The ground game

[Mark_Rowlinson]

You can force a golfer to have to use the aerial route, but what are the architectural ploys which might force golfers to have to use the ground game?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Trees are the obvious ploy I guess.  What about something other than trees?

[wsmorrison]

I think maintenance practices and weather conditions (lack of moisture and the presence of wind) dictate the ground game option more so than the architecture. 

When the maintenance meld is ideal, both options are in balance.  When the greens are dry and firm, the ground game option begins to come into play more.  When the wind is up enough, the ground game can be highlighted especially if the greens have fall-offs, bunkers and other hazards properly placed.

[cary lichtenstein]

I would guess that the use of downhill lies without fronting traps makes the use of the ground game optimal.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Mark, Let me give two examples. 
Number one at Baltusrol is a par five (for members) about 500 yards and is reachable, even for mortals like me.  I will be hitting a three wood.  Even if I could reach the green it would not hod my shot, so I bounce it up.

The other you have played.  It is number three at Four Streams.  It is a dogleg left some 450 yards from the member tees and 477 from the back.  The green is guarded by two bunkers about twenty yards short of the green.  The right side of the green is open on the front and the land slopes from right to left, so  any low running shot will feed left and onto the green.  If I hit a very good drive I can fly it to the hole.  If I hit it in the rough I generally need to run it up the right side because I can't get the carry out of the rough and stop it on the green.

[Adam Clayman]

Mark, "Forcing" is not as well done as allowing, or encouraging.
 Even better when intelligent design provides the tools to be creative, through the use of well placed kick plates, shoulders, noses, humps, mounds, and, hollows.

[Bill_McBride]

Firm greens, downwind perhaps, will eventually get the point across when a good player hits approach after approach pin high only to see the ball wind up over the green or at best on the back apron.

Sooner or later that player will figure out that a bump and run might work better. 

Or maybe not.  What's that definition of insanity? 

[Melvyn Morrow]

The Ground Game

To be honest my game in the early days gave me very little control and back spin on the ball was not even on the agenda. As years passed and my game well, lets call it fluctuated rather than improved (as I’m being honest) allowed me to start to acquire some minor skills as I approached the greens. 

I love to watch my ball after my Tee shot land and travel along the fairway. The lumps and bumps add more interest than a plain flat fairway
and may give more distance if the ball lands just over a crest of a bump,
perhaps encouraging a little kick forward. 

I have in my time, when playing alone, with just a 9 iron and a putter had some real fun. It certainly helped concentrate the mind over 18 holes. 

In truth, no game plan, I just play my game, I feel and see what is ahead of me at the time, after all the name of the game is Golf.

Definition of insanity - that easy - play a round with Bill?

[Bill_McBride]

The Ground Game

To be honest my game in the early days gave me very little control and back spin on the ball was not even on the agenda. As years passed and my game well, lets call it fluctuated rather than improved (as I’m being honest) allowed me to start to acquire some minor skills as I approached the greens. 

I love to watch my ball after my Tee shot land and travel along the fairway. The lumps and bumps add more interest than a plain flat fairway
and may give more distance if the ball lands just over a crest of a bump,
perhaps encouraging a little kick forward. 

I have in my time, when playing alone, with just a 9 iron and a putter had some real fun. It certainly helped concentrate the mind over 18 holes. 

In truth, no game plan, I just play my game, I feel and see what is ahead of me at the time, after all the name of the game is Golf.

Definition of insanity - that easy - play a round with Bill?

Ha ha!  Am I going to see you in or about Dornoch June 9-13, Mr Morrow? 

[Melvyn Morrow]

Bill

I am hoping to be in Tain that week-end - work allowing. 

If I make it, I trust you will allow me the honour of buying
you and your group a drink or two.

Expect to find you at RDGC on the 13th - all being well.

When are you leaving for Scotland?

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Certainly „Fast and Firm“ maintenance conditions and strong winds have an important influence on making the  ground game the more attractive choice to the aerial shot.

The influence of the architect would be by creating subtle feed-ins usually from side slopes which blend in and are taken up by the green contours.

When the pin is tucked in behind a bunker but a side slope allows the ball to feed in easily along the ground to the green and move sideways to the pin position, thus avoiding the bunker, can offer a less risky and easier shot than a direct aerial attack on the pin.

The feed-in from front left, is a particularly attractive ground shot for the right hander when the pin is defended by a deep bunker to the right of the green.

[Jason McNamara]

Mark, Let me give two examples. 
Number one at Baltusrol is a par five (for members) about 500 yards and is reachable, even for mortals like me.  I will be hitting a three wood.  Even if I could reach the green it would not hod my shot, so I bounce it up.

The other you have played.  It is number three at Four Streams.  It is a dogleg left some 450 yards from the member tees and 477 from the back.   ...

So more generally, the half-par hole tends to encourage more ground play (absent a fronting bunker, of course).

[Bill_McBride]

Bill

I am hoping to be in Tain that week-end - work allowing. 

If I make it, I trust you will allow me the honour of buying
you and your group a drink or two.

Expect to find you at RDGC on the 13th - all being well.

When are you leaving for Scotland?

I arrive in Inverness (via Gatwick) on 9 June, and we drive from Dornoch to St Andrews the following Saturday 14 June.  On the 13th we are playing a match with 8 Golspie members at 9 and have a 3 p.m. afternoon farewell round at Royal Dornoch.  It should be quite a week.   Tuesday is Dornoch, Wednesday a run down to Nairn, and Thursday morning back at Dornoch.

Let me know where we might take advantage of your hospitality! 

[Sean_A]

Mark, Let me give two examples. 
Number one at Baltusrol is a par five (for members) about 500 yards and is reachable, even for mortals like me.  I will be hitting a three wood.  Even if I could reach the green it would not hod my shot, so I bounce it up.

The other you have played.  It is number three at Four Streams.  It is a dogleg left some 450 yards from the member tees and 477 from the back.   ...

So more generally, the half-par hole tends to encourage more ground play (absent a fronting bunker, of course).

Jason

I agree completely.  Others have mentioned maintenance issues.  While not necessarily forcing the ground game, I think creating alternate routes to hole locations via banks and slopes at least encourages the ground game, but often times these elements need a sympathetic green keeper - so it is a mix of maintenance and architecture.

Ciao

[Peter Pallotta]

Mark -

What comes to mind for me are uphill shots, on drives and approaches (and sidehill lies all over the place). I'm not sure if these encourage the ground game as much as their opposites -- raised tees and downhill drives and rumpled but essentially level fairways -- discourages it. I know that normally a downhill tee shot would get more 'roll', but somehow I can't equate that with a true 'ground game'.

Peter 

[Jason McNamara]

Jason

I agree completely.  Others have mentioned maintenance issues.  While not necessarily forcing the ground game, I think creating alternate routes to hole locations via banks and slopes at least encourages the ground game, but often times these elements need a sympathetic green keeper - so it is a mix of maintenance and architecture.

Ciao

And since no one has specifically mentioned it yet (though it may be part of what Wayne meant), may as well tack on front hole locations, at least in conjunction with some of the other conditions mentioned.  My last club didn't have many holes that were wide open in front, but one was a longish par 3 (215 tips, 195 men's) that played almost straight downwind in prevailing conditions.  Except for those extremely good players, hitting it hole-high to a front flag would mean bouncing it in front and having the ball chase on.

That falls under maintenance, I guess, but architecture is also involved.  The green's slope was such that it wouldn't really slow that incoming low shot all that much, but the slope was enough to leave a tricky downhill putt if you put it sufficiently far past the hole.