Harry Colt and doglegs

[Niall C]

I haven't been round enough Colt courses to know but can the Colt experts advise whether Colt had a preferred strategy for doglegs that he tended to use more than others, for instance did he design them with the intent that the golfer should play for the inside or outside of the dogleg ?

Niall

[Niall C]

bump

[Jeff_Brauer]

The only specific comment in his book was an example of a how a fw bunker might be used to protect and adjacent tee.  He then comments that a full treastise on the many types of bunkering would require a large book.

In essence, he leaves the art of bunkering alone.  I gathered from other comments it was more intuitive for him rather than any sort of formula.

[Niall C]

Jeff

In truth, thats what I would have expected. The reason I asked the question was that I was thinking of my own course, Moray Old, where it generally pays to play the dog-legs by hitting to the outside of the dog-leg for a better line to the green rather than the inside line even though the inside line might be better guarded. Like a lot of old links, Moray Old is a bit a mongrel with a number of re-routings starting with Old Tom in the 1890's and with Colt redesigning a couple of holes in the early 1920's (according to the official history) although I suspect that he did a fair bit more than that and wondered if this style of dog-leg was evidence of that. From what you say, probably not.

Niall

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Niall,

Which of Colt's courses is the least messed with in terms of bunkering? Can we learn anything from the survivors?

[Niall C]

Mark

I would imagine that somewhere like Swinley would be the best example of a Colt course where he got to do his thing without too much interference, and also a course that hasn't been mucked about too much. I've only walked the course once and that was 12 or 13 years ago so I've no idea about its strategy.

Sad to say i haven't played a lot of Colt courses to form any answer.

Niall

[Sean_A]

Niall

Mentally running through several courses, I think the doglegs are pretty evenly split between inside and outside advantage.  I would also say there is a healthy percentage of "depends where the flag is" as well.  Of course, with equipment changes, its difficult to compare the current situation to Colt's intent. 


Ciao