The travels of Rob Lynn: On a Golf Course? 4th of July?

I was speaking with one of my friends, Dale, who is an avid golfer. He was saying about how beautiful the course was and that I should bring up some equipment sometime. We weren't thinking anything of it, so I packed light. A full-frame dSLR with an ultra wide angle zoom (16-35mm), and a cropped sensor dSLR with a normal zoom (24-70mm). I almost wasn't even going to bring two cameras. I figured I'd get the feel of the area, and then start making some images.

Now understand, this wasn't a client's wishes or an assignment. This was at 3PM, he says we should go, at 5 we were there. I would have researched this MUCH more if I was on assignment, scoped out the place beforehand. Got an idea of the best times to go up, so on so forth.

This is what I like though, a challenge. I so set up a challenge for myself.

Make a few images of scenery. Make a few images that showcase the golf course, and that it IS indeed a golf course. See, if you omit the pins, and fairways, you could almost just think that a golf course is hundreds of acres of well kept ground. It would seem to me, that good golf course photographs would showcase a little of everything. The greenery, the skies, the pins (flags), the wide open expanses, the tight greens, and any landscape features. I would also think that it should be a journey that a golfer would be familiar with, and that a viewer could relate to.

If it's an image of the scenery, and not the course okay, who cares if the viewer can go "that's a country club!", but if we're show casing that it's a golf course, I want even an uneducated viewer to be able to see that it's a golf course. I want an experienced golfer who may have played the course to be able to look and say "Oh, he was probably here, or there making this photograph, probably where one well placed drive would land".

I met some really nice people on the course, and I am hoping to make a return to the course. Especially now since I've done the "homework" by going around the 18 holes of the course. I'd like to get there a few times this summer, and possibly again in the fall. Following the winter, I'd like to go up in the spring as well.

I'm very critical of my work, and while I am pleased with the photographs, looking back at them I would liked to have been there in the early morning, or evening. When we were there, we had harsh light to deal with. However, even in face of all of the obstacles (I had never photographed specifically a golf course before, high/bright/harsh sun).
Also this weekend is the fourth of July weekend. This is a very important holiday in American history. This is the first time I've repeated an image in a blog, but this is definitely worth it. This image was taken out the VA home in Altoona PA.