Where blade meets blade meets blade

[Gary Daughters]

Reading this website, observing U.S. Open setups, I've come to appreciate course presentation.  There's the conceptual "Mike Davis" level, but what about the guy who drives a mower, maintains grass heights, lines, clips bunkers, and ... what else?  Where's the creativity in that gig? 

Another thought/question.  Which architects' courses' lend themselves best to thoughtful, productive tinkering at the maintenance level?  Should that in itself tell us anything about the architect?

[Paul Gray]

As is true of club officials, I am firmly of the opinion that any member of the crew that doesn't understand strategy will hunt out his (or her) own means of expression and you will find more and more silly mowing patterns appearing. It is no coincidence that the guys that tend courses and really 'get it' are not inclined to attempt the drunken school kid on a lawn mower routine.

[Ryan Coles]

Reading this website, observing U.S. Open setups, I've come to appreciate course presentation.  There's the conceptual "Mike Davis" level, but what about the guy who drives a mower, maintains grass heights, lines, clips bunkers, and ... what else?  Where's the creativity in that gig? 

Another thought/question.  Which architects' courses' lend themselves best to thoughtful, productive tinkering at the maintenance level?  Should that in itself tell us anything about the architect?

At most Clubs there is no Mike Davis. The crew do the conceptual and the actual. I'd rather play the crews concept than Mike Davis'

[Ryan Coles]

As is true of club officials, I am firmly of the opinion that any member of the crew that doesn't understand strategy will hunt out his (or her) own means of expression and you will find more and more silly mowing patterns appearing. It is no coincidence that the guys that tend courses and really 'get it' are not inclined to attempt the drunken school kid on a lawn mower routine.

Most kids who put themselves through greenkeeping college, do, I would suggest have some understanding of golf. Striping or box cutting is really a matter of taste rather than strategy. Plus a small financial implication.

Those who truly 'get it' will will not be wedded to 'what is best', but recognise that what works aesthetically on one course might look inappropriate on another.

[Gary Daughters]

Probably my mistake here, but I didn't mean to imply that individual mowers go out and put their creative stamps on... Oakmont, et al.

From a practical standpoint we'd be talking here about a smaller operation where some latitude at the maintenance level might be acceptable.. who knows.. necessary.   And possibly interesting.  I mean... square boxes this year, round (gasp!) next.

Paul Gray, you seem hostile and argumentative.  Not sure why you bothered.  

[Thomas Dai]

To change tack a bit, it must soul destroying for an architect to design a course or hole to play in one manner and then have the maintenacne crew, either on their own or by 'instruction from above', completely change the way the course/hole plays, angles, mowing lines, firmness/lushness, etc.

As a further aside, the crew at a club I know well was headed up by a low single figure player and the course was well presented and played well. When he left his successor was a non-player, and over time the course condition and presentation went downhill bigtime. Now a newly appointed head man is in place, again a fine player, and things are turning around for the better.

atb