Golf Course Architecture: Issue 57 - July 2019

55 so we decided to focus on the two most impactful greens of the three holes we were looking at, the sixth and the eighth. “For that hundred thousand, we were able to execute plans, shaping, removal of more than fifteen trees, and purchase of materials – that is to say sand and sod that couldn’t be harvested from the on-site nursery, stone and pipe. We were also able to pay for a contractor – Mottin Golf – to install drainage, do finish work on bunkers, core green expansions including installing mix and some sod work. The in-house crew did all the rest with me – moving sod, installing Capillary Concrete in bunkers, compacting greens mix, irrigation, installing sand, basically whatever was needed. The whole project took three weeks, and the results so far are looking great.” The process of value engineering – analysing any project or system to improve the ratio of performance to cost – has a bad reputation in some circles, as many believe that it is simply a way to drive cost out of a product or service, with little attention given to functionality. But done properly, that isn’t the case, and something very akin to value engineering can work well in the context of golf design. Scottish-based architect and shaper Clyde Johnson reports that this sort of approach has paid dividends in his work with the Seacroft links in Lincolnshire on the east coast of England. “That Seacroft maintains a fine reputation as one of England’s best links owes as much to an attitude of preservation as it does to the early architectural evolution of Willie Fernie’s original design,” he says. “Classic links features – deep pots to the flanks and centrally, quiet but subtly-diverse greens abound, and fleeting encounters with rugged terrain – dominate. “Sensibly, the committee at Seacroft recognised that their course should reflect the playing interests of a ‘membership of mainly older members’. It was important that my recommendations would amount to a modest yet thoughtful refinement. With plenty of ‘bang’ for very little buck, the greenkeeping team has begun by adjusting mowing lines. On fairways, the purpose is to add playing strategy and visual interest to the holes, encouraging players to play to one side off the tee for an easier line of approach. Sometimes a shorter route is offered with the compromise of impaired visibility or poorer playing line. On other occasions, shorter grass allows the creative golfer to use the natural terrain – a small fold/bump or broader slope – creatively for their benefit. “Where there are areas at the margins flat enough, expanded greens have been mown-out to bring the wing hazards more into play – creating challenging locations for the stronger player, with the benefit of spreading heavy traffic. Significant expansions to the tenth and twelfth greens create variety in type of shot and angle At Sara Bay in Florida, architect Kris Spence was able to restore the Donald Ross greens without rebuilding them, by removing 12 inches of excess rootzone Photo: Kris W. Spence Spence Golf Inc.