[Benny Hillard]

If sodding greens expensive, how ridiculous would it be to roll out turf across the whole course?
I believe that is the plan so they can get their July 2012 opening date

Benny

[Bryan Izatt]

Ally,

It's hard for most people looking at the pictures to appreciate the size of the main dunes and the "natural shapes spines/humps /hollows" that have been flattened for the fairway.  Based on my trek through those dunes last summer, I'd guess that the humps and bumps in the fairway area were maybe 25 to 30 feet high with the main dunes flanking the fairway being 75 to 80 feet high.  I really wonder whether the existing natural shapes spines/humps /hollows could have been retained, but softened, to create a playable fairway.  What do you think?  It would have been a wild and wooly fairway.

I too am willing to reserve judgement until the course is finished and playable.

I haven't read this whole stream and I am sure that y'all have noticed already from the pic with the stake marking the tee on #14, but it looks like ALL of the FASCINATING rolls in the natural valley have been decimated!  So SAD!  Could have maybe had some Deal size humps AND dips.  It seems everyone involved has ignored the very thing that makes a true links so fun to play - natural ground forms.  I don't understand!

Quite outstanding what has been done on that fairway.

I think i will reserve final jugement until i see it in the flesh ! I took the top photo whilst on a tour and the natural shapes spines/humps /hollows were outstanding !The shaped fairway behind Donald does look flat BUT lets wait and see ehh !
Alister

[Kalen Braley]

Yea,

Count me in as one who is hoping there is still some good counturing to be found down there.  While what was there looks like too much, it looks like they could have been softened and workable.

Any of the archies want to chime in on that?   

[Ally Mcintosh]

Returning to Robin's point about sodding the greens to prevent sand blow, I was told that in one night the sand formation at the 10th green site changed so much as to be unrecognisable from the day before.

Ally:

I do have a bit of experience with building golf courses in sand dunes in very windy places ... I suspect more than anyone on this board.

Yes, it is possible for the sand to get blown around overnight, right up until you plant the green.  This is true whether you are sodding or seeding.  But, once the irrigation is in place and you can keep the green watered -- and I must assume they had irrigation in place before sodding -- then it is entirely possible to keep the green contours from changing by hydroseeding.  I can assure you it's worked on four courses in Bandon, on two courses at Barnbougle, and at other windy sites in Texas, New Zealand, Colorado, and the Hamptons.

Sodding greens is expensive and unreliable, no matter who supplies the sod.

I'm not sure I questioned whether it could work to keep the greens watered and seeded Tom... I know fine well it can and only a fool would counter the amount of experience you've had building in similar conditions... I thought we were just looking for reasons why they might have used sod and Robin's point is one possibility, especially given his anecdote and the amount of exposed sand on this particular site...

[Robin_Hiseman]

Ken Nice showed me the fresh hydroseeding at Old Macdonald (Hole 4 I think) and it was unbelievably tacky.  Nothing was going to move that stuff.  Consider me sold on the technology. 

The UK isn't quite such a hot bed of hydroseeding expertise and though I know they did a fair bit at No.7, I looked into it when I was based in NE Scotland and it was considered by my clients to be prohibitively expensive.  They preferred the 'perfection' of a mature turf surface.  You'll get no argument from me over the long term benefits of seed over turf.  I merely offer a possible explanation.  Of course, it may be no more than a part of Donald's press visit.  "Show them fresh, green turf."

[Niall C]

Robin

I'm sure they used it at Castle Stuart as well and the result is outstanding in terms of the playing surface.

Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ken Nice showed me the fresh hydroseeding at Old Macdonald (Hole 4 I think) and it was unbelievably tacky.  Nothing was going to move that stuff.  Consider me sold on the technology. 

The UK isn't quite such a hot bed of hydroseeding expertise and though I know they did a fair bit at No.7, I looked into it when I was based in NE Scotland and it was considered by my clients to be prohibitively expensive.  They preferred the 'perfection' of a mature turf surface.  You'll get no argument from me over the long term benefits of seed over turf.  I merely offer a possible explanation.  Of course, it may be no more than a part of Donald's press visit.  "Show them fresh, green turf."

I know they've been hydroseeding (or had planned to) on this course already which makes it a little the stranger... Gavin Kelly at Profile Products had certainly been spending time over there for that reason...

[David_Tepper]

Two minutes with the Donald from the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8587155/Donald-Trump-excited-by-very-special-golf-course-in-Aberdeen.html#.TgmrvmLHzKI.email

[Jud_T]

They cut the part of the video where he was hoofing it up one of the massive dues to play that duck hook back onto the pristine sod...

[William_G]

new pics up for trump scotland

http://www.trumpgolfscotland.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=308648&ssid=196900&vnf=1

[Mark Chaplin]

The pictures look fabulous, however it does not appear to have any space whatsoever to put any spectators, I thought the Open was his dream?

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