Chip Gaskins has a discussion going about chipping areas on which Mark Ferguson made the following comment:
"They seem out of place here because of the rigidity of the mowing lines of fairway and the rough surrounding the greens. The edge of the green falls away slightly into the chipping area, so you would presume they were designed or created in harmony, but because of the formality of the maintenance, the chipping area is highlighted, instead of blending in, where it might be a little more lethal."
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40520.0/Mark's phrase "formality of the maintenance" reminded of something I ponder from time to time. Setting aside green surfaces, the "fairway," and tall fescues (natural or rustic areas), why don't we have more irregularly maintained grass areas on courses? For example, why three or four (for example) first cut of rough at a uniform height, followed by a second cut a higher uniform cut? Why not more raggedly maintained roughs of varying height. I think of famous Scottish courses I've played where it's sometimes difficult to tell where the fairway stops and the rough begins. Same question for green surrounds. Why not more random maintenance of non-fairway areas (definition debatable as a separte topic)? Although not a perfect analogy, I see this as extending to the roughs the debate about bunker raking. Apart from the very real, practical mowing issues, I'd like to hear what others think about such an approach.