After playing three rounds at Lawsonia and swinging by Erin Hills for a fourth this weekend I realized that playing these courses in the spring gave me the opportunity to recognize what I think might be the perfect hazard.
As is typical with most Midwest courses that have long fescue or other grasses surrounding the playing corridors, both Lawsonia and EH had recently burned and/or cut down all their long grass. I would definitely agree that the longer fescue/tall grass has a great aesthetic look as it sways back and forth in the wind, making the course look like one big body of water. However, when chopped down, I think it creates a fantastic hazard.
The reasons are pretty simple. You can almost always locate a ball that finds its way into the hay, and usually relatively quickly. Once located, the randomness of the lie is what really makes this such a great hazard. Will your ball be lofted up on a tuft of grass; the perfect flier lie just waiting to be launched? Or will it be nestled down to ground level with clump of grass directly behind it, allowing the golfer to only hack it back sideways to the fairway? Or somewhere in between? Do you try to reach the green with a 5-iron even though lie is marginal and there is a change you leave it in the gunk?
Randomness is key here, as well as playability and half-shot penalties, which in my mind are the best kind. OB = one and only one fate. Water = one and only one fate. Grass maintained as described above is the antithesis of those two hazards and I think it is far superior.
What do you think?