I am so tired in playing courses in the greater NY / NJ / CT / PA area that water their courses like they are putting out the Chicago fire!
Does anyone really understand that you only water to keep grass alive and that you don't need shag carpets that are spongy. How do many members of these clubs feel about hitting tee shots which actually plug in their own pitch mark in the middle of August with temperatures routinely in the 80 plus range? Is that fun?
How do members feel when players are taking divots the size of raccoon pelts / veal cutlets from the fairways?
We are now in the middile fo August and I can say without hestitation that many clubs (private and public) just continue with the "turn on the spigot" approach.
Just came back from a new course designed by Roger Rulewich in Saratoga Springs called Saratoga National GC.
Kudos to Rulewich in creating a smart and challenging design among wetlands that dominate the landscape. Additional credit to the superintendent and staff in preparing the course with solid "firm and fast" conditions. When you step on the tee at Saratoga National you don't get footprints from overly soft tees. You can actually feel the solid nature of the turf beneath your feet.
Ditto the fairways. They are cut tight and the bent grass allows for tee shots to roll for additional distance after landing if they are on the proper line. Long hitters who aren't careful / prudent run the risk in having their tee shots run through fairways into trouble. With these type of conditions the value of clear thinking and sound execution are emphasized.
Ditto the greens. Unless you are hitting clean and solid irons your approaches will bounce and quite possibly roll through the green. The greens at Saratoga National do not provide for crater like pitch marks that stop nearly any shot. If you favor a low approach shot you must skillfully gauge the contours of the green in order for your shot to roll near the pin. Another plus!
Before anyone jumps in and says about potential burnout and other related items I say the following: green is not the golden rule for turf development. Clearly, not all grass types easily facilitate a combination of the "ground" and "air" game. But many do and clubs are following a style that is more than baffling -- it's disheartening.
However, it's time less water be used from a strategic and public relations perspective. The reality is that less water will make for even more of a challenge and this challenge will clearly influence the play of long hitters.
I'm guessing that many superintendents would favor a "less water" approach but are being ordered by ignorant club leadership that confuses green grass with core golf necessities.
When I see a course that is overly-watered it sours my day because I know the strategic qualities that any well designed course has will clearly come to the top when less water is applied.
That's just my opinion -- curious how others may feel.