Does fescue belong on a parkland course?

[Paul Richards]

Some friends and I have had a debate on
this subject - do fescue and/or native
grasses belong on a parkland golf course?

If not, how come?

[Ran Morrissett]

Parkland courses are the least attractive to me between parkland, heathland, and links/seaside courses because visually, they are only about different shades of green, which is monotonous.

Far better visually to mix it up with some native fescues.

If I'm hearing Rick Wolffe correctly, Baltusrol Lower is leading this charge by re-introducing the tans/rust colors back into the natural areas around that course and I reckon that sounds fantastic!

[Mike_Cirba]

Ran;

Rick Wolffe is heading up some wonderful changes at Baltusrol.  He really has a great eye for what needs to be done, and better yet, he's getting it done.

[Gary Sherman]

Paul,

It depends on how formal the parkland landscape design is.  A true parkland is more than just shades of green (Ran's term).  A true parkland has a well thought out landscape plan. The plan includes tree and shrub selection and planting.  Specimen trees are an important part of the plan.  Grass selection is also important.  Greens and fairways may be bent with roughs as bluegrass or a fescue variety.  In the end, there is a formality of the design and ultimately the look.  Tall grasses can be used if incorporated as part of the overall plan.  Typically this would entail mass plantings of same variety grasses in a more formal setting.

This is different than a "meadowland" look which is much more informal.  The meadowland look is one I have been incorporating at our club which was built on old farmland in the 1920's.  Basically we have allowed native grasses to grow as borders or transitions to woodland areas.  We have also allowed native grasses to grow in open areas between holes.  The results are interesting.  In the dry hilly areas we have grasses like Little Bluestem which grows about 2 feet, turns brown and has a "wispy" texture.  In some lowland areas, we have found redtop (a native form of bent) that turns purple (the flower or seed head).  It is very dramatic and stunning on windy days to see this sea of purple waves.  In other areas it is a mix of Sheeps fescue, Tall fescue, Timothy grass.  Around ponds, we have allowed native sedges to grow. The only problem we have had in wet areas is Purple Loosestrife, a non-native from Europe.  We hand pull these out, but they are prolific seeders.

[Mike_Cirba]

Gary,

As an aside, did you see the article on Taconic & Styles in the new "Links" magazine?  It was quite well-written, and captured the essence of the course and architect.

[Simon Cooke]

The new bunkers at Lancaster CC feature fescue faces and are quite distinguished. The fescue gives them almost an instant "old" or "classic" look. What is worse than brand new bunkers with sharp edges?

[Gary Sherman]

Mike,

Saw the article on Taconic.  Some errors about Stiles bunker designs.  Taconic's bunkers have lost a lot of the original sod faces.  Some have faint curves of sod falling into them-these were all orignally completely sod faced.  The approach bunkers on 13 would look great if they were refaced back to original sod.
Appears the Author borrowed some of my research on Stiles bio.  Would have been nice to get appropriate mention.

[Craig Disher]

Do some types of fescue do well in shadier areas?  How about in the heavy clay soil found in the mid-Atlantic area?

[Mike_Cirba]

Simon;

You ask, "what is worse than brand new bunkers with sharp edges"?

The answer; "brand new bunkers with sharp edges on a classic course".  Trust me, I've seen 'em and they ain't pretty.  They're more worthy of eye aversion than "Scary Movie II".

Gary;

Sorry if I hit a sore point with my mention of the Links Magazine article.  Having had some of my words and research "stolen" by publications in the past, I do know how you feel.  

Still, I was pleased that at least a serious effort to chronicle Taconic and Stiles' work there in detail appeared in a major mag.  His work is clearly underrated and underappreciated, despite his dubious work at Gulph Mills (cited previously by Tom Paul) that seemed to be a case of working out of his element, in some ways.  

[Paul Richards]

Gary:

Does your answer change at all if we
are talking about an old Midwest parkland
course by a classic designer?

As trees get chopped down on these courses,
some are introducing prairie grasses.  Is
there a positive aesthetic appeal to mixing
these grasses with the old trees?

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