Number of acres maintained as fairway.

[Michael J. Moss]

My home course is Sunningdale CC. It was opened for play in 1918, and today it is par 71 that plays a smidge less than 6,600 yards from the back tees.

Up until recently, we maintaining approximately 25 acres as fairway and are now being encouraged to up that number to 34 (a decision I whole heartedly endorse). I fear this will be looked upon unfavorably by our "better' golfers" concerned that the course will play easier, a view I share because initially it will. Widening our fairways, however, is but a first step. The next important step to follow is the process of recapturing lost putting areas. When this is done, we will have additional and (hopefully) more challenging pin placements. Taken together, these steps could make scoring perhaps more difficult. The ability to "tuck" pins in positions that are fair (but bordering on the unfair) is really the only defense that the older (read: shorter) courses have against the young titanium bombers. But for our rank and file members, taking these steps should, at a minimum, make play more interesting and that objective is the most important.

I have a feeling this has been discussed before, but the review would be (selfishly) beneficial to me as our Club debates the changes we're making.

So therefore, I would ask what the various clubs are doing as to the number of acres being maintained as fairway. Is 34 acres on the high side or are we on to something in terms of bringing back strategy to our golf course?

[redanman]

Hi Mike

Lehigh increased fairways by about 10 acres +/-, handicaps and scores did not fall at all for better players.

A course must have appropriate green contours for this to hold true.  I believe that Sunningdale has such greens.

Bill

[TEPaul]

Michael:

34 acres may be a bit on the high side, particularly for some of the older courses, rather unbelievably. Not compared to what they once were but what most are now.

As to whether your widened fairways will make the course easier for better players, probably not particularly with your expanded greens.

However, when it comes to the question of easier or harder there's no denying the answer to that does not revolve as much as we think around "architecture" (including fairway width), it revolves around applied maintenance practices.

For the better player, if you want your course to play harder you simply speed up your fairways and firm up your green surfaces to where they only lightly dent to a well struck short iron by a good player. When you do that good players, any player, has a much harder time controlling approach shots.

On the other hand, if you want your course to play easier for good players just soften your course through the green and soften the green surfaces to where a good player can use aerial shots right at greens and flags all day long.

[redanman]

God I hate to say this, but I agree with what Tom said, too.  If your greens are chocolate pudding, their greatness becomes a moot point.

[TEPaul]

"God I hate to say this, but I agree with what Tom said, too."

Don't worry about it, even the severely learning challenged figure out a thing or two every now and again.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Hmm......I'm not sure this would work out in all applications, but it appears that you get about an acre of fairway for each yard of width (i.e. older narrow courses with 25 yard wide fw have 25 acres)  

I know from my own courses that when I aveage 45 yards wide, I have about 45 acres of fw.  When I narrow them down for cost reasons, to about 35 yards wide, I get about 35 acres of fairway.  

[Michael J. Moss]

Gentlemen,

The responses are greatly appreciated. What are the naked numbers, though (of acres maintained as fairway).

I would also ask: Does up and down terrain, which really gets the ball careening, require additional mowed areas? If a fairway is crowned, it needs to be wider, correct? This all assumes firm and fast conditions.

[TEPaul]

"I would also ask: Does up and down terrain, which really gets the ball careening, require additional mowed areas? If a fairway is crowned, it needs to be wider, correct? This all assumes firm and fast conditions."

Michael;

In my opinion, width is best used on fairways that kant left or right perpindicular to the line of play (that can be crowned or sloping one way). The other seemingly necessary requirement of fairway width is if a fairway has some perpindicular hazard feature. Generally it's necessay to have fairway width side to side that takes into account the inline distance differential  of a relatively perpindicular hazard feature to the line or play. The best way to look at land and the necessity of fairway width is to simply imagine where the ball will bounce and how far side to side unless there is some hazard feature that stretches across the hole.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

To put if in perspective, the entire Ocean Course (fairways, tees, rough and greens) is only 55 acres (70 if you include the driving range).  The rest is marshes, ponds and dunes.  --  That's according to our old superintendent who was with Pete during the construction...

[Steve Curry]

Have Taken Berkshire Hills from 24 to 34 in the last 8 years.  Hear comments both ways, too easy and still hear complaints about rough, go figure.  We desperately need to add back some of the intended bunkering to improve the strategy.

Cheers,
Steve

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