You're going to see them more than enough if you watch the Olympic golf coverage, but one of the great accomplishments of this course will be taking a property and making it better for wildlife through nature-based design and maintenance. That message hopefully is picked up by much of the world and may be one more important than who wins, or which developing nation gets more funding.
Gil Hanse told me today he's already seen a few bird species he never saw during construction and even he's astonished by the wildlife activity at a place that was already so active.
Here are the burrowing owls at the 9th, who have been allowed to do their thing. The Rules of Golf naturally allow for relief from this situation for the safety of all in involved.
A couple of shots from the ninth hole:
And the American contingent checking out the Capybara swimming around the 5th hole. Here's Rickie Fowler checking out the giant rodent who was busy munching on some greens.
As I noted in this week'sGolf World, uniformity will not be a word you'll hear this week at the Olympic Golf Course, one already little known to players and adding another local knowledge element: different sands.
Gil Hanse explains in this exclusive to GeoffShackelford.com why the sand shades and textures are different throughout the course, something unique to the site incorporated both for sustainability, cost savings and rewarding those skillful enough to do their homework. Let the howling begin!
We also discuss how the sandbelt style of bunkering came about.
An exclusive to GeoffShackelford.com, architect Gil Hanse discussed with me about the finishing holes as we look at his renderings. Tomorrow he'll explain why you're going to see different colors of sand through the property and the look of the bunker style. (Thanks to Sean Gilroy for the crack editing work!)
As I have with all the previous flyovers, I encourage a look at Golf Digest's drone shots sponsored by Adobe. They really are a pleasure to watch, as narrated by Hanse.
The closing three holes of the front nine return to the upper shelf of the property where the sandy influence is stronger. The long par-4 7th plays493/407 yards into the wind with a strong false front green.
Gil Hansenarrates the flyover for Golf Digest. Here is his final rendering.
The par-3 eighth (172/154) certainly exudes ties to the Redan and given the terrain it was set on, the fit was not forced. The rendering and the flyover:
‘ The par-4 ninth hole brings a little blindness and weirdness to close out the front nine, playing 369 yards for the men and 324 yards for the women. The rendering.
Gil Hanse, golf architect of The Olympic Golf Course in Rio and many other projects, joined host Harry Arnett and sidekick Amanda Balionis in Carlsbad for episode 12/season 2 of Callaway Live.
I made two visits to Turnberry around The Open at Troon, and as The Donald prepares to accept the nomination, I hope you can set your views aside and just appreciate what he and his family have done to replinish and update Turnberry.
Every element of the experience is exceptional. Granted, I'm happy at the Brora's and Cruden Bays of the world, but I don't knock the person with money wanting to enjoy a luxurious, five-star experience. Trump and his team, spearheaded by golf architect Martin Ebert, has delivered for that audience and brought new life to one of the world's most amazing resorts, as envisioned over 100 years ago.
Before the focus turns away from the west coast of Scotland and the epic 145th Open, I hope we can also remember the importance of Prestwick Golf Club and all that it means tothe game. Daydreaming a bit while walking around the clubhouse with club historian Andrew Lockhead, one an easily imagine what that first gathering of professionals was like, capped off by Tom Morris hitting the opening shot. But what strikes most is how, based on the documentation and formality of the proceedings, how those involved knew they were on to something historic.
The Archive Room, with pencilled-in scores from the 1860s, tells tales of terrible traumas outside. Darwin added: “Holes and bunkers that can bring down great men with so terrible a crash deserve great names and in these Prestwick is rich; the Slough of Despond, Purgatory, the Goose Dubs, Lion’s Den, the Pill Box, the Precentor’s Desk and Sandy Neuk.” It feels friendlier in the clubhouse.
“I am obviously biased,” says Goodwin, “but I think Prestwick is unquestionably the best golf club in the world. The whole ethos is to have fun, and lots of it.”
Thanks to Lockhead and secretary Ken Goodwin, I was able to see the magnificent club archives where all of the key old scorecards from the Opens at Prestwick are lovingly bound into a permanent volume, while each important letter related to The Open is still in the club's possession. (We discussed on Morning Drive earlier in the week.)
Check out the actual scorecard from Young Tom Morris' 3 on the then 578-yard first hole:
Detailed look at the face of the belt, from an exact replica on display at The Open this week.
While the initial contest was for the Champion Belt and was essentially an invitational open to those with ties to ten or so clubs, it was the realization that the "world" needed to be part of "Open" competition that proves so mesmerizing to see put on paper. It makes the branding emphasis on open take on greater meaning.
As for Prestwick's architecture, the course retains its playing charm and design fascination, an astounding notion given how so many courses do not age well. The appreciation heard last week for its merits is heartening and offers more evidence that a greater awareness for design is in the game. Just like North Berwick's recent renaissance, Prestwick no longer is getting tagged with a negative "quirky" or "bizarre" labels. Instead, the overall walkability, memorability, variety and at times, audacity of the holes appeals to a broader golf audience than 20 years ago. The fun word is getting throw about too, and never in that demeaning way suggesting the course is too "easy."
The Himalayas remains such a thrill to play, and a great reminder that blind can be exhilarating. What I can't figure out: why the blindness is better received in 2016 than even 2006? Is it the awareness before arriving at Prestwick that has people prepared? Or just the overall desire to have a sense of a natural adventure that has been re-introduced by more lay-of-the-land courses? Either way...
And the 17th/Alps remains as bizarrely nutty as ever. How did they play this with a baffing spoon!?
Prestwick's place in the game is as vital as the Old Course is today. It was the birthplace of professional golf and a testing ground for golf architecture both manmade and natural. Because of its place through golf history as a joyous locale for the game--continued on by today's club--Prestwick should always be one of your first stops for a Scotland golf pilgrimage.
Furthermore, many clubs with a trace of the history Prestwick enjoys could learn from the way this grand place in the game proudly shares itself with the world for all to come and see and play. Every professional golfer should pay a visit out of respect for those who gave birth to their pastime.
The firm of Mackenzie & Ebert, founded in 2005, has been entrusted with some of the world's most important links. The former staff members of Donald Steel's firm have proven up to the task of addressing difficult issues while leaving behind architectural touches that restore and embellish.
I was fearful that any Cruden Bay tinkering could be problematic, but Tom Mackenzie made the 9th hole significantly better, injecting several new elements to form a more dramatic hole befitting the epic location of that short par-5. A new tee angle at the 10th improved the look and feel of the tee shot, while addressing a safety matter brought on by modern technology.
Mackenzie's design partner, Martin Ebert, kindly took time to give us insights into three links he has worked at and which are very much on the minds of golfers: Turnberry, Royal Portrush and Royal Troon.
As The Open gets underway at Troon, Ebert fills us in on the work done at these three landmark courses. I'll be posting a ful Turnberry review after an evening round in the rain. In short, the transformation is magnificent. But in the meantime, please enjoy his thoughts as well as links to Mackenzie and Ebert's groundbreaking use of presentation graphics.
GS: What would be the best description for the work at Turnberry: redesign, modernization, restoration, renovation or some combination of all?
ME: That is an excellent question as there is a combination of all of the descriptions which could apply.
'Redesign' can definitely be applied as we have, I would say, 5 completely new holes within the layout. The 6th is really a new par 3, having new tees and a new green in different locations and the hole is a much shorter par 3 than it was before. The 9th is a new par 3, albeit played from the same general teeing area as the old, hog's back par 4. The 10th has been extended to a par 5 with new back tees and a new green so I would claim that this is really a new hole. The 11th is a new par 3 occupying a different piece of ground than the old hole. Finally the 14th is routed into completely new land from tees in a similar location to the old hole and the hole is now a par 5 rather than a par 4. A case could even be made for the 1st being a new hole as well as the tees and green have both been extended backwards and the landing area bunkering has been reconfigured. So I think that the changes would constitute redesign.
'Modernization' also applies as I believe that we have made the course fit to test the greatest players in the world and the way that they play the game from a range of new tees and green locations. Some of the changes would not have been possible in years gone by. The players would not have carried the ball far enough to take on the new tee shots at the 9th and 10th holes for instance. However, the course needs to meet the modern demands of average club member and visitor play as this will be the use of The Ailsa for 99% of its time.
In pursuit of that, I believe that we have made the course more 'fit for purpose' as it should now be more enjoyable for the vast majority of golfers. They now have five par 3s to play and almost all golfers love playing par 3s, and we have added two par 5s to the front nine, leading to four in total, which makes the 5th and the 7th holes, previously par 4s, much more playable. In another way we have modernized the course by providing more flag positions on many of the greens. Higher green speeds have meant, as with all courses, that some areas of greens which used to be suitable for flag positions no longer are. That was especially the case at Turnberry where many of the greens had a 'bowl' like shape with the edges of the greens just too sloping to be useable. We have softened some of these areas to provide some exciting new flag locations which will use the edge features of bunkers, links banks and swales much more than before. An example is the par 3 15th hole where the flag can now be located much closer to the dangerous bank to the right of the green.
As far as 'Restoration' is concerned, my advice to Mr Trump when we embarked upon the project was that we should conduct as thorough a study as possible of the evolution of the course and especially following its reincarnation immediately after the Second World War. This proved to be a fascinating exercise when we compared the aerial photographs from just before Philip Mackenzie Ross carried out his work to just after it was completed. The photographs showed completely different bunker shapes and it was also clear that the bunkers had rough edges rather than revetted edges. In fact, the rough edges survived until the 1980s. Hence our recommendation was to restore the shapes of the bunkers where appropriate and to restore the rough edged character to the fairway bunkers. The greenside bunkers have new plan shapes to reflect the old forms but are revetted which was preferred by The R&A. Now that the project is completed I think that the two styles sit well with one another.
Finally, 'Renovation' also applies as every tee, green and bunker has been reconstructed. The greens have been built with a much sandier root zone created by mixing the old green root zone with dune sand to provide much more free draining surfaces which will be easier to manage in the long term to produce firmer and finer greens. The tees have been formed using the old green root zone and the bunker drainage as well as general fairway drainage has been improved.
GS: Turnberry has produced some of golf's most thrilling finishes, did this put any added pressure on you in approaching how to re-imagine the links?
ME: I am not sure this added any pressure but we did want to respect those wonderful Open finishes as far as possible. For instance, we chose to retain the 18th green surface exactly as it was before the work started given the historic moments of the Duel in the Sun in 1977 and the sad events of 2009 although the green surrounds have had a little more feature added.
There were some misgivings about changing the 17th green. I imagine that Nick Price will be a little disappointed that the scene of his great eagle putt is no longer. However, hopefully he will understand that the greater cause of the major layout change to produce a straightened 18th hole for championship play justifies this.
One of the key changes to the course has been that straightening of the 18th hole for championship play. Previously the hole was a sharp and rather unnatural dogleg. The spectators in the 18th green grandstands would only get a view of the players at the corner of the dogleg. Now they will see the players silhouetted on the tee located on the dune bank with the ocean as the backdrop. The golfers will be taking aim on some part of the iconic hotel. So hopefully we will have set an even better scene for more thrilling finishes. However, that did mean shortening the 17th hole to a par 4 but it also had the knock on effect of requiring a new par 5 at the 14th hole and the new, shortened par 3 6th hole.
GS: Tell us about what has happened with the pitch-and-putt course, The Wee Links?
ME: The pitch and putt course has been completely rebuilt and now provides the hotel with a real links like setting immediately below it. The pitch and putt course used to have more of a garden feel to it and the greens were tiny. You had to be a good player to have any chance of hitting the greens. There was also a tennis court within the area which detracted from the view from the hotel. We imported a lot of on site fill material and shaped this up into what could be described as a large scale Himalayas (St Andrews) landscape with some bunkers included. Apart from recovery from the bunkers, a complete non golfer can now play the course with a putter. There are no set tee positions so the tee markers can be placed wherever suits. There are 18 greens (two are double greens) but the course could be played as 18 holes, 12 holes, 9 holes or even 6 holes by simply removing some of the flags and hence creating longer or shorter holes.
GS: The Arran Course is also slated for a redesign, what can you tell us about the plans?
ME: I assume that you mean the Kintyre Course although the second course used to be called the Arran. There is a lot of change here too to the extent that the course will be renamed. We are currently working on the changes. Mr Trump is currently considering some alternatives for this. The jewel in the crown of the landform is Bains Hill at the furthest point from the hotel and clubhouse. This coastal hillside will have its three holes reversed in direction to make maximum use of the views to the ocean and the existing 11th will be extended to a par 5 with an aiming point directly upon the Lighthouse. The direct coastal stretch will be the home of an incredible new hole with one of the most stunning greensites perched high above the waves as one could imagine.
Along with the changes at Bains Hill, there are new back tees for the 1st, 7th, 17th and 18th holes and a redesigned green for the 18th which sits just below the clubhouse. The 1st hole has had the artificial burn which used to cross it replaced with central bunkers giving more options to play the hole and the gorse lined nature of the course will be lessened with the creation of a large wetland feature between the 5th and 13th holes. The fairway bunkers are being converted into marram grass fringed hazards much like some of the bunkers at Royal County Down. All in all a considerable makeover.
GS: How are things going at Royal Portrush?
ME: The changes at Portrush are coming along very well. The new Valley Course came into play in May and have been well received. There are also a couple of new holes for the par 3 Skerries Course which have stunning views. These changes were necessary to give enough ground for the two new holes of the Dunluce Course.
The changes within the existing Dunluce Course have all opened for play in May. This includes the new 2nd green (adding length to the par 5), the new 3rd green (rebuilt to improve its condition) and the new 10th green (existing 8th green which was not an original Harry Colt green so it has been reshaped to give it more of a 'Colt' character) and various fairway bunkers and new tees.
The two new holes have been completed. The tees, greens and surrounds were turfed (sodded) and could be played already. The fairway areas are being established by spreading hollow cores and overseeding. They are coming on well. The plan is to open them in the early summer of next year but they may be ready by the end of this year.
GS: How will the new holes fit in with the original course?
ME: I think they will fit in really well to the rest of the course both in terms of location and their character. There was a possibility of the Club playing them on the back nine but The R&A were adamant that they be part of the front nine for spectator movement reasons principally and the Club are likely to adopt the same routing. This sees the holes slot in between the 6th and 7th holes. The landscape for both holes is stunning with the 7th running down into and gently up a valley in the dunes and the 8th demanding a spectacular tee shot with a carry over a steep dune bank which will require a real decision about how much to bite off from the tee.
A permanent players' tunnel is being constructed to provide access for players during The Open between the 8th and 9th holes and between the 10th and 11th holes with the spectators able to move freely above.
GS: You've also consulted at Royal Troon, what has happened in advance of this Open?
ME: A long time has passed since the last Open at Royal Troon in 2004. There have been two tranches of changes carried out in that time although a number of the changes might be described more as restoration of old features than changes.
We removed trees and created new dunes behind the 9th green, really to help improve the light and airflow to the green and we added new back tees and the restored a huge bunker in the carry of the 10th hole originally designed by Willie Fernie and which Dr. Alister MacKenzie provided input upon in the 1920s.
The other major change was to the position of the tees and the first half of the 15th fairway well to the left of the previous line. Again this is a restoration of the hole alignment which was played during The Open in 1923. This became clear following the discovery of a wonderful illustration of the course for the event which was published prior to that Open in the Illustrated London News. Plans were already afoot to take the hole away from the Old Course's boundary road to the right of the hole for this year's Open. Any unease felt by the members about such a change was dispelled by the discovery of the illustration. Quite incredibly, it showed that the chosen alignment was exactly the same as that played in 1923.
In the intervening years the tees and fairway had been moved to the right, possibly due to low areas of the old fairway lying wet during the winter months. In order to ensure dry conditions for the restored fairway, levels have been raised considerably. Hence the new fairway has been shaped from where it starts to where it joins up with the wonderful undulations of the second part of the hole.
The other changes included some fairway bunker adjustments and the addition of an approach bunker at the par-5 4th, plus we reconfigured the tees on 5, reshaped green surrounds at 6, restored an old bunker at 7, softened the green contours at 8 which had become more severe from bunker sand splash and constructed dunes along the fairway by the burn at 16. Many of the greens have been mown out larger including the front of the Postage Stamp to bring the front bunker into play more. We also enlarged many of the championship tees and removed scrub and gorse vegetation in various places. We took those areas down to bare sand as recommended by The R&A's ecologist which has helped return the course to more of its look from years gone by.
GS: Besides the Postage Stamp, what holes would you say are most worth of study at Royal Troon?
ME: I believe that the Old Course at Troon is generally underrated. I believe it to be one of the best of The Open venues. It has some superb views, has tees which could not be closer to the coastline on the front nine, some great individual holes including the incomparable Postage Stamp and one of the toughest back nines in championship golf. In terms of other notable holes, the 5th is a wonderful par 3 on its elevated ridge by the sea, the dogleg 7th asks questions from the tee if conditions are favourable, the 11th must have the most intimidating tee shot on The Open rota being played over a sea of gorse with no view of the fairway, the 13th has the most magical undulations and shows that bunkerless holes can be the very best, the 15th, in its new guise has great shape to its fairway line and, of course, the 18th is the ultimate test with the clubhouse and out of bounds so close behind the green.
GS: You will be working as a referee at The Open, correct? What do you enjoy about that role, since it's so different than the work of a golf architect?
ME: I will be refereeing at The Open this year. I am possibly one of the most nervous referees! However, we are well briefed and have great back up for any awkward situations. It is a real privilege to walk inside the ropes and be so close to the players and it does help give me an insight into how the modern elite golfers play the game which is very useful when it comes to making changes to Open venues.
Overall though, the sheer experience of being part of the greatest championship of them all is incredible and, last year, I had the opportunity to walk up the 18th at St Andrews as referee with my son carrying the scoreboard. A truly special occasion.
I'm still investigating many things in the hopes of providing you tips on Highlands golf and elsewhere, but I'm already floored by a few things from my visit: value, options and golfers branching out to lesser known courses.
While there is still a ways to go in making this an East Lothian/St. Andrews pilgramage destination, for the record I want it known there was a tour bus at Lossiemouth today (aka Moray Golf Club). I couldn't have been more pleased! Americans testing the craft architecture!
And while I've pondered what Herbert Warren Wind would make of the masses pulling up to Dornoch and tackling the place with passion, ultimately I concluded from the epic Links House Dornoch that he would be utterly thrilled to see so many making the journey here for northernmost links golf.
Anyhow, as I said, more to investigate while you hopefully enjoy the Scottish Open at nearby Castle Stuart. But my findings will be here and at GolfDigest.com.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.
