The Bunker Rake Thread got me thinking again....not that I had stopped mind you!
I wish someone would let me design and build a course, and create the maintenance program for it, that would be a combination of the best of the old, while incorporating the most important elements of the newer generation.
It would have well maintained tees, and cart paths only linking greens and the next teeing area.
It would have major width in the fairways.....designed so a large flotation tired gang mower could cut right up to the entry edge of the bunkers.
The fairway height would be cut considerably higher than whats common today....you might want to retire one or two of your high lofted nip wedges in favor of a blade that puts a little punch through the grass under the ball
It would only have irrigation in the fairways....the rough would be un irrigated and planted in a regionally suitable native grass variety that would only be mown when it reached a certain height.
Bunkers would be rakeless and only groomed by the maintenance crew...probably only once a week, unless rain or other weather conditions required some touching up at an earlier interval.
The surrounds would be maintained seasonally....sometimes gnarly and at other times freshly shorn.
I would find the nearest possible sand source that met minimal needs...regardless of color.
All bunkers would be considered rough or waste areas, where one could ground a club as long as it didn't advance the ball....same rules as for rough and play thru the green.
Drainage would be designed with a minimum of catch basins in favor of long sheet flows.
Open ditches and creek features would take precedence over major sub surface drain structures.
Being able to play the course one hour after a two inch thunderstorm would rank low on the drainage priorities list.
The greens complexes and approaches are where it would shine....I'd put my money into highly maintained putting surfaces and the surrounding play areas.
I would also limit my grass choices to a minimum....two or three at best.
Just my thoughts......