ipad and iphone users

At long last, my website is now ipad and iphone friendly. Until now, a remarkable and embarrassing oversight has meant Apple users were unable to view my images and slideshows. Unjust and discriminatory, this situation could not go on.

After pulling out the stops and rattling a few cages, I am pleased to say the website has been re-engineered so that it is accessible across all platforms.

The all-new and all-improved Mark Alexander Photography website is ready for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think.

http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/

Searching for a golfing Christmas gift?

Struggling to think of a stylish Christmas present for a golf-mad loved one? Looking for the ideal corporate gift?

How about a stunning golf course print? With over 80 courses to choose from and prints available in almost any size, there’s a course and a print to suit just about every golf nut!

Check them out at www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk

Course of the week

There is no question, the course of the week has to be the Old Course. To view images of The Old Lady before work started, follow the link;

www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/StAndrewsOC

Better still, let your voice be heard by casting your vote in our poll which is asks whether the changes are justified - see the options on the right-hand side of this blog.

IGTM

Really looking forward to this year’s IGTM in Portugal. It will be a busy week with meetings, interviews, course visits and the occasional party. I will be pounding the floor catching up with clients, making new acquaintances and sniffing out some great destinations. It should be great fun.

To get you in the mood, check out the IGTWA News Broadcast ahead of the show. One item in particular may be of interest -

http://www.iagto.com/Public/Media/PressRelease/Details.aspx?id=f7e19872-326d-4e18-a1c8-d4add9dd80b2

Calendar release

HOME-GROWN SUCCESS FOR
GOLF PHOTOGRAPHER

International golf course photographer Mark Alexander has made a timely return to his hometown of St Andrews by providing all the images for the official 2013 St Andrews Links Trust calendar. The dramatic A3 publication features a selection of stunning shots of the Old, New, Jubilee and Castle Courses alongside iconic views over the Swilcan Bridge and several distinctive vistas across the famous links.

The Fife-based photographer, who was also commissioned this year to shoot the celebrated Spanish resort of La Manga for its 40th anniversary and Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club ahead of this year’s Open Championship, said he was thrilled to be involved in the calendar project. “It was a great honour to shoot the courses for the official Links Trust calendar, but for me it was particularly special because St Andrews is my home town. I grew up there; I went to university there, so it was wonderful to do something that would hopefully capture the essence of golf at its spiritual home.”

The striking calendar has also been a commercial success with stocks already running low. “We commissioned Mark to provide us with iconic views but also some different shots of St Andrews Links,” explained Kevin Liddle, retail manager at St Andrews Links Golf Shops. “We have been delighted with the response of our customers. Mark has captured the spirit of the Home of Golf wonderfully.”

It has been a busy year for the award-winning photographer, whose work regularly appears in golf magazines such as Golf Illustrated, Golf World and Golf Digest. Indeed his images have played a key role in the build-up to both the Curtis Cup at The Nairn Golf Club and the Irish Open at Royal Portrush.

More recently he has collaborated with Golf Course Architecture magazine to produce a series of prints celebrating the art of golf course design. “We were delighted to team up with Mark,” said Toby Ingleton the magazine’s publisher. “His photography captures the very best of golf course architecture. I could stand and stare at his prints all day. They really highlight the character and charm of these wonderful courses.”

Reflecting on what has been a packed schedule of appointments around Europe, Alexander said he was looking forward to an equally busy diary next year. “There is a lot of travelling in my job, but it pays off when you see the client’s reaction to the images,” he said. “This year I have been lucky to work with some great clubs, tourist organisations and magazines, and if I can do the same next year, I will be more than happy.”

To view Alexander’s work, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk

- ends -



Note to editors:

1) Mark Alexander is an award-winning golf course photographer and established journalist. His work has appeared in consumer magazines, newspapers and b2b titles.
2) Alexander is based in Fife but travels across the world shooting golf courses for resorts, architects and golf clubs.
3) In 2009, Alexander picked up Creativefife’s Best Commercial Photograph award for a portfolio of images depicting Turnberry’s Ailsa course.
4) The St Andrews Links Trust calendar features a selection of stunning shots of the Old, New, Jubilee and Castle Courses. Each page also contains an interesting fact about the course featured that month. For more information visit www.standrews.org.uk/shop/Golf-Gifts-Gift-Packs/2013-CALENDAR-63103/BLACK-GOLD.aspx
5) For more information about the Golf Course Architecture prints, visit www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/prints
6) For more information about Mark Alexander, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk.

New images just posted

I have just added some new pics of Comrie Golf Club to my website. I think this club is fantastic - a typical undiscovered beauty that proudly rubs shoulders with its more illustrious neighbours. Located in the centre of Perthshire, this beautiful nine-holer is a pitch and putt from Gleneagles, yet I bet you've never heard of it. If you haven't, I would recommend you play it ASAP.

Check out the images and tell me what you think - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/ComrieGC/

OPEN DOOR POLICY

As Mark Alexander finds out, the decision to offer up tee times at the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle provides a rare opportunity to sample the lives of the rich and famous

Although the Home of Golf may be famed for its public links where young and old play the world’s finest courses for next to nothing, there is a new swathe of ultra private clubs which are offering something different to the world’s mega wealthy. It seems that millionaires’ golf is alive and well and flourishing in Scotland.

In fact, there is a splurge of these private retreats coming onto the market. Loch Lomond Golf Club was created in an area of outstanding natural beauty and is famed for its elite membership, while the Renaissance Club near Edinburgh sits alongside one Scotland’s most revered gentleman’s clubs at Muirfield. In Fife, St Andrews International promises to be the first private club in the Auld Grey Toon to have its own course, and next to Gleneagles a new heathland gem (know as gWest) is being created to rival the Queens, Kings and Centenary courses.

What they have in common are business models that rest on the desire of the world’s financially elite to play golf in Scotland safe in the knowledge that their post-match confab will be shared with millionaires and oligarchs in suitably opulent surroundings far from prying eyes. Wealth, privacy and golf seem to be the perfect bedfellows.

In the north of Scotland, near the adored links of Dornoch, another hideaway haven has taken the first tentative steps at reversing this trend by offering a tantalising glimpse of this exclusive world. The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, which accommodates around 3,000 rounds a year, is offering eight tee times a week from Monday to Friday until October.

Read the full story at http://www.golfmanagementnews.com/gme/current-issue.html

The truth about photography

The Final Instalment

Creative and striking photography can raise the profile of a club to a new level. It can illustrate all the features that make golf courses special, compelling the viewer to make a booking or renew a membership.

But I would say that - golf course photography is what I do. It’s my passion and it’s my career. I shoot golf courses all around the world and one of the recurring trends I have noticed is that premier league clubs and resorts rarely question paying for good-quality imagery. There are exceptions, but generally they see it as an investment that will inspire visitors and maintain their lofty position. Another returning theme is that new golf developments eager to draw attention to their attributes, readily add photography to their must-do lists and assign a budget to pay for it.

If the big boys and new kids rely on it, why should photography be such an after-thought for everyone else? At a time when attracting visitors and maintaining members are high on everyone’s agenda, shouldn’t photography also be?

To read the whole story in its entirety visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

Why pay someone to photograph your course?

Why photography matters - part four

The idea of making a financial commitment to photography is a notion some clubs find puzzling. After all, why pay someone to photograph your course when a member will do it for free? As a result, the charity of an obliging member is often seized upon by clubs that need good photography but are unwilling to budget for it.

If the same policy was employed on the greenkeeping side, how would the course look if members were to cut the greens with their Flymos? It might save money initially, but the course would suffer in the long run, as would the club’s coffers. Similarly, using sub-standard images to market and promote your club could have a detrimental effect as visitors and potential members look elsewhere for their golfing inspiration.

The significance of photography is also being recognised elsewhere in the golf industry. “Over the years, high-quality photography has become increasingly important to our work in the field of golf course architecture,” explains golf course designer Martin Ebert. “At the initial stage of a project, we often have to use our own photographs but, if professionally taken images are available, they can be very useful in helping us illustrate our concepts. In fact, the better the photography, the more likely we are to convince the client, committee or members that the scheme we are proposing has undeniable merits.”

Ebert, whose work with Tom Mackenzie includes preparatory work at various Open Championship venues including Turnberry and Royal Lytham & St Annes, says the impact of professional photography can be extensive. “Our design input can be shown off in its fullest with inspired shots,” he continues. “That helps more people become aware of our portfolio and assists clubs in marketing their courses and the changes made to them. Not every course is blessed with the setting of the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, but good photographers will find the best angles and make the most of the morning or evening light using their imagination and state-of-the-art equipment.”

Part five follows soon...

To read the whole story visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

Why photography matters - part three

There are a number of techniques I use to generate a response, and none is more powerful than shooting with the right light, at the right time, in the right location. To do this, I survey the course ahead of a shoot to pinpoint angles that show off the course to its best. After that, it’s a matter of timing, and that means early mornings (some of the Renaissance photos were shots at 5am) and late evenings.

It may seem like artistic indulgence to restrict my photography to these daily extremes, but shooting out-with these special times, creates bland-looking shots that do nothing for the course. If I could shoot during the day and still produce images that sing, then I would, but sadly it doesn’t work that way.

For instance, I photographed Tanka Golf Club on the beautiful island of Sardinia just as the sun was reaching the horizon. The saturated colours, fantastic cloud formations and incredible views made for a collection of shots that are now being used to market the resort around the world. As the club’s golf director points out, having access to professionally taken images has a direct impact on his business.

“Speaking as a director of a commercial golf course, I think using a professional golf course photographer means you can produce a high standard of materials that you can send out to existing and potential clients,” explains Richard Cau. “Achieving high standards reflects well on the standard of the golf course which attracts high-quality clients. Ultimately, working with a professional golf course photographer is a good investment for golf clubs and resorts.”

Part four follows soon...

To read the whole story visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - part two

Thankfully there are clubs that commission professional photographers and, as a result, readers can enjoy images that transport them to the tee, all in remarkable high-definition. One club that went down this route was The Renaissance Golf Club - a sublime Tom Doak-designed track that straddles an undulating parkland/links site that is full of character and history.

Despite having a portfolio of shots provided by members, the club needed imagery that properly reflected the high standards set by the owners. “We had taken quite a lot of photos ourselves and our members had given us quite a few, but they really didn’t cut the mustard as far as telling the story of the club itself,” explains Simon Holt, membership director at The Renaissance Golf Club. “We didn’t want to put too many words on our website and we don’t do advertising, so the pictures were the only window onto the course and we wanted them to be as good as possible.”

He explains that by studying different websites he was able to get an idea of the kind of images he wanted. “To expose the course in its best light, you need to get a professional in,” he says, “so I researched photographers in the golf industry and found one I liked. Looking at the website, I liked the way the images were set and how they showed the undulations of the golf course. It was different to other professional photographers who didn’t know about golf.”

By a remarkable twist of fate, a drop of luck and a heavy dose of coincidence, Holt selected me to photograph the course last summer. It turned out to be a three-day shoot that despite some iffy weather and on-site construction work produced a decent set of shots.

“We have received lots of positive comments about them,” says Holt. “Before, people would look at the images and think they were nice, whereas now people are drawn into them. They say that they feel like they are there - the pictures tell a story rather than just showing a golf hole - they say so much more about the golf course.”

Holt’s generous comments perfectly sum up what I set out to achieve when I photographed the course. For me, it is not enough to simply create a record of the shape of the hole. The image has to be powerful enough to prompt a reaction and encourage the viewer to play.

Part three follows soon...

To read the whole story visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

Worth a read

A relatively 'new' title on the market is the relaunched Golf Illustrated, which deals with golf in a slightly different way to other titles. Considered, informed and detailed, the magazine places a lot of emphasis on photography and story telling (rather than providing advice on how to cure your slice).

As you might have guessed, I write and take photographs for the magazine, but don't let that put you off - http://www.golfillustrated.co.uk/

Good photography gets greater coverage

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - part one

It is said that an image can tell a thousand words, but is this true in golf? Professional golf course photographer Mark Alexander makes his case for photography

Like curry, politics and religion, photography prompts an immediate response. Indeed, unlike other media, there is no pause, delay or interruption when you look at a photograph - you either love it, or you hate it. For some, however, the issue of photography goes far beyond merely preferences.

“I can’t believe they don’t get it,” exclaims an incensed magazine editor. “Good photography can make such a difference to their coverage.” Sitting quietly, I let the respected journalist let fly, venting his fury on golf clubs that clearly don’t agree with his assertion. With 22 years under his belt, the daily search for images for his market-leading magazine has clearly left its mark.

I have heard this so many times from editors. Faced with a dearth of good photography, they inevitably fall back on clubs that do provide good-quality images that capture the spirit of the game and instil a desire to play. That, after all, is what golf-friendly magazines, websites and newspapers are all about. The result is clubs with good photography get greater coverage.

Part two to follow...

To read the whole story visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

IRISH AYES

Of late, Ireland’s economic fortunes have been mixed. Despite the downturn, a community in the south east of the country is pulling together with golf as a linchpin, as Mark Alexander finds out

In a quiet corner of south-east Ireland lies the sleepy fishing village of Dunmore. With its secluded beaches and busy harbour, this is a quintessential seaside town that attracts daytrippers and those seeking a refreshing sea breeze. It’s the end of April and the weather has been punishing which has put a dampener on the run-up to the tourist season. Despite that, the local pubs and restaurants are resonating to unmistakable sound of laughter, music and the ring of cash registers.

Golfers in their droves have descended on this charming little town from across the UK and Ireland to play in a week-long tournament at four attractive courses all within a 15-minute drive of Dunmore. More importantly, the players who have registered for The Dunmore East Golf Classic are here to enjoy themselves whatever the weather.

To read more, visit http://www.golfmanagementnews.com/gme/current-issue.html

The Golf Collection

Breaking News: I have teamed up with Golf Course Architecture magazine to create a collection of photography that might interest lovers of golf, design and golf courses photographed first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

The set of four prints have been brought together to "celebrate the best of golf architecture". Each is reproduced on high-quality satin paper and measures 16 by 12 inches.

For more details visit www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/prints.aspx

Course of the week…

... has to be Turnberry, which is hosting the Senior Open Championship this week.

I photographed the course in 2009 for the R&A, the day before all the stands went up for the Open Championship. The pictures were to be used in the Players’ Lounge and Championship rooms in the tented village.

Unfortunately the weather had been awful in April, but I knew this was the last chance I had to capture the course free of workmen and scaffolding (ironically the hotel was completely covered in the stuff due to the ongoing renovation work).

I watched the weather very closely and spotted what looked to be a 24-hour window of opportunity. The drive down to Turnberry wasn’t encouraging. Wiping the rain off my windscreen, I remember telling myself that it didn’t matter what the weather was like now, all that mattered was that it was good when I pressed my shutter.

Let me know what you think of the results - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/Turnberry/

Course of the week...

has to be Royal Lytham & St Annes.

I shot the course last summer for the club as part of their preparations for this year's Open Championship. In particular, they were looking for some impressive images for their website and recently revamped dinning room.

The course itself is one of the toughest on the Open Championship circuit - whoever lifts the Claret Jug on Sunday will deserve it. Surrounded by buildings and with limited access to high points, it was also a tricky course to shoot.

Over a series of days in June 2011, I photographed the layout in the morning and late evening light. The results hopefully show a course full of twists and turns that will test the very best players in the world.

Judge for yourself - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/RoyalLythamandStAnnes/

Golf in the Ukraine

There are four golf courses in the Ukraine, and I have photographed one of them.

Take a peek; it might surprise you -

http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/SuperiorGC/

First shots of Cruden Bay

FYI I have just posted the first pics to come out of a recent trip to the beautiful Cruden Bay. The light wasn't brilliant and I was shooting in the evening (ideally the morning would have been better for an East Coast shoot, but I was on a tight schedule).

The course is certainly one of my favourites and I can't wait to get back up there to do some more photography.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/CrudenBay/

RANK INSIDER

Fascinating and controversial, golf course rankings are a source of inspiration and debate. Mark Alexander takes a closer look at these contentious rolls of honour

Visit any golf club this weekend and someone, somewhere will be championing the cause of his or her favourite golf course. It could be the one they have just played or the one they are about to play, but you can guarantee the debate will be passionate and lively.

After all, waxing lyrical about trophy courses or hidden gems is par for the course if you are a golfer, whatever your handicap. Debates about ideal links or the preferred inlanders are the bedrock of the après round chinwag. They are fiery and involved, but they are also congenial and helpful but, sadly, rarely resolved.

And so it would remain if it wasn’t for a breed of periodicals that dutifully identify the best of the best. Indisputable and defining, golf course rankings are the holy grail of the armchair debater. They showcase the relative merits of the Top 100 courses and, more importantly, rank them in order. Who could possibly argue with that?

“There are people who question whether you can compare Sunningdale Old with Turnberry, and the truth is you can’t,” admits Jock Howard, commissioning editor at Golf World magazine. “What it does do is promote discussion - there is no right or wrong. It’s about people’s opinions and that’s what magazines are all about.”

Howard edits the oldest GB & Ireland biennial list which has been meticulously produced 15 times over the years. Compiled using input from golf pros, golf course architects, golf administrators and a selected group of well-informed readers, it is one of the most respected and authoritative registers of its kind. So successful is it that in recent years, this 30-year-old record has been joined by country specific rolls of honour and a broader European inventory.

“A successful ranking is an accurate ranking,” says Howard, “but you have to accept you are going to upset some people. You know when a list is successful when people who don’t have an axe to grind, agree with it.”

Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, rankings sell. Across the board, magazine issues containing Top 100 lists are perennial best sellers. What’s more, according to Rob Smith, who oversees Golf Monthly’s biennial UK & Ireland listing, they create an important dialogue between the magazines and their readers.

“The Top 100, indeed the Top 200 that we now produce, takes golfers all over the UK and Ireland to places that perhaps they might not have otherwise visited,” he says. “The rankings generate a huge amount of interest in our letters pages, in our online forums and in all our dealings with our readers.”

To read the whole story, please visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

IN THE CANNES

Cannes may be renowned for attracting film stars to the French Riviera, but it also plays host a number of top-quality golf courses. Mark Alexander finds out what Europe’s film capital has to offer both off and on the course

You know you are on a flight to Cannes when you overhear the other passengers debating the relative merits of the latest blockbuster or knowledgably discussing the careers of Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie. Without doubt, Cannes is a film town and even during a midweek flight from London in March, there is only one topic of conversation.

Apart from the motion picture references and the obligatory name-dropping, another tell-tale sign that Cannes awaits is the number of passengers wearing sunglasses and the plethora of designer labels that make this flight as much to do with fashion as it is about travel. We are, after all, heading for the Côte d’Azur, otherwise known as the French Riviera - a stretch of coastline that has been synonymous with chic elegance and lofty living since the 1950s. The original playground for the rich and famous, Cannes and its surrounding villages have welcomed glamorous film stars, wealthy tycoons and fashion icons, with the town reaping the rewards.

We fly into Nice airport, which is less than an hour from the chic boulevards and beach-front hotels of Cannes. Here, amid the Hollywood murals, cherry red supercars and opulent jewellery shops, the city has embraced its starlight status ever since the first film festival took place in 1946.

The breath-taking super yachts anchored in the marina and the manicured beaches with near-by cafes and restaurants make this a wonderful place to people watch. But Cannes offers much more than just the opportunity to overindulge in celebrity spotting.

The steep hills and tranquil villages that surround Cannes are home to 12 18-hole golf courses all within a 60-minute drive of the beach. Indeed, since many are found on the outskirts of the city, the idea of playing a morning round followed by an afternoon soaking up the Mediterranean sun is a very real possibility. More importantly, the courses are as diverse as they are beautiful ensuring the range of golfing challenges will keep you engrossed throughout your stay.

For the full story, please visit www.hkgolfer.com/issues/may-2012

Open images

With less than 60 days to go until the Open Championship, I thought I would post a link to my images of the course at Royal Lytham & St Annes -

www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/RoyalLythamandStAnnes

If anyone is interested, I can provide a full listing of shots elsewhere (above is just a selection).

It would be great to know what you think...

Photography Rant - 2

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It is said that an image can tell a thousand words, but is this true in golf? Professional golf course photographer Mark Alexander makes his case for photography

Like curry, politics and religion, photography prompts an immediate response. Indeed, unlike other media, there is no pause, delay or interruption when you look at a photograph - you either love it, or you hate it. For some, however, the issue of photography goes far beyond merely preferences.

“I can’t believe they don’t get it,” exclaims an incensed magazine editor. “Good photography can make such a difference to their coverage.” Sitting quietly, I let the respected journalist let fly, venting his fury on golf clubs that clearly don’t agree with his assertion. With 22 years under his belt, the daily search for images for his market-leading magazine has clearly left its mark.

I have heard this so many times from editors. Faced with a dearth of good photography, they inevitably fall back on clubs that do provide good-quality images that capture the spirit of the game and instil a desire to play. That, after all, is what golf-friendly magazines, websites and newspapers are all about. The result is clubs with good photography get greater coverage.

To read the whole story visit www.golfmanagementnews.com

HIGHLAND FLING

As Perthshire prepares to welcome the Ryder Cup, one club is leading the way in thinking differently. As Mark Alexander finds out, change is afoot at Pitlochry Golf Club

Golf in the Highlands is set for big things. Mark my words, in the coming years as anticipation grows ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, the heather, gorse and glens of Scotland will become watchwords for journalists lauding the hidden gems of the north. This will be Highland golf’s day in the sun.

Of course, golf in the Highlands isn’t just about the rarefied surroundings of Gleneagles. Next door, a new, high-end course called Gwest is being built and further afield Taymouth Castle is going through an extensive redevelopment. Things are shaping up nicely in the Highlands, and although much of the excitement will inevitably centre around Gleneagles, Perthshire, in particular, is getting itself dusted down and spruced up for the biggest party in golf.

Leading the way is Pitlochry Golf Club which is making plans for an ambitious overhaul that will include a 12-bay covered driving range, a short-game area, a nine-hole academy course and two new par fives on the 18-hole course which was originally opened in 1909. When finished, the £200,000 project will mean the attractive parkland course will boast practice facilities to rival anything in the area.

To read the full article, visit www.golfmanagementnews.com/

New e-brochure

Here is a slightly revised version of my e-brochure.

Really pleased with the response so far. Already designing one for one of my clients. As soon as it is ready, I'II get a post up.

If you have any thoughts or comments, please let me know.

Open publication - Free publishing - More european tour

Upgrade time

I am selling a mint-condition Sigma 100-300 APO, HSM, IF, EX.

This is an excellent tele lens - sharp and contrasty, but lightweight and practical. Has served me well (see my website for examples) and now needs a new home.

Very well looked after - loved and cherished like all my kit and always stored in Lowepro bag with filter attached (82mm UV and PL-CIR are available).

Comes with Sigma hood, tripod collar and padded bag, all in excellent condition.

£400 ono

New brochure

In response to a relentless tide of calls and requests, I have succumbed to the inevitable and created an e-brochure packed with wonderful golf courses and inspirational golfers.

Hopefully the photography isn’t too bad either.

Let me know what you think. Follow the link below:

Open publication - Free publishing - More courses

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

Here's an excerpt from my article that appeared in GME last year about The Dutch

With more than 750 members signed up before its official opening, Holland’s newest championship course and Ryder Cup entry is causing a bit of stir. Mark Alexander finds out why

The Netherlands is remarkably flat. It’s a place of smooth-running roads where vantage points are rare and views stretch on for miles. It is a cyclist’s paradise defined by unbroken mirror-flat surfaces and uniform planes.

The country’s millpond appearance means that any rise or peak is cherished. It also means that The Dutch – Holland’s newest championship course and epicentre of its Ryder Cup bid – comes as a bit of a shock. For a start, there are hillocks, mounds and ripples, not to mention the occasion bump and ridge. The Colin Montgomerie-signature course is awash with contours and gradients unlike anything you see in the surrounding countryside.

Opened by the former Ryder Cup captain in May, the Dutch is for all intents and purposes a rough-and-ready links-style course. “Radical shaping has been used to create a rugged golf-course character where undulating fairways, featuring many bumps and hollows, are framed by dramatic mounding,” explains a note on Montgomerie’s website.

In between the bumps and hollows, the course stays true to its origins by incorporating a host of water features which stem from building a course on land below sea level. Once again, the transformation co-ordinated by European Golf Design has been absolute with straight and angular canals magically remoulded into meandering streams and sweeping lakes...

Check out my images of the course at http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheDutch-2/ and http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheDutch/

Licences explained

This is a great way of describing licensing or usage rights for photography. I found it on Lincoln Barbour's website - a fantastic advertising shooter based in the US.
Anyway, back to the point - think of photography in terms of...

Music - you hear a pop song in a commercial, but that company doesn’t own the song.

Software - you buy the software, but that doesn’t mean you own the code.

Blueprints - you may own the building when it’s built, but the architect owns the design.

Sculpture - you can buy art, but you can’t copy and sell it as your own.

ROYAL SUCCESSION

Taking the reigns at one of the world’s most successful modern courses is a daunting prospect. But as Mark Alexander finds out, Alan Hogg seems more than up to the challenge

There can’t be many courses that have had the same impact as Kingsbarns. In the 12 years since it opened, the beautiful links course found on the east coast of Scotland has drawn praise from just about everyone who has played it.

It must be something to do with the roll of the fairways or the undulations in the greens, but you would swear the 18 carefully crafted holes have been there for centuries rather than just a decade. In fact, golf has been played at Kingsbarns since the late 18th century although it wasn’t until the beginning of the 21st century that the course took on the form we know and love today.

Since then Kingsbarns Golf Links has picked up awards like sticky toffee paper (the latest being named the best modern course - built after 1960 - in Great Britain and Ireland by GolfWeek). The layout simply works.

With so much expectation surrounding it, taking charge of Kingsbarns would be an undertaking some would shy away from, but not the club’s new chief executive. In fact, the opportunity to take charge of one of the world’s most admired courses was a dream come true for Alan Hogg. “It was a surreal experience,” he recalls. “It was like all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once, and it still feels that way today.”

Read the full article at http://www.golfmanagementnews.com/gme/

Ode to photography

Inside a photographer’s mind

Photography is my business, and I am very grateful for it. It keeps me out of mischief and puts shoes on my kid’s feet. For me, taking photographs has evolved from a childhood obsession into an all-consuming fixation with light, landscapes and weather. More importantly, it satisfies my creative side which always seems to whirr with possibilities.

It sounds improbable, but I never stop thinking about it. Walking the dog or out on the golf course, I am always considering when would be the best time for a shoot or what impact the weather would have.

I’ve come to accept it now, but for a while I found it unsettling, especially if I stumbled across a scene and found myself cameraless. It wasn’t healthy, in a kind of obsessive way. Now, I take photographs for a living, I have my cameras about me when I need them most.

Photography fascinates me. I love researching a shoot, finding a good location and waiting for the right light. Portraits require different skills, but you get the same buzz when you know you’ve got a good one – and that’s what keeps you coming back for more.

I also love it when good photography transforms a relatively mundane subject into something beautiful, desirable or challenging. It freezes a moment and makes you look.

I could go on, but I fear my fixation for pixilation can only hold a reader for so long and I am well over my limit. I’II let my images do the talking…

On Your Marks

It’s been a busy start to the year. The fun and frivolities of Christmas are nothing more than a faint memory replaced by aspirations and excitement for 2012. The run-up to the golf industry’s annual conference season is in full swing which means we’ve been hard at it at MAP HQ working on various projects for our clients.
Golf clubs are readying themselves for the new season, which means we’ve also been helping to pull together marketing materials and getting PR plans in place. All very exciting.
There has been plenty written about the ongoing woes of the global economy, and while the bureaucrats and bankers continue to squander opportunities to get things back on track, it could be easy to let the doom-and-gloom take hold. Happily that’s not happening here.
With work about to start on a number of exciting projects, clients adopting an encouragingly positive approach and newly formed partnerships offering up a host of opportunities, we’re looking forward to 2012 and all it will throw at us.
Best of all, we’re planning a big announcement that should really set the heather alight. Can’t say too much now, but we’re all very excited.
Good luck to everyone this year, and we look forward to seeing you out on the course soon.

Portrush bags Irish Open

Northern Trust

The news that Royal Portush is to host this year’s Irish Open should come as no surprise to anyone. It’s a phenomenal course set on a beautiful coastline with plenty of space to accommodate fans and the circus of the European Tour. It’s relatively easy to get to and, despite some concerns about facilities; the town should provide enough beds for everyone. If not, I am sure Dazza will put up a few stragglers on his sofa.

It should be a great week and I am looking forward to it already.
For the power trio of Clarke, McDowell and McIlroy, the announcement will have special significance knowing, as they do, that their achievements ultimately led to this important day for Northern Irish golf. What better reward could there be than to shape your country’s golfing path?

It also clearly illustrates the importance of investing in youth development and nurturing golf talent from a young age. As Northern Ireland is about to find out, the major prize could be the return of the Open Championship and all the riches that entails.

Check out my images of Royal Portrush Golf Club at www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/Portrush-Dunluce/