The Infamous False Front

[Scott Witter]

The Rookie speaks... I have always wondered about the true origin of the false front in greens design/construction.  Where did it begin? Was it a modification, or adaptation of another feature or did it have its own genuine introduction?  Who, of the great minds in the GCA.com world has an opinion about which of the virtuoso architects used it most effectively and how important do we think it is in todays "modern" period of golf course design?  Secondarily, is it an overused, or shall I say misused by many of the current architects?

[Kyle Harris]

I believe the twelfth at St. Andrews holds the answer to that question. Among a few other greens there.

It probably developed into common usage out of the ground game and with the advent of push-up greens. Supers and architects designed the push ups to be mowed tight all the way around, therefore you have a slope leading up to the actual putting surface.

[TEPaul]

Ross certainly used the false front a lot---we have a few of them at GMGC. I've always heard that generally they defined the basic width and dimension of a high green for the golfer approaching from below who otherwise wouldn't be able to see greenspace.

[Scott Witter]

Kyle:

I am aware of countless great venues where the false front is quite prominant and certainly, St Andrews can boast some very effective green sites...however, I am not convinced that the superintendents in the past where conscience of the fact that they were creating/contributing this feature.  I worked on many golf courses in my younger years and some of them timeles treasures, but never felt the false front evolved from this approach you speak of.  I think the line of thinking with respect to push-up construction may be a viable consideration, but the false fronts that come to mind all seem to be too intentional and I suspect this was so and therefore I am curious if some of the architects on GCA will reply and offer support with this thinking.

[Kyle Harris]

Where did it begin? Was it a modification, or adaptation of another feature or did it have its own genuine introduction?  

Was just attempting to answer that question. Most adaptations came from old links courses or out of a maintenance need when transfering an idea from natural links land to inland/parkland settings.

[Scott Witter]

Tom P.,

Thanks for the assistance getting registered.  I have to logout now. I thought I would throw out my first pitch with the false front.  Yes, Ross was a master at just about everything he did and I have five of his courses very close by to enjoy and study.

Ran, thanks for the help as well.

[Scott Witter]

Kyle,

Is that to say that you believe the false front is in fact an adaptation? If so, what was the original feature which spurred its development? and did it actually begin its life based in the links?

[Kyle Harris]

Scott,

I believe it was an adaptation. As I mentioned, the 12th at St. Andrews immediately comes to mind with the false front, and I am fairly certain a lot of other greens there "fall" into the fairway.

Something to think about: Would you consider the Valley of Sin to be a false front or a different type of feature in its own right?

I also believe that since there was more of a reliance on the ground game during the turn of the century and not a very coherent definition of "green," "fairway," et al. that the feature of a fall off at the front of the green transfered and as mowing patterns, etc. became more in vogue the various courses and architects kept the fall offs at green length mowing-wise.

Tom Paul's suggestion seems to be more in practice nowadays at least. The par 3 seventh hole at PSU's White Course (Park, 1922) has a very severe false front, and the green is roughly thirty feet higher than the tee. The only part of the surface visible is the false front fromt he tee and it pretty much falls in line with the width.