Scottish Open at Renaissance: 14/07/24

[Niall C]

Well thank goodness Tom D had the foresight to put sprinklers in the rough.


Niall

[Brian_Ewen]

Okay, who put that sprinkler in the rough at 16? 

[Rob Marshall]

Great finish, nice to see a MacIntyre take home his national championship. Didn’t think that last putt was going to get there!

[Tom_Doak]

Okay, who put that sprinkler in the rough at 16? 

I didn't see this [literally got in from playing golf just in time to see McIntyre's winning putt on 18 live].  But most of the fairways are substantially narrower now than when the course was built, so what were originally fairway heads are often found in the rough.

[Thomas Dai]

Appreciate that the fairways used to be wider but this does beg an interesting maintenance regime question in that are the sprinkler heads in the rough actually being used, ie water flowing out of them?


Being a pro-tour event it wouldn’t surprise me if they were although it would be nice if ‘rough’ really was ‘rough’.

Atb

[Marty Bonnar]

Bob!

[Terry Lavin]

Bob!

Great win for a local. Very exciting to watch on tv.

[Carl Johnson]

Okay, who put that sprinkler in the rough at 16? 

I didn't see this [literally got in from playing golf just in time to see McIntyre's winning putt on 18 live].  But most of the fairways are substantially narrower now than when the course was built, so what were originally fairway heads are often found in the rough.

Tom, what is your take on the narrowing of the fairways? I take it that wider fairways were your original design.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I'd virtually given up watching pro golf. Pinehurst and this made for compelling viewing.




Fingers crossed for Troon.

[Bruce Katona]

I enjoyed watching this event and a great ending for the guy who-came-oh-so-close last year. 


I thought the course looked and played wonderfully.  With a bit of rain late one day the teeth of the course had a chance to show; a bit of wind likely would have lowered the winning total with the greens running 10-11 to account for any windy conditions.

[Ben Stephens]

Sprinkler heads miles away from the fairway??!!! Bob was a rather lucky wee mon wasn't he he played by the rules shrewdly.


I remember playing with Angela Moser at the Renaissance Cup when she said they had brought in the fairway much narrower that at certain holes the sprinklers were 30 yards away!


Can see if there was a proper Doak restoration the fairways would be twice or three times the width 

[Carl Johnson]

Sprinkler heads miles away from the fairway??!!! Bob was a rather lucky wee mon wasn't he he played by the rules shrewdly.


I remember playing with Angela Moser at the Renaissance Cup when she said they had brought in the fairway much narrower that at certain holes the sprinklers were 30 yards away!


Can see if there was a proper Doak restoration the fairways would be twice or three times the width 

I'd like to have Doak's take on the narrowing, too.

[ward peyronnin]

The wonderful small village of Falkland has a contribution  Falkland Palace is home to the world’s oldest tennis court. Dating from the 16th century, the residence was built between 1501 and 1541 after being commissioned by King James IV –  the historic royal tennis court was part of the development.
Almost five centuries later, the court – completed in 1539 and enjoyed by James IV, his son James V and their royal guests – is still in use today. The game played there is known as royal tennis or “real tennis” and although the rules are similar to the modern game, it isn’t the sort of tennis you would expect to see at Wimbledon.
   

[Marty Bonnar]

Yes, wrong thread. Feel free to delete! 

[Tom_Doak]

Sprinkler heads miles away from the fairway??!!! Bob was a rather lucky wee mon wasn't he he played by the rules shrewdly.


I remember playing with Angela Moser at the Renaissance Cup when she said they had brought in the fairway much narrower that at certain holes the sprinklers were 30 yards away!


Can see if there was a proper Doak restoration the fairways would be twice or three times the width 

I'd like to have Doak's take on the narrowing, too.

It’s their course now, not mine, although they still have me stop in to consult regularly, which honestly is a thorn in the side of my travel schedule!


Their focus is on hosting a PGA TOUR event every year, which is much different than the original assignment, which was to build a members’ course that could host a one-off TOUR event.  The fairways should stay narrower if that’s the case.  I’m not as big a fan of adding lots of fairway bunkers to make it tougher - I’m not sure they have that much effect on play.  When you look at the ShotLink data, there will only be a couple of balls a day into the bunkers the players might complain about.

[Ira Fishman]

Sprinkler heads miles away from the fairway??!!! Bob was a rather lucky wee mon wasn't he he played by the rules shrewdly.


I remember playing with Angela Moser at the Renaissance Cup when she said they had brought in the fairway much narrower that at certain holes the sprinklers were 30 yards away!


Can see if there was a proper Doak restoration the fairways would be twice or three times the width 

I'd like to have Doak's take on the narrowing, too.

It’s their course now, not mine, although they still have me stop in to consult regularly, which honestly is a thorn in the side of my travel schedule!

Does your original contract require you to consult regularly or do they otherwise make it worth your while to be a thorn in your travel schedule?


Ira

[Tom_Doak]

Does your original contract require you to consult regularly or do they otherwise make it worth your while to be a thorn in your travel schedule?


Ira

Ira:  My real currency is time, not money. 


I've done 99 days on the road this year and in that time I've completed three new 18-hole courses and done continuing construction work on another, plus a few days of looking at prospects.  I would much rather spend 30 days to create another new course than to make a bunch of re-visits to navel-gaze at a golf course that just hosted a successful PGA TOUR event.


For that reason, I don't put ongoing consulting into my contracts for new courses.  Many designers would think of that as nice work if you can get it, and even an opportunity to create further work for themselves; but for me it's just a time suck.  I do try to get back to most of my courses now and again [on my own dime] to see how they're faring, or let my associates do the same; the clients always take care of my expenses while I'm there. But if they ask me to come in and look at possible changes, I charge them my normal daily consulting rate.

[Rob Marshall]

Tom,
Does the course play as a links course? Some commentators on Sirius said that it was a good course but not a links and not a good tune up for players getting ready for the open.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom,
Does the course play as a links course? Some commentators on Sirius said that it was a good course but not a links and not a good tune up for players getting ready for the open.

Rob:


I've heard that comment a few times but I wish they would elaborate on it. 


You've certainly got the same turf conditions [firmness and roll-out on the drives], and the same windy conditions as a links course.  I do see less need to land approach shots short of the greens, because the greens are kind of big, and most of them sit up just enough that it's harder to bounce one on than at St. Patrick's . . . but that is also true of many famous links including Dornoch and even St. Andrews.

[Sean_A]

Tom,
Does the course play as a links course? Some commentators on Sirius said that it was a good course but not a links and not a good tune up for players getting ready for the open.

Rob:


I've heard that comment a few times but I wish they would elaborate on it. 


You've certainly got the same turf conditions [firmness and roll-out on the drives], and the same windy conditions as a links course.  I do see less need to land approach shots short of the greens, because the greens are kind of big, and most of them sit up just enough that it's harder to bounce one on than at St. Patrick's . . . but that is also true of many famous links including Dornoch and even St. Andrews.

The links question re Renaissance puzzles me. Notwithstanding the 100 plus years of maintenance, isn’t the turf at Renaissance more or the same as Muirfield and Luffness?

Ciao

[Marty Bonnar]

Tom,
Does the course play as a links course? Some commentators on Sirius said that it was a good course but not a links and not a good tune up for players getting ready for the open.

Rob:


I've heard that comment a few times but I wish they would elaborate on it. 


You've certainly got the same turf conditions [firmness and roll-out on the drives], and the same windy conditions as a links course.  I do see less need to land approach shots short of the greens, because the greens are kind of big, and most of them sit up just enough that it's harder to bounce one on than at St. Patrick's . . . but that is also true of many famous links including Dornoch and even St. Andrews.

The links question re Renaissance puzzles me. Notwithstanding the 100 plus years of maintenance, isn’t the turf at Renaissance more or the same as Muirfield and Luffness?

Ciao

As a registered grass geek, I probably spent more time gazing at the sward as I did watching the golf last weekend. It’s nothing short of lovely, appearing tighter and tighter with every visit to Renaissance I’ve done - it’s really maturing beautifully.
F.

[Bruce Katona]

Marty:

You must be loving Troon this week......a bit of a mist & a puff or two of brezze and the old gal is bearing her teeth at the worlds best!

[Marty Bonnar]

Marty:

You must be loving Troon this week......a bit of a mist & a puff or two of brezze and the old gal is bearing her teeth at the worlds best!

Loving it, Bruce.
Maybe a shade too green rather than brown, but that’s a direct result of our very wet Summer - so far! We played Gullane on the Saturday and it, too, was as green as I can remember.
Cheers,
F.