The last good course with unirrigated fairways?

[TEPaul]

As far as I know the last holdouts of really good golf courses with unirrigated fairways are Newport, Fishers Island and Maidstone.

Maidstone is finally installing fairway irrigation right now. Who will be the last holdout and how long will that last? Personally, I wouldn't know which of the two remaining to pick because I have a sneaking suspicion both Fishers Island and Newport just might truly want to holdout forever! I hope so because if neither one of them holds out we may never see again what it was like and played like once upon a time on some really great architecture!

[George Pazin]

How different are the conditions at these courses relative to their peers? Is there that much difference? Why would Maidstone change? Is Matt Ward's ranking that important?

[TEPaul]

George;

You should have seen those Maidstone fairways in the summer of 2002. They were fried--and I mean deep fried! I liked them though--it was such a different experience from anything we see today. The thing about that kind of fairway condition, though, is as fried and hard as they got they play fine and when it rained again they just greened right back up.

[Paul_Turner]

Scores of great/fine courses without fairway irrigation in GB&I.

Painswick has no irrigation at all.

[David Kelly]

Lyke's Links in the Crystal Lake area of Michigan.

[Joe Hancock]

David,

Shhhhhhhh!!!!!

 

Joe

[GeoffreyC]

Yale only installed irrigation within the last 7-8 years or so. Since it did so the fairway lies are clearly what might be considered easier to play off, however, there is also a profound difference in the way the course plays. This is especially true during the summers.  Over use of the irrigation system leaves the course wet with little roll.  The wild topography of the course is toned down and this takes away from the architectural intent.

I can recall clearly a couple of summers ago when drives down the center of the fairway would stop quickly but play just outside the range of the sprinklers in the burned out rough and the balls would jump ahead and gain a distinct advantage. Hopefully the new superintendent will dial in an appropriate compromise in his use of the irrigation.  

[Jeff_Mingay]

Highlands Links (S. THompson) at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia installed fairway irrigation in 1996, in direct response to the opening of a lush, new, comprehensively irrigated Tom McBroom design at Bell Bay, just down the road.

Cape Breton GOLFERS will tell you conditions were much better at Highlands Links prior to fairway irrigation, and that there was very little, to no Poa on the golf course until the water was turned on. Now, Poa is king at HL.

The installation of fairway irrigation in this case was purely a matter of 'keeping up with the Jones'. It certainly didn't improve the course from a pure golfing perspective.

[ForkaB]

Paul_T is right re: GBI, although I think that more and more courses over here have gotten some sort of irrigation over the past 10 years.  To me, Brora stands out as a holdout, I think (I don't make it a a habit to look out for sprinkler heads when I play golf).  Getting "irrigation" from the heavens and sheep and cow piss (the latter two also supplying fertilizer) seems to me to be an elegant solution to rising maintenance costs.

[Andy Levett]

Counterintuitive, but some UK courses with fairway sprinklers seem to play faster than those without, perhaps because the greens staff can cut the fairways lower, knowing they have the safety net of the sprinklers if needed.

[Tom_Doak]

When we were planning the remodeling of Atlantic City CC, I voiced an objection to the plan to install a $1.4 million irrigation system on such a small site.  I said I must have misunderstood what the owners wanted.

The director of golf responded that they wanted an "eastern Long Island look," such as Shinnecock or Maidstone.  To which I replied that Maidstone had NO fairway irrigation.

You should have seen the look of horror on people's faces!  They quickly revised their goal to having an "eastern Long Island look with perfect fairways and a separate system for the roughs."

Tom, what you saw at Maidstone last summer was what they get at Rye pretty much every summer.  That's why it's known as a "winter course."

[Tom_Doak]

P.S.  The Sheep Ranch still has no fairway irrigation.

[Mike_Clayton]

Portsea has no fairway irrigation and it's probably the reason it is the most natural looking course down here

[Mike_Cirba]

and Hallelujah for that, Tom, mythical though it may be.  

I can't see how irrigation will improve Maidstone....make it greener perhaps....  

[TEPaul]

Tom Doak:

Funny story about ACCC! Actually maybe it isn't that funny once one starts thinking about it!!  

[M.W._Burrows]

Cape Arundel doesn't have any irrigation in the fairways.  I heard that a key individual there that doesn't get it is pushing to have irrigation installed!

Tom,
I haven't heard anything about Maidstone installing irrigation in the fairways.  I'm going there tomorrow so I guess I'll find out for sure then.

[TEPaul]

Matt:

Maybe they aren't doing it right now but if they aren't planning on doing it very soon I know at least one significant fellow who'll be very surprised.

[Joel_Stewart]

As far as I know the last holdouts of really good golf courses with unirrigated fairways are Newport, Fishers Island and Maidstone.

Maidstone is finally installing fairway irrigation right now. Who will be the last holdout and how long will that last? Personally, I wouldn't know which of the two remaining to pick because I have a sneaking suspicion both Fishers Island and Newport just might truly want to holdout forever! I hope so because if neither one of them holds out we may never see again what it was like and played like once upon a time on some really great architecture!

Tom was slightly mistaken back in 2003 when Maidstone installed limited emergency irrigation.  Starting a few months, they are installing full irrigation.  A new irrigation pond is being installed to the right of the 3rd hole on the East course.

Looks like Newport and Fishers are the only remaining two.

[Paul Gray]

As far as I know the last holdouts of really good golf courses with unirrigated fairways are Newport, Fishers Island and Maidstone.

Maidstone is finally installing fairway irrigation right now. Who will be the last holdout and how long will that last? Personally, I wouldn't know which of the two remaining to pick because I have a sneaking suspicion both Fishers Island and Newport just might truly want to holdout forever! I hope so because if neither one of them holds out we may never see again what it was like and played like once upon a time on some really great architecture!

Tom was slightly mistaken back in 2003 when Maidstone installed limited emergency irrigation.  Starting a few months, they are installing full irrigation.  A new irrigation pond is being installed to the right of the 3rd hole on the East course.

Looks like Newport and Fishers are the only remaining two.

Again, try Britain.

[Philip Hensley]

In the over 11 years since this thread was started, have any well-known new courses been built sans irrigation in the fairways?

Can courses in GB&I get away with not having fairway irrigation because it doesn't get as hot there as in the US and it is less likely that the heat could kill the grass? Or is is that US courses/golfers are so stuck on lush and green conditions that it's just the way we do things here.

[Paul Gray]

In the over 11 years since this thread was started, have any well-known new courses been built sans irrigation in the fairways?

Can courses in GB&I get away with not having fairway irrigation because it doesn't get as hot there as in the US and it is less likely that the heat could kill the grass? Or is is that US courses/golfers are so stuck on lush and green conditions that it's just the way we do things here.

A bit of both. Most people in the UK equally equate green with quality. It tends to only be the best clubs that recognise the importance of brown.

As an aside, if anyone can answer this for me, is there any irrigation at Close House? Given that it's in the frozen north, surely not?

[Pete Blaisdell]

   I served as a rules official at the '95 US Amateur at Newport . Had played the course many times prior to that Centennial Championship. I had to smile watching the players during the practice rounds running around looking for sprinkler heads . Newport is so special in my mind for its history and the fact that distance was nullified . To play Newport , one needs to optomize ones imagination and creativity. I refereed the semifinal with Tiger and my good friend Mark Plummer from Maine. What a treat is was to have two players with totally differant types of games go head to head ( Tiger won 2 UP but it was closer than that). Mark put a real scare into the chosen one. Tiger's distance advantage really did not come into play. It was all about creating shots and these two put on quite a show. Every once in a while , it would be great for all to forget about yardages and play by feel . That would be a true challenge , one that all would enjoy once in a while.

[Ally Mcintosh]

In the over 11 years since this thread was started, have any well-known new courses been built sans irrigation in the fairways?

Well, I know of at least one because I was involved in building it. Can't see Mach Dunes or Askernish having fairway irrigation either.

[Thomas Dai]

I can think of one way out west in County Mayo, now 27-holes. Five letter word beginning with the letter 'C'.

The Sandy Hills course at Rosapenna would be another to fit into the 11 year category.

Does Castle Stuart have fairway irrigation?

Atb

[Micah Woods]

No irrigation at Kawana.

Kawana Hotel Fuji #7 by Asian Turfgrass Center, on Flickr