Competition in golf-rich areas push course owners to do some odd things. At the Barefoot Resort's Davis Love course in Myrtle Beach, you can hit long to the fourth green and bounce a shot off the ruins behind. At The Pit near Pinehurst, a par three plays over the ruins of an old iron foundry. Many courses use dramatic waterfalls, both natural and manmade, to add memorable highlights to a round of golf.
Sometimes these touches are integrated into the on-course experience and sometimes they are just add-ons. After a pleasant round at the wonderfully groomed University of Texas Golf Club in Austin a few weeks ago, I got in my cart behind the 18th green, wrote down my score and then drove over - not under - a stream that flowed from the area of the clubhouse. On a hot day and after a so-so round, I felt like taking off my shoes and socks and wading through. But I resisted the temptation; I hope to be invited back someday to the excellent UT course.
Stream of consciousness: Golf course developers want you to remember the extra touches as at the University of Texas Golf Club, where a stream runs over, not under, the cart path behind the 18th green.