On Renaissance golf’s website Tom Doak writes an essay “Short Grass as a Golf Hazard” about the implementation of short grass and its effectiveness as a “hazard” if you will. He gives several reasons why shortly mown turf makes for a great hazard. I am not going to paraphrase his piece as you can read it your self but having worked as an assistant Superintendent at Milwaukee Country Club, North Shore Golf Club and recently played Wolf Point I have seen the great benefits of short grass and why it is the perfect “hazard.”
Wolf Point has ~80 acres of fairway and short grass around virtually every green, Milwaukee has large fairways and firm tight approaches and surrounds. North Shore GC in Menasha, WI also has huge fairways and cool firm runoffs on almost half of the holes. All 3 courses are a blast to play but strategically they are gems in there own right. But having these features is the exception not the rule when it comes to the majority of courses. Its sad really …
Obviously Doak, C&C and Nuzzo utilize short grass on their courses but why not more utilization of short grass as a hazard? Many times I hear the excuse that shortly mown turf is expensive to maintain. But bunkers IMHO are almost if not more expensive to maintain than short grass. This is simply because MOST golfers want perfect bunkers that are all the same in quality, texture, and consistency which in turn makes bunkers extremely expensive to maintain.
So what gives, why not more short grass? Do you like it in abundance?
I think we could get more people to play the game if every shot they didn't hit in the trees, bunkers, water, OOB or in long grass. Short grass makes the game easier for the high handicap as they can putt from off of the green whereas the accomplished golfer is given a multitude of options to play which can lead to indecision and poor shots.
I think its old school but more short grass will retain more golfers and make rounds faster particularly if fewer bunkers, water hazards and trees are present.
So give me more short grass !!! What do you think??
Let’s come full circle and build courses with as much short grass as St. Andrews.