“Is Melbourne’s Sandbelt Overrated?”

This article appeared in the February issue of Australian Golf Digest. It quotes Geoff Shackelford who is a US golf author, blogger and course design consultant.

After visiting many of the sandbelt courses during the time of the Presidents Cup, Shackleford observed “… I was surprised at how much grass was in the roughs, particularly the long stuff. Dr Mackenzie would not be pleased!” Sound familiar?

Shackleford was also disturbed by the number of trees on the premier golf courses. There is “simply no good reason to have so many trees when you have such artistic and demanding green complexes.” The article highlights the fact that fewer trees allow “an abundance of light and hot sun to reach the fairways fostering the growth of desirable couch grass.”

There are many obvious examples of fairway grass growth being inhibited by tree shadows at Peninsula. Shackleford makes the point that yes, while fairways are targets to be hit, to miss a fairway should not be such a prohibitive penalty - as is the case at Peninsula - due to the dense and abundant rough and trees.

I wonder whether Shackleford makes international consultations.