Modern Maintenance on Older Courses

[Adam Clayman]

I'm not sure I even like the modern presentation on modern courses, but clearly, choking bunkers and greens with lush rough is a form of mal-practice.

On older designs, built on great sites, with marvelous terrain, the term criminal comes to mind, when seeing this dichotomy of agronomy.

Shouldn't the maintenance presentation fit the courses architecture?

The GCSAA should re-evaluate all it's knowledge and take the lead on making the sport FUN again.

For those who wish to defend the modern version, I look forward to your defense and appropriate justifications.

[Mike_Young]

Adam,
This is why I say there is no such thing as Restoration....."people can't handle the truth" when it comes to the conditions they would have to endure......has anyone ever seen a specification written by pne of the dead guys where he wanted the "shaggy look" around bunkers.....I don't know but I would think not.....there just wasn't a practical method to maintain it any other way so it now becomes the look.....I agree with you......except I think today's tour player actually would rather be in the fairway bunker than the rough....so they become havens....if there was no rough.....well....

[Adam Clayman]

Mike,
 I think what you are harping on is true restorations, right?

[Mike_Young]

Well Adam...is there a false restoration?  or would we call that a modernization?

[Adam Clayman]

Mike, What do we call a modern design that needs extensive re-work? i.e. Drainage issues

Over-watered?

Poor initial attention to detail?

Did Ron Prichard modernize Beverly? Or, did he restore the options available that originally existed?

[cary lichtenstein]

I'm not sure I even like the modern presentation on modern courses, but clearly, choking bunkers and greens with lush rough is a form of mal-practice.

On older designs, built on great sites, with marvelous terrain, the term criminal comes to mind, when seeing this dichotomy of agronomy.

Shouldn't the maintenance presentation fit the courses architecture?

The GCSAA should re-evaluate all it's knowledge and take the lead on making the sport FUN again.

For those who wish to defend the modern version, I look forward to your defense and appropriate justifications.

I couldn't agree with you more, it's a pet peeve of mine

[Anthony_Nysse]

If you were to take the last several US Opens and PGAs,
 I think that the set up at Bethpage, Olympia, WWF, Hazeltine, Oak Hill, Baustrol, and now Medinah have been MUCH more interesting and enjoyable to watch than Shinnecock, Whistling Straits, Pinehurst and Southern Hills. In fact, I think that Southern Hills will be a bit boring next year, especailly after seeing Oakmont. I like the long, lush, nasty rough.
  Adam,
  Please tell me how a tree-lined golf course's maintenance meld should be. There are reasons that these are "Parkland" style golf courses......

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Adam Clayman]

Anthony,
 I beg to differ on the excitment generated on firmer courses, ala , Shinnecock.

Long rough, combined with soft conditions, prevents balls from straying further off-line, deeper into the woods. In my estimation of equity, a penalty proportional to how poorly the specific shot was struck, or conceived, is at the root of the sport. Not the dictated, containment inducing set-ups we see and you apparently are defending.

As for bunkers, having that strip of rough just prior to, on the fairway side, 1) looks artificial 2) causes the bunker to basically be emasculated and therefore rendering them; moot, redundant, and, a waste of time and money, to all but an aerial approaching shot.

While this "look" is so common nowadays, I don't expect agreement from anyone, except those who value an intellectual justification for every aspect of the sport.  

[Anthony_Nysse]

Hmmmm, seems like you like the set up where the golf course becomes quirky....I like things fair. I don't believe that SHinny was, #2 wasn't meant to play like it's set up either. I think that the PGA has hit the nail onthe head with it's setup for it's Championships, all be it on Parkland courses.
 Adam,
  I'm not sure why this type of set up is even a topic for you. These course have been set up this was for DECADES! Narrow fairways, deep, nasty rough and GREEN, GREEN, GREEN....I think that you might just have to get use to it or only watch the British every year....
 If courses went back to how they were maintained 50 years ago, would you be ready to play on greens mowed every other mowing than stimped around 6, fairways mowed once, maybe twice a week and longer than your front yard, bunkers with weeds in them.....Everything modern isn't bad.....

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC