Template Routings

[Niall C]

There are a number of threads at the moment on template holes and on another recent thread regarding Pete Dye there was mention of his fondness for figure of eight routings, which got me thinking what different type of template routings there might be. Obviously I'm using the term template fairly loosley and really only referring generally to the direction of play rather than the specifics of whether a par 4 follows a par 3 on such like. Examples might be;

Traditional Out and Back - obvious examples such as the the Old and New at St Andrews and countless other links, all with maybe a wee kink where the course has double backed on itself for a couple of holes but generally following the same pattern of 9 holes out and 9 back.

Circular Routing - where one half of the course lies inside the other half of the course. Not sure if thats a good easy name for this type of routing but what I'm thinking of is Muirfield with its front nine largely circling the boundary of the course and the back nine being within the front 9. Wishaw in Lanarkshire is the only other course I can think thats like that.

Figure of eight - on the other thread there were a number of examples of Pete Dye courses with crossing over routings that take advantage of this type of routing to have the finishing stretches of both nines playing along the water.

Any others that I've not thought of ?

Niall

 

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I suppose the most common routing nowadays is where both nines are side by side and return to the CH.

Donegal (Murvagh) is another where one nine encloses the other.

One other example is where both nines have a traditional out-and-back routing, where one nine heads in one direction and the other nine, in the opposite direction, with the CH in the centre. The old course at Rosapenna was a bit like this. I'm sure there are many more examples.

[Chris_Clouser]

I'm sure other architects have used this, but Perry Maxwell used what I termed a "core" routing on a lot of his courses.  It is a routing with several 3 to 5 hole loops that come back to the clubhouse.  It would appear to be something like a series of spokes on a bicycle wheel.  Twin Hills in Oklahoma City might be the best example of this.

[Bill_McBride]

Most George Thomas courses have returning nines with the second green also back at the clubhouse.

[Mark Saltzman]

I recall reading (though I can't remember where) about the use of triangle routings.  These are probably not so different from what Chris termed "core" routing, except that they need not return to the clubhouse.  Usually three or four holes will form the shape of a triangle, with the tee of the 1st hole of the triangle being close to the final green.  I believe this allows for a series of holes each facing a different direction, allowing for several different wind directions over the course of only a few holes.

...Now if only I could work out how to post a picture

[Patrick_Mucci]

Niall,

Many courses have circular, clockwise one nine, counter clockwise the other nine.

I believe that Donald Ross advocated this arrangement, especially if the course was shaped like a fan with the clubhouse down at the bottom, by the handle.

[Matthew Rose]

Two nines of 4-5-4-3-4-5-4-3-4.

[Alex Miller]

I recall reading (though I can't remember where) about the use of triangle routings.  These are probably not so different from what Chris termed "core" routing, except that they need not return to the clubhouse.  Usually three or four holes will form the shape of a triangle, with the tee of the 1st hole of the triangle being close to the final green.  I believe this allows for a series of holes each facing a different direction, allowing for several different wind directions over the course of only a few holes.

...Now if only I could work out how to post a picture

paging Mike Nuzzo

[Michael Goldstein]

Chris.  The core / spoke routing is an interesting one. It definitely makes you feel very connected to the clubhouse.  Great example is Yarra Yarra in the Melbourne Sandbelt.

A course I have played lots of golf on is a parkland course called Clearwater on a D shape where the spine of the course consists a stretch where 6 out of 7 holes play in the same direction - into the prevailing wind.  A strange feel for a course.

One other interesting routing is that at NSW which has two random loops of 9 but is mathematically laid out so that the 3s, (4s) and 5s all face towards different points on the compass - as no doubt has been discussed before on GCA.

[Scott Warren]

The series of triangles is really well done at Hankley Common.

Michael, good example at NSWGC of a shape that isn't necessarily common, but features that people often say are favourable.

As much as people criticise out and back routings (Deal, Brora etc) or other routings that play largely to only two compass points (Barnbougle Dunes, Dornoch) as flawed for the lack of wind variation, I think the subtle variations that are created by small changes in direction are wonderful.

[Michael Goldstein]

Do out and back lay outs get criticised at GCA??

I really enjoyed them in the UK.  Ideally in a shape that is not linear, like a C (or like North Berwick) so you are continually adjusting to the angle of the wind.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Using triangles is always a winner. It saves space, gives holes playing in different directions and is useful for certain odd-shaped parts of a site.

I like figure-8 routings if there are a few kinks thrown in. They work especially well when dealing with a coastal course, allowing the routing to return to the shore twice with a few holes on the slice side and a few on the hook side...The kinks need to include a hole or two playing towards the coast...

[Jeff_Brauer]

The old Guy Rando book for the ULI had some names for various housing routings - but the two nine hole loops was one.  A core golf course with fingers, and no road crossings was another.  Some call it the squished frog routing because the pairs of holes eminating from the clubhouse kind of look like four legs flatted out from a big body in the middle (with range, etc.)

Another popular template for a core course would be the inside-outside loop, whereby one nine goes around a core nine, and along the permiter of the golf course.

[Robert Emmons]

Our 1910 Dev Emmet course has the front nine set as three hole loops all returning to the clubhouse with the back nine out and back. Original thought was you could play 3, 6, 9, or 18 depending on how much time you had...HE

[Niall C]

The series of triangles is really well done at Hankley Common.

Michael, good example at NSWGC of a shape that isn't necessarily common, but features that people often say are favourable.

As much as people criticise out and back routings (Deal, Brora etc) or other routings that play largely to only two compass points (Barnbougle Dunes, Dornoch) as flawed for the lack of wind variation, I think the subtle variations that are created by small changes in direction are wonderful.

Scott

The other thing about courses with out and back routing, and generally they tend to be links, is that over the course of a 3 to 4 hour round the wind will shift or change in strength.

Mark/Scott/Ally,

I suspect triangular routings is popular with a lot of GCA's for the reason Ally suggested. I notice that MacKenzie was fond of them and would have holes dog-leg slightly into the middle of the triangle so that two holes going in opposite directions would almost be playing to a double fairway (again I wish I could post an example to show what I mean)

Niall

[Tom MacWood]

Early in his partnership with Fowler, Tom Simpson advocated what he called the triangular system of routing. The system was essentially groupings of three hole triangles with primary result being no parallel holes, and a more natural layout. A couple of other advantages to this system, more starting points near the clubhouse allowing for more flexibility on busy days; groups of greens located near each other allowing for more economical maintenance.

Another routing system is the circular route, where the unused ground is in the center. Swinley Forest is an example. Again this eliminates parallel holes and provides a feeling of spaciousness. 

[Tom_Doak]

I cannot imagine trying to put together a routing by deciding in advance to use one of these templates, instead of just looking for golf holes and then trying to figure out how they fit together.

The only time you would really do so is if you have a flattish site in a development setting, and you're trying to agree with the client on the overall relationship between golf and development.

[Tom MacWood]

TD
Your mentor Dye has used the figure eight quite successfully when given a seaside or lakeside site.

[Niall C]

I cannot imagine trying to put together a routing by deciding in advance to use one of these templates, instead of just looking for golf holes and then trying to figure out how they fit together.

The only time you would really do so is if you have a flattish site in a development setting, and you're trying to agree with the client on the overall relationship between golf and development.

Tom

Fair point, but have you found that you have had a tendency to do similar things on your courses without realising it ? Maybe not a full out eighteen hole thing but maybe triangulation of 3 holes as suggested above.

Niall

[Tom_Doak]

TD
Your mentor Dye has used the figure eight quite successfully when given a seaside or lakeside site.

Tom:

Yes, I know.  The three which come to mind are Kiawah, Casa de Campo and Whistling Straits.  All of them were relatively flat to start with ... other than the features of the coastline at Teeth of the Dog, and a couple of wetlands on the others, there was nothing in particular to suggest holes in the routing, so it was easy to just start with the figure eight.  But I don't think he would have taken the same approach to Pacific Dunes if he'd had that site to work with ... I hope not, anyway.

I really don't care much for the figure eight, it's just too simple for me.  I much prefer for the routing to interlock with itself and change directions more, so you are never quite sure where you are going next.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I agree with Tom that figure-8’s can be a little too obvious, even if they do work well on a seaside site.

They are often laid out for you in the valleys between the main dune ridge and the more mature secondary ridges. Tom Simpson would have abhorred the straightforwardness of it.

That’s why you need those few kinks thrown in, taking you over some ridges in different directions – Otherwise you are only one step removed from an “out and back”.

The Trump Aberdeen course is effectively a figure-8 but there are a few holes that play outside the valley floor and there is a good twist on the back nine where the routing works back in on itself allowing the par-3 thirteenth to play towards the sea.

[Tom MacWood]

Ally
Chiberta, considered by many to be Tom Simpson's greatest design, was laid out in a figure eight.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ally
Chiberta, considered by many to be Tom Simpson's greatest design, was laid out in a figure eight.

Through obvious dune valleys, Tom?

[Tom MacWood]

Through obvious dune valleys, Tom?

It is combination of seaside, forested and lakeside.

[James Boon]

Niall,

I think I can see what you are thinking about here, but perhaps "template" is the wrong way to put it due to the variations whithin a whole routing. More a "principles of routing" or something like that? Pedantic nitpicking aside , the two I'm thinking of are:

- When the first 3, 4 or 5 holes return to the clubhouse which I seem to recall some guys call a "Boozers loop" and then the remaining holes head out and back. I think there are several heathland courses with something akin to this, Sherwood Forest or Notts for example?
- This might be what some people are referring to as figure of 8, but where there is a short cut with say the 5th green near the 15th tee, so you can cut across and play a short 9 rather than the full 18. Beau Desert does this.

Cheers,

james