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JMorgan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Macdonald's Practice Ground
« on: August 22, 2007, 08:39:37 AM »
Say you had the land to build three classic greens -- Eden, Short, and Redan -- as suggested by Macdonald:




How long would it take you to build it?

What would you need -- equipment, materials, labor, etc. -- to do the job?

How much would it cost?

Other considerations?

Peter Pallotta

Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2007, 01:46:20 PM »
Bump: I didn't want this one to fall off the first page so quickly.

I must have some half-conscious hope that one day I'll be able to buy 10 acres of land with a little house on it, get my wife's permission, and put those three holes in my backyard. I might have to settle for just the Redan, though.

Peter


Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2007, 02:30:59 PM »
That's what the practice ground at the National Golf Links was supposed to be.  Today it's just a pretty scruffy field to hit iron shots out onto for playing.

wsmorrison

Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2007, 03:12:49 PM »
Here is a detail from a 1938 aerial photograph that shows the practice area greens:


Doug Braunsdorf

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2007, 06:52:51 PM »
So, from the photograph, it appears that the practice ground existed at one point.  Was it not maintained through the years, or was it damaged by a storm, high tides, grazing or burrowing animals, etc. and then not rebuilt?  

From my one time there, I don't recall the elevation change down to the waterline.  

Would it be possible, if the club so desired, to build a retaining wall along the shoreline?  Just a question.
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

JMorgan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2007, 07:08:50 PM »
According to Macdonald in Scotland's Gift, the practice ground was built on the Moore estate in Roslyn, NY.

The archies are notably silent on this one.  It must be considerably easier to design one of these today vs. back in the Golden Era, no?  

I figure I should be able to rent a Bobcat and knock this thing out in no time, eh?  A week?  

Tom Paul, give me a hand here.  Get these guys fired up for DIY golf architecture!
« Last Edit: August 22, 2007, 07:51:26 PM by JMorgan »

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2007, 07:19:29 PM »
So, from the photograph, it appears that the practice ground existed at one point.  Was it not maintained through the years, or was it damaged by a storm, high tides, grazing or burrowing animals, etc. and then not rebuilt?  

From my one time there, I don't recall the elevation change down to the waterline.  

Would it be possible, if the club so desired, to build a retaining wall along the shoreline?  Just a question.


Doug,

FWIW...Google Earth shows its only 2-3 feet higher than the level of the water, so I would suspect it could be subject to tides.  However, I wouldn't think waves would be a big issue as its an inlet and not directly on the ocean.

I also observed what looks to be the practice area.  Does one hit floaters into the water, or how does this work?  

paul cowley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2007, 11:04:26 PM »
According to Macdonald in Scotland's Gift, the practice ground was built on the Moore estate in Roslyn, NY.

The archies are notably silent on this one.  It must be considerably easier to design one of these today vs. back in the Golden Era, no?  

I figure I should be able to rent a Bobcat and knock this thing out in no time, eh?  A week?  

Tom Paul, give me a hand here.  Get these guys fired up for DIY golf architecture!


JM.....as much as I enjoy the holes, the fatal flaw of the three isn't their combined shot values......but the routing.

Hit and go back to hit again.

A triangular routing flows better without backtracking......plus you can triple the amount of players you can accommodate at the same time.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2007, 12:09:54 AM by paul cowley »
paul cowley...golf course architect/asgca

Peter Pallotta

Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2007, 11:14:25 PM »
And that, sir, is why you're an architect and I'm not.

(That, and a few dozen other things, including talent, skill, experience and knowledge.)

Paul, in a modern-day practice area, even with the triangulation you mention, could something like this be made to work, practically speaking?

I was only half-joking about putting them in my backyard: the serious part was to wonder how any more than one or two  golfers could use the area at once. I mean, once someone was on the green, everyone else is waiting at the tee, no?

Thanks
Peter



 
« Last Edit: August 22, 2007, 11:27:39 PM by Peter Pallotta »

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2007, 11:43:00 PM »
Peter, probably more than 4somes going around a triangular, but more than 6-8 would get rather cumbersome waiting for everyone to putt out.  But, who would mow it and with how many different pieces of equipment?
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Doug Braunsdorf

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2007, 09:05:48 AM »
According to Macdonald in Scotland's Gift, the practice ground was built on the Moore estate in Roslyn, NY.

The archies are notably silent on this one.  It must be considerably easier to design one of these today vs. back in the Golden Era, no?  

I figure I should be able to rent a Bobcat and knock this thing out in no time, eh?  A week?  

Tom Paul, give me a hand here.  Get these guys fired up for DIY golf architecture!


JM.....as much as I enjoy the holes, the fatal flaw of the three isn't their combined shot values......but the routing.

Hit and go back to hit again.

A triangular routing flows better without backtracking......plus you can triple the amount of players you can accommodate at the same time.

Paul;

  I have a few questions.  Was this meant to be a mini-course, or just a practice area?  Granted, the drawing says "course" but, this could be interchanged as it sounds better than "Practice Field" as is common on LI or "Practice Area"?
Two, I would hypothesize that the players on the practice area at any given time did not really number all that many, given the club and the times.  

What do you think?
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

Michael Blake

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Macdonald's Practice Ground
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2007, 09:53:57 AM »
JMorgan,

I found this to be a pretty interesting slideshow.  Though not exactly what you have in mind but it does provide info on acerage, budget, materials, and equipment to build a similar course.  And the last 10 slides or so show a step by step process.


http://www.usga.org/turf/course_construction/case_studies/short_course.html

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