[Patrick_Mucci]

One of the neatest, must efficient architectural features I've encountered is a deflection mound fronting a green, especially when front hole locations are used.

Another feature which is effective, though not as efficient, is sloping the fairways down, at the mid-point of the immediate approach to the green, sometimes into nearby hazards.

While the latter is more terrain oriented, the former is easy to insert under almost any circumstance.

Why don't we see these features more often ?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Pat,
Isn't the former influenced by terrain, i.e., for a deflection mound to make sense wouldn't the greens have to be close to, or at, the same level as the fairway?

[Gene Greco]

   Indeed, Patrick. The deflection mound Coore placed right in the invagination of the rotated kidney shaped 5th green at Friar's Head causes most much consternation.

It's simple but brilliant and a most effective defense on this magnificent short par 4.

[Bryan Izatt]

Gene,

What imagery - a mound in an invagination (a word I needed to look up).!!!!!!

Patrick,

Seems to me these kind of things are done more often in Scotland than over here.  There's certainly more movement in their fairways in general.  Perhaps the American architects try to take the random out of the design as being unfair?  Perhaps American players complain more about lack of fairness.  Or perhaps American courses are played in the air.  Fronting mounds or sloping fairways are meaningless if you fly it at the flag.

[Mark_F]

Patrick,

Precisely because it is not that common a feature it would be deemed unfair and stupid, since golfers don't want to have to think anymore.

Therefore, I imagine if an architect did sculpt one into a green complex, it would probably be too easy to remove to bother with putting one there in the first place.

It's interesting, though, that this feature isn't that common, but a beautifully carved swale immediately before a green, which has somewhat of a similar effect in its intention to an approach shot, is very common and quite acceptable.

The third at Royal Melbourne West has a marvellous swale in front of it's green; somehow, I don't think the hole would have quite the acclaim if a similarly wonderfully sculpted mound or two repalce dthem.

[Gene Greco]

  Bryan:

    "Inside curvature" might be a better description than "invagination" - guess I got carried away with this talk of "mounding."    

[Peter_Herreid]

Off the top of my head I can't say I remember playing a lot of these, but one that does stick out in my mind would be the knob in front of #11 at Prairie Dunes.  I (pigheadedly, perhaps or perhaps by accident of poor planning) played low running shots into this green each time and that knob had the marvelous effect of steering the shots all different dispersions from the intended line...

There must be a way to use that one to one's advantage, but I didn't learn it!

[TEPaul]

"Indeed, Patrick. The deflection mound Coore placed right in the invagination of the rotated kidney shaped 5th green at Friar's Head causes much consternation."

Jeeesus Gene---invagination??

You coulda used intussusception you know?


Patrick:

Mounds like that in front of greens aren't used more probably because they're considered to be too unpredicatable----eg fluky and such---eg weird deflecting bounces. We had one in the front of our old Ross 13th green (a really big one) and it was removed early on for that very reason. I advocated putting it back in our recent restoration but it didn't fly for that very reason.

One time out on the 17th hole at Hidden Creek when it was under construction I was discussing a mound right up in the left side of the approach just in front of the green and Bill said it had to get moved back a ways because it would be too unpredicable if it was that close to the front of the green.

[Brian Phillips]

Patrick,

That is one of our favourite features and we use it at once or twice on most of our courses.  We design the mound to be used both to help and deflect the running shot depending on how you attack the mound.

We have a good image on the second hole at Egersund in Norway that I will try to find to show you an example of what I mean.  If you attack from the right side it will deflect the ball onto the green.  If you come from the left side it will deflect the ball to the left and back down a slope and leave you a tricky pitch over a rocky outcrop...in theory.

I love them and they are great ways for members to win a hole against visitors!!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doesn't the 18th at Turnberry have this feature ?

Jim Kennedy,

To a degree, but, when the area immediately fronting the green is fairly flat, the type of mound I'm referencing fits in nicely, whether it's 6 or 12 feet in diameter.

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