran) are outstanding, complete with hole by hole descriptions and photos of key architectural details.

Shapland · April 8, 2012

I have found it to be a really well put together site. The course reviews are great and I always look to see the reviews and if there are courses I could play when I travel. I does seem like quite a niche group and they like to to get pretty into details. That's the beauty of the web and forums like this where the expert view can be found (as long as you can differentiate good from bad), for free and in as much detail as anyone needs.

Is it just Ran who does the reviews or is there a wider group?

Bonneville85308 · April 22, 2012

Some of the characters that post on that site give me hours of laughs and entertainment....

Kenny Lee · April 30, 2012

[quote name='cherokee8215' timestamp='1335112545' post='4767984']
Some of the characters that post on that site give me hours of laughs and entertainment....

[/quote]

I am also a member of GCA and have been for over 10 years. I have attended outings and been priviledged to meet many of the regular posters. The contributors on the site are without a doubt some of the most knowledgeable guys in the golf industry. I for one would certainly not have been fortunate enough to learn what i have without them.,

They know golf and architecture. They also know people who know people if you know what i mean. Could not have organised my dream west coast trip without them.

roll - gybe · April 30, 2012

I really appreciate the site and have some friends who post there. The information about far away places is excellent. But how much can you really discuss where to pin the Biaritz?

teejaywhy · April 30, 2012

[quote name='roll - gybe' timestamp='1335835656' post='4820128']
... But how much can you really discuss where to pin the Biaritz?
[/quote]

Far more interesting than the forged vs. cast, how much longer is the new Taylor made Driver, or the what belt was Rickie Fowler wearing this week topics.

(cool)

roll - gybe · May 1, 2012

Don't pin it in the front, unless you are at Yale.

Forged unless it's Ping.

...haha...

I do travel a lot for golf. GCA becomes a killjoy if you read it too much. You will start focusing on the greenside apron preparations and losing the experience of being at that Tom Doak course.

Now it I am at that Tom Doak course, and I am hitting my driver with 2800 RPMs, I am going to be super happy.

Mainlinegolfer · May 1, 2012

[quote name='roll - gybe' timestamp='1335905403' post='4826278']
Don't pin it in the front, unless you are at Yale.

Forged unless it's Ping.

...haha...

I do travel a lot for golf. GCA becomes a killjoy if you read it too much. You will start focusing on the greenside apron preparations and losing the experience of being at that Tom Doak course.

Now it I am at that Tom Doak course, and I am hitting my driver with 2800 RPMs, I am going to be super happy.
[/quote]
Brings back memories. Played the Yale course for years when we lived in Connecticut (wife was club champion one year). When pinned in the back (at Yale's par 3 9th), I have hit everything from long iron to driver. Once halved the hole in match with 7s when we each dumped two tee shots in the pond! And putting out of the Biarritz's 6' swale, whether to a back pin (um, flagstick) or front, was full of excitement.