53 Tom Doak says that width, which has been the mantra of golf architects in recent years, is a double-edged sword – because more width makes a course more expensive to maintain. “There is a point where some players ought not to be pandered to,” he says. “I believe I was one of the pioneers of increased fairway width in this era, but I think that has gone way too far in recent years; we are encouraging young guys to hit it long and wrong. A narrower course might get them to gear down a little bit, and that would be better than maintaining that extra 20 acres. “By the same token, we can keep building forward tees for the weaker player, but we could also just tell them to tee it up at the start of the fairway and go from there until they get good enough to play from, say, 5,000 yards.” In Germany, players have to pass a test to play on a course, as architect Angela Moser points out: “A 54 handicap equals a pass on the ‘Platzreife’ – the practical test to be officially allowed to play on the course.” “While you can't ‘design for’ the 50-handicap – after two shots, they could be anywhere – you can make a course playable for them,” says Doak. “I have seen elderly golfers and even absolute beginners enjoy the Old course at St Andrews and Royal Melbourne. The key is that they are completely playable from 250 yards and in, principally because the ‘out of play’ areas are generally not lost ball country, due to favourable climate and turf species, without irrigation. “It’s worth noting that it is up to the developer or club to decide what level of player they wish to accommodate. Not every golf course has to be playable for the 50 or even the 15 handicapper – there are a lot of courses in the top 50 that certainly aren’t. I don’t think that’s something for the average course to give up on, but there are some sites where it is difficult, cost prohibitive or just a waste of resources to try and provide 60 yards of playable width off every tee, and that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build a golf course there at all.” GCA BAD GOL F ERS “ Not every golf course has to be playable for the 50 or even the 15 handicapper” Photo: Gary Lisbon Tom Doak says absolute beginners can enjoy courses like the Old course at St Andrews and Royal Melbourne (pictured) because they are completely playable from 250 yards and in, principally because out-of-play is generally not lost ball territory
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