The earlier piece on the Pampered Pro is pretty much indicative of the directions many courses are headed. Manicured tee boxes, immaculate fairways, closely mown rough, bunkers that are dressed better than me, and greens that are as smooth as a baby’s bottom (OK, maybe not that smooth but you get the idea) are where today’s courses are headed. And along with that, the costs of those improvements are passed along to club members or daily fee players. Is it wrong to chase varying degrees of opulence? You bet!
Not only can’t today’s average course afford the move upward, golfers aren’t willing to pay for something that adds little or no value to the overall experience.
I think it’s time for course superintendents to think in terms of less is more. There is a reason bunkers are called hazards. A bump here or an unkempt area there won’t hurt a thing. Keep in mind, they’re called hazards for a reason and they do gobble up a sizable part of the course’s operating budget. Also, the area between the fairway and out of bounds stakes is called rough – return it to that. There are some courses where you actually get better lies in the rough (not as much play) than you do on a fairway. By it’s very nature, the rough was never intended to look like someone’s manicured lawn.
I applaud the step taken at last year’s Memorial – Jack Nicklaus’ staff removed every other tine from the bunker rakes creating prominent ridges in the sand. And guess what, the sand save stat moved from just above 49% down 8 points to just above 41%.
Clearly, IMHO, less is more.
OK, so what’s the Imbroglio at the Ranch? We’re having the same discussions – bunkers and recently (thanks to a mass email that went out under my name) the rough. So, is less more? You ‘betcha!
