Long has been the debate over the perceived push for longer courses or the accommodation thereof in the game. Frankly, this turns into a much broader topic than should be attempted in one post, but let’s take a shot and see where this goes. Where are we now on the whole issue of […]
Having nearly completed the back nine tour, MacKenzie was regaining his humor, at least somewhat, and seemed to be tiring a bit as they finished at #16. To #17 now, where MacKenzie spouted, “That wonderfully formed pine is gone, I assume you had it removed at some point, Mr. Payne?” “Absolutely not, sir. That tree […]
I had a dream last night. Well, I’m pretty sure it was a dream… Here’s the gist: Alister MacKenzie is not dead. He’s been hiding away in a Tibetan monastery since 1934, the date of what we had presumed to be his death. So deep and powerful has been his inward reflection all these years, […]
In an era where golf courses have fallen defenseless to the almighty length of touring professionals, we’ve seen fairways narrowed, bunkers added, trees planted, higher rough, conditions firmed up and green speeds lowered to the point that balls roll well beyond the tolerance of designed contours. Why? Because yes, “these guys are THAT good”. So […]
If you’re living most anywhere in the Eastern US, chances are good the winter of 2014 has been a long, cold and entirely forgettable stretch. The Mid-South has also endured more than it’s share of snow, ice and record-cold temps. The Upper Midwest and much of the Northeast have been nothing less than arctic, hence […]
Ah, yes…. the stimpmeter. A simple tool used to determine consistency on putting green surfaces…. and, obviously, speed. Superintendents check the speed of the greens from time to time in relation to surface contour and slopes, to help in identifying proper cupping areas. And when readings meet the acceptable range, then the green speeds are […]
A number of years ago, Brad Klein invited me to speak at Golfweek’s Restoration Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. So as I prepared for my talk, I thought it might be high time to explore just what we all refer to as a “restoration” and how that differs from a “renovation” – a discussion that would […]
Now I can recall sitting in a college lecture hall, over 20 years ago, listening to my Landscape Architecture History professor babble on about English gardens, pocket parks, Sir Humphrey Repton, Capability Brown….and a fellow by the name of Jens Jensen. Why do I remember his name? Even then, it struck me that his […]
Several weeks ago, I found myself channel surfing (a common, last ditch effort before going to bed). I happened to stumble upon a documentary program on PBS on Machu Pichu. I have always had a strong curiosity and desire to visit this Incan ruin someday, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World…so I […]
I’m not attempting to be trite here! The subject of “fun” has become a trendy topic of late and, in all seriousness, FUN is something that has frankly been overlooked in our fine game for some time. Not because of lack of interest, but because the game became perhaps a bit too serious on […]