[Patrick_Mucci]

One of the most interesting features, that I rarely encounter, is the barrel mound that traverses the rear section of a green, which isolates the rear section, making approaches and recoveries challenging.

This semi-barrel mound is usually found in the back 1/3 or 1/4 of the green

Shots hit short, which is the tendency with most golfer, are faced with a difficult approach putt when the hole is cut in the rear.

Conversely, balls hit long when the pin is on the near side of the ridge are faced with difficult approach putts or recoveries.

CBM, SR and CB had a feature, their donut or horseshoe mound, which isolated a rear portion of the green, but, the feature I'm referencing is fairly straight and goes across the entire green.

It's height could be moderate to severe, but, it's impact on play is DYNAMIC.

With such a simple feature producing such a variety in play, why haven't we seen more of it ?

What courses that you've played have this feature ?

Its simplicity and effectiveness seem contrary to its rarity.

Why is that ?

[Bill_McBride]

Pat, is there a specific example at NGLA?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat, is there a specific example at NGLA?

NO

[David_Tepper]

Can you cite any golf course greens that have this feature?

Is the back portion of the green (behind the semi-barrel) the same height as the front of the green?

Is the concept you are describing essentially an "inverted" Biarritz, with a ridge, instead of a swale, running horizontally across the green?

[David Mulle]

Pat,
    One of my favorite greens at Inwood is the 8th.  It has a large ridge in the back third of the green that extends halfway across the green.  I realize that it does not exactly fit your description because the ridge does not extend all the way across the green but the impact is very similar to what you describe.
   If the pin is front right, the only good miss is short.  Similarly, if the pin is back right, the only miss is long.  If the pin is on the left of the green, you have more leeway to miss long or short but you cannot miss right and this brings the bunker to the left of the green into play.  

[paul cowley]

Love Golf is building one, the 15th, on the new Ricefields course outside Savannah. We thought that a design of this type worked well with the the front and back slopes that were on either side of a faux dike we were building, so yes, we incorporated them into the greensite.

It also resembles what I call a 'reverse biarritz'.

[A.G._Crockett]

The 11th hole on the Clemson Univ. course has this, I believe.  It is 178 from the tips, and a mound runs across the center of the green, making it a three level green, low in the front and back.  It would be reasonably called a reverse biarritz.  I'll guess and say that the "barrel" is about 2 feet higher than the front or back levels.

It is a very unusual and very effective hole; I do wonder a little about the difficulty of maintaining good turf with such a dramatic contour.

[Jim Nugent]

A picture would help me see, and get a better idea of, this feature.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

A picture would help me see, and get a better idea of, this feature.  

Jim,

Picture a barrel or better yet, a tube or pipe about two to three feet in diameter, cut it in half so that it's a semi-circle and then lay it down on the ground, and that replicates the barrel mound.

David Mulle,

A  half a barrel is better than none.

I"ve seen the half-feature more often than the full feature.

The half feature accomplishes almost the same challenge, leaving one flank exposed.

I would imagine that the feature would be more common on a par 5 or a medium to short par 4 & par 3.

David Tepper,

Yes, there's no appreciable difference in the height of the green pre and post barrel mound.

[A.G._Crockett]

A picture would help me see, and get a better idea of, this feature.  

this may be bigger in terms of depth than Pat had in mind, but here it is as a possible example.  Pat, your comments would be welcome as to whether or not this fits what you are talking about.  Also, like most pictures, the slope of the elevated portion is much, much more dramatic in person.

http://www.clemson.edu/madren/toc/walker/golf_course_images/Views/Hole%2012View.jpg

[David Mulle]

It seems to me that a half barrel or a horseshoe mound may provide more strategic interest than a full barrel because they force a player to favor one side of the green - thus potentially bringing greenside bunkers into play (as is the case at Inwood).  With a "full barrel" it would usually be easier to avoid having to favor the left or right side.

[Patrick_Mucci]

AG,

My eyes aren't that good, it's hard to discern the rear feature, but, if it's a barrel roll mound, then yes, that would be it.

It clearly isolates that rear portion, although, it's effect from an elevated tee is somewhat muted, once on the ground it fucntions well.

David Mulle,

The horseshoe or donut provides more strategic interest due to its influence on a greater scale.

The half-barrel is interesting and appears to be more common place.

Yesterday, while watching the FBR and I believe the 16th hole, the one that's drivable, I kept on thinking about that long narrow rear section of the green and how a barrel roll would alter play for the AVERAGE golfer.

The half-barrel roll would be interesting with the opening on the left, closer to the water.

The Knoll has a number of half-barrel like rolls and a number of them where they form the begining of a tier.

It narrows the target area nicely.

[Mike Hendren]

Patrick,

The 13th at Ross' French Lick Springs Hill Course plays 220 yards to a three level green.  With the pin back, it's probably 235 to the small bowl:

Short right from Ran's course profile(the gent in the reddish shirt is standing on the barrel):


Post restoration from the tee:


Mike

[Patrick_Mucci]

Short right from Ran's course profile(the gent in the reddish shirt is standing on the barrel):



Mike,

That's a good example.

Getting to that back hole location on approach and recoveries is a difficult task, and putting to it from short of the barrel is also difficult.

Thanks for posting it.

[Gary Slatter]

At the PGA Show in Orlando we putted through a barrel at Treasure Island - contest included several Hall of Famers!

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