Tom Doak believes great golf courses should offer golfers choices?

A central principle of Tom Doak’s architecture is strategic freedom. He believes a great golf hole should not have just one obvious way to play it. Instead, golfers should be presented with different routes, angles and levels of risk, allowing them to choose a strategy that suits their ability and the situation.

That philosophy can be seen clearly at Pacific Dunes in Oregon, one of Doak’s best-known designs. The course frequently gives players options off the tee and into the greens. A golfer can take a more aggressive line to gain a better angle or attempt a safer route and accept a more difficult next shot.

The important point is that the course does not simply become harder as the golfer gets better. Better players can attempt more ambitious strategies, while less experienced golfers can find safer ways around the hazards.

For Doak, this is what makes a course interesting: the golfer is constantly making decisions rather than simply executing a predetermined series of shots. The best courses, in his view, should make you think as much as they make you swing.