Need smooth grassy greens? Think again!

[joekelly]

Interesting and informative article in WSJ about old time, now revived use of 'sand greens', esp in areas short of water.  Like Kansas, where this news originates. Sure, it's different but besides the greens the rest of the game is normal. Oh, did i mention how cheap the game can be when superintendents are not tending the perfect greens demanded by the consumers?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323728204578515661811319052.html

[Ole_Tom_Morris]

Think I read that in Saudi Arabia the greens on the course for western oil field workers are oiled sand.  And naturally the course itself is one big sand trap.  (Does this mean you can't ground a club anywhere??)

If I'm not mistaken there was a 9 hole course in the Texas panhandle that the farmer just mowed out of a field. Play for free though there was a box for donations.

Lush courses and greens manicured by any agency besides sheep were not how the game started.    And irrigation sytems are comparatively new.

[LuciusWooding]

That's pretty cool. I like this variant instead of shabby par 3 courses for learning to strike the ball, since the greens are usually so bad. I'm not sure I'm fond of having to clean my shoes, balls, and clubs of oil though, or having to do all that raking. Works great when there's very few players in the area, but it seems like it'd be slower to play than grass greens. Plus I prefer the art of playing approaches and short game shots and breaking putts.

[thescarecrow]

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct;=j&q;=beechworth%20golf%20club&source;=web&cd;=1&cad;=rja&sqi;=2&ved;=0CCoQFjAA&url;=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beechworthgolfclub.com%2F&ei;=gxKsUb7RLojxlAWTq4Eg&usg;=AFQjCNEMksRxT5S75VFwWhXRS2F_89RYZQ

Along the same lines

www.beechworthgolf.com.au

[2ironfrenzy]

I would think that an astroturf green would be more fun to play on than a sand green, I may be wrong, but if they just made a really smooth turf green wouldn't it feel closer to the real thing? maybe too much bounce?  Not trying to cause a debate, just wondering.

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by 2ironfrenzy

I would think that an astroturf green would be more fun to play on than a sand green, I may be wrong, but if they just made a really smooth turf green wouldn't it feel closer to the real thing? maybe too much bounce?  Not trying to cause a debate, just wondering.

You'd need to hit approach shots onto it; sand works great because the ball always stops. Astroturf would bounce the ball off.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2ironfrenzy

I would think that an astroturf green would be more fun to play on than a sand green, I may be wrong, but if they just made a really smooth turf green wouldn't it feel closer to the real thing? maybe too much bounce?  Not trying to cause a debate, just wondering.

You'd need to hit approach shots onto it; sand works great because the ball always stops. Astroturf would bounce the ball off.

This ^^

I played on sand greens once many years ago.  Would have been in 1968 or 69, in Ft. Benton, Montana.  Don't really remember much about it.  That was probably my only time playing between 1964 and 1974.  Also, what I did on the golf course in those days couldn't really be called playing golf.  I was using a golf club, and some swings actually hit the ball, but that's about it.