Aerials, Architecture and Maintenance

[Steve Curry]

I am going to write an article on the importance of aerial photography for golf.  Any resources and quote worthy thoughts would be great.

Thanks,
Steve

[Joe Hancock]

Steve,

Are you doing this for GCM magazine? Sounds pretty cool. I don't have any specifics to contribute, but if I see anyone else's response that triggers a thought, I'll let you know!

Joe

[Steve Curry]

Joe,

I actually have a bunch of people who want it.  But yes I intend to send it to GCM as well.  I thought of this 2 years ago when I tracked down some of the historical aerials of BHCC and saw the changes and history described in such clear fashion.

Regards,
Steve

[RJ_Daley]

Steve, my memory is a bit fading, but I think GCM had a number of aerial photos articles as tools for the super in the early 90s.  I think they also had guys at some of the early 90s GCSAA conventions putting on demo's of aerial and infrared photos for the obvious aid to finding hot spots... and beter defining boundaries, mowing lines, and tree-shade effects.

There was also that ex-super who bought a hot air balloon, with a portable tethering station who left his golf course position to do birdseye photography for sale...

Have you thought of an ultra-light with a helmet cam, and mpeg clips for flyover documentations to sell on DVDs? I have, but there isn't a powerful enough propulsion system to get me aloft!!!

[TEPaul]

Steve:

Aerials are great for golf architecture--certainly for restoration architecture but if you're going to write an article on aerials and architecture (maintenance) don't forget to also write about some of the dangers of relying only on aerials in restorations! Don't forget, very few golfers view golf courses from 1,000-3,000 ft. They view golf course from more like 6 ft. Some of even the best courses that have relied exclusively on aerials for restoration purposes without also considering on-ground ramifications have made some pretty serious errors because of it---which they now understand and sometimes admit!

Aerials are great but many times they do need to be matched and melded with on-ground considerations (and on-ground photos) which don't show up on aerial photographs! But new technology may overcome some of these limitations although what I now hear is possible I find hard to imagine although I know it's true. For that new technology talk to Craig Disher, the man I introduced you to from the D.C. area at Baltusrol. I hear he's the latest word and hand at this new aerial technology for golf architecture!

[SPDB]

My only suggestion would be to not talk to Pat Mucci.  

[Steve Curry]

Tom,

I agree totally with regard to the issue of aerial paired with ground level.  But when you find an aerial for a course that didn't have a lot of photos, the aerial images can be so informative.

Thanks,
Steve

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I love the story of Abercromby, who, it is said, didn't measure anything but did it all by eye, apart from Coombe Hill, for which he went up in a hot-air balloon in order to find a route through the trees and hills.  He's one of those architects who is reckognised on this site as a master (Addington) yet receives little recognition elsewhere.

[Patrick_Mucci]

SPDB,

You see, we do agree on some topics  

[A_Clay_Man]

stephen- Cypress point unearthed some aerials from before WWII that were helpful in their ongoing work. Is that the type of importance you're takin' bout?

[TEPaul]

"But when you find an aerial for a course that didn't have a lot of photos, the aerial images can be so informative."

Steve:

It sure can! It was a few aerials that got me interested in golf architecture in the first place. I'll never forget how it started. Immediately following a tournament at Manufacturers I was talking to some guy (wish I could remember his name so I could thank him) and he told me about the Dallin aerial collection at the Hagley Museum (the original Dupont estate) in Wilmington Delaware and that almost all the courses around here were included in the collection shot in the 1920s and 1930s. So I went down there and asked them if they had any from my club and the lady went and looked and came back with about seven of them from 1924 to 1939. I'll never forget the first time I looked at them down there---what a revelation!

[Steve Curry]

Thanks to all who have commented, any more??

Adam,

Sorry I didn't notice that questioned me, yes that is the type of information I am looking for and I will call Cypress

Thanks,
Steve

[TEPaul]

Steve:

Here's a technical little tid-bit regarding old aerials. We, at GMGC probably have about ten of them from the 1920s and 1930s from an aerial photographer by the name of Victor Dallin who apparently took aerials of every golf course in my region (and a few other regions) back then. One in particular, is extra valuable because Dallin managed to get at just the right altitude and apparently squarely in the middle of the course and take a shot straight down, sans leaves on trees and apparently around high noon. Recognizing the exact lengths and widths everywhere on the course is so easy with that one.

After a couple of years I got to thinking how exactly Dallin took a shot like that which appears dead straight down so I called the archivist at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington De. and asked him if he could shed some light on that. He said sure he could because they also have photos of Dallin's plane and he actually had a hole cut in the bottom of it where the camera would set in!!

There're also some computer applications that can really highlight the details and particulars of those old photos---are you using one of those applications?

By the way, I said in a post above I basically got interested in golf architecture after being told about those Dallin aerial photos by somebody whose name I couldn't recall after a tournament at Manufacturers. It turns out that person who told me about the aerials and got me into all this was Doug Larson, the former superintendent at Manny's. Thanks, Doug, I don't know how to repay you but one way I can is to never introduce you to my wife!

[Brian Phillips]

Steve,

I can send you some copies of how we have used aerials to route a golf course.  It has the routing over the aerial with the contour lines also placed over the aerial.

Brian

[Steve Curry]

Brian,

Yes thank you that would be great.
sjc_superintendent@yahoo.com or the address as noted in my profile.

Tom,

In rereading you earlier comments this morning I started contemplating my history with aerial photography and have since found a paper I wrote for a Geology class while attending Union College for engineering.  Ironically one aspect of my paper was regarding the erosion of the brook that runs through the golf course I was working for at the time.  I went and found the report in my files and my wife suggests that we need to get the Clean Sweep program team in here to throw out all my old stuff.  Tom, I really appreciate all the thoughts.

Thanks,
Steve

[DPL11]

Tom,

I'll be sure to wear my Kevlar golf attire if I happen to find myself in the company of Mrs. Paul.


Doug

[Jeff_Brauer]

Stephen,

We usually require the contractor to provide an aerial photo of the completed course as part of his as-built package.  It can be invaluable in calculating areas of turf for pesticide and fertilizer applications, etc. plus, they are just so cool to look at!

GPS may be supplanting measuring off aerials for such things, but again, aerials are so cool to look at!  They also reveal things to most eyes that lines on a map can't.

Did I mention they are cool to look at?

[patrick_burton]

Stephen,

The most practical use for 'historic' aerials for supers would be in regards to reshaping bunkers and greens. Unfortunately due to 'efficient' maintenance practices w/ sandpros and triplexes, you'll notice over time greens and bunkers evolve into more eliptical and round shapes, losing the character they were designed with. Supers can use historic aerials to restore the features to their courses that once made them unique.

-Brutus

[mike_malone]

 This topic makes me give thanks to a member of my club---Dave Staebler.Can you imagine someone compiling aerial photos from 1926 to 2000,then adding the original design and our master plan to create a cd.Then to create individual hole pictures that have the original design,the chronology of each hole ,and the master plan picture for each hole so that you can see all of this at a glance.
    I wonder if anyone has done more anywhere?

[Steve Curry]

Mike,

That is precisely what I am doing now to use for the master plan here at Berkshire Hills.

The Tillinghast plan second over the aerial from 98...


Cheers,
Steve

[mike_malone]

 Steve,
   Those trees look like regiments heading for Lexington

[Steve Curry]

Mike,

The member who planted them did so at just the right spacing to allow the mowers to pass between and with grid paper precision.  He didn't allow for the expansion of the tree trunks, within two years the mowers no longer fit.  Now they are all grown together.  

Steve

[Jeff_Brauer]

Stephen,

Taking out some of those tree clumps and leaving others would still allow production mowing, albeit there would be some areas beneath trees requiring the weed whackers....It would look better, too!

I am interested in some other changs I see in the aerial.  The hole now doglegs to follow the street, and the adjacent holes appear to come in at different angles than the original master plan.  Were those field changes originally, or was there some other remodelling?

[Steve Curry]

Jeff,

I tried to pull quick pull up an old aerial but alas I am of to meeting here.  You would see very wide fairways.  Most of the changes in the fairly recent past.  But I have gone from 22 acres of fairway to 33.

Steve

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