What is good golf course design?

[mvarley84]

I like seeing a course that makes sense. You know exactly why the course designer put that bunker where he/she did (and no, it wasn't so you could hit it!). I like seeing forced lay ups due to hazards, or high risk high reward shots that can have you putting for eagle or triple bogey all depending on your tee shot.

[allin]

I prefer courses / holes where if you are willing to take on risk, bunkers, ob, water your chances of birdie increase. If you choose a conservative play then you are playing for a par. Courses relying on length as a primary defense, more common all the time, are boring. Courses / holes with only one way to play a hole and little strategy or thinking needed are ego trips by the designer and should be blown up. The emphasis on length is ruining golf, pretty soon no one over 50, female, under 14 is going to want to play except that most athletically talented. I recently played a course from the forward tee's that had only one par 3 under 175 yards, no par fours under 380, and no par fives under 500 yards. From my tees the course played almost 6900 yards. The back tees were 7600. OT but I think ball regs should require ball distance to be roughly proportionally. If 80 mph clubhead gives 180 - 185 yards carry then 120 Should give no more than give no more than 270 - 275 etc. Right now a 50 percent increase gives a 60 - 65 percent increase in carry. This is because the regs encourage optimization for higher swing speeds so every one can say they have the longest ball.