February 2016 Newsletter:

Golf Course Geology 101

The first true golf course was St. Andrews in Scotland. The word links means sandy undulating ground near a shore, and St. Andrews in Scotland is built on such terrain, on the eastern shore of the North Sea. The course is elevated from sea level, and the sandy beach-like topography is a remnant of a former sea-level stand. The former dunes, inlet streams and animal burrows provide a rolling relief of obstacles and challenges to the course. The fact that the area was previously inundated by salt water makes large-scale vegetation (trees) less viable, but given time has allowed for a strong thick grass to grow, making a perfect surface for a small rolling ball.

In his book, ‘A History of Golf in Britain’ Sir Guy Campbell described the origin of the areas that naturally leant themselves to golf courses. “In the formation and over-all stabilization of our island courses, the sea at intervals of time and distance gradually receded from the higher ground of cliff, bluff and escarpment to and from which the tides once flowed and ebbed. And as the sea withdrew, it left a series of sandy wastes in bold ridge and significant furrow, broken and divided by numerous channels up and down which the tides advanced and retired…eventually the whole of these areas became grass covered…Out of the spreading and intermingling of all these grasses which followed was established the thick, close growing, hard wearing sward that is such a feature of the true links turf where it is found.”

 

Some of the earliest golf courses in the United States were built in the ‘links-land’ geography of Long Island, NY, Charleston, SC and other areas clearly influenced by the sea. It was only with time and as the game became more popular that other types of land, such as rolling hills, began to be developed into golf courses. The courses in Pinehurst, NC, such as the famous Pinehurst Number 2, have a distinct resemblance to the ‘links’ courses of golf’s early days. In fact, the geology of the Pinehurst area is termed ‘Sand Hills’ due to the sandy nature of the terrain. Although there is no sea near Pinehurst today, being over 100 miles from the ocean, it is an area which was covered by a shallow continental sea over 50 million years ago.

In the earliest days of golf, the equipment lent itself to a lower, more rolling game. Thus the small hills and mounds of the early links courses were perfect for providing obstacles and challenges for a rolling ball. As equipment was improved, golfers developed the ability to hit elevated shots that could travel long distances in the air and land accurately with backspin to keep the ball where it landed. Golf courses were built, and re-built, to accommodate this new type of game.

I recently had a conversation with a golf course architect who specializes in re-designing some of the older courses in the area with the intention of re-creating the earlier links-type course originally designed and built by Donald Ross. His take on the reason for the popularity of these re-designs is that the current demographics are now such that the older average player is no longer capable of hitting the high, accurate, backspin type of shots and so is more likely to enjoy the links style which favors lower, more rolling golf shots. Sorry guys (and girls) but the best equipment in the world can’t keep our golf game young forever. And just think, you are now playing the game more like it was originally designed.