Artist Hudson Shaoxia Zhang points out that while his works appear to be landscape paintings, they are fundamentally different from traditional European landscape art and conventional landscape paintings. Ordinary landscape paintings draw from a wide range of subjects, often inspired by nature or everyday scenes. In contrast, a golf course is a "divine collaboration" between nature and designers—designers must craft unique and challenging terrains across thousands of acres, guided by natural landscapes and design principles. Each of the world’s 37,000 courses possesses distinct characteristics shaped by its natural foundation and human design.

Crucially, the subtleties of a golf course can only be fully appreciated through the experience of playing it: the grain of the grass on a green, the reflective glow of bunker sand, and the layered contours of the terrain are nuances only seasoned players or enthusiasts can grasp. This fusion of nature and design, combined with the uniqueness conferred by professional experience, is the essence that distinguishes golf course landscapes from ordinary landscape paintings.