Open mowing lines

[Mark Bourgeois]

On the plus side the fairways run out to at least the inside edges of the fairway bunkers and even in a few cases on the course run outside the bunkers. But did they use a ruler to guide the faiway edges? 

[Steve Kline]

I keep thinking the fairway should run around all of those bunkers. Put five or ten yards around them. You'd probably be playing from a terrible angle but it would be interesting to see how they try to work the ball from those spots.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mark - I've been battered and beaten, and expect so little these days. ("Please, sir, can I have some more".) That the mowing lines are such that fairway bunkers aren't floating in seas of rough seems to me all that we can expect these days. I'm actually grateful to the R&A, and find myself content. (Or is it "comfortably numb"?) JK's "Great, but" thread is interesting, but ill-timed I think: to my eye, Muirfield has limited the "buts" more than any major-hosting course I can think of in recent years.   

Peter

[Neil_Crafter]

Mark, I noticed this too. Not that they are exactly straight lines but very, very flat curves (large radius!). They look a little strange. Can't say I recall these sorts of fairway shapes when I played there in 2010.

[Mac Plumart]

Keep picking at the course.  The more desperately people try to find fault with it, the more it shows how great it is.

You say, the mowing lines are too straight.  

Okay, the mowing lines are too straight. But the routing is excellent, along with the bunkering, the greensites, the turf, and the championship test...oh yeah, its playable day in and day out for a hack like me too.

It is an ideal course and a great test of golf.

But they cut the long grass off the fairway too straight.  It doesn't look perfectly natural if you are looking down on it from a blimp.


Peter nailed it with his post and last sentence.

[Mark Bourgeois]

I am not picking at the course, I am picking at the setup. With this speed I'd like to see more width. (Masters' 'rough' complaint redux here.) More width would not necessarily produce lower scoring by the way. In fact, the opposite might have occurred.

[Mac Plumart]

Isn't one of the hallmarks of Muirfield the hay?  With no bunkers surrounded by a sea of hay, I'd say the architecture is not neutered by the set up.  In fact, an argument can be made that the design is enhanced by the set up.  The course is very fast and firm, true to links golf.  An over-abundance of balls are not rolling into the hay.  They have the first cut in place to slow those types of shots down, this seems to be a great idea given the extreme heat and dryness for Scotland.  Shots are hit into the hay, but recovery shots are happening all the time.

[Mac Plumart]

Mark,

If your argument is simply for more width, no one can argue.  That is a fine point.  More width on a well designed links course is always good.


I just feel like a lot of threads as of late are negative for negative's sake.  I apologize if I jumped in too quickly and assumed you were doing that.  I feel Muirfield is truly great, maybe not perfect but truly great.  And as fans of quality architecture I think this fact should be easily recognizable and its positive attributes highlighted.  Perhaps its maintenance isn't perfect, as you point out, but it is 'better than most.'

[Mark Bourgeois]

No need to apologize, Mac. I'm enjoying this Open tremendously and generally think the setup is solid. I am however with Paul T in not understanding the need for Dawtree changes plus I would like more width. Thanks to equipment I feel we've gotten to a point where setups like this are required -- or more accurately are thought to be required. Well, there's the topic of this thread: the mowing lines look kinda goofy. I think they look that way because the authorities don't want to concede a centimeter on width, and therefore went with a continuous narrowness.

Of course we're only three rounds in and I have a feeling they'll soften the course up a bit for tomorrow. They've ensured no deep-low score for the winner and can relax things a bit. That way they'll make many of us forget about days 1-3.

[Kenny Baer]

Mac,

I agree w u completely. Every thread is negative for the sake of being negative. Fairways need to be cut up to the edges of bunkers other than that unless the mower is out to goof off how should he proceed to be cutting the fway to the greens? In fun and squiggles lines. 

[Mark Bourgeois]

Then enjoy your Open in Panglossian contentment, content in your knowledge this is the perfect course, set up perfectly.

[John Kavanaugh]

Sprinkler head relief?  Perfection is out the window. Another myth busted. Scots are just another group of average ordinary golfers. So disappointing.

[Mac Plumart]

this is the perfect course, set up perfectly.

I knew you'd come around, Mark.

 

[Ian Andrew]

I think the lines are great, no rough between bunker and fairway, short grass around greens - awesome.
Straighter is far better than wandering or busy lines.

[Jonathan Mallard]

Mark,

Not related to the course, but what is going on with the wooded area north of 3-5 in the aerial history you have linked?

There is nothing there in 1946, to extensive forestation in 2006, to about 50% removal in 2013.