Technical
“More complex shapes include amoeba forms resembling kidneys and hearts, and, sometimes, squarer shapes with all sorts of kinks in the perimeter”
Generally, the shorter the approach shot is, the smaller the green can be although, as discussed above, the size shouldn’t ever be completely predictable.
Green shape
Greens can form many shapes, but they are largely circular in form. The simple circle or oval means that, once on the green, any pin should be accessible by putting over the green surface only. More complex shapes include amoeba forms resembling kidneys and hearts, and, sometimes, squarer shapes with all sorts of kinks in the perimeter, and these can be interesting and appear attractive, especially if the shapes are following the shape of the contours. These shapes may, however,
compromise successful design if a pin placement is in one corner of the green and the player’s ball is in another, with a curve of fringe in between. The player will have to play through the fringe in order to access the pin, and this should be avoided in the interests of the greenkeeper, as players may be tempted to use a wedge to access the flag, potentially harming the green surface (see figure 1). A donut shaped green was created by George C. Thomas Jr. at Riviera Country Club in California. A bunker is placed in the centre of a fairly severely sloping green of a mid length par 3, highlighting the importance of accuracy for the approaching golfer. The shape of the green can either
reflect or oppose the desired approach shot to be played in order to influence the strategy of the golfer playing the hole. Approach shots over a greater distance may reflect the shape of the shot with a longer section to catch balls being fired in from a long distance. Shorter holes can sometimes afford
green shapes that are a lot wider than they are long, creating a line of defence
122 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Figure 1. Showing how the shape of a green can work for or against the golfer playing into the wrong portion of the green
that only accurate golfers can play successfully into. The whole surface does not, however, need to be dictated by the approach length, rather a successful shot from a length should be rewarded by at least part of the green by allowing the successful approaching golfer to putt their next shot.
Technical changes in green design
The construction of a green has altered drastically since the game was formalised and brought to the world from Scotland over one hundred years ago. Before irrigation systems existed, the fashion of green construction was to create a saucer shape of clay beneath a surface of a similar shape, in order to catch water and effectively store it below the surface to feed the turf. Since irrigation systems have been modified for use on golf courses, the shape has swapped from concave to convex, the modern theory being that water that is shed effectively gives more control to the greenkeeper who can feed the turf with a regulated amount of water, when they see fit. This level of regulation allows for shorter cuts to be applied to green surfaces which, again, affect the way a green can be designed. Maintenance issues can occur on modern surfaces with steep slopes, as grass will struggle to grow at such a short length creating bare and scorched spots or damp and moss infestation depending on aspect and air flow. These tend to be avoided in new courses at the design stage but, if already in existence, can be altered in a number of ways.
They can be physically ironed out or the angle altered to either give more or less sun to the slope, or the factors causing the problem can be removed. For example, a north facing slope may be moss ridden or soggy, but removing
surrounding trees and shrubs, improving the air and light flow through the area, can effectively reduce the opportunity for dew to sit, or water to gather. The composition of a modern green is
regulated by the United States Golf Association, which has founded a standard method of installation. This method is found to be the most effective at draining water from the surface, whilst maintaining a satisfactory sward of turf if maintained correctly on the majority of sites.
The base layer of the USGA specification is a depth of gravel with a herringbone pattern of drains laid beneath it. This has a layer of rootzone (soil and sand mixture) above it, onto which the green standard turf is laid, or seed sown. A blinding layer of sand can be placed between the two main layers if it is believed that the rootzone may contaminate the soil (eventually clogging up the drainage system).
This article has discussed all the elements that Andy Watson considers when designing or redesigning a green into a golf hole. This is part three of four in Andy Watson’s series on the Anatomy of a Golf Course. Previous articles focused on the teeing ground and bunkers. The next issue, and
final article in the series, will look at fairways and how they tie together all the elements mentioned in the first three articles. Contact Andy Watson Golf Design for help on your next project:
www.andywatsongolfdesign.co.uk
Riviera Country Club
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156