Course recovery...Post Major

[Tim Fenchel]

I've always wondered what the maintenance schedule is on a golf course following it hosting a major.


I know the day after the Master's concludes a lot of media and VIP's get to tee it up...and then it shuts down for 4 months.


Sunday afternoon at Oakmont with the fading light you could see the incredible amount of divots in the fairways.  I'd imagine after 4 or 5 days of practice rounds and 4 days of competition, a course is pretty blighted, beat up and just plain old tired.


Pinehurst a few years ago...hosted men's and women's Opens back to back.  Yikes.


So...I am sure in this group someone is in the know.  Does the course just get a weeks long sabbatical?  I am sure that crew can't leave the course go for very long but I wonder if it just doesn't get touched for a day or two. My guess is the turf would love to not get stepped on, driven on, or played on for even just a few hours.


How long before members are allowed back on for play?  How long for the fairway divots to grow in? How long for the rain sodden, mud covered gallery areas to green up?


Just curious what the normal recovery is...and how long the course is closed for play.

[Joe_Tucholski]

I assume each course is a bit different.  I would think the Masters is a whole different ball game as they host the event annually and are able to integrate a lot of the logistical infrastructure (ie underground wiring, semi permanent structures/TV towers...).

At Pinehurst the greens were transitioned to Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda after the Women's US Open so there was a bit of an extended closure (interestingly my current home course regrassed immediately after holding a recent USGA event).  That being said realize the adjacent courses are where lots of the damage happens.  Roads are built through courses, huge trailers, bathrooms and tents are all built on wood chips, gravel or directly on the grass.  Recovery from these things take a long time even if the courses are technically open for play.

Here were dates I received prior to the open for projected full re-opening dates at Pinehurst (not back without agronomic scars but back to normal routing).

Course #1 28 August
Course #2 4 September
Course #3 back to 18 holes 4 July
Course #4 19 July
Course #5 back to 18 holes 4 July

Also realize there is an amazing amount of work prior to the event. 

At Pinehurst each of the courses around #2 were impacted about 3 months before the event (hole modifications or closures).  The tennis courts were shut down early.  Even the clubhouse, dining rooms and locker rooms closed to members at the start of June.

The logistical aspects of holding such events are impressive.  Entertainment is clearly big business in the US and most people who attend these events have no idea what goes into it (as it should be).

[Brian Bowman]

I played Valhalla six days after the PGA championship.  After the heavy rains, the course was still relatively "rough", especially in spectator areas.  The greens were slower than normal, the rough was insanely high, and the fairways/tees were certainly beat up a little bit.

[J_ Crisham]

I have a game at Oakmont in 2 weeks so obviously it is open to guest play quickly .

[Philip Caccamise]

Bethpage in '02 took very little time to recover in the playing areas. The non-playing areas, however, took months. The 1st on Red had tents on it and the fairway was out of play for (almost?) the remainder of the year. It played as a 125 yard par 3, which is a shame obviously since it's a great hole and a ballbuster of an opener.

[Doug Siebert]

Way back when, when pros all sported those Amana hats, my home course hosted the Amana VIP pro-am the day after the US Open every year. Not a major, obviously, or as well attended as a US Open, but the rough would get beaten down pretty good - it was an advantage to miss the fairway by enough to get on the trampled ground for at least a month after that, longer if there was a lack of rain to aid in the recovery of the grass.

The playing areas were fine since they weren't making the greens run ridiculously fast to embarrass celebs like Glen Campbell

[Anthony_Nysse]

Turf recovery after a large event is completely predicated on mother nature during the week of the event. If she brings a lot of rain, the spectator areas will takes month to recover via seed and/or sod. If its a dry week, a majority of the spectator areas will be non visible within a month. Even greens, tees, and fairway stressed to the max will recover in a week because of less mowing and rolling.
  When I was at Colonial, we actually closed for 5 days right after the event-no down time for the staff. We aerified all playing surfaces, spectator areas, took ropes down, installed fans and outside contractors made a huge push on getting stands and tents off property. The tournaments that I had a hand in never saw weather issues. Since then, they have had some rainy events. Because of that, sod and bermudagrass recover went well into late summer.

[Richard Hetzel]

I played Valhalla six days after the PGA championship.  After the heavy rains, the course was still relatively "rough", especially in spectator areas.  The greens were slower than normal, the rough was insanely high, and the fairways/tees were certainly beat up a little bit.

I played it about 4-5 weeks after the PGA Championship and it was in in surprisingly decent condition, except for the areas where they had tents and such.

[Terry Lavin]

What about the Fifth Major?  From what I've heard the players are in recovery after the event is done and the course is just fine!

[Wayne_Kozun]

I know the day after the Master's concludes a lot of media and VIP's get to tee it up...and then it shuts down for 4 months.

I am pretty sure that ANGC doesn't close until the end of May, about seven weeks after the Masters.


I am guessing that some courses may have to close some greens to let them recover from the stress, like Shinny after the 2004 US Opn.

[Bob Brightly]

I was at Oakmont on Thursday and Friday.  Many of the pedestrian crossings were closed on Friday so the pros didn't have to walk through the slop.  The crossings will get cut out and sodded no doubt. Right side of 18, gallery area, was a mess on Friday.  They ran wood chips in Thursday night/ Friday am to keep some areas open.  Major circulation problems with the crossings closed. 

[Randy Thompson]

I know the day after the Master's concludes a lot of media and VIP's get to tee it up...and then it shuts down for 4 months.

I am pretty sure that ANGC doesn't close until the end of May, about seven weeks after the Masters.


I am guessing that some courses may have to close some greens to let them recover from the stress, like Shinny after the 2004 US Opn.
I agree on Augusta,  I always heard six months open and six closed! Open something like March-April-May, Spring and September.Octuber-November, fall!

[Dave McCollum]

Merion was a mess in the gallery areas, cross walks, and around the merch tents close to the course.  The big hospitality tents were located at a neighboring college and still quite a long walk from the course.  Or in some people's back yards.  They probably got paid enough to re-sod. Good time to wear your duck hunting shoes or wellies.  Don't know, but guess it was a long recovery.