The "agricultural rolls"

[TEPaul]

I don't remember anyone ever saying anything about the so-called "agricultural rolls" that predominate so many fairways of some courses in the British Isles. I saw them on Allwoodley, Fulford and Scarborough North Cliff. At Fulford they were mainly perpendicular, at Allwoodley they were both perpendicular and inline and at Scarborough they were both perpendicular, in-line and diagonal.

One host mentioned they were done eons ago to collect moisture for better grass in the dips or even to sort of create additional grazing space for cattle. They create an interesting look both topographically and definitely color-wise in this dry summer in the British Isles as the grass is brown and burnt on the top of the rolls and green in the dips. Plus they certainly can cast the ball around when they're firm.

Remember what Gary Player reputedly said when he looked down from "Calamity" at Port Rush Dunluce onto the Port Rush Valley course's rugged topography below? "That's something that today's bulldozers could definitely fix!"

I can just imagine him saying about the "agricultural rolls" on some of the fairways of the British Isles! "Just give me a few dozers and I'll take care of those things in a couple of days!"

[ForkaB]

Tom

We have discussed this before a few times, sometimes using (loosely--my fault probably...) the term "runrigs" to decribe the phenomenon.  They are clearly visible on many Scottish courses, although not on linksland (that I am aware of), probably because linksland was too poor to be used for agriculture.  The furrows up here tend to run perpendicular to the line of the fairways, which is logical in that the purpose of the ridges was to retain and direct the flow of rainwater.  Early golf course designers were not stupid in their use of "natural" drainage.

In a golfing sense they lead to very interesting and subtle variations in lies on the fairways which adds just the proper soupcon of uncertainty to 2nd shots.   But as Gary Player says, nobody in their right mind would incorporate such a feature into a new course these days.  What he didn't say is that this is to the detriment of GCA and to our enjoyment of the game.

[Mark_Fine]

Tom and Rich,
Wouldn't you agree that many modern architects believe that the architects of the past "accepted" design features that they felt were too expensive or too difficult to "fix".  They believe that if they had the technology and or ability to "correct" them, they would have done so.
Mark

[TEPaul]

Rich and Mark:

I'm sure many or most of the early architects just lived with those pre-existing "agricultural rolls" for various reasons. Perhaps drainage did have something to do with it but I'd suspect that it was probably too expensive and time consuming to remove too. Whether or not they would have removed them way back when if they could have easily will always remain the question without an answer. The important thing to realize now is that no one should remove them because we have the money and the wherewithal to remove them now.

And I'm sorry but I did completely miss the discussion of them on here previously which is an oversight on my part since they certainly are a considerable part of the interest and playability of various courses.

It's hard for me to believe though that any of the early architects seriously considered which way those "agricultural rolls" flowed across certain fairways, whether it was perpendicular, in-line or diagonal. I'd think routing would have taken precedence over that most every time, particularly when one becomes completely aware of the complex jigsaw puzzle that architectural routing is really all about!

[BCrosby]

Tom/Rich -

I'm having trouble seeing what you are talking about. Are these furrows or "runrigs" just shallow, narrow ditches? The edges of old terrace lines? But cattle and sheep were supposed to graze in them?

Apologies for my lack of imagination, but a fuller description would be much appreciated.

Scratching his head, Bob

[ForkaB]

Bob

Think of a series of 1-2 foot waves rolling in at 5-20 foot intervals (of course, on a golf course, they are static....).  For much more than you probably wanted to know about the runrig farming system, try the following link:

http://www.thesquarecottage.btinternet.co.uk/newcem/datasets/reflectionsonagriculture.htm

Mark

I don't know (wasn't there!), but I doubt if turn of the (last) century designers would have bulldozed/drag panned out the rolls, as they were probably the closest thing most inland pieces of proerty had to imitate the natural humps and hollows of classic linksland.  I know for sure that on one of my courses (Aberdour), these features really add interest and difficulty to what would otherwise be just a short and pretty track.

[TEPaul]

Bob:

I saw them first at Fulford last Monday on the first fairway and was sort of amazed to say the least. Then very much at Alwoodley, then again at Harrogate (I think) and certainly at Scarborough North Cliff. They're basically what appear to be a series of precisely created corrugations of the ground that obviously stretched across entire fields far before those golf courses were designed and constructed. The corrugations are rather gentle though seeming like precise waves and are approximately 5-10 paces from ridge to ridge or furrow to furrow.

I was told by a historian at Fulford that they were used for cattle grazing and such to catch and hold water better in the furrows for lusher grass as well as the fact that this kind of topography actually made for great volume of ground (which I find hard to believe). But there's no question that the water retention in the precise swales makes for much greener grass (and better less tight lies).

The interesting thing is the way they flow on certain holes--some perpendicular to the line of play of the hole, some in-line and some on a diagonal.

Even on some holes on a course such as Muirfield that doesn't have this kind of thing the random little rolls of the ground creates areas that are very dry and tight (burned out) on the high spots and other little areas in the depressions where the grass is very green. It's an interesting look and interesting playability.

[BCrosby]

Tom -

Thanks. Great description. I can see them now.

I can also imagine a Gary Player wanting to bulldoze them.

Bob