What occurs when a course "matures"?

[harpua728]

You always hear that some new courses will be great tracks once they mature, but what is exactly meant by this. What changes as the course evolves form being brand new to a couple of years old?

[dlygrisse]

The trees grow, instead of being 8' tall with tree stakes around them

The root systems on the grass grow deep so the greens just dent, and can be fixed, instead of tearing

LOL, the houses all get built...

 

I am sure there are other things others could list, but that is my short list.

[Bonneville85308]

I've played some new courses where the rough is very thin, hardpan-y and appears to be held together by some kind of plastic mesh, especially on slopes. After awhile the grass fills in and you don't see that.

[hbear]

Bunkers also settle after a couple years as most courses don't take out the compactor when putting in the sand.

Brand new greens tend to be very firm and don't recieve the ball as well.

[Bonneville85308]

[quote name='hbear' date='05 April 2010 - 04:00 PM' timestamp='1270497655' post='2362108']
Brand new greens tend to be very firm and don't recieve the ball as well.
[/quote]

I noticed that on the new course as well. Even playing a high-spin ball, not in a draught period or anything, you had to play almost every approach shot to land short of the green to have any chance of staying on.

[scotchblade]

Classic courses then grow old and lose their trees, just like we lose hair and wrinkle. The change in the Olympic Club has been amazing. The once dense forests have been reduced to a tree here and there. The turf likes it, the vistas have opened up and it's windier. You'll see a big difference in 2012!

[ChipDriver]

Our course is now in it's first full season after a renovation.....new fairways, new greens, a few new holes; and playing enhancements on others, new drainage etc.....basically tore it down to the dirt.

The first year it reopened - the biggest difference b/t then and now are the greens and fairways, IMO.

Greens - hard, unreceptive; and green's grass was made longer just to hold a ball somewhat - but obviously it made the putting horrible. Stimps of 6 or 7, instead of a normal 9-11.
Fairways were "cart path only" for a lot of the time; and the turf had to grow in - and the fairways were constantly dressed (sanded) - soft fairways are as bad as hard greens....the course played very long.

This year:

Greens are softer and more lush meaning they are receptive, and fast and heal quickly; fairways are harder and more lush - they have more run in them, and the surface is like a carpet.

[stage1350]

The two big factors are trees and the green complexes.

If you ask some of the "sky is falling" group, they'll simply tell you that mature courses are obsolete because the ball goes too far.