To gorse or not to gorse?

[ward peyronnin]

I played Pensacola CC last week and thoroughly enjoyed this very linksy seaside course. Fairway slots and rolls and banks and greens connected to the surrounding fairways; plenty of opportunities for the firm ground game. But something was missing and I believe I have identified what it is: bunched lo massings that frame true links in the UK etc. Mostly this is in the form of gorse or it can be supplies by stretches of native grasses ( mostly over here). Not only to these frame the fields of play they also represent a true hazard for the carelless player.

I think many overlook this feature as a design element because these grouping always seem to have just been there when the course was carves out. The only time I have seen newly planted gorse was at Crail Craighead links in 2005 and I imagine the tiny shoots have now filled in as  Mr Hanse intended.

I have been interested in landscape design for many years and there is a concept termed layering when planting that draws the eye along an intended line. The most basic expression of this is lo plants in front then intermediate then tall plants in the background. This also breaks up a monolithic view to create more interest. Thus my Pensacola disconnect or a similar feeling at Holston Hills. Morraine did a nicer job with swaths of native punctuating playing quarters. These are all redos where the original open feeling was restored.

So am I imposing my landscaping prejudices in viewing some restorations as not quite there yet or does layering, and the strategic considerations accompanying, represent a critical component of a more complete links course?

[Adam Lawrence]

The problem with gorse is that it is incredibly aggressive and it tends to overwhelm everything around it. There is a reason a lot of British links have been engaged in fairly heavy duty gorse removal of late; it is because they don't like the way the gorse grows so rapidly, encroaching on both width and biodiversity.


Does it have a place? Yes. But it is quite high maintenance.

[ward peyronnin]

True Adam

I intended to use gorse as an easily recognizable expression of a design element. Other medium height shrubs or native grasses will easily serve the as the mass and I am not advocating more planting of gorse necessarily

[Mark Chaplin]

At several heathland courses the gorse has spread at ground level choking the heather and causing ankle scratching rough of 6” high gorse. Horrible stuff, avoid where possible.

[Tom_Doak]

I was surprised to find gorse at an older golf course in the highlands of India.  The Scots loved to bring that stuff with them!


As Adam says, it's a crazy thing to import to a place where it doesn't exist, because it is so aggressive.


But I agree with you 100% that what is missing in the landscape of many golf courses is a bit of shrubbery.  Shrubs are native to most landscapes and provide both color and balance.  But they're not usually "impressive", so memberships tend to plant trees instead, which are much more likely to grow into the way and interfere with the golf.

[Jon Wiggett]

The thing with gorse is you need to flail mow it once or twice a year. It does make for a great hedge but can be a fire hazard.


Ward, what is missing is probably the grazing maintenance which truly authentic links courses have.


Jon

[Thomas Dai]

I like gorse. It frames things nicely but isn't too high and looks stunning when in bloom and fine the rest of the time. But, it needs keeping on top of maintenance wise and rabbits do like making their burrows under it.
atb

[Jerry Kluger]

I have a sincere belief that a good design includes features that allow for a well-played recovery shot.  My problem is that once a ball gets into gorse it usually does not allow for a recovery shot.  What it does lead to is a lost ball as most of the time you cannot identify your ball to declare it as unplayable and even if you are able to identify it you still may not be able to take relief sufficient to make your next shot.  So you wind up having to go back to the location of your previous shot which is the nemesis of pace of play.

[Joe Bausch]

If you wish to see how I saw Pensacola CC a couple of springs ago:


http://myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/Pensacola/index.html

[David_Tepper]

Ward -

I will be interested to hear what you think of gorse after you play Royal Dornoch next month.

DT
 

[Sean_A]

Like most plantings, gorse should almost exclusively be a backdrop feature to add texture or pehaps draw one's attention toward/away from something.  Bringing the stuff into play only slows the game down and breaks a cardinal rule of finding and hitting. Almost anytime gorse is featured on golf courses it becomes a pest...not a fan and I certainly wouldn't dream of introducing gorse to a course. The main reason I want to go back to the New Course is I hear they have removed tons of gorse..which was my biggest beef about the course last time...too much walls of gorse nonsense going on.

Ciao

[Garland Bayley]

Sounds like they need to plant some thorny yellow roses.

[Thomas Dai]

With the upcoming rules revisions you could put a red line around gorse. No need to go back to the tee them.
atb

[Jerry Kluger]

Dai: It is my understanding under the proposed new rules that presuming it was your tee shot that went OB or lost and there is a red hazard line that you would have the option to drop an equal distance from the hole from where the ball entered the hazard somewhere closer to the fairway and you would be hitting your 4th shot.  So you should still hit a provisional since if you hit it well you will be in a much better position than if you take a drop under this new provision.  I am sure the rules guys on here will explain it better.

[ward peyronnin]

I have definitely learned several things from my effort to start a discussion.

First what people initially see overwhelms their thinking. My masthead was simply meant to catch attention and provide a ready reference as opposed to the actual subject. I blew that one. Second that gorse is worth talking about and there are some valuable comments. 

BUT GORSE IS NOT WHAT THIS POST WAS ABOUT.

Tom did respond to my actual question. As far as Jerry's comments there is often no chance of recovery from gorse( or densely planted azaleas, rhododendrons, viburnum, etc.) However judiciously planted shrubby clumps rather than ribbons of the stuff lining a fairway do not in my mind constitute an unfair hazard any more that water whether burne or pond; one can always take an unplayable. And only the careless player need be penalized.

Consider the 18th at R County Down. The preferred angle is from the left as the fat of the green presents itself. But intermittant stands of gorse really make that placement dicey. And one can sometimes play out as Colt Knost discovered at the 2007 Walker Cup. Was he happy that two smirking Irish fans adjacent to his ball took a special delight that his forward shot was conveniently blocked by a large shrub? No as evidenced by his invocation of the fbomb as a fan greeting and the subsequent remonstrance of his action by the American Capt.   But the gorse that hid the alleged interference by the local did allow recovery.

But I digress. I reflect on this because I am always curious what elevates a very good golf course to a great golf course. In my mind detailing , not in the Tom Fazio eye candy way, but with good basic design principles incorporated, can be one more box to tick.

[Kalen Braley]

Here's the rule for OB/Lost Balls

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html

[Niall C]

I was surprised to find gorse at an older golf course in the highlands of India.  The Scots loved to bring that stuff with them!


As Adam says, it's a crazy thing to import to a place where it doesn't exist, because it is so aggressive.


But I agree with you 100% that what is missing in the landscape of many golf courses is a bit of shrubbery.  Shrubs are native to most landscapes and provide both color and balance.  But they're not usually "impressive", so memberships tend to plant trees instead, which are much more likely to grow into the way and interfere with the golf.

I've a vague recollection reading that gorse isn't native to the UK and it was brought over with the Romans, along with rabbits apparently. Not sure if that is true but I wonder if the Romans ever got to Delhi 

Niall

[ward peyronnin]

Niall

If Alexander the great did then the Romans probably did as well.

[Garland Bayley]

Quick query to Bing says the Roman Empire traded extensively with India.

[Sean_A]

I have definitely learned several things from my effort to start a discussion.

First what people initially see overwhelms their thinking. My masthead was simply meant to catch attention and provide a ready reference as opposed to the actual subject. I blew that one. Second that gorse is worth talking about and there are some valuable comments.
BUT GORSE IS NOT WHAT THIS POST WAS ABOUT.

Wardo

I thought we were using gorse as the discussion point example.  Its easy to read between the lines for me....why introduce anything unessential to a golf course that is high maintenance and slows down play.  If clubs have the money and patience to deal with this sort of thing, keep it to a minimum and mostly out of play. A lot of how a course works is actually quite a bit about what is taken away as much as it is about what is added.  I think we forget this concept in the rush to create courses which can make best of lists. 

Ciao