Let's face it, the majority of golfers want nice, vibrant green grass on the course. That is why golf courses flood the turf with water and fertilizer during the growing season and then overseed with a winter turf where possible. However, most golfers also like to see tee shots roll out an additional 15-20 yards. The problem comes when clubs attempt to mix those two. It is possible to maintain a vibrant green golf course on top of it playing firm and fast. But it takes significant money to do so. This is not ideal for the golfer or the club.
Wanting firm and fast at all times also fails to take into consideration both weather and geographic factors. Courses in the southeastern United States with their bermuda turf and typical afternoon rain storms are simply not going to be firm and fast for much of the year. Just the same with courses in Seattle or other rainy areas. Bermuda turf (not seen in Seattle, obviously) is simply not a firm and fast turf normally. It takes significant work to keep bermuda firm due to thatch build-up and such. It simply will not run as firm as a bent grass or fescue turf. Trying to do so is a fools errand and will cost a great amount.
No the key for all golf courses is to find that balance that maintains the green conditions that golfers want while cutting back on maintenance expense (water use, chemicals, labor). Green conditions are what golfers want, regardless of what pockets of golfers on certain Golf Architecture websites (where I frequent) want to say. The vast majority of golfers simply will not pay money to play a browned out golf course regardless of the quality of design or how much yardage they gain on tee shots.
The crowd that insists on firm and fast under all circumstances fails to understand the nature of the business nationwide and worldwide. Sure, Bandon Dunes could get 15 inches of rain overnight and the fairways still play firm. The sandy soil there runs water through it like a collander. But a great course like Pebble Beach does not have that luxurious soil. If it rains heavily at Pebble Beach, the course will be wet, simple as that. Sure, they could possibly install millions of dollars of subsurface drainage or dig out the fairways and cap them with a foot or two of sand, but who would pay for that? Eventually that cost will be filtered down to the consumer. And in truth, nothing would be gained.
The quest for firm and fast conditions all over, as said before, is simply a fools errand. There is frankly no reason to expect ANY course to maintain firm and fast conditions all the time. Doing so causes nothing more than an arms race of courses trying to keep up with each other and raising the price of golf for the average golfer. Hopefully those that try to preach about firm and fast at all times will wake up and realize the cost of doing so. Firm and fast simply does not work at all times.
Monday
Thursday
PGA.com Top 9 Courses in Alabama
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.pga.com/golf-courses/quick-nine/best-golf-courses-in-alabama#comment-5451
1. RTJ @ Silver Lakes
2. RTJ @ Grand National (Links)
3. RTJ @ Ross Bridge
4. RTJ @ Capitol Hill (Senator)
5. Limestone Springs
6. FarmLinks
7. Capstone Club
8. Azalea City
9. Timberlane
Well, I haven't played all of those. And of course this is a compilation of Facebook votes, not from the PGA directly. But having Azalea City at 8 when it is probably closer 58, is just a head scratcher. Oh well. All for fun I suppose.
http://www.pga.com/golf-courses/quick-nine/best-golf-courses-in-alabama#comment-5451
1. RTJ @ Silver Lakes
2. RTJ @ Grand National (Links)
3. RTJ @ Ross Bridge
4. RTJ @ Capitol Hill (Senator)
5. Limestone Springs
6. FarmLinks
7. Capstone Club
8. Azalea City
9. Timberlane
Well, I haven't played all of those. And of course this is a compilation of Facebook votes, not from the PGA directly. But having Azalea City at 8 when it is probably closer 58, is just a head scratcher. Oh well. All for fun I suppose.
Sunday
Maryland National Golf Club-Middletown, MD
This course is both very good and very bad. Part of the course is routed over higher ground and those holes are quite good. The other part of the course is routed beside, over, and around a creek that bisects the property and those are generally quite poor. This course has the potential to be very good. The first five holes start the golfer off with high quality golf. 6 is a fair par 3 by itself, but it is a virtual twin to the 17th and rather similar to the 14th. This is a Jekyll and Hyde golf course, some holes are outstanding, 6 or 7 quality, and others are terrible, 1 and 2 quality.
Variety of Design: Not exceptional, but not bad. 3 of the 5 par 3's play significantly downhill and there is limited variety in yardage. The par 4's have significant ranges in yardage, but the two shortest ones are quite poor. The par 5's are a real highlight of the course and have very quality designs. But oddly, there are no holes that play uphill, and many that play downhill. The uphill spots are traveled by cart. Hole directions are also out of balance. 5
Flow of the Course: The course does flow, but not due to hole features. It flows due to having good and poor holes. But in general, the flow is only moderate. 4 1/2
Course Conditioning: Top quality. The greens and fairways are both well maintained and the course runs firm. 7 1/2
Ease of Walking: This would be a difficult course to walk. The routing is not exceptional, having some large distances between holes, many of those being uphill. If you try to walk here, you'd better be in very good shape. 2
Atmosphere: Very little. Course has no tournament history. The designer, Arthur Hills, is not likely to bring in a large number of people. And the course has no other known history. 1
Total: 46.5
Holes to Note
Hole #2: Par 5, 585 yards
This is a very picturesque downhill par 5. The play from the tee is to play the shot down the left side, over the bunkers, and then let the ball run out down the fairway. The green might be reachable in two shots for the longer players if they can get the ball to run out and not be blocked out by the tree in the middle of the fairway. This can be a birdie hole if the player hits 2 or 3 solid shots.
Variety of Design: Not exceptional, but not bad. 3 of the 5 par 3's play significantly downhill and there is limited variety in yardage. The par 4's have significant ranges in yardage, but the two shortest ones are quite poor. The par 5's are a real highlight of the course and have very quality designs. But oddly, there are no holes that play uphill, and many that play downhill. The uphill spots are traveled by cart. Hole directions are also out of balance. 5
Flow of the Course: The course does flow, but not due to hole features. It flows due to having good and poor holes. But in general, the flow is only moderate. 4 1/2
Course Conditioning: Top quality. The greens and fairways are both well maintained and the course runs firm. 7 1/2
Ease of Walking: This would be a difficult course to walk. The routing is not exceptional, having some large distances between holes, many of those being uphill. If you try to walk here, you'd better be in very good shape. 2
Atmosphere: Very little. Course has no tournament history. The designer, Arthur Hills, is not likely to bring in a large number of people. And the course has no other known history. 1
Total: 46.5
Holes to Note
Hole #2: Par 5, 585 yards
This is a very picturesque downhill par 5. The play from the tee is to play the shot down the left side, over the bunkers, and then let the ball run out down the fairway. The green might be reachable in two shots for the longer players if they can get the ball to run out and not be blocked out by the tree in the middle of the fairway. This can be a birdie hole if the player hits 2 or 3 solid shots.
From the tee, the hole spreads out nicely. The best play is towards the peak of the small mountain in the distance.
This shot from the tee ran through the fairway and to the right side. This is not the shortest approach, but has a good angle, being able to avoid the tree. This may be the best hole on the course.
Hole #7: Par 5, 542 yards
The second in a fantastic set of par 5's. This hole plays over flat ground but is shaped in such a way as to provide good interest on all shots. The tee shot is influenced by a large bunker cutting deeply into the right side of fairway at 285 yards from the tee. Longer players may have to play less than driver from the tee in order to avoid this bunker. There is also the option for them to attempt to hit a drive into the fairway that is to the left of the bunker, though it is only 20 yards wide. And of course, if the player is tremendously long off the tee, he can attempt to carry the bunker, a hit of about 325 yards in the air. The second shot is then influenced by a very large mound, again on the right side of the hole. Players who do not navigate this mound very well will have a difficult shot into the green over bunkers. Players finding the top of the mound or past is on the right side will have an easy approach.
The second in a fantastic set of par 5's. This hole plays over flat ground but is shaped in such a way as to provide good interest on all shots. The tee shot is influenced by a large bunker cutting deeply into the right side of fairway at 285 yards from the tee. Longer players may have to play less than driver from the tee in order to avoid this bunker. There is also the option for them to attempt to hit a drive into the fairway that is to the left of the bunker, though it is only 20 yards wide. And of course, if the player is tremendously long off the tee, he can attempt to carry the bunker, a hit of about 325 yards in the air. The second shot is then influenced by a very large mound, again on the right side of the hole. Players who do not navigate this mound very well will have a difficult shot into the green over bunkers. Players finding the top of the mound or past is on the right side will have an easy approach.
From the tee, the bunkers is visible as two small bunkers; the majority of the bunker being blind.
The mound visible in the center of the image must be navigated on the second shot.
No easy approach awaits for this player who failed to successfully navigate his way around the mound.
Hole #12: Par 3, 246 yards
This is a solid, long par 3 playing downhill from the tee. The hole allows the player to run the ball onto the green, as would be expected for a hole this long. This is certainly the best par 3 on the golf course.
The green is slightly left of the center of the picture. This is likely the highest point on the course and gives the player a stunning view of the surrounding area.
The flat approach leading to the green slopes off to the left for shots that are pulled or hooked. This hole would be a solid addition to nearly any golf course.
Hole #16: Par 4, 336 yards
This may be the worst hole this writer has ever played. There is so much going on here that it's a virtual car wreck. The hole plays pinched between a hill on the right and the creek on the left. The problem is that the hole is so narrow that anything more than an iron is not a smart play. Couple that with the fact that the creek crosses the fairway at about 220 yards off the tee, and requires roughly a 240 yard carry to make it across. And the cart path crosses directly across the fairway and then is pushed hard against the fairway down the left side. If Arthur Hills has ever designed a hole worse than this, that course needs to be shut down.
From the back tee, it is easy to see how tight the hole plays. The bunker visible in the center is green side.
From closer, the creek crossing the fairway is visible and all the other gruesome features of the hole are more visible as well.
From the lay-up area short of the creek, the hole gets no better. Any shot hit left will be lost in the creek and anything right will likely be lost up the hill. The only good thing about this hole is that it ends.
This course had potential to be very good. Instead it comes out as something just average due to some very poor holes coupled with the very good ones. 4 out of 10.
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