Rewarding accuracy through design

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

Are there examples where architects provided "turbo boosts" for the shorter, but accurate golfer ?

Is this a feature worthy of introduction ?

[Brian Noser]

Are there courses that Provide a "turbo Boost" For more accurate longer hitters?

Why does everything in achitecture have to give the shorter hitter an advantage? I mean I am all for designing to make the game harder but why do we have to design to punish one style of golfer.

[ed_getka]

Patrick,
   Its called a fairway. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

[JESII]

Short may be relative in this, but #10 at Augusta seems to provide that turbo boost to the non-bombers who fly it way past the steepest part of the downslope these days. Does this fit your criteria?

[Adam Clayman]

The 14th at Wild Horse provides a turbo boost for the shorter hitter.
How else could Jay Flemma have out driven me by 60 yards?

 The Leftside of the second fairway at Ballyneal provides a terrace of turbo boosts and is a perfect example of rewarding accuracy. It just doesn't limit it to shorter hitters.

In Ran's picture the right side.


Patrick, The boosting went out when the irrigation systems turned on, on most courses.

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

Are there courses that Provide a "turbo Boost" For more accurate longer hitters?

Why does everything in achitecture have to give the shorter hitter an advantage? I mean I am all for designing to make the game harder but why do we have to design to punish one style of golfer.

Brian,

How is ANY golfer being PUNISHED by this feature ?

Why shouldn't accuracy be rewarded ?

JES II,

Yes, # 10 at ANGC would be that type of feature, as would the 14th at Wild Horse.

The 16th at Sand Hills provides that boost to the long hitter.

[Matthew Mollica]

Those who have played Portsea here in Australia may recall the par 5 6th, which bends gently down around to the left, then back up. On the tee, one is tempted to smash the drive down the left side and shorten the hole, yet study of the ground movement means that a drive of modest length down the right a long way down the fairway, into good position by slopes and ground movement. The result is a drive of length many could not achieve on the fly. Not necessarily a reward for short hitters, but certainly short / smart.

MM

[Brian Noser]

I am not saying that Accuracy should not be rewarded. But you specificly say short accurate golfer. I am just saying that it seems like you are trying to even the field by adding a feature that benifits one golfer. If you make the feature 70 yards long so all golfer get the Boost that is fine but if you put that featue at 200-225 where I can fly it over the boost with driver and not get the benefit of being long and straight what is the point? One hole may not bother me but if it was consistant to try and even the length agvantage that I have I have a problem with it.

isnt this the site that has a problem with distance anyway? Why would anyone here want to be able to gain more?

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

I am not saying that Accuracy should not be rewarded.

But you specificly say short accurate golfer.

I am just saying that it seems like you are trying to even the field by adding a feature that benifits one golfer.

If you make the feature 70 yards long so all golfer get the Boost that is fine but if you put that featue at 200-225 where I can fly it over the boost with driver and not get the benefit of being long and straight what is the point?

Length is its own reward.
Length is inherently rewarded.

And, today, with good/great length, accuracy is almost irrelevant.
"Flogging" allows golfers to discount or ignore accuracy, so why compound the distance problem by increasing the reward ?[/color]

One hole may not bother me but if it was consistant to try and even the length agvantage that I have I have a problem with it.

How would you perpetuate that concept on uphill holes ?[/color]

isnt this the site that has a problem with distance anyway?

Only in the context that the architectural features, intended to integrate with the golfer's game, have been taken out of play.[/color]

Why would anyone here want to be able to gain more?

Because it provides a reward for the shorter golfer who appropriately integrates his game with the design features.[/color]

[Brian Noser]

Exactly Length is its own Reward, as well as Accuracy should be its own reward.
I am not talking about Flogging if you flog you should be punished. But If I can Hit the Ball just as accurate as your short hitter why should he get the benefit and not me? Just because he is short and can use features that are there to give him an advantage I dont buy it. If you are going to employ a feature on a hole it should not single one person out to even the playing field, that is what a handicap is for.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving....

I think this may be one of those agree to disagree ones...

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

Exactly Length is its own Reward, as well as Accuracy should be its own reward.

I am not talking about Flogging if you flog you should be punished.

How do you do that ?[/color]

But If I can Hit the Ball just as accurate as your short hitter why should he get the benefit and not me?

It's unusual when a long hitter is as accurate as a short hitter.  But, if you did, finding the optimal angle of attack into the green, from a shorter distance, is its own reward.[/color]

Just because he is short and can use features that are there to give him an advantage I dont buy it.

If you are going to employ a feature on a hole it should not single one person out to even the playing field, that is what a handicap is for.


Using that line of thinking, how do you reconcile the issue of fairway bunker placement ?[/color]

[Guy Nicholson]

If a course occasionally and strategically gives a disproportional boost to the longer accurate player, why can't it occasionally and strategically give one to the shorter accurate player?

Isn't doing so in keeping with the theory that you try to challenge the better player while enhancing playability for the weaker one? The same theory that would have the architect create ground options into greens and place some fairway bunkers out of the reach of the shorter hitter?

[Tommy Williamsen]

Pat, Merion may be the best example of accuracy over brute strength.  I'm not sure that there is the "turbo boost" effect, but if you wander off the fairway the ball doesn't go far it goes underground.
It also seems to me that many of Nicklaus' designs give a boost to shorter players because of his love of downhill tee shots.  He certainly rewards length but shorter hitters do get some beneift.

[William King]

Are there examples where architects provided "turbo boosts" for the shorter, but accurate golfer ?

# 11 @ Nob North (Gary Player) in Cohutta, GA has such a feature. Last time I played it with my big hitting brother and a friend of equal or lesser distance. We all hit the fairway, but me and my buddy were only 10-15 short of my bro, instead of the usual 50. He flew it all the way to the bottom of the hill, bout 320-5, our turbo charged drives stopped rolling about 305-10. If you don't hit the fairway, or it is wet, you get a downhill lie that must clear water to the green unless the miss is right, then some strategically placed pines can give you probs.

[Jason Topp]

I think that these features are among the best in golf.  They provide an opportunity for a short accurate hitter to minimize his disadvantage, create a mystery that to me is a part of a great golf course and are just fun to pull off.

The par five 16th at Sand Hills has a great one.  Wide fairway, but if you hug the left edge, you catch a downslope and gain nearly 100 yards.

This picture does not show it well, but the back slope on the far right on the 17th hole of my course, provides an extra 25 yards that is useful when playing into the prevailing wind.  The next iron shot is very difficult so every yard is critical off the tee.  I love trying to hit the spot, which is probably 10 yards in diameter.

[Steve Lang]

 

The art is creating such on relatively flat terrain..

It is worthy in rewarding accuracy in face of risk..


AT WCC Player course there are numerous turbo boosts designed onto an otherwise very gently rolling terrain.  Here's one example..  At 5th hole looking back from green there is diagonal ridge that crosses the fairway, extending from the dogleg corner protecting bunker on left to bunkers on right.. get over it and receive some extra 10-25 yards, fall short and get rejected to right, lengthening approach on dogleg left hole..   Pic doesn't show it, but accuracy required for "short or long hitters" to play to sweetest turbo spot left off the tee over the left bunker where there is O/B close left (great place to find hooked balls).. reward is flatter approach to slightly canted green than offered on right side of fairway..