Why Has Golf Course Design Changed? by RICHARD P
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Why Has Golf Course Design Changed? by RICHARD P. NUGENT President, American Society of Golf Course Architects HE GOLF COURSE co-exists playing fields from which our concepts The first golf club — "The Honour in a time-and-space relationship of the golf course evolved. Golf was able Company of Edinburgh Golfers" — Twith the players, their concepts, first played along these common was established in 1744 and played on and their equipment. This relationship grounds. Indeed, St. Andrews and the Links of Leith, where the holes is in a continuous state of change. If the Royal Troon still play on public lands. measured 414, 461, 426, 495, and 435 golf course architect is to be successful, Early on, the formalized golf course, yards; adjusted for today's equipment, he must design for his time and place, as we know it today, did not exist. these distances would be roughly while retaining the values and traditions Match play was the order of the day and equivalent to 600 yards. of the game. was played in various locations on Two events combined to shape the Golf, of course, relies on tradition however many holes there happened to game in the late 1700s. more than any other game. Nobody be. Leith and Musselburgh had five 1. The golfers of St. Andrews invented golf — it evolved. each, Perth had six, North Berwick achieved the reputation of being the The linksland along the Scottish seven, Prestwick 12, St. Andrews 22, pace setters and unofficial authorities seacoast provided the first important and Montrose 25. on the game — largely a result of a MARCH/APRIL 1982 23 Royal Dornoch, Scotland. tourist promotion. The Society of St. modifications to the golf ball have had Andrews Golfers put up a trophy in the the most impact on golf course design. form of a silver club for open com The early balls were wooden, and as petition. long as this was the case, the game 2. The success of this contest estab changed very little. In the early 1600s lished St. Andrews as the premier golf the featherie — a sewn leather hide ball ing town, and when the Society changed stuffed with feathers — was introduced. its course from 22 to 18 holes in 1764 — Upon becoming wet, the leather shrank other clubs followed suit. Hence — 18 and became quite hard while the ball holes became the "correct" number for retained its lightness and ability to a full course. become airborne. These balls were able to travel higher and farther than wooden balls. Distance records are not accurate, HE EQUIPMENT and playing but we can assume that a good player T techniques of the early players could drive a ball 200 yards. It is dictated courses suited to low-trajectory recorded that on a frosty morning in shots. The oldest surviving set of clubs 1636, a schoolmaster playing the Old consists of six woods and two irons. Course at St. Andrews hit a drive Of all the various changes and modifi measured at 361 yards. He had a follow cations of equipment, the changes and ing wind. 24 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD In the mid-1800s, gutta percha — a championships. Thus the United States N AMERICA, the architects had the rubber-like substance — began being Golf Association was born. Interestingly, Iland and opportunity to effect the molded into golf balls. These cheaper, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of evolutionary concepts emerging in golf. more durable balls began to be favored St. Andrews was not invested with the The courses designed by the American by the thrifty Scots. This ball became management of the open and amateur architects reflected the new attitudes, very hard, and wooden clubs began to championships in the British Isles until the use of better equipment, and be replaced by iron-headed clubs. In 1919. improved methods of construction and 1898, in the United States, a Cleveland By 1931, there were 283 public maintenance. chemist named Coburn Haskell invented courses in the United States and golf As the equipment changed, the design a method of making golf balls by was established as a game for everyone. changed to reflect these improvements. winding rubber thread under tension The quality of courses built to accom Other developments have also caused around a central core. modate the expansion of golf was a modifications in the design of courses: The last decade has seen the intro significant factor in the rise of American duction of covered solid balls with new golf. American golf course architects, 1. The use of the wooden tee and the dimple patterns. while looking to the old Scottish and concept of teeing grounds. Originally In the late 1800s golf came to the English courses for inspiration, used the the practice was to tee up the ball United States and flourished. old courses as a point of departure and within a club's length of the hole just In 1894 representatives of leading concentrated on an analytical approach completed. clubs were brought together to form an resulting in more strategic design 2. The introduction of the riding association to conduct open and amateur concepts. golf cart in the 1950s. MARCH/APRIL 1982 25 3. The use of mechanized power nation's households were exposed to the Golf has a tremendous opportunity maintenance equipment wherein design world's finest courses and greatest to be a major factor in solving the has been modified to accommodate this players. This stimulated a great new recreational needs of our population. equipment, such as: growth of the game. However, there are also problems: 5. In the 1960s, the universities began inflation, unemployment, high interest a. Irregularly shaped tees with producing great numbers of highly and an ever-decreasing supply of ample turning radius for triplex qualified turf management professionals potable water for irrigation. However, mowers. who quickly established high standards problems are opportunities in work b. Adequate space between greens of golf course maintenance. clothes. If golf is to survive and prosper, and greenside bunkers to allow for Today we can look around us and see courses must be designed for family turning off the putting surface of that: our population is living longer — play where all classes of players can be mechanized mowing equipment. senior golf is a growing segment of the accommodated. Courses must be c. Small sand bunkers designed game; juniors must attend school longer designed to be water- and energy- for hand maintenance have been and need more opportunities to take up efficient. replaced with larger bunkers designed the game; women are changing roles in Time moves on — circumstances to accommodate power rakes. society and definitely making an impact change — the game changes — and the d. Side slopes must not be too on a game which was previously a courses must also change. It is up to us steep for large riding mowers. predominately male preserve; and the to act as stewards of the game and 4. Television brought the game into work week is being shortened with protect the characteristics and traditions America's living rooms in the 1950s. The more and longer vacations. of golf. The Cardinal bunker, Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland. .