Where'd they go, and should fronting bunkers be in vogue ?

[TEPaul]

Sean:

If you saw aerial shots to the greens at St George's then obviously you did but when I watched that Open I can only recall seeing a single aerial shot that first landed on a green that actually held and stopped. More than any major tournament I've seen in modern times it looked to me like the ground game bounce in approach ruled as the primary option used. That's just fine by me---obviously I just love that kind of thing.

I should not say I didn't see players in that Open hit the green first but it seemed to me almost every time the ball just released off behind the green. I think I even remember a commentator mentioned that that was a decent option (to play the ball behind the green and just chip back).

[Jeff_Brauer]

Pat,

Why should gca's respond to a post that starts out by postulating about what Tour Pros do when the chances of that 0.000025% of the golfing population would ever show up at a course we remodel or build is remote?  Chances of a PGA Tour event coming to one of my courses is less than the chance of me getting struck by lightning.......

And the last time I saw a Tour Pro use a running approach, it was Tiger Woods when he had a case of diarreah......and was heading for the rest room.

I agree with Paul Cowley's direct statement and Tom's implication that a frontal opening to at least part of virtually all greens is necessary for average players to negotiate the course.  This is another old story, but it illlustrates the point:

Once upon a time, a famous architect renovated an equally famous club. In the process, he added a carry bunker on the par-3 9th hole. The female members – none of whom was named Martha Burke – were furious. "Mr. Famous Architect," they said, "Do you know that we can't carry the ball far enough to get on that green? And the bunker is so deep, we can't get out of it without hitting backwards? But you added a pond, meaning we would have to deliberately play into the water? Why, that bunker ends our round right there."  
 
Mr. Famous Architect, rather than being contrite, thought for a second, and replied, "Had I known that, I would have put it in the 1st fairway."  

Of course, most of us would not feel comfortable saying that, but that gca was near enough to retirement, and his kids were through college......

I read with interest Tom D's thoughts on how to encourage the running approach.  I think they would work as well as any.  I am not sure how backing bunkers affect all of this.

Perhaps Larry Rodgers can chip in, but if you are at a club and are getting a new irrigation system, to allow proper watering of the approach areas, I would suggest you make sure the approach gets covered as a separate zone worthy of individual head control and control zoning.  I would also make sure the green and surrouds get back to back part circle coverage.

Lastly, in any remodel, I would make sure the front area has at least 3 and preferabley 4% slope to make sure it drains well.  Keep any collection basin or swale at least 10% of the approach shot distance from the front of the green to avoid soggy areas.  Also, make sure there is no overland flow of any substantial acreage cutting right in front of the green.

Those technical additions to the design gives the super a fighting chance for firm and fast, unless the real firm and fast at his/her club is the greens chairman's attitude - He says "No" very fast, and stays very firm in his convictions.....

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jeff,

The answer to your question lies in the dilema faced by today's architects.  The challenge to design golf courses that service the broad spectrum of golfers, from PGA Tour Pros to beginers.  A spectrum that's widened considerably in the last 50 years.

To me, the answer lies within the schematic of NGLA circa 1928, with one of the best examples being the 17th hole.

In the schematic of the 17th hole the better player is challenged by the aerial game, on his drive and his approach.  He must carry features, including bunkers in order to get to the green, while the lesser player has to tack his way around the hazards leaving him with an open approach to the green.

I think this concept has merit.

Creating favorable and unfavorable angles of attack for the various skill levels.