Where mounding goes wrong or is OTT

[Thomas Dai]

The comments on the thread entitled "The impact on the play of a hole of a single small, low, well postioned mound" - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59775.0.html - got me thinking about holes where the mounding has gone wrong or is OTT.

Here's an example I'd like to put forward, the Alps hole, 11th hole Tain, a course I otherwise have a very great deal of liking for.

I don't like the mounds nor the bunker just short of them. And the green over the top is just sooooo bland. What a wasted opportunity for a potentially great green site (and hole) immediately adjacent to the waters of the Dornoch Firth.

Here's one photo of the hole, there are more on this link to the Tain club website - http://www.tain-golfclub.co.uk/the-golf-course/holes-1-18/11th-hole#prettyPhoto[353]/0/


What other examples are there of holes/courses where the mounding goes wrong or is OTT?

atb

[Jeff_Brauer]

Well, I don't mind the Alps hole, and if done by Old Tom it is certainly understandable.  My gripe would be selection of a waterfront hole, and the use of mounds to block a nice view.

Of course, this would later be further copied not only by CBM, but George Thomas in designing the famous Mae West hole.....I have done versions, both long ago (Dolly Parton hole) and more recently, Pamela Anderson hole, and if there is another, I will need to do an internet search to see who the latest iconic buxom babe, just for appropriate naming purposes, of course.

Or, is there any doubt the next such hole will be named "Selfie"?

[Jon Wiggett]

Thomas,

I seem to recall (though may be wrong) that the original green here was to the left of the mounds and so visible. I do not know when the green was moved but it was obviously quite a long time ago (100+ years). I quite like the challenge of the hole over the mounds which I believe to be natural and though the vista is a good one I think the hole should be judged on the quality of the golfing challenge it poses rather than how pretty or spectacular the setting is.

The best example of a horrible misuse of mounding would be the original version of the Brabazon at the Belfry for me. An unnatural build by numbers approach to green surrounds and the inside of doglegs.

Jon

[Sean_A]

atb

I don't mind the mounding at Tain in the slightest.  For me, too much mounding in the wings without real purpose is what I object to.  It was a common thing to do in the 80s and 90s. 

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

That's interesting that the green may have once-upon-at-time been located differently. It's not the scenic background so much that could be used more, it's to my eye the lsot opportunity to bench a green above a shoreline in similar manner to say the 11th at TOC or the 12th at Southerness to name a couple of examples. Perhaps I'm the odd one out on this one but I just think more could be done with the hole without the mounding.
atb

[Jon Wiggett]

Thomas,

do not forget the hole is being played downhill and that would mean the green would not sit up in the air like 11 TOC. I do understand what you mean and in a perfect world the next hole would have been an excellent candidate for an Alps hole being quite featureless but I suspect at the time it was built there was neither the equipment nor money to do so and suitable features already existed on the hole before.

Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Jon,

Reading this again perhaps I've misinterpreted the history of the hole as I understood, from asking questions when at Tain GC, that the two mounds are not natural but man made and that the sand/soil to create them was largely taken from the current greensite. I guess this was duff info!

Atb

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon,

Reading this again perhaps I've misinterpreted the history of the hole as I understood, from asking questions when at Tain GC, that the two mounds are not natural but man made and that the sand/soil to create them was largely taken from the current greensite. I guess this was duff info!

Atb

Thomas,

your info could be correct I had done the dangerous thing of assuming they were natural due to the effort it would have taken to build them so long ago. My comments are based on things rattling around in the back of my mind (I recall hearing some such thing over a decade ago about the green been moved) However I would say my info is more reliable than yours.

Jon

Edit: last line should read 'However I would NOT say my info is more reliable than yours'

[Thomas Dai]

I'd go along with that Jon. Damn fine course though. Others nearby maybe get more attention but I could very easily play Tain a great deal if based locally, even given the quality of the competition nearby.
Atb

[Jon Wiggett]

Yes Thomas, tee to green Tain is as good as any course I have seen.

Jon