Punitive rough as a "design" element on the great moderns.

[corey miller]

I am not very intrigued by the standard parkland layout in my golf area.  Perhaps it is a function of  maintenance practices over the years where high rough seems to be a design element.  Many places have done a great job with trees but does it really matter if the natural hole corridor is  buffered on both side with high rough?


Take Bethpage Black as the benchmark here, there are others.  Very wide hole corridors that are effectively reduced by the high rough.  That rough is so high that one can't help but think of it as a "design element".   I am sure this has been debated more than a few times on this site.




Are there any "TOP MODERN" courses that use the height of rough as a design element?  I realize many of the great moderns are being built on better land but which ones use "rough" as a design element within the natural playing corridors?

[Jeff Schley]

Corey are you talking about for daily play or when the USGA/PGA gets their hands on a course?

[corey miller]

I am focusing on the use of rough by regular run of the mill greens committees and Superintendents as a design element in everyday play.  IMO, it has nothing to do with set-ups for Us opens or regional tournaments but choices made by decision makers within the clubs.


Bethpage has wide hole corridors with narrow fairways and punitive rough.  Other Met Area clubs (though not on the same scale as Bethpage) also have high rough which seems to be memorialized as a feature for everyday play.  Nobody can deny that a decision has been made at some places to have rough that "enacts" some sort of penalty within the playing corridors.


We discussed Prairie Dunes that has punitive gunch outside the normal playing corridors.  I am focused on clubs that made a decision to have punitive "non-hazard" areas, mainly rough within the normal playing corridors.


I can name more than a few classic courses that have done this for everyday play but am trying to find a well regarded modern that has "high rough" as a design feature.

[Sean_A]

Might Trump Aberdeen be an example? The rough was brutal when I was there, but the fairways weren't narrow or wide for links. Certainly Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart have wider fairways.

For sure I would cite Renaissance. The very harsh rough there was a main feature of the set up. It was a hugely negative impact on the enjoyment of the game.

Happy Hockey

[Thomas Dai]

I'm not sure about punitive rough as a design element, maybe more of a maintenance element, or rather a photography element.
Thanks to social media and camera phones etc there are more and more photos and videos of courses available to view and photos appear more attractive with contrasts. And sand and water and grass, different colours and lengths of grass, mowing lines and patterns etc all provide nice visual contrasts, especially if taken in sunny weather.
Perhaps we have reached a maintenance by nice views in photographs phase in the game?
atb