Turbo-Boost/Speed Slots: By design or by luck?

[Dan Herrmann]

One of my favorite architectural learning experiences comes from discovering new speed slots (turbo-boost) areas on a golf course.  At our club, many are obviously designed and are cleverly located beyond a hazard - meaning you get a nice reward if you carry the hazard (usually a large fairway bunker).

But have these areas always been designed?  When did they first come into being (TOC?)?  When did architects start actually designing speed slots/turbo-boosts into the course?

[TEPaul]

Dan:

Surely they can be "designed" (manufactured) but the most interesting to me are the ones that are clearly natural. But when they are natural obviously the designer has to route and design the various holes correctly to get them just where they are at the most effective LZs. And of course with increased distance a liberal amount of tee elasiticity is very important too!

We have at least 2-4 really good natural ones at GMGC where they come as "turbo-boosts" (down-slopes) as well as what I call "anti-turbo-boost" (up-slopes) and on one hole on the tee shot (18th) with an "anti-turbo boost" followed by a really good "turbo-boost."

One of the most interesting "turbo-boosts" I have ever seen is the tee shot on PV's #4. #16 isn't bad either (on a fairly exact line over the massive bunker) as is the far left side "speed slot" on the tee shot on #15. The massive fairway turbo-boost on #8 is very cool too as is the "turbo-boost" followed by the "anti-turbo boost" on #11 fairway (it very much tends to even out shorter carries vs longer carries!! And then there's the fantastic "anti-turbo boost" known as "Holman's Hollow" on the left side of #13 fairway!! That one Gil Hanse tried to copy on the left side of the 12th hole at Inniscrone.

[Dan Herrmann]

Gil is really good at these (and "anti turbo-boosts").  It provides quite a lot of fun.

But you know, I'm not certain how many were there in the ground before the course was built.  I guess that speaks to the work done (in a good way!).

PS - As described by Tom, here's PV #11 (some of the best movement in a hole I've ever seen):

[Jason Topp]

These features are a more effective way to give a benefit to a short accurate driver of the ball than narrow fairways and rough.

16 at Sand Hills is a terrific natural example.  You can bail out to a wide fairway, but a very accurate drive must be worth 100 yards.

[TEPaul]

Dan:

Unfortunately, that really good combo "turbo boost/anti-turbo boost" created by that massive fairway swale on PV's #11 does not show up on those photos anywhere near as well as it does in person. It is definitely deep enough (in the bottom of the swale) where golfers in there cannot be seen by players on the tee.

A good natural "anti-turbo boost" is the upslope on Merion's #2 but we saw in the Walker Cup that today the long players even from the newish back tee are able to fly the ball past it which was not true of the entire field in the 1981 US Open. And then there's the massive "Turbo boost" of Merion's 18th fairway but from the new tips of 508 yds even for the long players today that one is a bit harder to utilize than the players of the past (from the old tip tees). And we should also mention the good "turbo boost" of Merion's 11th fairway which good players could effectively utililize from the tips today with not much more than a medium iron!

Some other great "turbo boosts" around here are the 9th fairway at HVGC (straight down) and the cool right to left "turbo boosts" on the front nine (#1, #2, #6, #7, #8) and the left to right "turbo boosts" on the back nine on #15 and #16!!

[C. Squier]

TEP - what I like most about PV #4's kicker is that it's not all benefit.  Tug the  drive, you're in the thick.  Throw it up the right side, down it goes to the valley.  But the left lean defiinetely gives a player something to think about.  Especially longer players who can carry it onto the kicker, which can catapult it deeper. 

[JESII]

Do any of these turbo-boosts help or hurt your angle to the green?



Tom,

I wouldn't necessarily consider a hill that you need to hit over (in one or two shots such as #18 at Gulph Mills) an Anti-Turbo Boost followed by a Turbo Boost unless all hills are either one or the other. Same with #8 at Pine Valley...it's just a downhill fairway isn't it?

For example, if your club would mow the first fairway all the way back to the tee one could simply top the ball and catch the Turbo Boost and run it out about 250 yards...

[Joe Bausch]

Dan:

Unfortunately, that really good combo "turbo boost/anti-turbo boost" created by that massive fairway swale on PV's #11 does not show up on those photos anywhere near as well as it does in person. It is definitely deep enough (in the bottom of the swale) where golfers in there cannot be seen by players on the tee.

I walked PV yesterday in reverse and caught up to Marucci's match at No 11.  He and his opponent, Pat Tallent, each hit drives down into the massive swale.  Tallents was a bit farther left and the pin was left-ish.  He proceeded to hit a short iron that landed just short and left of the hole, bounced up pin high, then spun back and got part of the hole.  Buddy's shot left him a 20 footer which he missed.  Pat, with the long putter in use, slammed in the 4 footer up the hill.  I don't know the score of the match at this point, but perhaps this was a key hole for Tallent as he won 3 and 2.