Scale

[Ally Mcintosh]

Yes, RSG is laid out over more than 200 acres.


Slightly more compact courses like Muirfield, Deal or Baltray sit around 150 acres.


Big dune courses clearly need more land so even though a course like Ballybunion Cashen or Carne are laid out over reasonable size sites, they do not feel like large scale courses (aside from dune height).


On the flip side, courses laid out on more gentle land can often be more compact. Yet - like RSG - Portmarnock (for example) is large in scale and meanders about a large acreage. For this reason, people don’t often realise how huge the greens are.

[Mark_Fine]

Ally,
Do you know Des Butler at County Sligo at Rosses Point? He just sent me some photos of some changes that I suggested they think about on #17.  We talked about them on a visit a couple years ago and he asked me provide a write up.  He said the hole now has a much higher element of risk/reward off the tee.  I would love to hear your thoughts?


I agree with you about the dunes at Carne.  They are so rugged and dramatic but I wouldn't call that course a large scale design but I do love place.  Carne is one of my favorites in Ireland.   


Mark

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ally,
Do you know Des Butler at Carne? He just sent me some photos of some changes that I suggested they think about on #17.  We talked about them on a visit a couple years ago and he asked me provide a write up.  He said the hole now has a much higher element of risk/reward off the tee.  I would love to hear your thoughts?


I agree with you about the dunes at Carne.  They are so rugged and dramatic but I wouldn't call that course a large scale design but I do love place.  Carne is one of my favorites in Ireland.   


Mark

Mark,


I don’t know Des and he is certainly off-piste there as I’m still engaged with the course.


Be interested to see what changes you were suggesting.


Thanks,
Ally

[Mark_Fine]

Ally,
I can email so we don't distract from this thread.  I corrected my post to Country Sligo at Rosses Point.  Happened to be discussing both that one and Carne at the same time. 


Best,
Mark

[Paul Rudovsky]

thought of two others--


1.  Dye Fore in Dominican Republic


2.  In the late 1980's the Princeville Resort in HI (which started w 27 holes by I think Rees Jones built in early 1970's) started building what I think was called the Prince Course.  I played it in 1987 and only 9 holes were completed then.  They finished the 18 but the place has been closed down was maintained just to make sure it does not become unrecoverable (and I believe its ownership today is different from the Princeville ownership).  According to the pro shop at the original Princeville 27, there are "rumors" that they are considering re-opening as a private club but those rumors have been going on for a number of years.  In any case, it had (or has?) huge scale and for now is a NLE