A long time has passed since the last Open but John Philp and his team will present a modern, and formidable challenge for this month's Championship. Scott MacCallum paid them a visit...

Many happy returns Think back to 1975... even for those of us who were alive at the time it seems like an absolute age ago. Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and no-one, outside of her closest friends, had even heard of Margaret Thatcher. We'd not long since had the three day week and endured many an evening hud- dled around candles. Cars had sensible names like Morris Minor and Ford Anglia, not Xantia or Ka.

It was 24 long years ago - almost a quarter of a century - and marks the last time was played at Carnoustie. To those who know Carnoustie's revered reputation - the toughest course in the country and one where only the finest golfers in the world can win - it seems almost unbeliev- able that there should be such a long wait between Carnoustie Opens.

However behind the bland statistics that highlight the time lapse is a story as interesting as any which unfolded during any of the five Opens that have been hosted by the Angus town. It wouldn't overstating the matter "Without him I don't think we to say that Carnoustie, and the trials would be where we are. He guaran- and tribulations which went into win- teed the investment that I've enjoyed ning back The Open, would have and benefited from and allowed me made an ideal subject for a fly on the to do what we've done though staff wall documentary over the last 20 levels, equipment, materials and vears or so and credit for the fact that course alterations." The Open does make a triumphant It was Jock Calder who had brought return later this month is down to John to Carnoustie in 1985. many. Tragically, however the one "I was Walter Woods' Deputv at St person who did more than anvone Andrews but saw this a big challenge, else to bring the Championship back just the sort of thing that 1 enjoy, to Carnoustie will not be there to see because vou can take something for- it. ward and see it develop and mature." lock Calder was Chairman of the It is a challenge he embraced with Carnoustie Links Management real relish and the effort and atten- Committee and a man whose per- tion he has poured in the sonality was stamped all over the Championship course and the two Angus town's efforts to win back other links, the Burnside and the 's premier Championship. |ock Buddon over the last 14 years is quite died two years ago, tnankfully after remarkable. it had been confirmed that the last "My remit, as put to me by Jock Open Champion of the millennium Calder, was to get the course back to would join an elite toll of honour that a championship standard and to contains the names , bring the other two up to a similar Henry Cotton, , Gary standard as well. I was asked to pro- Plaver and . duce a five vear programme...and "I'm looking forward to it, without there is still a five vear programme in a doubt, but the only sad thing which place," explained John. will never go away for me is the fact It would be fair to say that that lock Calder will not be here to Carnoustie had suffered from a lack see it...The man who brought The of investment and that the condi- Open back to Carnoustie," said Golf tioning of the course had suffered as Below: John Philp Links Superintendent, John Philp. a result but other problems were also with some of his team stacked against an Open's return, including the pr access to the links and the lack of a quality hotel. That omission was finally corrected in Mav with the opening of a stunning 85 bedrtxim hotel overlooking the 18th There were also patches of Rye grass green which will undoubtedly soon which John reckoned had been intro- become an established landmark in duced many years before based on the world of golf. the logical thinking at the time that "When I arrived I had 11 men to a grass which offered gtxid germina- cover the three courses and the tion, operated well under drought degeneration had gone on over agtxxl stress conditions, was tough and number of years,' he said. recovered well from damage was well "The first thing to establish was the worth using. corrective programme to restore the "You often go up fairwavs and see indigenous grasses and the heather, tufts of the little blighters probably which had receded badly because of caused by divot filling vears ago." liming and the use of 20-10-10 com- His first step was to introduce a nx>t pound fertiliser. /one environment which encouraged "Fairways and greens were very the fine grasses to compete. much poa dominated although some "We had to get the aeration going natural fescues and bents had man- so we hired a vertidrain as there was aged to survive." nothing in the sheds other than an

22 Greenkeeper International July 1999 original Sisis Hydromain and a bar- especially in the late 80s. Without it inches in si/e and anchored by a tee, "It wasn't intended to be a contin- rel spiker. 1 took the little barrel onto we wouldn't have enjoyed the same which had first been used at uation every winter but it's happened the 4th green within a week of start - success rate." Scotscraig Coif Club about 20 years ever since and this year we had an i ng and the turf rolled up like a carpet. It was the success of the seeding earlier but the other options put for- extra month and the mats were in use I knew it was weak but not quite that which brought about the introduc- ward to the Committee were lifting until May 1st," adding that mats weak." tion of Carnoustie's famous astroturf off the fairways and playing from the don't repair dead ground they just I hey undertook a huge programme mats. rough, teeing it up on the fairways or play a part in fairway recovery." of overseeding - for some years he has "Wegot a brilliant strike rate in '89 just carrying on as usual. Alongside the corrective pro- been using Barenbrug seed - on the and I thought that we really needed "I said it would only lie for the gramme )ohn had also proposed to back of the aeration work and returf- some protection over the winter so as November to the March, lock backed the committee that he felt that no ing on the fairways and a 17 acre turf not to lose the benefits. We apply sea- me to the hilt and it was carried. matter how good the turf quality nursery was introduced. This was all weed sprays to aid seed When the 1st of April arrived and became the course would still nave a ¡tided by the staged introduction of a establishment. We also change the evervone saw pristine fairways with shortfall because there were elements (airways, greens and tees route of play in the winter to help the no divots they were delighted and that required attention. Watermation irrigation system that walk off areas but 1 felt the fairways come the next year they said 'We'll "There were internal design ele- was installed. would benefit further from nobody be continuing with the mats no doubt ments which I felt were lacking for "It was a great saviour for all the hacking into them all winter." John,' without me having to say any- modem Opens to test today's top seeding and patch working we did lohn favoured the mats, five by nine thing. players ana there were lots of areas Above: A fine example where the course's potential had not lay-up areas in a bid to encourage them there and have a little more semi rough, of one of Carnoustie's been nearly realised," he explained. to take a wood. rather than thick stuff so he is pre- revetted bunkers Donald Steel was called in around "Top players have very good at vented from being overly punished," '87, looked at the proposals lohn had course management and their number said John, who as an ex-greenkeep- suggested, rubber stamped them and one criteria from the tee is to find the er/professional lias the golf game to added a few more. fairway even if it means adding sever- play the shots himself and see where "I looked at the design of holes and al clubs to their approach shot. these types of situations are likely to how the players attack it. Professional "On certain holes we've tried to arise. golfers are much more capable now. entice the player into taking wood The Carnoustie team - there is now Mentally they have improved, they are because the lay-up area is fraught with a to 28 including a workshop staff of physically much more powerful, they danger as well." four and four apprentices - do all the have got better equipment and what John is also making the players think construction work in-house and work they c;in reduce a golf course to is quite around the greens. on a policy of rebuilding 30-40 of the amazing." "We've rebuilt five greens on the 115 Championship course bunkers a To highlight the point |ohn talked Championship course and, other than year, although in preparation for The about tne famous Hogan's Alley - on the 18th where the committee want- Open this winter they rebuilt 80. Carnoustie's par-5 6th. Much of ed the original contours retained, we've "I've got to hand it to my staff. The Carnoustie's mystique can be credited brought in more subtle contouring." target was to set a standard for the new to Ben Hogan who only played in one This has allowed a variety of recov- millennium and they really have pro- Open, at Carnoustie in 1953. He low- ery shot requirements to be duced the goods. It would be very ered his score in each of the four introduced. difficult to better what they've rounds, closing with a superb 68, and "Some raised greens are cut short all achieved here," said John. each time on the final day he played the way round so if you run through "We have recontoured the land to the notorious 6th he ignored the safe the green the ball keeps going and many bunker lead in areas to create a line and played his tee shot between you're left with a tricky chip, especial- gathering effect and in the bunkers the bunkers and the out-of-bounds to ly to a tight pin placement. On another themselves have a 30 degree slope to the left of the fairvvav. green you run off into a fluffv fescue the face and a small lip at the back, of "Nowadays top players take these semi rough about two inches long. about two rows of revetments high, bunkers out of tne equation by blast- "If offers up a variety of challenges. which stops people having to clamber ing straight over them so the R&A Why should it be consistent? Whv out and eroding the sides." asked if we could put in a new bunker should there be a set width of senii It is another example of the care and behind the existing ones to preserve rough? We've sculpted it differendy on attention to detail that pervades every- the challenge of the hole," said John, specific holes. thing John Philp and his team who wrote to prior to "For example the 4th is a dogleg left accomplish at Carnoustie and it would playing host to the Scottish Open in and, if the fairways are hard during The be a sate bet that thanks to all the work 95 and '96 for his Uioughts on the Open a player could quite easily run carried out both on and off the course power of today's players and their out of fairway and lose his ball. But he that has been carried out the next affect on our championship courses. wouldn't have hit a particularly bad Open to be staged at the course will John has also looked at the players' shot. So we'll give him a bit of leeway not be in the vear 2023.