[Thomas Dai]

With seemingly ever more £$€ being spent, more techie stuff being used and more big machines doing the constuction I was wondering what are the best courses(s) built since say 1980 that have used the least techie stuff, the least amount of big machines and spent the least amount of £$€?
Carne - all 27-holes - is one that comes to mind.
Others?
Atb

[Adam Lawrence]

Askernish

[Jim Nugent]

Here is what Ran says about Sand Hills in his profile of the course:

"During 1993, most of the work was concentrated on the irrigation system, which comprises about 85% of the total golf course construction cost. Fairways, greens and tees were developed in 1994, using the following procedure: 1) mowing existing vegetation to ground level; 2) tilling all areas to a depth of 6′; 3) doing some minor finish grading on the greens – rough grading expense was less than $7,000 – primarily with a small power rake; and, 4) applying seed fertilizer and water.

"The Lodging Information booklet points out that because of the excellent sand particles, the cost per Sand Hills green was $300 as neither drain tile/gravel under the greens nor special greens mix were required. Put in perspective, the average cost of a USGA specification green is approximately $40,000.

"When the course opened in June, 1995, the most natural course built in the United States since World War I had opened."

[Adam Lawrence]

Here is what Ran says about Sand Hills in his profile of the course:

"During 1993, most of the work was concentrated on the irrigation system, which comprises about 85% of the total golf course construction cost. Fairways, greens and tees were developed in 1994, using the following procedure: 1) mowing existing vegetation to ground level; 2) tilling all areas to a depth of 6′; 3) doing some minor finish grading on the greens – rough grading expense was less than $7,000 – primarily with a small power rake; and, 4) applying seed fertilizer and water.

"The Lodging Information booklet points out that because of the excellent sand particles, the cost per Sand Hills green was $300 as neither drain tile/gravel under the greens nor special greens mix were required. Put in perspective, the average cost of a USGA specification green is approximately $40,000.

"When the course opened in June, 1995, the most natural course built in the United States since World War I had opened."

Pretty minimal. However, Askernish was mowed out of the native grasses -- not seeded -- and there isn't any irrigation

[Jim Nugent]

Adam, Askernish sounds like...

[Thomas Dai]

Askernish, pah, that's cheating!


The 3 mentioned do have something in common though.......sand.


Atb

[Ally Mcintosh]

Adam, how much excavator work was done at Askernish? I know of a couple of weeks by one of the Renaissance crew but what else during main construction.


Ireland has a few examples (really there just wasn't any money before the early 90's) but Carne and Connemara are perhaps the best examples of the modern community course.


I suspect Askernish beats them both for pure minimal work.

[David_Tepper]

Durness!

[James Boon]

When I played Askernish, the Chairman Ralph told me that when the course was being prepared (built seems wrong in this case) the R&A visited and as they liked what was being done, they donated some money. I dont recall exactly, but lets say it was £5k. When they returned they asked what their money had been spent on and were shown the 12th hole, the double fairway par 5 at the far end of the course. The R&A guys naturally assumed that the tee had been built with the money, but they had to be convinced they'd actually built the whole 12th hole with it!

Mach Dunes follows a similar principle to Askernish but I get the feeling more was spent there?

As David says, while little known by all but the most intrepid traveller, Durness certainly can't have cost much to build?

Cheers,

James

[Thomas Dai]

Ceann Sibeal?
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[Ally Mcintosh]

Ceann Sibeal?
atb

It appeared in 2 nines, the first in the 70's I think by Hackett. The 2nd nine was added in the 90's by O'Connor I seem to recall[size=78%].[/size]


No idea of what they spent or how they built it.


In essence, the biggest cost in building a links course on good land should almost always be labour in my opinion (taking aside non-course infrastructure and dependent on irrigation choices).

[Tom_Doak]

For my work, the two most minimal were St Andrews Beach and Dismal River.  We had a dozer and an excavator on each, but only so we could move as quickly as possible.  The fairways of each were just mowed out, dishes and replanted, and shaping a green rarely took more than an hour or two.


That's not nearly as minimal as Askernish, but we had to get to a different standard in a shorter time window.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

So the common thread is with the right type of land you can build a course for ultra cheap.  The question then becomes, what's the "best with least" without great land (clay soil)?

[Thomas Dai]

......what's the "best with least" without great land (clay soil)?

Good point Tom. Sand vrs clay
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[Mark_Rowlinson]

I suspect that £ for £ Eddie Hackett comes out as one of the most effective architects on minimal budgets.

[jeffwarne]

Cruit Island might deserve a mention in a gem category

[Tom_Doak]

I suspect that £ for £ Eddie Hackett comes out as one of the most effective architects on minimal budgets.

I suspect that Old Tom Morris, James Braid and Herbert Fowler totally kicked Eddie's butt in that category.

[Peter Pallotta]

You can make a virtue out of necessity or you can make a virtue out of choice. The former probably explains many of the classic early courses/links. The latter is more rare, and more difficult - especially to do well. Does anyone think they call tell the difference? To use examples already cited: do you see qualitative differences between the courses that emerged more from necessity (eg Fowler, Old Tom) and those that emerged more from choice (C&C, Tom D)?
Peter

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