[Matt_Ward]

Love the inclusion in design in which holes are split by a piece of added land that rises above a given fairway and funnels balls to different areas. The 11th at Rock Creek was touched upon previously in a few threads. Great hole from Doak and really adds to the overall qualities of the layout.

On the public side I see the 17th at Black Mesa (Santa Fe area) as one of the finest holes at the superlative course. The fairways features a rib that rises in the dead center and will push or pull shots accordingly.

The best line on both holes is to get to the far left side to provide the best angle and shortest shot to the hole. Doing it is no small task and often shots will funnel to the right with the slightest push and the elevation of demands becomes self evident the minute you arrive at your ball.

I like fairway movements because it's another tool any skilled architect needs to have in the mix. Providing different stances, lies and forcing real shotmaking to achieve certain trajectories on one's shot are all elements that add to the experience.

[CJ Carder]

Not having any visual knowledge of the holes you're talking about, would #17 at Royal Dornoch fall into that category? 

[Tom_Doak]

Matt:

Is this what Macdonald called a "Hog's Back" or are you describing something different?

I'm curious about your description of the fairway at Rock Creek as "a piece of added land".  That is, in fact, the hole where we did the most earthmoving on the entire course ... but we actually CUT the ridge in the middle of the fairway, which was probably four feet higher to start with.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Matt,

In Texas, we have a lot of what we call washboard fw, probably left over from furrow of onion farming or the like.  They are not considered an architectural feature.

What Tom D describes sounds more like what I would call a spline, as in a previous thread.

At the Tribute near DFW, Tripp Davis built the 10th fw with mounds and ridges everywhere.  Not a level lie to be found unless you lay way back on this short par 4. I always thought that was a neat feature along the lines of what you describe.  I think it might be better even yet in the second landing zone of a par 5, forcing long hitters to lay up for a third shot past their accuracy range, or take chances on getting a level lie closer.

[Kalen Braley]

I was thinking of those fairways that look like giant washboards with ripples running horizontally across the line of play.  I recall some pics of these from last years (07) BUDA cup.

[Matt_Ward]

Gents:

Forgive me -- I really meant to say a hole that has a raised piece of land -- in the form of a body's spine -- which will delfect shots to either side.

Rock Creek's 11th hole is first rate stuff and one of the best individual holes I've played this year. In many ways Doak and his crafty team replicated a similar contribution with the 12th at Ballyneal being another good example.

Black Mesa's 17th also uses this technique and I would implore more designers to do likewise. It plays a premium on ball position -- length alone will not suffice and each of the three holes I just mentioned marries so well the aspects of placement and power when applied correctly.

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