[David_Tepper]

Watching the golf today, it looks like portions of the perimeter of a number of greens have mounding that, in some cases, collects a shot that may be rolling wide or long of the green and propels the ball back down the slope of the mounding and on to the green surface. 

I have never seen the course in person. Anyone who knows better is welcome to let me know if what I am seeing is correct or mistaken. 

Assuming the mounding I think is there really is there, my question is how much of it is natural vs. man-made?

[Thomas Dai]

Changes in TV camera angles sometimes show features that weren't previously as noticeable. That said, I noticed a couple of places, eg back left of the 17th green, where the contouring seemed to have altered. I suspect some of this may be due to the installation of surfaced roadways on the course and also more regular positions for scoreboards and the like. There seem to be a few other small tweaks around the course as well, eg the 8th green appears to be wider at the rear with an area of the putting surface now 'hiding' behind the right hand side bunker.
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[Ally Mcintosh]

David,


I am not watching as I am traveling.


But I think what you are talking about are greens placed hard up against natural dunes right in the pocket. Why natural?


Because most modern architects would reshape an area like that with a run-off and collection before the dune starts to rise. This is done in the name of “difficulty” but primarily because it is bred in to architects to stop water running off hills directly on to greens.


My experience on links suggests that this last point is overplayed on pure sand and indeed it looks much better to have portions of a green flashing right up against a hill than having a green look artificially built if placed right in the dune pocket.


So not sure I answer your question but I’d be surprised if there was artificially built “containment” mounding around the greens unless it is there for screening. Could well be wrong. Long time since I’ve visited.

[Blake Conant]

There's some unnecessary (and ugly) mounding built up on a number of holes.  Between 4 green and 5 tee, right of 8 tee, right of 9 green and 11 green.  Seems like it was built to protect tees or not have tees in a sightline. 


None of the work seemed necessary to me, but at the very least I'd like to see some better tie-ins and shaping for what earthwork they did.  The disturbance areas looked too small to make the shapes look like anything believable. 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Thanks for clarifying, Blake. I guess I should have known better.


Way too much “building” of mounding on some of our flatter, classic links courses. Unless it is done very skilfully, it slowly takes away the natural character of the land. Death by a thousand cuts.


Ally

[Mark Chaplin]

The mounding was done in house to increase spectator viewing.

[Niall C]

They have done a bit for this Open but going back to pre 1999, the area behind the 1st green was raised (IIRC) as was the area behind the 3rd and several other places as well that I can't remember off-hand. The areas Blake refers to may be the more recent work, and the bit between the 4th green/5th tee isn't great. Not sure I see the point of that one.

Niall

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