Great episode overall but I’m curious who shouted “throw it overboard” during the beer chug scene on the ferry ride…weak sauce, let’s keep MI waterways pristine.
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Technically, yes, but my skepticism says it isn’t happening. I may be wrong and the boys held an ‘if necessary’ match close to the chest (I know @djpie said it would be held on the Heritage course at Marquette GC), but all the information we’ve gotten so far points toward the season ending at Greywalls.
Just read (another) article about how much water certain courses use across the country which is becoming even more of a cost/climate factor, and I think @soly and the pro really hit the nail on the head with their watering strategy. More places should try to be Carnoustie and less places should try to be Augusta, at least from a water consumption standpoint.
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I believe that was Large making a joke.
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There was a discussion in another thread about how MOST golfers don’t appreciate golf courses the way we do, and (for example) think that anyone who has a quibble with Pebble Beach’s routing is nuts, and that Jack Nicklaus courses with waterfalls and lush flowers everywhere mean they’re better than courses without water features, etc.
These are the majority of golfers who most courses rely on for their revenue each year, and those golfers look at brown fairways and think there’s something horribly wrong. I fully agree with your take, but I think the average retail golfer does not.
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It’s a consumer education issue. So long as Joe Schmoe golfer continues to demand plush green conditions, courses will feel obliged to abide that market. I’m sure the supers don’t all want it that way.
Maybe Neil’s perspective from his commentary on Castle Stuart has evolved?
That’s why there needs to be a concerted effort to elevate The Open Championship over The Masters (and to a lesser degree, THE PLAYERS).
When golfers are told that the ANGC look, with wall to wall lush and green rye, is the pinnacle of golf it’s hard to convince them that some scrubby, brown golf course in the UK is the ideal.
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I don’t disagree, but I’d question how many arrived at that opinion on their own, and how many have been conditioned (no pun intended) to feel that way, whether it be from watching the Tour, or glossy ads in magazines, etc. Somewhat to their credit, Golf Digest has pushed back on this among its panelists. They basically have taken the approach that a deep green color should not be the objective, and courses should play firm and fast while using no more water than is necessary. They’ve emphasized sustainability and playability over aesthetics. Of course, the extent to which the panelists take that into account is largely debatable. But at least they’re trying. It’s not going to change overnight. The more people who get to places like Bandon or Sand Valley and see places that don’t look or play like Augusta, but are super fun to play, the more I think we’ll see attitudes change.
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Only a steeper hill to climb after 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare and 2 Masters in that April to April year.
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Well as water costs increase in many places, brown may win out by default.
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I believe this is pretty much spot on, regarding “the average retail golfer”. And especially this:
I moved to San Diego in 2017 and have seen multiple course closures just due to water/operating cost vs revenue. Some places tried to reduce grass area around tee boxes and around edges but still didn’t survive. One casino course has even had to fully stop watering and reduce down to 9 holes due to water costs. When I have had conversations with people about the closures everyone talks about water cost but no one talks about how they can reduce it. Seems like the only way to reform this is to change the thought process about green and lush being good and brown being bad, they are not mutually exclusive.
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It’s a tough situation. I remember reading a few years ago how Pasatiempo voluntarily reduced their water usage, probably largely to save money. Then shortly thereafter, the water district instituted additional limits based on water usage at the time the limits went into place (like, you’re now limited to 50% of what you used the last three months). So they got reduced on top of their previous voluntary reduction. They kinda got screwed on that.
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I’d heard something similar but I also remember Pasatiempo finding a really clever solution that should keep the water costs under control going forward.
https://www.ssala.com/firm/awards-and-announcements/pasatiempo-water-tank-grand-opening!
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The world-renowned Pasatiempo Golf course, designed by the legendary golf course architect Alister Mackenzie, finally has access to the water it so desperately needs after the grand opening of its new water storage facility. A feat of engineering, politics, negotiations and regulatory approvals, it is a perfect example of a smart, innovative design solution in the face of the California drought and future water restrictions. The project consists of a new 1500-foot deep well; filter building with dual 300 GPM Amiad Filters to treat secondary water to a tertiary level for use in irrigation; 500,000-gallon cast-in-place concrete water tank partially buried into the landscape; a state of the art pump house with four 50 HP pumps that can blend potable, tertiary treated water and well water for irrigation of the entire course; a new all gender restroom building; and drought tolerant landscaping including native species grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees. The control system is state of the art, and allows the Golf Course Superintendent to manage and monitor every aspect of the system - from flow rates coming into the site, to what blend of water types is being applied on the golf course - all from his office computer or laptop on site.
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Kid on the bike who delivered the clubs still waiting for his tip like
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For my fellow DMV folks, anyone else getting a bit of a grown-up Schoolhouse Nine vibe from Wawashkamo? Love the natural conditioning and greens with unusual defenses. Definitely feel like cousins on the golf architecture family tree.
Came here to ask the exact same question.
Sun cream is a must for me and my gingery’ness….and yet to find a good way of applying and re-applying during the day to my face without getting my hands all shitty.
What brand you hitting up @Randy? Need to then go deep in the Amazon game to see if it’s available in the UK!
Tron and Soly doing a strapped is an absolutely phenomenal idea!
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They have to stay in Big Meech though, no air BnB’s
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A real “get the C Suite out on the floor to experience a shift” vibes. I love it. Does Soly tank the mega bonus to avoid a strike from the strapped boys? Creative accounting policies to “optimize” the budget? It’s all on the table.
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Yea - my father-in-law swears that courses had 1 row of sprinklers down the middle of fairways and whatever didn’t get hit by those was brown when he was growing up and playing. Then Tiger exploded the golf scene, courses on TV were green everywhere including the 4" thick rough and people wanted to play “what the tour pros play” etc etc. Now 3 rows of sprinklers all the way to rough line (maybe more) on (nearly) any course you go to.
Green, lush, landscaped has unfortunately become more and more synonymous with “good golf course”. Mazanita 9 was brown, bumpy, in all places but the greens - but god damn if it wasn’t the most fun I’ve had in a long time on the course, it was so good.
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