Pinehurst update: No rough - Will Streamsong start a new conditioning trend?

[Mike_DeVries]

Diamond Springs in Hamilton, Michigan follows the no rough philosophy by cutting bluegrass 3/4" from tee to green, with the greens bent grass.  They use a triplex greensmower on the greens, a National for tees or where there might be more elevation change (for those that are not familiar, a National is a very simple old-time mower with 3 reels that are manually dropped), and two big Toro Parkmasters for everything else (the Parkmaster is also very old school, with 7 or 9 gangs of blitzer units attached to a tractor that can raise the blitzer units with hydraulic arms but the blitzer units cut manually from wheel rotation).  This gives the course a totally wide open feel, making it easy for the average player to get around without losing a ball (unless they launch it in the woods) while demanding more precise play from the better players to get in position to attack the pin.  It takes about 3-4 hours to cut the entire course - that is efficient.  And it is less than $30 to play.  You can see photos at http://www.diamondspringsgolf.com/

[Frank Pont]

Upon reflection, one of the most unique features of Streamsong is there is no rough on the property. The playing surfaces are:

1. greens

2. fairways and tees - same cut

3. bunkers

4. native areas (which do in fact have to be maintained)

5. water/ponds

There is no rough on the property. We had a brief conversation with Rusty the Head Greenskeeper who came from Cuscowilla and both he and our own Kyle Harris are excited to maintain the course in this manner.

It would appear to an outsider as a simpler and less expensive way to maintain a golf course.

I think Ballyneal is set up in a similar fashion? I have not been there.  Are there any other "notable" courses in the USA or abroad that are set up this way?

I personally loved the setup.

I'm surprised it isn't this sequence:

1. greens

2. foregreens/aprons and tees - same cut

3. fairways

4. bunkers

5. native areas / rough


That is what I saw at Renaissance last year, and really liked.

I've applied this at my newbuild Swinkelsche but also at a heatland course renovation at Hoge Kley.

I think yje inclusion of a foregreen height is crucial for the course to have its best possible short game around the greens.

[Carl Rogers]

I,too, think the no to minimum rough look is great...
The question is whether Streamsong may change or influence conditioning in Florida?
Is there a no pull your leg $$ case to be made?

[paul cowley]

Mike,
Great photo.
I think it's a great concept and probably used more in Europe than here.  I have been doing it on The Fields Golf Club here in Ga and will be doing it to Longshadow when it reopens.  We began the Fields last year by mowing a cut around our native areas with a self-contained lightweight 5 gang unit and then mowed tees and green complexes with the same unit.  We mowed the greens complex from about 20 yards in to the approach inward.  We then would use transport frame 7 gang with 11 blade reels to mow every other inch of grass.  The only issue was I should probably be using 7 blade reels on the transport.

Mike...I am sure we are on the same design page but I could use a little techno help with the above.

[Sam Morrow]

Streamstrong looks really cool and I want to get there and play it but I think we need to step back for a second and examine things. To us on this site Streamstrong is a 3/4 boner but the average golfer isn't going crazy to get there. I wish more courses would adopt the no rough trend but it's not going to change the game. The only way this trend will change the game is if a course everyone sees on TV will adopt this.

Not to be Debbie Downer but let's face it, Streamstrong isn't going to change the golf world, it's just going to be make the crop of must visits a little bigger.

[Mike Sweeney]

Streamstrong looks really cool and I want to get there and play it but I think we need to step back for a second and examine things. To us on this site Streamstrong is a 3/4 boner but the average golfer isn't going crazy to get there. I wish more courses would adopt the no rough trend but it's not going to change the game. The only way this trend will change the game is if a course everyone sees on TV will adopt this.

Not to be Debbie Downer but let's face it, Streamstrong isn't going to change the golf world, it's just going to be make the crop of must visits a little bigger.

Now everyone is seeing it this weekend. Arguably the two biggest resort complexes on the East Coast now have no rough. Let's see what happens....

[Gary Sato]

Now everyone is seeing it this weekend. Arguably the two biggest resort complexes on the East Coast now have no rough. Let's see what happens....

On the West Coast, the new course at Poppy Hills also has no rough.  This exposes thousands of NCGA members to this new look and style.

I am a little worried because some of the criteria that Mr. Doak has outlined are used at Poppy Hills, mainly bent greens and a rye mixture fairway.  Its possible they will just allow the poa to take over the greens?

[Terry Lavin]

Medinah had no rough for the Ryder Cup.  It made for a much more interesting golf course and much less of a slog, that's for sure.

[Mike Sweeney]

Very interesting article on "No Rough" at GCA Magazine with references ranging from Dunlop White's Old Town to Tiger's Bluejack National:


http://digital.tudor-rose.co.uk/golf-course-architecture/issue48/#24/z

[JC Jones]

I highly doubt Streamsong has anything to do with this.  Courses don't tend to fall in line behind a pair unranked Doak 6s.

[Peter Pallotta]

It really is fascinating: first no water, then no trees, and now no rough. The transformation/revolution from the Dark Ages is now complete. We are either in the Light Age of Golf, or in the Golf-Lite Age...