My exact philosophy is still changing with each course, but there are a few key principles I keep coming back to. Now that I'm reading more architecture stuff, it's quite fun to see that a lot of the concepts I've always prized highly are pretty close to ones espoused by architects like Doak, Mackenzie, Coore and Crenshaw etc:
- No hazard is unfair where it's placed. - not my words, but great to have justification for a personal belief.
- Encourage the ground game. If the ball stops or rolls dead straight, it's generally a pretty boring game.
- Challenge the direct line to the hole as often as possible.
- Reward the player who thinks. Tempt risky shots for birdie, whilst allowing an easy route to par that takes birdie out of the equation.
- Keep a consistent theme/course philosophy the way through but have holes and strategies that are varied within that consistent theme.
- Make the surroundings beautiful but not forced.
- Route tightly where possible. Make the most of the land you have.