Squiggly Fairway Line Syndrome

[Michael Whitaker]

I recently played Duff House Royal, a lovely parkland, A. Mackenzie course in Banff, Scotland. The only discordant notes on the course were the wavy mowing patterns on the edges of the fairways. Otherwise the course was very, very good. 

Hmm.. I didn't notice the wavy lines. Adam may be correct that most golfers never notice one way or the other.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Swoopy is far more than a 70s thing - they are a 21st century thing too

And green shapes that look good from a satellite are goofy & unnatural too

One reason behind the swoops can be found in the Hurdzan book on architecture

[PCCraig]

Regardless of the aethetics it has to cost more time and $ to do this.

Even if the "squiggly" line of rough cuts into existing fairway?

[Neil White]

Swoopy is far more than a 70s thing - they are a 21st century thing too

And green shapes that look good from a satellite are goofy & unnatural too

One reason behind the swoops can be found in the Hurdzan book on architecture

Thanks for this Mike.

I find it is best looked at with your eyes closed.

Neil.

[astavrides]

One reason behind the swoops can be found in the Hurdzan book on architecture

What is the reason?  Or do I have to read the book to find out?

[Mike Nuzzo]

The biggest reason is what Tom said, swoopy lines look more interesting on a blank piece of paper.
I saw a presentation once by a noted architect to industry professionals - he showed before and after diagrams of green shapes.
He stated how the more interesting shapes afterwards made for a successful renovation. ?!?

Astavrides
You'll have to read it only if you like formulas as much as Jeff Brauer. 

There was a picture of swoopy fairways that allowed for a wider dispersion of shots by the average player and a tighter one by the scratch player - from each set of tees.  It looked like an inchworm???

Cheers

[Kalen Braley]

I was recently looking at my photos of Rock Creek Cattle Club and I saw few straight line fairway edges...nearly all of them were curvy.  But yet for some reason it really works there, and the course looks very natural... so there must be something else at play here.

Perhaps its because they closely follow the undulations of the land?  As opposed to "imposing" squiggly lines on a flat straight hole?

Go to google maps and look at the aerial view....its shows it pretty well.  Its even more noticeable on the ground view pics.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=46.473202,-112.837036&spn=0.009133,0.018346&t=h&z=16

[Peter Pallotta]

I thought of a caption for that drawing Mike posted. I'm still re-writing and fine-tuning it, but it'd read something like:

Most uni-cellular eukaryotic organisms reproduce asexually via mitosis and cytokinesis, not to be confused with binary fission. In cases where the amoeba are forcibly divided, the portion that retains the nucleus will survive and form a new cell.

Peter

[JMEvensky]

I thought of a caption for that drawing Mike posted. I'm still re-writing and fine-tuning it, but it'd read something like:

Most uni-cellular eukaryotic organisms reproduce asexually via mitosis and cytokinesis, not to be confused with binary fission. In cases where the amoeba are forcibly divided, the portion that retains the nucleus will survive and form a new cell.

Peter

OK,now you're just showing off--or have access to biology text books.

[Peter Pallotta]

It is the latter, JM -- I have no understanding of biology, save for the knowledge required to maintain my physical existence and also to procreate. Plus, it would never have occured to me to show off about biology 

Hope all is well

Peter

[Ally Mcintosh]

I was recently looking at my photos of Rock Creek Cattle Club and I saw few straight line fairway edges...nearly all of them were curvy.  But yet for some reason it really works there, and the course looks very natural... so there must be something else at play here.

Perhaps its because they closely follow the undulations of the land?  As opposed to "imposing" squiggly lines on a flat straight hole?

Go to google maps and look at the aerial view....its shows it pretty well.  Its even more noticeable on the ground view pics.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=46.473202,-112.837036&spn=0.009133,0.018346&t=h&z=16

Kalen, I don't have to have seen Rock Creek Cattle Club to know that its curves are the antithesis of random sqiggles that don't follow the land.... Couple this with the presumption that those curves disappear for long periods of time (i.e. the transitions are hidden) and that's why it works... Land with big movement usually doesn't suit straight lines... But there's curves and then there's symmetrical squiggles that are straight off a master plan...

[Ken Moum]

I was recently looking at my photos of Rock Creek Cattle Club and I saw few straight line fairway edges...nearly all of them were curvy.  But yet for some reason it really works there, and the course looks very natural... so there must be something else at play here.

That's sort of the point I was trying to make.

There are squiggles, and there are curves--and straight lines.

Nature mostly works in curves... gentle, undulating, sensual curves.

These are curves, and methinks pretty much every sees their appeal:



Or, from the archives:



Squiggles, not so much

[Mike Hendren]

Then there's this guy's opinion:

"Do not have the line of fairway always straight from tee to green.  Swing it a bit to the right or left.  It adds interest by shortening or lengthening the line of play.  Fight shy of all artificial or formal effects.  The day of old-fashioned straight edges to the line of fairways is happily past."

Donald J. Ross
Golf Has Never Failed Me
Page 4

"Right here, let me put in another plea against the tape-measure man who insists on the width from tee to hole being the same throughout.  For my part, a hole that has a fairway more or less irregular in lines is decidedly more pleasurable to play, especially if allowed to irregularly narrow up toward the tee and green."

Donald J. Ross
Golf Has Never Failed Me
Page 130

Ross 1
Cognoscenti 0

Bogey

[Sean_A]

The most important part of the quote.

"Swing it a bit to the right or left."

Its a win-win. 

Ross 1
Cognoscenti 1

Ciao

[Matthew Runde]

On page 124 of The Anatomy of a Golf Course, Tom Doak writes, "Fairways cut in irregular-looking curves not only look more natural, but assist the player in locating a ball once in the rough."

Certainly, such curves are different from "frills" or squiggles.  Even squiggles, though, could help the player in locating a wayward ball.  That could help maintain a greater pace of play on a "bowling-alley" course.

That said, I hate fairway squiggles on most courses.  If I want to see something trite, I'll watch a Disney movie.