Lands of great beauty are extremely rare when you consider the world as a whole. Such is the property given to me to weave through its majestic rocks the routing of what we consider to be one of the world’s great and most beautiful golf courses. Massive granite rocks piled on the top of the other framing the fairways, chiseled into unusual forms by God’s handiwork, truly make this one of the most spectacular views I have seen everywhere. Distant views of the mountain tops as well as of the surrounding waters nearby give this course a walled-in isolated beauty which make a tremendous change of pace.
No course should over-penalize. All golfers cannot be great golfers. The target area of the average golfer must be larger to offset somewhat is lack of skill. Where the direct route confronts him with a formidable hazard (trap or water) beyond his repertoire of shots he should be offered an alternate route less risky, less demanding, less toll-taking, but not limp in character or it becomes boring. Keeping the tingle of excitement, the exhilaration of the game, for all classes of players both male and female, is the best of a great golf course. To sum up, each hole must be a demanding par and comfortable bogey.
We have done at the Costa Smeralda by being able to give a tremendous change of pace trough the various lengths of the tees, both singly and in groups, and truly will become a course for all players. I believe that the vitality of the game of golf is that it offers man his own personal challenge for combat.
He attacks the course and par. The architect creates easy conquest. In a true sense, the game is a form of attack and counterattack. New and improved instruments are created which, together with practice and skill may bring the course to its knees. The architect calls on his ingenuity to create a hole that will reward only for achievement.
The modern professional with his precision-made equipment, carpetlike and weed-tree turf, low unpunishing rough, on many courses makes a mockery

of par.
The shattering of par without the proper challenge if a fraud, a diamond is valued only by its texture, cut and polish, so should be the standard of a round in par.
But emotions are part of the game, sometimes a very large part of the game, there’s certainly exhilaration that comes with great performance. And just a certainly, there’s terrible dismay with a poor round. Golf, however, offers much more than perpetual battle between man and setting.
Just to be out there, to walk and enjoy natural surroundings is almost enough by itself.
Aside from the battle, through, there is tranquilizing effect of golf. Many courses are truly beautiful. Wondering trough the woods, observing the majesty of a mountain range: all are part of the game. The seaside vistas of Dorado Beach, Mauna Kea, Spyglass Hill, Kanaapali, Mid-Ocean are all inspiring in their sheer beauty; the mountains of Jackson Hole, Colorado Springs, Hot Springs, Jasper, Banff and Gleneagles are exhilarating and eye-filling in their beauty; Augusta National is an arboretum of placid beauty. So, too, must you add to this list the new course at the Costa Smeralda.
However, while a great golf course should have beauty, it should above all else have great playing values.
To me, the two are inextricably linked. Yet, holes should be fair. As the player stands on the tee, he should be able to weigh risk against benefit. If he decided to bite off a slice of pond on a par 5, for example. So that he has a chance of being on in two, he assumes the responsibility of perhaps a 230 or 250 yard carry and a terrible penalty if he doesn’t make it.