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rse design
ASGCA members discuss
merits of design for match play
Golf Industry Show
T
he 2017 Golf Industry Show
saw golf course architects and
others from the golf industry
convene in Orlando, Florida, to
discuss the prominent themes and
topics faced throughout golf today.
Taking place from 4-9 February,
the event was attended by more
than 13,000 people. A highlight
was the ASGCA Forum
Unintended
Consequences of Stroke Play and the
Opportunities of Match Play
.
This panel discussion was
moderated by ASGCA President Greg
Martin, ASGCA, and featured ASGCA
members Mark Hollinger, Gil Hanse,
Paul Albanese and Art Schaupeter.
Panelists considered how golf
course architects influence the game
by designing for both stroke play
and match play, and how match
play can impact course maintenance
and sustainability.
“We should design golf holes that
reward courageous play,” Hanse
said. Albanese noted that match
play encourages architects to take
on ‘higher contrast’ risk/reward. He
believes design that allows players
to take on the ‘courageous’ route
offers higher potential reward, and
if that doesn’t work out for a player
on that hole, he or she just moves
on. But when high risk fails during
stroke play, the golfer may never
recover from a high score on a
single hole.
Match play is viewed by Schaupeter
as a chance for the golf course
architect to design for the playing
experience, rather than meeting a set
of requirements for a pre-established
score of what par is. “For golf to be
sustainable, it has to be enjoyable,”
Schaupeter said.
The panel also discussed design
trends, the challenges currently
facing golf, the important role
maintenance and operations play in
the modern age, and the challenge
of handicapping.
Many of the proposed rules changes
and related recommendations from
The R&A and USGA could help to
reduce the time it takes to play golf:
Three minute search
The time allowed to search for a
lost ball will be reduced from five to
three minutes.
New penalty areas
Red and yellow-staked penalty areas
may now cover areas such as desert
and jungle, in addition to areas
of water. Lateral relief is therefore
allowed, eliminating the need to
search for a ball or return to the tee
to play again.
40 seconds per shot
The proposed rules suggest a
maximum of 40 seconds for each
stroke to be played.
Play when ready
Rather than waiting for ‘the honor,’
players are encouraged to adopt
a ‘ready golf’ approach, by taking
their stroke as soon as they are
ready, as long as it is safe to do so.
Maximum score
Clubs are being encouraged to
introduce a maximum score
per hole (such as triple
bogey), enabling golfers
to complete holes quicker.
Hitting the pin
When a ball
strikes the flagstick
during a putt,
a penalty will no
longer be incurred.
Faster golf
From left, ASGCA President Greg Martin with ASGCA members Mark Hollinger,
Gil Hanse, Art Schaupeter, and Paul Albanese
We should design
golf holes that
reward
courageous play
Photo: ASGCA