Report from National - VERY firm and fast

[ChipOat]

The fairways are as close to pre-watering system playing characteristics as possible, I think.  We're talking serious hard fairways; UK links-type stuff.

50-60 yards of roll downwind on FLAT ground (e.g. #10); 100+ yards of roll very likely on downhill fairways (e.g. #'s 11 & 17).  You can see the ball bounce quite a bit higher than before on many tee shots (e.g. #'s 1 & 3).

Turf is VERY tight and rather brown (but not burned out); wedges with any bounce at all are problematic on chips and pitches.

The news about this is that much of MacDonald's original strategy is back into play.  The ball can run off into all kinds of trouble, or into those great cross bunkers.  Makes playing the course downwind MUCH more challenging.

Green surfaces are also firm and fast but no more than usual.  The huge difference is off the tee and in front of the greens.

The course hasn't played this way since the early 1960's I'm sure.  CBM would have to be pleased.

Also, what few trees remained have been removed - it looks great.

[Mike_Cirba]

Chip,

That sounds awesome.

Too bad greens committees across this country weren't forced onto a bus to travel out to LI and view NGLA in all her splendor.  Then we might finally get away from this "green is good" mentality.

[PThomas]

Mike -- I cannot express how strongly I agree with your last sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mike_malone]

 Can't we express this as a desire to maintain the course in its  "healthiest" condition? Isn't it true that the artificial "green" look is costly  to maintain and bad for grass?


  The "playability" perspective seems too subtle an approach.

[PThomas]

Mike -- I don't care what it's called, whatever it takes to stop the overwatered madness

[Lawrence Largent]

Finally talked to my friend who played this past weekend in the singles and said it was brutal. Said the ground was very firm and fast but said the course played beautifully.


Lawrence

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Walking out there last Wednesday with Uncle George, I can attest that the ground had that certain cruchiness to it that could brought a smile one's face.

The natives were starting to look very cool.

[mike_malone]

 I think the average golfer believes it is better for the course to look "green". They think this looks better and believe it is "healthier".  I find that if I say "it was not intended to play that way ;it is less fun " I get little agreement for change. But, if I can convince them that it is more costly and bad for the grass , they at least listen.


    Part of the problem is that supers (rightly) fear for their jobs and give the members what they want.

[mike_malone]

   The "fake" lawn at home is part of the problem. Too many people want their golf course to look at least as good.



    Mother Nature takes care of mine.

[David Kelly]

You would think that people would understand that a golf course is a playing field and not a lawn.

[RE Blanks]

My lawn is moss and clover.  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Bogey Hendren,
Isn't the outhouse partially responsible for the way your lawn looks?

[PThomas]

Shiv -- no perfect lawn at my place either

a lot of people do equate green with healthy, unfortunately

in the near future, people are probably going to have to accept that their course can't be all green, since there won't be enough water to keep it all green

that line of thinking is so silly and wasteful

[SPDB]

Too bad greens committees across this country weren't forced onto a bus to travel out to LI and view NGLA in all her splendor.  

Cirbs - "forced"

[Voytek Wilczak]

Every couple of years, I have to ask this question:

Aren't we all a bunch of hypocrites due to the fact that virtually all of us have an overwatered, perfectly fertilized, manucured-to-the-nines, kelly green lawn?

I live in a city - don't have time for all this lawn nonsense.

[Tony_Chapman]

Does anyone have current pictures of "her". I would love to show them to my dad who is on the green committee of a golf course gone bad right now.

[Mike_Cirba]

Too bad greens committees across this country weren't forced onto a bus to travel out to LI and view NGLA in all her splendor.  

Cirbs - "forced"

Yep...cynically I feel that probably 80% of them wouldn't even know what NGLA is.