Rees Jones and Scottish Heathland

[johnk]

According to the NCGA and some people at the course,
Rees Jones recommended setting up the maintenance
meld at Poppy Ridge in Livermore to be "more like
a Scottish Heathland" course.

This seems to mean firmer and browner, as well as some
narrowing of the fairways.

Who knows what courses Rees is referring to?  What's
an archetypal Scottish Heathland course?  

Is F&F and browner really typified by some classic
Scottish Heathland course?  Or is Rhode Island CC
more what Rees is getting at?

[ForkaB]

John

I think that Rees is trying to cover his arse for design mistakes and/or trying to pre-justify a future minimization of maintenance spending.

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as "an archetypal Scottish Heathland course."  There are a few good ones (e.g. Ladybank, Blairgowrie), but neither of those are great nor do they evoke memories of Livermore, at least to me.......

[Nigel_Walton]

Actually, reading this thread, it seemed like a fairly bizarre reference for a supposed golf expert to make. If there are any Scottish Heathland courses, there certainly aren't many notable ones. One must venture to England or Australia, I suppose (or New Jersey's Pine Barrens) in order to find out how a Heathland course is maintained.  

[RT]

Nigel,

You'll have to exclude Australia and USA for a true "heathland" ecosystem, microclimate, and soil structure (including the ever important sub-soil).

RT

[Jeff_Mingay]

'Scottish Heathland'?

I received a 'press release' not long ago from Tom McBroom and Associates describing a new golf course they've designed in the Toronto-area, billed as a 'Scottish Heathland' style layout.

Either Jones and McBroom know something I don't, or they share a publicist that's a little confused. [For the sake of the game, let's hope it's the latter.]

As I understand things, the heathlands are southwest of London, England and there are no 'heathland' type golf courses - at least any of note, anyway - in Scotland.

Odd.

[Nigel_Walton]

RT, you would not view Kingston Heath as a heathland course?

[Paul_Turner]

There must be lots of heathland courses in Scotland, but perhaps more of the highland heath or a moorland type, rather than the lowland heaths of Surrey/Berkshire/Hampshire/Dorset.   But if the criterion for a heath definition is heather, then there must be lots: purple hills...

Ages since I played the wonderful Boat of Garten, it has a heathland feel, although I can't remember much heather.

[johnk]

I reread the article, pg 70 of the Spring NCGA Golf issue, and
it's not a direct quote by Rees. Instead Paul Porter, President / CEO of Poppy Holdings says:

"...our plan to lead Poppy Ridge toward a Scottish heathland-style golf course as suggested by its architect, Rees Jones"

I contend that it's a conceptual melange of "Scottish links" with a completely random use of the term "heathland" since it sound romantic...

It's a marketing way of selling brown to an otherwise suspect audience.  So it's kind of good in a way, though they could have used: "What can Brown do for you?"

johnk

Rich, BTW, the cover of this issue features your beloved  "Sonoran Highlands Foothills Wetlands a la Chevre"-style course: Cinnabar Hills