Ideal Maintenance: Edgbaston GC

[TEPaul]

Paul:

There's been a very large desire in our club to cut the grass on the incoming side of bunkering as low as possible--and hopefully to fairway height but our super doesn't think that's a great idea for a variety of reasons. Among them the ground can be too iffy to get riding mowing equipment that close--but in my opinion smoothing anything out to allow close mowing would be easy--or else just go to another type of mower even if some more man hours. But the other reason is ours is a Ross course and it now has sort of the drapped down grass look which is sort of difficult to get even fly mowers to do and it becomes a matter of where you transition from one cut and one length grass to another if man hours is a problem keeping it all very close cut like fairway height. This is something that doesn't seem to be a problem in those photos and again could be a result of that grass growing much more slowly.

The firm and fast conditions of Edgbaston GC does look to be lots of fun to play but honestly looking at those photos Edgbaston does appear to be a bit of a simple little course, wouldn't you say? Would you say that might be because it's so old (1909)?

[George Pazin]

Would it be difficult to maintain a course like this? Dangerous to the turf?

I recall reading many times that the baked out conditions at US Opens usually mean the greens are on the verge of dying. My friend who worked the grounds crew at the 94 Open at Oakmont said they followed the last group around each day to get water on the greens so they wouldn't die. And each green had someone stationed there monitoring the green constantly.

Given the reaction to Sandwich, I'm guessing this type of maintenance would never fly in the US.

 

Don't see any reason the rough around bunkers couldn't be kept shorter, though, other than inertia's tough to overcome.

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Just wanted to clarify that Edgbaston looks beautiful to me.

[Paul_Turner]

The firm and fast conditions of Edgbaston GC does look to be lots of fun to play but honestly looking at those photos Edgbaston does appear to be a bit of a simple little course, wouldn't you say? Would you say that might be because it's so old (1909)?

Tom

The bunkers are simple, they've lost shape, and in some cases size, over the years.  But the course isn't.  It's short but elegant, without any unnecessary fuss;  I hope the photos show that.  Course is actually from the 30s.
 
 

[Dan Kelly]

The colors in these fantastic pictures (are the greens as fast as the fairways?) put me in mind of courses out here in the American Midwestern countryside during a dry, baked-out August.

Alas, "Midwestern countryside" would be a quick description of everything most repugnant to most private-course members anywhere other than the Midwestern countryside -- and possibly to private-course members there, too.

I'm told, by a possibly reliable source (if I remember this correctly), that a well-respected club around these parts recently invested $50,000 in some sort of water-filtration system designed to produce a pH identical to that of the local rainfall ... which apparently produces the green most pleasing (or second-most-pleasing) to the members.

I'm afraid that's the predominant American view.  

Thanks for the pictures.

[Paul_Turner]

I'm resurrecting this near 10 year old thread.

Since Edgbaston is getting some attention and it's "brown is beautiful" week with the British Open:

I still think this was one of the best conditioned parkland courses I've ever played, trying to hit the 4th with its crowned green in these firm conditions was a blast.

Some posts from legendary, former GCAer TEPaul.  But I wonder has anything changed over here in the States.  The parkland courses I occasionally play are still just as gussied up and green.

The course suffers a little bit from being slightly cramped (<100 acres I'd guess) but it's an interesting course, particularly around the greens and not conventional in its makeup.  Colt has 3 par 3s in the first 7 holes!

[Paul_Turner]

Brian

It was in such good shape in 2003 that I'm surprised they had to relay the greens.

I don't know if they've changed philosophy with watering.

Nearby Harborne was exactly the same brown colour back then too (played on same day).

[Sean_A]

Brian, yes, my pix are winter/spring.  I spose Edge looks like the above right now.  Harborne too must be in great shape.  I wonder what the posher Little Aston looks like - I have never seen it in full brown glory.  I know Beau Desert will be brown.

I echo Paul's thoughts about Edge.  As I say, looking around the trees has taken me extra time to see the course.  Edge is in bad need of harcut - should be one of the best courses in the Midlands.

Ciao  

[Mike Hendren]

Greetings Paul.  You have made me a Colt believer without my playing a single course he designed.    He was indeed a worthy winner of your Dead Architects match play many years ago (though my man Ross was jobbed in an earlier bracket).

Keep loitering with intent.

Mike

[Paul_Turner]

Mike

Yes loitering with intent.  I think Mackenzie actually won that final with Colt.  I can't quite remember how Ross was jobbed, it was funny though.