Category Archives: Design

Destined For Greatness

Photo courtesy J. Paul Robertson

By Blair Adams

Canadian golf course architect Jeff Mingay may not have the same name recognition as Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross or the legendary Stanley Thompson, but give him time. He just turned 40 this year.

Born and raised in Windsor, Ont., Mingay’s passion, some might even say, obsession, for his chosen career has helped him carve a niche in a profession that demands excellence and shuns mediocrity.

His star has certainly been on the rise, having worked on high-profile projects such as Cabot Links (ranked as one of the best courses in the world by Golf and Golf Digest magazines), Sagebush Golf and Sporting Club, The Derrick Club, and most recently, the Victoria Golf Club.

Canadian Groundskeeper sat down with the up-and-coming architect to discuss his passion for design, his proudest achievements thus far, and what it is like to be away from your family 200 days a year.

Read the full article: Destined For Greatness

Reconstructing The Derrick Club: Back To The Derrick

A greenside bunker under construction at the 418-m (457-y), par-four 12th hole in May 2013. Photo courtesy Jeff Mingay

By Jeff Mingay

Tastes in golf course architecture are subjective. There will inevitably be a hole (or three) at the new Derrick Club course some golfers will consider too difficult, and, of course, a few others will criticize as being too easy. There is no way to stop this, as people are always going to have different opinions on golf holes (and courses). However, this is a good thing—without criticism, an art form like course design cannot advance and flourish.

The inevitable criticism of certain holes and specific features at the new course will not bother me when all 18 holes open for play in the summer of 2015. However, I will be disappointed if the new course does not genuinely provide golfers with a sense of place that clearly suggests there is indeed only one Derrick Club.

Read the full article: Reconstructing The Derrick Club

Using Plant Defence Activators To Control Turfgrass Disease: Conclusion

By Tom Hsiang, PhD, Paul H. Goodwin, PhD, and Alejandra M. Cortes-Barco, M.Sc.

Regarding the activity of the defence activator Civitas, the conclusions found were:
● minor direct effects on fungi;
● suppressive effects against diseases in lab and field tests;
● primes defence response genes for greater and faster expression after infection; and
● relies on an ISR-based mode on gene expression analysis when compared to gene expression after application of butanediol—a known ISR activator.

A wide and diverse range of compounds can activate SAR, ISR, and other forms of induced resistance. These compounds may be naturally occurring in plants or microbes or can be entirely synthetic compounds that affect some part of pathways which are involved in functions ranging from the detection of pathogen-produced molecules by receptors on the plant cell membrane up to factors that bind to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and affect expression of defence-related genes in the plant nucleus.

While the list of activators continues to grow, it remains a challenge for disease management to adapt these compounds into practical materials for commercial use. Important desirable qualities for their practical application are similar to those of synthetic fungicides, such as:
● stability;
● shelf-life;
● consistency;
● cost; and
● ability to perform under various favourable and unfavourable conditions.

However, as more defence activators are discovered, the probability increases that some will have the qualities needed to replace or complement the current pesticides being used against plant pathogens.

Read the full article: Using Plant Defence Activators To Control Turfgrass Disease

Reconstructing The Derrick Club: Outbuildings

Non-indigenous plantings are too often used to try to screen views of outbuildings on golf courses. Here, at this unnamed course, formal cedars and other ornamental plants actually draw added attention to the pump house they are trying to ‘hide’ behind the 18th green. Photo courtesy Jeff Mingay

By Jeff Mingay

Pump houses, restrooms, rain shelters, halfway houses, and other outbuildings are necessary at most golf facilities. Their appearance is also very important to the overall presentation of any course. At the Derrick Club, the existing pump house is highly visible, but not very attractive. It is located immediately adjacent to the teeing area at the new par-three 16th hole and cannot be moved for practical reasons. In its present condition, this pump house detracts from one of the most beautiful areas on the new course, where holes 15 through 17 are routed around a small lake and long views abound.

At too many golf courses, landscape materials are used in an attempt to screen the view of unsightly outbuildings. However, such plantings usually draw more attention to the structures they are trying to hide. Instead of planting around the pump house at the Derrick Club, the existing building’s exterior is being refashioned with cedar siding and a new roof. A matching wooden fence will also be erected around its south side to hide an existing transformer. All other outbuildings, including new restrooms and rain shelters, will be styled in similar fashion to match the appearance of the pump house.

Read the full article: Reconstructing The Derrick Club

Reconstructing The Derrick Club: A Sense Of Place

By Jeff Mingay

Golfers feel this sense of ‘place’ at all of the world’s best courses, which are all incredibly distinct. The great courses of the world are my inspiration. Creating a sense of place is a very important element in golf course design that stems not only from course architecture, but also its eventual presentation. For example, take the wicker baskets at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. These distinctive accessories greatly enhance that revered course’s distinctiveness. So, too, do the tattered red pennants on the flagsticks at Los Angeles Country Club in California. By comparison, too many golf courses seem to put little thought into using distinctive course accessories. Flagsticks, ball washers, and garbage cans are frequently the same at different courses.

With golfers scheduled to begin playing the 10 new holes at the Derrick Club this summer (the first through third and 12th through 18th holes), there is a lot to think about and consider over the coming months relative to how the new course will be presented. My advice to the club thus far is simply the new course’s presentation must match its architecture, which is purposely subdued and old-fashioned. In fact, one of the principles guiding the design work at the Derrick Club is to only build features actually necessary to create an interesting, beautiful, and distinctive golf course. The same principle needs to guide the selection of tee markers, flags, benches, and other accessories.

Read the full article: Reconstructing The Derrick Club