“In War Times, I Don't Think That the Course Would Have Changed Much

COURSE Feature Back to the future

Scott MacCallum visits Moortown Golf Club, which hosted the first Ryder Cup match on this side of the Atlantic, and discovers a restoration project which is returning the course to its best

Six months from now the who has studied MacKenzie thor- world of sport will have turned oughly - travelling far and wide to its attention away from the experience golf courses first hand Olympics and will be focussed and reading everything the great firmly on Medinah Country man wrote on the subject of golf Club, in Chicago, and the course design. He has also worked Ryder Cup. Golf fans, general at other MacKenzie courses includ- sports fans, even non sports ing Moortown’s near neighbour, fans, will be kept enthralled as Alwoodley, putting that knowledge fortunes sway throughout the to good use. three days and 28 matches, Ken was originally brought in but among the most interested by Moortown in 2004, along with observers will be the members namesake, former Ryder Cup of Moortown Golf Club which player and now BBC television played host to the first Ryder commentator, Ken Brown, and MAIN IMAGE RIGHT: 1937 Aerial Shot of Green’s Cup on this side of the Atlantic woodland management expert, Nursery at the back of in 1929. John Nicholson, with the brief of the 9th and 11th Greens with 13th fairway in the The razzmatazz which surrounds improving the challenge for the foreground the most recent playings of the better golfer. Over time that remit The Ryder Cup 1929, with Ryder Cup wasn’t quite the same at has expanded and the current Leo Diegel (BELOW) and Walter Hagen (INSET) Moortown in Leeds, West Yorkshire, work includes an extensive bunker driving from the 9th tee that May, but golfing aficionados of renovation and the remodelling of the time would have been extremely two holes – the 6th and 7th – which impressed that the American team will be concluded this spring. containing such legendary figures “In war times, I don’t think “The impetus for the more recent as Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, work coincided with the arrival of Horton Smith and Leo Diegel was that the course would Course Manager, Steve Robinson, beaten 7-5 to level the series at one have changed much since and some key members of the all. The British team containing, Moortown Committee visiting other among others Henry Cotton, Abe MacKenzie last visited for MacKenzie courses, including INSET ABOVE: The Ryder Cup 1929, Scoreboard after the first Mitchell, George Duncan and the Cypress Point and Pasatiempo Golf day, and Ryder Cup Teams Whitcombe brothers, came from the Ryder Cup in 1929” Club, in California. (RIGHT) 2.5 – 1.5 down in the Foursomes to Ken Moodie, Architect “They have seen the restoration MAIN ABOVE: 1937 Aerial Shot work that has been done on those of Green’s Nursery at the back win the Singles 5.5 to 2.5. of the 9th and 11th Greens with If, prior to settling down in front of courses, as have I, and we wanted 13th fairway in foreground the TV to watch the latest chapter in to do the same with Moortown,” INSET ABOVE RIGHT: 1937: The the Ryder Cup saga, the Moortown explained Ken. Moor Holes seen from above Green’s Nursery members decide to play a few holes Mackenzie styling includes very they will do so on a course which distinctive longer noses on bunkers has been modified and modernised, and much more intricate and yet returned to the style created by interesting shapes, and the work Leeds Doctor, Alistair MacKenzie, has been carried out in-house with who honed his skills in the UK and the assistance of a freelance shaper Australia before heading to the US ensuring that Ken’s plans make the and designing Augusta National transition from paper to play. and Cyprus Point. The results so far are stunning. The Club has worked closely As a starting point Ken had with architect Ken Moodie, a man acquired a 1948 aerial photograph

16 GI MARCH 2012 MARCH 2012 GI 17 COURSE Feature Back to the future

Scott MacCallum visits Moortown Golf Club, which hosted the first Ryder Cup match on this side of the Atlantic, and discovers a restoration project which is returning the course to its best

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COURSE Feature TORO HAS THE WIDEST RANGE of the golf course which had been Steve and the club took the deci- Mackenzie styling includes taken by the RAF when they flew sion that they would undertake the the country after the war. bunker rebuilding work in-house very distinctive longer noses on “I don’t think that the course aided by a locally based freelance OF AERATION EQUIPMENT. would have changed much from shaper. bunkers and much more intricate when MacKenzie had last visited “We felt that given our particular and interesting shapes, ensuring for the Ryder Cup in ’29 to then, situation with peat subsoil and so we could be fairly sure that it our weather conditions that it that Ken Moodie’s plans make the was close to his original design,” he was better to employ a freelance transition from paper to play THAT’S A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. explained. shaper who I could call on, once Steve arrived at the club five years I’ve checked the weather forecast ago from Blackmoor, in Hampshire, for the following day, rather than much in keeping with the MacKen- where he had managed a similar being charged for big plant and men zie style and it has meant that skills renovation programme. not being able to work because the have developed. “After the War, to cut down on conditions don’t allow it, which is a They have also derived great sat- TORO is the manufacturer of some of costs, many bunkers were filled in downside of employing an outside isfaction from beginning work on the finest turfcare machinery in the world and we earmarked where many of contractor,” said Steve, who added what would be a reinstated bunker, these were,” explained Steve, who that his team were doing a superb which Ken had sited using evidence today. And now, with the recent addition of also added that there were some job and that their skills levels were from the aerial photograph, and the ProCore SR Series, it is world leader in large “waste area” bunkers for rising all the time. discovering sand which had been which it would have been a step to “It’s not purely the cost, it’s the there since the days of the original deep-tine aeration. TORO produces the far to re-produce, while others were damage that can be incurred when bunker. widest range of aeration machinery in the in areas which would no longer be you feel obliged to let the work go “It’s a bit like archaeology – Time in play. ahead rather than have men and Team stuff,” said Ken, who is on industry and has a machine to suit all your “Since I started in 2007 we’ve machines sitting idle.” site at least once a week during the aeration needs. Now, isn't that a breath filled in four bunkers and built The outcome has been that the The 11th bunker as it used to project. 29. We’ve gone from 66 to 91,” he team has done a great deal of the be (LEFT) and how it is now The Moortown soil structure has FREE of fresh air? Please contact us today for a revealed. work by hand which has been very (BELOW) caused them a few issues however. ONSITE free demonstration. DEMONSTRATION Call 01480 226800 or visit www.toro.com CALL LELY ON 01480 226800

MacKenzie’s Bunker (11th hole)

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COURSE Feature

“Breaker Dynamic surpassed

MacKenzie’s Mound (12th hole) all other “We are built on peat and we would have situations were the whole base of a bunker would be on the move,” explained Steve. “We would dig out a bunker but treatments ...for Dry Patch if it rained between Ken’s visits it ” meant that the team had to wade into bunkers, which resembled UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA TRIALS, 2010 duck ponds, to dig them out. I’ve got pictures of the guys in wellies and waterproof clothing taking bucket- fuls of what looks like peat soup out and decanting it into Pro Gators. It It’s the chemistry that counts! Breaker Dynamic is was stagnant horrible stuff. , Best ever control and prevention of Dry MAIN ABOVE: The 12th bunker formulated using an extremely long repeating Patch “If Ken said he wanted it another and INSET ABOVE: How it used chain of tri-block co-polymer surfactants which to be , Moves moisture away from turf surface four inches deeper we’d then need allow different chemical properties to be to go down that, plus an extra four OTHERS: The Moortown staff carrying out work on bunkers combined into one active. Tri-block polymers offer , Penetrates through the hydrophobic layer or five inches to accommodate the beside the 6th green excellent spreading properties, others enhance , Encourages improved root growth several inches of angular 25mm- penetration with further benefits providing long , Maximises irrigation efficiency 40mm stone which we’d discovered term re-wetting. Its unique penetrant ensures was the best way to firm up the water is moved down through the soil profile and , Liquid, granular, tablet and fairway bunker,” said Steve. thatch layer to where it is needed in the rootzone. formulations Ken wasn’t unsympathetic, however, and worked with both the land and the crew to find solutions. NEW “We compromised on some of the bunker depths and built up the banks a bit higher instead. What we are trying to do has got to be BREAKER achievable and you have to create something that is going to work in the long term. I’m sure MacKenzie Industry proven, University tested GI 20 MARCH 2012 Freefone: 0800 424 919 Web: www.rigbytaylor.com eMail: [email protected] COURSE Feature

would have done the same,” said licence last year and we work closely much of what has been done to Ken. with the Forestry Commission to come through. Part of the project is the re- ensure that they are comfortable “Members do appreciate that designing of the 6th and 7th holes, with everything that is being done,” trees can have a negative impact on which have long been recognised explained John, who also has some keeping and introducing heather, as the weakest on the course. They interesting views of gorse. but they also think that once had been a late addition in the “The reason we’ve got gorse the trees have been removed the late 80s and early 90s, following on these courses is that it was heather will come back on its own. boundary issues and the removal introduced in the Middle Ages as “They don’t always realise that of other holes on the edge of the fodder for livestock. Women and the tree removal is only the first course, but restrictions in place at children collected it in the summer stage and that it still requires the time meant there was a limit and made it into a rich porridge for work to bring back the heather. We to what could be achieved by the their animals. It was man-made INSET BELOW: The 7th (before) scrape back the soil to expose dor- replacements. and imported from Spain and it has and MAIN RIGHT: the 7th as mant heather seed, some of which a photomontage for the new John Nicholson has been instru- become very invasive and is now design, being held up by Ken have been buried for 80 years. mental in ensuring that the work probably the biggest danger, along Moodie (MAIN BELOW) “You can be looking at a mini- required to create the new holes with trees, to the heathland/moor- is in keeping with the heathland/ land environment,” he explained, moorland nature of the rest of the adding that they had already taken course while at the same time con- out a lot of gorse at Moortown. forming to Forestry Commission When assessing a site John demands. considers the agronomic, strategic The new holes will benefit from and the ecological elements but the removal of trees and the intro- there is another issue which takes duction of heather which will open precedence. up the holes in keepi ng with the “The genius loci – the spirit of the other 16. The new bunkering will place – is what you’ve got to assess also blend in with the others. on day one. You’ve got to take on Indeed, a couple of days earlier board that whatever we do has to a beech tree had been removed be in keeping with the landscape.” from the side of the 7th green As we spoke the construction and replaced with wonderful new work was around 50% completed bunker. but Steve was well aware that it “The club acquired a felling would take time for the results of

mum of two to three years before tect, but which would make life made decisions on the golf course you see results. It’s not like growing much easier, is a crystal ball. and while a lot of them are good grass,” said Steve, who has learned “You have to look ahead and ideas, it can be more haphazard to highlight out of play areas for the anticipate how far the ball might than bringing in professionals, initial plots. be travelling in 20, even 50, years who can take all considerations on “If you choose areas in play which time but that will be determined by board,” explained Ken. are then GUR for a long period of a combination of technology and With its rich heritage and unique time you will get members coming regulation, and really no-one can link with the Ryder Cup the Moor-

up to you in 18 months saying, ‘It’s know for sure. John Nicholson town members have taken the deci- still not happening, forget it. It’s What we do know is that the tees sion to embrace the professional not going to work’,” said Steve, who at many clubs have been pushed advice they have been given. carries the confidence of knowing right back as far as they can go, but Those interested in all things that similar work at Blackmoor if we were to plan for today, bunkers Ryder Cup, who choose to visit produced the results and that could be in the wrong place tomor- Moortown in this year of the latest patience is rewarded. row and we have to do what is best match, will receive a warm welcome So what does the third man in the in the long term interests of the golf as well as a wonderful opportunity Ken Moodie, John Nicholson, Ken course.” to play an updated version of Brown partnership think. We often come across situations the course which faced Cotton, Steve Robinson, As the only one to have actually where golf club members have BIGGA Member for 18 years Duncan, Sarazen and Hagen. “After visiting MacKenzie played in a Ryder Cup Ken brings a professional golfer’s eye to a project, courses, Cypress Point and Moortown GC Clubhouse and the experience of having broad- Pasatiempo Golf Club, in cast from 100s of the world’s finest golf courses. California, and seeing the “There are three ways of under- restoration work that has been taking a project – restoration, renovation or revolution – but by far the done on those courses, we best approach is restoration,” said wanted to do the same with Ken, who was key in determining the position of the bunkers on the Moortown” two redesigned holes. Ken Moodie, Architect (left) who is That is a task which is not as straightforward as the average remodelling the 7th hole ( as shown) golfer may believe as Ken is very aware that the one piece of kit not possessed by any golfer or archi-

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