An Allowance for the Elements

[Niall C]

I was playing a modern links course a couple of weeks ago, a course that is renowned for its width. On the day in question it was pretty breezy with what the guy in the pro shop estimated to be a 30 to 35 mph wind. Certainly I found it to be at least a four club wind. Due to the layout where most of the holes run in parallel with the shore line, and due to the direction of the wind, the wind was mostly either directly in your face or directly behind.

Now like most modern courses, each hole has numerous tees that produce the potential for the hole length in each hole to vary quite substantially depending on where the markers are placed. On the day in question, the holes with the wind were all from the very back tees and the holes into the wind were from some of the very front tees.

As a UK golfer, who most of the time plays on older courses with limited number of tees on each hole and at typical members clubs where markers rarely get moved from the same teebox, it struck me as very odd. Typically, at your usual links course the elements aren't allowed for, you just get on with it. Some days just keeping the ball in play is the name of the game, others the weather is a benign and the course is at your mercy. Its that variation which I think makes it so wonderful.

I can't help thinking that to try and neutralise the weather so much by super wide fairways and changing the tee positions so greatly is dumbing down the game. Its like golf for beginners or riding your bike with stabilisers. What could have been a great golf experience becomes a bit insipid.

Thoughts ?

Niall 

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall you are quite right, as you probably know Deal with prevailing wind plays roughly downwind on the front nine and against on the back. The beauty of the links is a downwind shot isn't always easier than a still or into the wind shot. A hole like the second at Deal usually leaves a 120-150yd second shot, downwind you may well have 60-100yds certainly not an easy shot when it's firm and the green runs away from you. Stick the tee back and you go return to a full shot which is much easier to execute.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Niall, good post and a worthy question

In my book the golfer makes the allowance for the elements. You play the course and for many the underline attraction of a links courses is the unknown mainly in the terms of the weather.

TOC has over the years displayed many an epic battle not necessary between the golfers but certainly with the strength and direction of the wind make more interesting by the occasional gusts that appear from nowhere. The Links Trust seem to manage the old Lady rather well IMHO.

Melvyn

[Kalen Braley]

Niall,

With a design thats elastic enough, all tee boxes can be played in any type of wind conditions and one wouldn't have to worry about it.

However, over here in the states, as the forced carry is not uncommon off the tee, there are some courses I've played where they have to move the tees because some holes would be unplayable for 90% of players.  Sure I get that some would say "well just tee off from the next set of tees", but the posting-a-score mindest combined with machoism pretty much prevents this from happening.

P.S  I have played at least one course where they moved the tees up that played into the wind, and visa versa for the holes that played downwind.  However, later in the day, when my tee time was, the winds had switched 180 degrees and so every hole was either super short or super long.

[Adam Clayman]

Niall, In 30-35 mph winds, such an attempt to mitigate, is only an attempt. The sport will still be sporting to the sportsman, and by moving the tees, the super is trying to be considerate of his customer. BTW, these two groups, the sportsman and the customer, can be mutually exclusive.

[Tom Kelly]

Although I understand your point, if you are referring to the course I think that you are referring to then I think it is very understandable.

I am fairly confident in saying that the majority of the people who play there will not have much experience playing in such conditions and some of the holes are very exposed to the wind. With the course relying on a large amount of their customers turning into repeat customers they won't want to see them get beaten up by the weather and course too much and would much rather they shoot a decent score, enjoy their round and remember the course for the right reasons so they come back next year. For most people playing long holes into 35mph wind is not much fun.

I hope I am talking about the same course....?!

[Anthony Gray]

  Sounds like the day I played Castle Stuart. If it is a modern course it was most likely built for the foriegn golfer in mind. So the set up sounds like it was for the traveling golfer to have a fun day and not get too beat up. I can understand how that would take away from your experience and challenge.

  Anthony

[David_Tepper]

Wasn't it the good Doctor who said that he did not want to see people wasting their time tramping through the rough looking for lost balls? Didn't he also say that the best golf courses could be played entirely with a putter? 

[Tom_Doak]

Niall:

In such conditions, I think it's appropriate for the tee markers to be moved up a bit overall, to compensate for the increased difficulty provided by the elements.  However, if the course is well designed, it should not be necessary to adjust individual holes so that they stay closer to their normal "par" value ... they still ought to be good holes even if there is a par-4 that can't be reached in two, or even if there is a par-5 that plays very short on the day [or both!].

Occasionally you will find a great hole with some degree of inflexibility.  I remember playing Muirfield years ago in the winter with a nasty cold wind, and they had the tees up on the 17th hole even though it was downwind ... a very weird way to play that hole, trying not to go through the fairway off the tee!

[Tim Nugent]

It seems a bit strange for a seaside course as their prevailing winds seem to be relatively constant in direction.  However, on a more inland course, I could see the logic.  It would be to attempt to keep the design strategy intact and relevant.  As an architect, I always pay particular attention to the direction(s) and strength of the wind and how it acts during low and high pressure systems and try to adjust the design to reflect what I learn.

[Niall C]

Thanks all for responding. I wasn't looking to pick on the course which is why I didn't name it although I'm sure most of you know fine well which course I'm referring to. Also the fact that it was a links was incidental. Inland courses also play long and short depending on the season.

What I was more interested in discussing was the principle of making day to day allowances for the weather in such a drastic way. Personally I think that this particular course would have more than held up fine off normal tees and many of the holes might have been that bit more interesting for the repeat player (this was my fourth time of playing the course). But really its the idea that you can negate the weather. Weather is an integral part of the game and makes it what it is, especially in links golf IMHO. Chopping and changing the course to help someone play to their handicap seems like wasted effort, and if a player simply doesn't like the wind then it wouldn't matter a toss what tee they played off.

Tim -  I have to disagree with you on the on prevailing winds on seaside courses being constant in direction. They do vary quite a bit even though there might be a general direction that they tend to come from. Its not uncommon for winds to quarter round quite a bit or indeed do a complete switch. On this particular day there was quite a settled weather front and the wind had been constant all the previous day so it probably wasn't a such a hard guess to make on the direction of the wind.

Thomas - I suspect we are talking about the same course and I think you would be surprised about how much repeat play its getting from the locals which is good to see. Not that I've got an inside track, I'm just saying that based on discussions I've had.

Niall

[Sean_A]

Niall

On my ideal course there definitely should be allowance for the weather, but much more in terms of angles rather than lengthening or shortening. 

Incidentally, my home club doesn't make any allowance for winter weather with the tees.  The "full" course is in play all year round.  This can make for some hellacious competition rounds coming home - far, far too difficult.  The sort of conditions (far less actually) that would not see "serious" amateurs playing (in a club comp) as they want to protect their handicap.  I know when playing friendlies in somewhat tough winter days I often suggest to playing partners that there are forward tees.

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

"I think you would be surprised about how much repeat play its getting from the locals which is good to see. Not that I've got an inside track, I'm just saying that based on discussions I've had."

Niall -

I would agree with you on that. Based on a good number of conversations I have had with local golfers in the area, the course has been well received and is highly regarded. Even the Scots are not immune to the charms of a quality "country club for a day" experience. In fact, the locals can play the course for much less than what it would cost them to play the other 2 big-name courses in the area.

DT