Page 7 - Eagle's Landing GC Report 10 14 2020_Neat
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Fairway Expansions
The opportunity exists to selectively enlarge the Eagle’s Landing fairway and fairway approach widths. This
is especially true on the back nine holes where the fairway cuts are excessively narrow. There are many
benefits to widening these fairways:
1. Widened fairways will improve golfer enjoyment. We all love nipping a shot from the “short grass”. Yes,
we do not want to overly-simplify “The Beast of the East”, but widening fairways in the shorter-hitter’s
landing zones will not effect the challenge of the course for the accomplished player. This is especially
true near the fairway approaches where high-handicappers rely on a running-approach shot (aided by
widened approaches) while low-handicappers generally rely on an aerial attack of the pin. Thus, widen-
ing fairways helps the struggling player without much notice from the expert player.
2. Widening fairways will improve speed-of-play as related above.
3. Golf course strategy can actually be enhanced through fairway widening, allowing for increased shot
value and decision making opportunities. In short, fairway width creates fun and strategic options for the
thoughtful player.
4. Generally, the course’s fairway turf is outperforming the surrounding rough turf. Given that fact, the
more fairway turf that is introduced, the better the overall conditioning of the course will be.
5. Widened fairways and fairway approaches can help visually “link” greens, bunkers, ponds, etc. together
creating a more elegant and refined visual presentation.
6. In the near term, the existing bermudagrass turf within the roughs can be simply mown down and con-
verted to fairway turf… all of these improvements created by an effectively “free” in-house improvement.
Long term, Eagle’s Landing Golf Course will benefit from a turf conversion to a monostand of modern ber-
mudagrass. New fairway turf will provide improved playability, appearance, and stress resistance.
Hole #14:
Fairway Approach Expansion Opportunity
Hole #15:
Fairway Approach Expansion Opportunity
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