Above shows the new shape of the approach compared to the old shape of the approach, below. The brown (exposed soil) areas above will be sodded with fairway height of cut Bentgrass, tomorrow morning. According to Ron Forse, Donald Ross believed that the lead up to the green, the approach, should always match the width of the putting green. At Highlands CC, many of our approaches have become pinched in, in areas and have somewhat of an hour glass shape. This hole is one example of that. As we work through our Master Plan, this is one of the many small details we’ll be working to correct. It may seem rather trivial but it is a key Ross design detail. It’s also fun and satisfying work to return the course to its proper design. On the left side of the approach, we are bringing the side approach, or run-off area, to the back of the green rather than it ending in the center of the green (below). Finally, Ross also liked for fairways to flare out on the back side of bunkers, like we’ve done, to reward shots that clear a bunker. It also makes the bunkers feel more a part of the fairway, than a hazard out in the rough. If you study old Ross plans, it’s very clear that bunkers were built into the fairway, with shorter cut turf on both sides of the bunker.
