The inevitable change in the look of a course?!

[TEPaul]

Now that we have perhaps 15 or more years of some pretty good restorations of classic old courses behind us---is it advisable to begin to find ways to slow down the inevitable change in the look of a golf course?

I think we can safely say that before perhaps 15-20 years ago the idea of restoring an old golf course to the way it was actually and in its look at some time in the past was basically never even thought of, much less done.

Well, in the last 15-20 years it sure has been and there're now numerous projects that've done this pretty well relying on old plans, old photos, old documentation etc.

Restorations accompanied by master plans are therefore both proactively restorative but they're also intended to be, at least in theory, preservative of what's just been restored.

We have all the old photos and we sure can take plenty of photos of all kinds now to document the look of these good restorations.

But how and what do we put in place maintenance-wise to basically preserve the look we've restored? This has definitely never been done before. Should it be? In my opinion, I certainly think so.

Should the preservative aspect of some of these master plans have 5-10 year reviews of how things changed in "look" from the time the restoration was completed to remove evolutionary changes in look that followed in the ensuing years? Or should we just let things naturally evolve again? And by naturally, I mean naturally----I'm not talking about another wave of mindless redesigning which obviously created the desire to restore in the first place.

Is it advisable to attempt to "hold the look" of these good restorations that've recently been completed? And if so what're the best ways to go about doing that, particularly lest we forget all over again?

[RJ_Daley]

Holding the look.  That is a great thought and goal, if the restoration is valid or the remodelling job is great.  

In my opinion, the responsibility to hold the lookfirst belongs to the club board or committee's charge to write out a specific set of criteria and conditions that describe the ideal or desired maintenance meld.  Things like the sq ftage of the greens after remodel-restor and the theme of the bunkers in terms of sand specs, edging style, etc.  The book ought to contain a digital library of photos that clearly depict the basic look when they get it restored or remodelled to the point they are proud of.  This isn't to say that natural processes are to be curtailed or ignored.  A certain amount of sand build up from bunker blasts, or seasonal weather conditions, disease blight and treefalls etc.,  are to be expected.  One has to understand that at some point over the years, tweaking may need to be done.  But that is a very long term consideration.  Green contouring, surrounds maintenance practices, bunker placements and surrounds maintenance practices, and fairway widths are all achievable features to generally preserve.  It is not possible to spec timing or types of applications nor cultivars to reseed, overseeding cultivars, plugging or reseeding practices, etc.  That is why you pay the super the big bucks.  

Then, it is up to the super to fully understand this.  He needs to    communicate to the committees when various cultural practices are done and why.  

I want to make special public note of one such super, who has worked with his club leadership, the restor-remodel archie, and has the full grasp of the "hold the look" ideal.  Scott Schaller of North Shore CC in Menasha WI.  He ought to have a magazine crew come down and do a special on his work and talent.

[Jim Sweeney]

TEPaul:

Yours is an excellent question.

When a club or course decides to do a restoration/renovation, it certainly expects that the product they have paid so dearly for will remain static in its new condition for many years, if not for all time. That's just the way people think- the finished product is just that.

We know that nothing ever stays the same on a golf course. Bunkers change shape due to natural and man made factors. Mowing lines move. Wooded areas naturally expand.

Maintenance technology changes; we know, of course, that tri-plex mowing of greens led to the rounding off of many great old square greens.

However, maintenance technology continue to improve and maintenance practices and awareness of the above mentioned factors increases, so there is a better chance of doing what you suggest today than perhaps there ever was. The keys are having a written plan, a benevolent dictator if possible or at least a continuum of green committee leadership, a great superintendent, and communication.

[Mark_Fine]

Tom,
Shouldn't a plan of how to maintain the golf course be part of the original Master Plan?  If not, it was a mistake.  I would have hoped back then (10 years or so ago), aerial photos were recommended.  Once the restored mowing lines of greens and fairways were completed along with bunkers and other features, they should have been charted and reviewed every few years to prevent creeping change.  A good aerial photograph at a scale of 1 inch = 100 feet taken after the changes were implemented would provide a lasting record.  

Today you can have the course features documented with GPS for accuracy to within inches.  You can also GPS the irrigation system, key trees, cart paths, etc.  All the records can then be stored on a CD to view at any time on a computer.  

Mark

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

You can only preserve the "look" if you can preserve the "mind set" of the membership, that the golf course should remain unchanged in the future.

What you may want to preserve today can be undone by future committees and boards.

The process of ongoing education and reinforcement must be sustained.   And, the admissions committee should play a vital role in continuing that "mind set".  

[TEPaul]

Pat:

Is it possible for you to say anything about golf course architecture without first launching into an explanation about what a membership won't or can't do? Perhaps you'd like to transform this discussion group into an ongoing analysis of the psychology of the golf club membership.  

I'm sure my membership isn't that different than most golf club membership and "preserving their mind-set" is a snap for me---I've told you how it's done about a dozen times already. I just put my .45 in the shoulder holster and go over there. If anyone has any ideas that're different from mine I just take the .45 out of the shoulder holster and lay it on the table and that instantly "preserves their mindset" exactly like my own mindset.

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