What
Signature?
By: XXX
Across the golf
industry, signature design and the existence of a signature hole
for a course are hot button topics.
Why? What
are the meaningful benefits of signature design or a signature
hole? Often, “signature” equals dollars,
euros, pounds, yen or whatever the local currency
is. Hanging a signature design on a project is
sure to raise the overall cost. Signature design,
in a few instances, can enhance the product; however, this is not
an automatic result. Generally, signature design
means that the signature pro will show up for the grand opening and
hit a few balls. That signature pro might need a
road map to find the course and someone to line him or her up for
the ceremonial first drive.
In many
instances, the signature or name brand designer knows little of the
site, the project or the design solution. The
signature does not take the time to learn the local climate,
environment or the social factors involved. Often, the input of the
signature is superficial or impromptu with little understanding of
the basis for the particular solution. Sometimes,
the signature visits for the first time on opening
day.
As golf course architecture has become more of
an art form and science over the past few decades, having a solid
university education in urban planning, landscape architecture,
ornamental horticulture and turfgrass agronomy contributes more to
original and successful design solutions
than the distance one can hit with a driver. The
ability to make a putt does not equate to a creative or visionary
mind in golf course design.
Playing golf well does not make one a skilled
or insightful golf course designer. Genetics has
not been terribly helpful in passing along golf course signature
design originality from one generation to the next anymore than it
has playing ability. However, a focused education
is a solid basis.
Signature design often has a place when the
developer or owner of a project is seeking to broaden the project’s
recognition. A “name brand” identity sells
well. It impresses, but only those who are not
fully informed or able to assess the design
solution. Repeat play is due to memorable and
enjoyable results. The signature only brings
paying customers the first time.
Name brand and signature involvement almost
always raises the costs for professional fees, construction,
turfgrass maintenance and often yields an excessive
clubhouse. All these additional costs elevate the
joining fee, monthly dues and pay-to-play greens
fees. In recent years, the numbers of playing
golfers has flattened or subsided in many
markets. Few have connected the dots.
Higher costs yield lower play.
In many locations, particularly in new emerging
golf markets, the signature marketing gurus promise great numbers
of players, high income, and grand events as the payoff for using
their name. Particularly in new and emerging
markets, high-cost name designers fail to
build the market. Affordable and accessible golf
is the key to attracting new players. In fact, a
very expensive signature project too early into the evolution of
golf in an emerging market can present such a bad example of
financial excess that what could have been successful, if less
ambitious, projects are delayed or haulted.
In most cases, name brand pro-signature
designers cannot read a scale ruler, a topographic survey map or
visualize greensite contouring. Computer design
cannot replace one’s ability to mentally conceive and visualize
golf course sculpturing. The signature is a front
man for some young apprentice or project design architect who might
have only a few years’ on-the-job training and limited
experience. These factors generally lead to
stereotyped, common results.
How many times does the name brand visit the
construction site? Once, twice, three
times? Before construction begins, he or she
might appear to sign the contract, collect the first check and pose
for photos. He might come briefly once during
construction before disappearing again until the ribbon cutting
ceremony. Three visits over 18 months or 2 years
of construction are insignificant and costly. The
golf architect must be a frequent site visitor to obtain maximum
value during construction.
Having the signature pro designer tour the
course to hit shots and confirm or modify bunker locations is a
photo opportunity and adds little of substance to the design of the
course. Who else will hit the ball as well as the
name brand? Designing only to satisfy an
exceptional player’s game is a mistake.
A place exists for signature golf design, but
added cost has already been shown to have a detrimental affect on
golf rounds played. Owners who have no concern
for long-term course profitability and hold photo opportunities in
high regard are numerous. The signature name will
always have a place, but perhaps one less prominent, if financially
successful resort and pay-to-play courses are the
market.
As for the signature holes, how often do you
see a magazine article, marketing brochure or web site focused on
one hole of a course. In my opinion, some
wonderful signature golf holes exist on courses where the rest of
the holes are marginal and boring. Too few
courses truly have 18 exciting, visually demanding
holes. A signature hole is often the only unique
tee shot on the entire course. The golf architect
must strive to make each hole the equivalent of a signature
hole.
For the long term health of golf, less
signatures and more affordable golf is necessary.
The actual site and its environment, together with the market
focus, should dictate the layout of the course and its
features. Creative and visually memorable are
essential elements. Signature designers, as with
signature holes, are overrated and can be symptomatic of
fundamental design weakness and not automatic statements of
creative design or financial success.
END
论“签名设计”
环顾整个高尔夫界，“签名设计”和“签名球洞”的存在是很热门的话题。
为什么？“签名设计”和“签名球洞”究竟有什么意义重大的好处呢？“签名”通常被人们等同于美元、欧元、英镑、人民币——或者无论当地使用的货币是哪一种——在一个球场的建造中使用“签名设计”，无疑会增加总的投入。诚然，“签名设计”在某些情况下能够起到提高成果质量的作用，但是这样的作用的产生并不像种豆得豆那么简单。通常情况下，“签名设计”只是意味着签名的职业球手会出席盛大的开杆仪式并在上面挥上几颗球而已。这位职业球手大概还需要一幅地图才找得到球场，并且需要别人来引导才找得到这盛大仪式的入口吧！
在很多情况下，签名的职业球手或著名设计师并不真正了解工地、工程以及设计理念。他们并没有花时间去了解球场所在地的气候、环境和社会因素等相关信息，他们通常只是在对详细的设计方案做一大致的了解后就即兴地、走形式地签下自己的大名。有些时候，他们甚至到了球场开张时才第一次真正到访。
最近几十年来，高尔夫球场设计变得越来越像一门艺术和科学的合体学科。那些具备扎实的在城市规划、景观设计、园艺装饰和草皮农艺学等各学科的高等教育的设计师的作品，显然要比那些能用木杆打出超远距离的球手们出的作品更成功、更有独创性。具备一推进洞的能力，并不代表同样具备高尔夫球场设计所需的创造力和想象力。
球技高超并不能让一个人成为熟练的、有洞察力的球场设计师。遗传学也从来没有告诉过我们，设计球场的能力比打球的能力更具有遗传性。不管怎么说，集中的教育才是坚实的基础。
“签名设计”通常在急需扩大球场知名度的开发商或业主那里会很有市场，而“品牌效应”也的确卖得不错。它乍看上去很吸引眼球，但其实只适合于那些不是真的见多识广的或没有能力做出优秀设计的人。真正好的球场会用享受的、值得回味的感受来赢得回头客；而“签名设计”的作品只能去做“一锤子买卖”。
“品牌”和“签名设计”几乎总是与抬高专业费用、建造成本和草坪养护费用，并且通常会伴随着一座奢华的会所。所有这些额外的费用最终会被反应在高额的会员加盟费、月会费和果岭费等上面。最近几年，许多市场上的打球人数都在萎缩、下降，而很少有人意识到：费用越高，打球者越少。
在很多地方，特别是在新兴的高尔夫市场，那些倡导“签名设计”的“专家”们宣称用了他们的大名，就会有数目庞大的打球者、丰厚的收入和重大赛事云云……事实上，尤其是在新兴市场，价格昂贵的“明星效应”恰恰是市场建设的大敌。负担得起、打得到的高尔夫才是吸引新球手的关键。实际上，这种要价非常高昂的“签名球场”过早地进入一个新兴的高尔夫球市场的发展历程，会造成“揠苗助长”的悲惨结局。
大多数情况下，那些品牌“职业球手设计师”不会读比例尺、地质测量图，或者一幅直观的果岭等高线图。电脑设计无法代替人的头脑中对球场的构造、形象化和雕琢的能力。对一些年轻的学徒和只在球场建造现场呆过短短几年的缺乏经验的现场设计师来说，职业球手的名字是很好的外壳。名义上是知名设计师的作品，实际上却出自这些年轻人之手，这就势必导致设计师平庸的、老套的。
“签名设计者”们到底到访过几次施工现场呢？一次，两次，还是三次？在工程开工之前，他/她也许会现身签订合同，卷走第一部分“设计”费，并在相机前摆上几个POSE，他也许会在施工期间简短地来上那么一次，然后消失，直到剪彩仪式上才再次出现。在18个月甚至两年的时间里到访三次，既昂贵，亦可忽略矣。设计师应该是一个经常的到访者，以最大限度地实现工程的价值！
让知名职业球手设计师来球场打几杆球，确认或调整一下沙坑的位置……这倒是个照相的好机会，但对球场设计的实质却作用不大。还有谁能打出像“知名人士”那样漂亮的球呢？但别忘了，我们要设计的是高尔夫球场，可不是明星大腕儿的秀场啊！“签名设计”自有其存在的意义，但巨大的额外投入所带来的伤害已经一次次地展现在了我们面前。不在乎球场长远收益，只追求“拍照机会”的投资者大有人在，“签名设计”永远不用担心无用武之地。但或许，这样的用武之地会越来越少——如果休闲度假球场和散客球场是未来市场的发展方向的话，职业球场和品牌效应的重要性将会不断地下降。
至于“签名球洞”，你有多少次看见过一篇杂志里的文章、一本市场宣传册或一个网站把焦点集中在某球场的某一个球洞上呢？在我看来，一个“签名球洞”的存在意味着该球场的其余球洞的边缘化和无趣。能够真的拥有18个可打性和观赏性都很强的球洞的球场是少之又少的，“签名球洞”往往是整个球场中唯一的一个“特殊一击”。球场设计师应该力争将每一个球洞做成同样出色的“签名球洞”！
为了高尔夫长远的健康，我们需要少一些“签名”，多一些人们负担得起的球场。球场的实际情况、周边环境以及市场因素才是决定球场布局和特色的依据；创造性和视觉美感才是球场的根本元素。“签名设计”、“签名球洞”是被高估的，具有基本设计缺陷的症候性的现象，它们并不是创造性设计和高经济回报的保障。
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