A Path Less Travelled

The 12-month Coore and Crenshaw undertaking was completed in early 2011 and proved to be as significant as it had been dramatic. Not one hole was left unaffected. Every fairway was widened by as much as half and all the rough was removed, with just two heights of grass established - "greens and everything else". Twenty-six acres of turf was removed to uncover the course’s original sandy base, natural wire grass areas were planted, while bunkers were either removed or restored based on aerial images of the course from over 70 years ago.

Of course, with any modern renovation, new tees were added to stretch the championship length to a brawny 7,565 yards.

Most interestingly, 650 irrigation sprinkler heads were removed and a centreline irrigation system was restored. The decision to only irrigate fairways and greens - i.e. the centre of the course - while leaving the surrounds to naturally adapt, has restored a rustic look that is in keeping with the surrounding sandy hillside terrain.

Pinehurst’s appearance and playing characteristics underlines a strong message for the game in general, one that the USGA committed themselves to promoting four years ago.

"It’s a throwback to the old days and the idea of ‘maintenance up the middle’," Executive Director Mike Davis said at the USGA’s annual meeting in February. "This is a major focus of our Green Section. Maintain the middle of the golf course and spend less time and money on irrigation, fertilizer and fungicides in the roughs."

In 2010, the USGA announced its intentions to promote more natural-looking golf courses that rely less on artificial ‘modern’ irrigation and maintenance methods.

"Go back to the way golf used to be played," Davis continued. "You use less resources and you reduce the cost. You just hope around the world, people will look at this golf course and say, ‘It doesn’t have to be lush and green‘."

Davis emphasised, not for the first time, that, "Maintenance up the middle is a great message for the game," and the 114th US Open at Pinehurst will be the USGA’s most high profile canvass for that message. It helps their cause too that this Open has historical significance written all over it, as a now older (and wiser) Mickelson, with the career grand slam at stake, will be bidding for the one major title that has so far eluded him.