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?

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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.

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