Liberty National Chipping Areas

[Anthony_Nysse]

I was watching a little bit of the golf tonight and noticed that nearly EVERY approach was tightly mowed BENTGRASS all the way to the bunker, without a stripe of rough in between. Southern Hills is doing this this week for the AM, but I've never seen so many approach areas fall into greenside bunkers as I did at LN. To me, the coolest, maybe only unique design feature of LN....is this done anywhere else?

Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Jeff_Brauer]

I recall it behind 12 green at Prairie Dunes for the last women's open (or was it senior open played last there?)

Mike Young did it at Longshadow, albeit less famously so far!

Actually watching the Yang PGA at Haznat, seeing those chipping areas caused a question in my mind.  Is there any strategic benefit in placing them one way or another, or do they just present another option when you miss?

I noticed most were extensions of the long dimension of the green, but saw one that paralleled a long skinny green and looked odd from the aerial shot.  Does anyone have examples of how a chipping area in lieu of rough or bunker has affected their thinking before playing a shot? I would be interested in hearing about it.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tony,

I'd say it's unusual to the degree that it's rare.

Many, if not most American courses create buffers between the fairway and the bunkers, or offset the bunkers into the rough.

I like bunkers that are fed, not defended by their surrounds.

I wish more courses would get rid of the buffers of rough. 

[Jonathan McCord]

Indian Creek CC does this to great extent.  It works beautifully in the wind in South Florida and makes for some fun results and shots in and around the greens.  I will see if I can find any pictures and post them.

[Jonathan McCord]

Here are the pictures.

Left Side of the 13th


15th Green - One of the few holes with a bunker Behind the green.


Left Side of Ten - One of the most elevated greens on the course!


1st Green


4th Green


16th Green

[Adam Clayman]

To me, the coolest, maybe only unique design feature of LN....is this done anywhere else?

Do you mean using short grass as a hazard?

It ain't so much a design feature as it a maintenance presentation. Isn't it?

Mark Michaud shaved the rear of 10 green in 04' and it played havoc with the boys recoveries.

It's done many places I frequent.

[Jason Topp]

IDoes anyone have examples of how a chipping area in lieu of rough or bunker has affected their thinking before playing a shot? I would be interested in hearing about it.

Our 11th hole is a 217 yard par downhill par three with a green that slopes (not too severely) from back to front and left to right.  There is OB about 25 yards right of the green.

15 years ago the hole was bunkered front left and front right.  Off the tee, you just aimed for the middle of the green.

As a part of a master plan, we created two bunkers on the right side and a chipping area left of the green.  I believe the change made the hole much more interesting.

Off the tee I now face a choice of going for the pin or bailing out left.  If I bail out left I have a tricky but possible recovery from the chipping area to a green that slopes away.  The shot can be hit with anything from a lob wedge to putter.  If I go for the pin and leave it right, the recovery shot is uphill, but can be out of rough, a bunker or a poor tee ball can go ob, particularly with a south wind blowing left to right off the tee.

My pictures are crappy, but this one is from the 18th fairway - about 10:00 position:



Here is a shot from the chipping area:


This shot from behind the green gives some sense of the entire hole

[Anthony_Nysse]

To me, the coolest, maybe only unique design feature of LN....is this done anywhere else?

Do you mean using short grass as a hazard?

It ain't so much a design feature as it a maintenance presentation. Isn't it?

Mark Michaud shaved the rear of 10 green in 04' and it played havoc with the boys recoveries.

It's done many places I frequent.

Adam,
  Watch the tournament today or this weekend-it's the craziest thing. EVERY inside edge of the the greenside bunkers are bentgrass, mowed at approach height, they actually have a bentgrass edge for their bunkers. It looks to me, like the "old" Augusta, where everything thing was mowed at one height and mowed very low....cool feature..

Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Voytek Wilczak]

To me, the coolest, maybe only unique design feature of LN....is this done anywhere else?

Do you mean using short grass as a hazard?

It ain't so much a design feature as it a maintenance presentation. Isn't it?

Mark Michaud shaved the rear of 10 green in 04' and it played havoc with the boys recoveries.

It's done many places I frequent.

Adam,
  Watch the tournament today or this weekend-it's the craziest thing. EVERY inside edge of the the greenside bunkers are bentgrass, mowed at approach height, they actually have a bentgrass edge for their bunkers. It looks to me, like the "old" Augusta, where everything thing was mowed at one height and mowed very low....cool feature..

Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

I am looking out the window (I am next to LN) and due to Danny it is blowing and raining pretty hard. Scores are high, too, today.

Are small greens nonsensical in the wind and rain conditions?

Are the large greens in Scotland and Ireland large because people realize that in high wind and rain it is more difficult to hit them and the game of golf is not about shooting darts?