Firm and Fast - pre 1980 Before Irrigation

[James Bennett]

I was looking through my library and saw some wonderful old photos that epitomise 'firm and fast' from the days before TORO irrigation systems were in place.  They illustrate the colours of Australian golf when minimal resources (water, fertiliser) are applied.  For balance, there is a picture of a course during a pro-tournament, when course presentation would have been lifted as far as they went then.

The photos come fromTom Ramsey's 25 Great Australian Golf Courses, and how to play them (published in 1981, with photos by Allen Fox).  It was a lovely book then, and the historical record it provides today is most illuminating.

The first photo (I'll advise you later which course/hole it is - there is a current club member and a famous past club member on this discussion group) epitomises 'firm and dry'.


This photo is of the classic Royal Melbourne #5 hole, showing the vegetation and presentation (and an early version of 'ass-pic') of this famous par 3.


The next two photos are of Royal Melbourne's #6 hole, one showing the normal summer presentation and the other the prepared for pro-tournament presentation.  Both are summer photos, I think.




James B

[Andrew Summerell]

Ahh, James. I love it. As a left hander who has a tendancy to hook the ball, I know those bunkers on the right of the first photo quite well. Come to think about it, I've been in & over the bunkers on the right of the 2nd photo as well.

Note in the 1st photo the straight line mower cut, disregarding the lines of the bunkers. Also note the plastic rakes.

BTW, there are still shells in the bunkers.

[Chris Kane]

I remember talking to Mike Clayton about this subject at length during the Portsea Pro-Am this year.  Portsea doesn't have irrigation, and the colour of the fairways show it - the high points are firm and brown while the low points are softer and green.  The condition of the course (while always perfect) varies according the weather.  It has a natural appearance which none of the other Peninsula clubs can match.

Apparantly the club considered installing irrigation a couple of years ago, but the $800k cost was prohibitive.  To be honest, I think this was a good thing - the condition and character of the course is significantly better when the ground staff are handwatering.  With the current water shortages, they must be using less water this way too.

Is there any good reason to install irrigation?  Are labour costs significantly more expensive doing it manually?

[Sean_A]

What is very strange about the first photo besides the bizarre fairway line is the natural state of the area around the bunker immediately in the foreground.  It looks like it is easier to pull a bad lie outside the bunker than in it.  The bunkering is oddly less natural looking than the area around it.

Ciao

Sean

[TEPaul]

The sandy unkempt look just outside and around the bunker in the first photo is really fascinating and would be a great discussion point relative to the whole concept of "penalty" (of lie).

Unfortunately (and I really mean that) I think it would probably be pretty hard to find one half of one percent of golfers the world over who would agree to accept that kind of condition on a golf course today, particularly a course perceived as a "good" course.

[PThomas]

of course, all the (over) irrigation that frequently occurs these days just leads to conditions that cause higher handicappers to hit the ball shorter than they would if courses would be kept firm and brown...

want to hit the ball farther?  then get on your greens committee to turn off the water!

it's so irresponsible to waste the precious resource of water this way

[Andrew Summerell]

Sean & Tom,

The sandy rough on the edge of the bunker is not there anymore. The course still plays quite firm, but it is a bit greener.

[James Bennett]

In case you hadn't guessed, it is the first hole at Newcastle (a ka Stockton) north of Sydney in Australia.

And, in line with Chris Kane's post, I don't think irrigation is likely to be as necessary at Portsea as in other parts.  I expect the frequency of extreme heat and prolonged drought, plus the coverage of couch (bermuda) in the fairways is such that the club is unlikely to lose the fairways in summer.  I wouldn't be putting $800k as a priority in my budget for an automatic irrigation system at Portsea.  Now, if I had soft grasses (bents, poas etc) than that might be a different matter.

James B

[Jim_Kennedy]

TEPaul,
Jeff Brauer had a recent thread in which he asked for some alternative ideas that would add some difficulty to a course and the condition outside the bunker in the first photo is one I mentioned to him in a reply.
I think players would accept this type of condition, within limits. A course can still be maintained with a lot of 'green' while incorporating clumpy grass and sandy areas. I just returned from Fl and once again encountered this type of area, with some regularity. A lot can go wrong hitting from such a lie but it isn't going to be as fearful a shot for the average player. It's less intimidating to hit from an area like this than from a deep grassy hollow or sand trap.

By the way, nice photos James.