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Jon Cavalier

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Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« on: August 10, 2015, 06:00:49 PM »
Longue Vue Club
Verona, PA
Robert White - 1922



In follow-up to my previous photo tour of National Golf Links, I thought it might be useful to readers of this site to shine a light on a lesser known, but very worthy golf course - namely, Longue Vue Club.  Several of you have requested this tour, so I hope this doesn't disappoint.


Longue Vue was designed by Robert White, a St. Andrews native and former president of the PGA of America, as well as the architect of the first putting green ever installed on the White House lawn, and opened for play in 1922. A decade and a half later, A.W. Tillinghast lent his eye and his mind to improving the course at Longue Vue, and the club made several improvements as a result of his input, including changes to the first, ninth, tenth and eleventh holes. 





The product was a first rate golf course on an astonishing piece of land high above the Allegheny River.  The course incorporates several templates of the Macdonald/Raynor school, including a Redan, Eden and Punchbowl.  Despite the hilly nature of the property, the course is a joy to walk and to play.  The staff, led by Superintendent Josh Saunders, does a fabulous job of keeping the conditions ideal for enjoyable golf and the club maintains firm fairways, fast greens and penal but playable rough. 





Longue Vue has a tendency to be overlooked due to its location in the long shadow of nearby Oakmont and Fox Chapel, but this gem is more than worthy of discussion.  I hope you enjoy the tour.


Longue Vue Club



The Clubhouse



I tend to rattle on a bit about clubhouses in my tours, as I have always believed that, when done right, a clubhouse can add to the experience of a golf course.  Longue Vue's clubhouse is, in a word, exceptional.



Designed by architect Benno Janssen, the clubhouse is entirely stone with a slate roof and includes several large archways.



As seen above, the clubhouse is designated a National Historic Landmark and appears on the National Register of Historic Places.



Upon arrival at the club, and depending on the entrance used, the player drives through the arched tunnel to reach the parking lot.



The landscaping surrounding the clubhouse is impeccable, and colorful flowers are planted in seemingly every available space.



The views from the club's main patio are likewise impressive - hence the name.



This view from the west side of the clubhouse shows the 18th hole, which finishes steps from the building.



Even the walk to the first tee is impressive.





The Course
Longue Vue plays to a yardage of 6606 from the back tees and to a par of 71.  The course is routed loosely in a counterclockwise fashion, though it doubles back on itself frequently on the second nine. 



Hole 1 - 396 yards - Par 4
A tough opener, the first doglegs to the left around a sharp falloff - anything to the left of the fairway is looking at a bogey or worse.



A tee shot hit too long or too timidly to the right will find rough and a challenging angle.  An accurate drive is a must on this hole.



The view off the right side of the first hole gives the player his first look at some of the scenery to come.



The first green is sloped substantially from back to front, providing a receptive target for longer approach shots while penalizing balls hit long. 



A very solid opening hole.





Hole 2 - 390 yards - Par 4
The second of two stout par 4 openers, the second hole plays gently downhill to a fairway bending in the opposite direction from the first. 



The fairway falls off to the left and feeds into these bunkers, which make for a challenging recovery to the elevated and well-protected green.



The proper play is down the left side of this fairway, which provides both the ideal angle and view into this green.



The slope of this fairway, the angle to which it feeds into the green, and the left to right tilt of the green itself combine to provide for some very interesting approach shots. 





Hole 3 - 202 yards - Par 3
An excellent Redan, the third plays over a large ravine to a green at tee height.



There is little room for error here -- misses short or left are dead, and those long or right make for extremely challenging recoveries.



The green is unique among Redans, in my experience, as it contains both a hollow and a second tier to the right rear.



The third is a standout hole at Longue Vue.





Hole 4 - 553 yards - Par 5
The first three shot hole of the round begins high above the Allegheny River and drops steeply downhill.



An accurate tee shot on the proper line will run forever, and will provide most players with a second shot into the green.



Those who choose to lay up are offered a generous fairway, which then tightens considerably near the green.



The large green is receptive to shots hit from distance, but care must be taken to avoid the miss long or right.  An enjoyable hole.





Hole 5 - 198 yards - Par 3
An Eden template par 3, the fifth plays over a shallow ravine to an elevated green with replica Hill and Strath bunkering to either side.



The green slopes hard from back to front here, and the Eden bunker is ready to catch balls hit long.  The hazard bounding the right side of the hole adds an element of difficulty due to the steep slope from the green to the trees.  Though not as dramatic as some Macdonald Edens, the fifth at Longue Vue is a fine example of this template.





Hole 6 - 390 yards - Par 4
The sixth requires a tee shot to a banked fairway running left to right around a large ravine that encroaches from the right side.



The banked fairway rewards well struck drives that fade right to left with some extra distance and a kick down into the flat bottom of the fairway.



The large green is accessible, but the penalty for missing it is high, as it is surrounded on all side with trouble in one form or another.





Hole 7 - 312 yards - Par 4
The shortest two shot hole on the course, the seventh asks for a tee shot to a narrow fairway benched into the side of a hill.  Longer hitters wishing to challenge this green of the tee must confront a set of bunkers set into the hill above the left side of the fairway.  The contours of the fairway obscure parts of the landing area and the green.



This unique bunkering presents a visual and actual hazard on the seventh hole.



As seen from behind the green, the topography at Longue Vue makes for some challenging and interesting golf.  A fun risk-reward par 4.





Hole 8 - 548 yards - Par 5
The beginning of perhaps Longue Vue's prettiest stretch of holes, the eighth hole begins on a rise and proceeds over the club's entrance road to a fairway canted steeply uphill and hard from left to right.



This fairway is truly difficult to hold, and your author thinks this hole could improve from good to great if the fairway were widened by 20 or more yards.  In any event, second shots are hit from a significantly uphill lie.



The fairway short of the green is beautifully contoured and open to encourage running second shots into this large green.  While the ideal approach is down the left side of this green, the cross bunker some 50 yards short of the green on the left must be avoided.



Once again, the rolling land provides character and interest to this two-and-a-half shot hole.





Hole 9 - 452 yards - Par 4
The bunkerless ninth hole at Longue Vue may be the most difficult on the course.  The tee shot requires a carry of a ravine to a fairway not only sloping left to right, but substantially undulating as well.



Level lies are few and far between in this fairway, making the long second shot that much more difficult.



Missing the fairway off the tee means having to confront this deep depression some 80 yards short of the green.



The interest of the ninth is increased by the fact that the horizon green slopes from front to back, a feature made more challenging by the length of the hole. 



A superb hole, and perhaps the best on the course.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2015, 10:50:04 PM by Jon Cavalier »
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Jon Cavalier

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Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2015, 06:01:04 PM »
Hole 10 - 171/148 yards - Par 3
A gorgeous par 3 set at the edge of a bluff, the tenth is all carry to a green that appears suspended in mid-air.



As this view from short and left of the green illustrates, there is almost no room for error here.  Further, the green itself cants sharply from high left to low right, which is exacerbated by today's difficult pin position.



The slope of this green provides it with near-redan like characteristics, as properly flighted balls can be aimed at the larger, safer side of the green and use the slope to funnel down toward the hole.  The ninth green is visible in the background.  A beautiful setting for golf.





Hole 11 - 417 yards - Par 4
A rise in the fairway obscures the landing area on this tough, dogleg right par 4.  The hole slings to the right, opposite the slope in the fairway, making a cut fade the much preferred shot shape off this tee.



Most second shots will be blind here as well, as the hole continues its gentle climb up and around the hillside to the large green.  The flagpole marks the center of the green.



This view from the right reveals the depth of the green, appropriate for receiving the long, often blind approach shots required here.



Bunkers to the left of this green catch any shots not properly aimed into this largely blind green.





Hole 12 - 200 yards - Par 3
A long one shot hole to a very dramatic green, the twelfth is played over another large ravine to a slightly elevated green that is partially blind from the tee.



The green is riddled with ridges and undulations, making a two putt far from certain, even for those shots that are fortunate enough to find the putting surface from the tee.



Today's pin sits on a high tier in the right rear of the green.  A first rate par 3 hole.





Hole 13 - 334 yards - Par 4
A Robert White Alps/Punchbowl! The short fourth is your author's favorite hole at Longue Vue.  The tee shot plays out over a pond to a bowled fairway that rises sharply uphill.



The approach shot is blinded by the Alps feature, here a fairway mound fronting the green.



The punchbowl green is open front right but extends deeply to a back left corner.  The green itself slopes from back to front and contains all manner of pockets and hollows.



This view from behind the thirteenth green reveals the back left pocket, which provides for the best pin positions on this outstanding green.



Who among us doesn't love a well-done punchbowl? The thirteenth at Longue View certainly qualifies.





Hole 14 - 445 yards - Par 4
Having ascended the alps hill, the course plays out across the highest point of the property.  The fourteenth begins with a slightly uphill drive to a wide fairway that bends gently left.  Bunkers guard the inside of the dogleg, while the right is bounded by a steep, tree covered slope.



The wide fairway flows seamlessly into the green, allowing long approaches to be run on to the putting surface.



One last gentle hole before the drama of the closing stretch begins.





Hole 15 - 540 yards - Par 5
Wow.  The fifteenth hole plays straightaway along the ridgeline, with the Allegheny Valley in full view far below.  The view from this tee box is surpassed only by the view from the green.



While traps down the right will catch balls careening toward the cliff's edge, hidden bunkers down the left see far more action, as players naturally bail out away from the certain death of a miss right.



The beautifully rolling fairway will reward accurate drives with added distance and the promise of an opportunity to go for this green in two.  The cliff looms right for the entire length of the hole.



Again, the green is open in front to receive running approaches, but is surrounded by sand, including this bunker short left that will gather shots missed left.



Golf in the Pittsburgh area does not get more scenic than 15 at Longue Vue.





Hole 16 - 198 yards - Par 3
The par 3 holes at Longue Vue are extremely challenging, and the sixteenth is no exception.  In fact, it may be the most difficult of them all.  An uphill tee shot into the prevailing wind is required, and accuracy is a must, as the green will shed balls missed right or long.



The area short of this tough green is mowed and maintained as fairway, and can be used by players to bounce balls on to the putting surface.





Hole 17 - 470 yards - Par 4
Longue Vue closes with two lengthy and difficult two shot holes that play downhill and back to the clubhouse.  The first of the pair, the seventeenth, plays down to a fairway moving gently from right to left.  The hill obscuring the beginning of the fairway makes distances difficult to judge.



The fairway banks slightly from right to left, making a level lie a difficult find.  Once more, the green is open in front but well-protected to the sides.



The lack of trees immediately behind the green plays yet more tricks with judging distance, and the green itself slopes from right to left.



The seventeenth - a hole as pretty as it is difficult.





Hole 18 - 471 yards - Par 4
Strong courses have strong finishing holes, and Longue Vue is no exception.  The second of two 470+ yard par 4 closing holes, the eighteenth plays out over a rise to a wide fairway.  Like the eighteenth at Eastward Ho, the finishing hole at Longue Vue hides its drama until the second shot is reached.



Playing directly at the gorgeous stone clubhouse, the final hole winds its way down the rippling terrain to a large green. 



The green slopes slightly from front to back and hard from right to left, and out of bounds is tight to the rear of the green, incentivizing a ground approach.



A last look back up the eighteenth hole leaves one in awe of the effort that must have been needed to build a course on these grounds nearly 100 years ago.





Longue Vue is a course that is under the radar of most, but for those who enjoy their golf fun, fast and challenging, and with some gorgeous scenery sprinkled in, Longue Vue is not to be missed.  Next time you find yourself in the Pittsburgh area, you should give Longue Vue a look.  I can guarantee you won't regret it.


I hope you enjoyed the tour.






Past Photo Tours:
National Golf Links of America
Fishers Island Club
Sleepy Hollow CC
Somerset Hills CC

Eastward Ho
Myopia Hunt Club
Old Town Club
Whippoorwill Club
Ballyhack
Bandon Dunes Resort
Garden City Golf Club
« Last Edit: August 10, 2015, 10:17:31 PM by Jon Cavalier »
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Tom_Doak

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2015, 06:07:01 PM »
Jon:


Great tour.  I have heard of this course before but never seen pictures of it.


I'm curious why Robert White built several Macdonald templates ... as you may know, he was loosely involved with North Shore CC in New York, but it turned out that Seth Raynor had actually designed that one.

[correction note removed]
« Last Edit: August 10, 2015, 06:33:04 PM by Tom_Doak »

Jon Cavalier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2015, 06:17:55 PM »
Thanks Tom. I appreciate it.

Like you, I'd heard of this course but had never seen it. I was very impressed with what I found and figured that many here were in the same position, so I thought a tour would be useful.

I'm familiar with and have played North Shore and know the story of the Raynor discovery, as well as your fine restoration work there. And I too was intrigued about White's use of templates. They're really nicely done templates too.

Good call on the correction. Fixed.

Thanks,
Jon
« Last Edit: August 10, 2015, 06:20:56 PM by Jon Cavalier »
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Will Lozier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2015, 10:02:39 PM »
Jon,


Nicely done. On the 11th, you mention the left to right bend and steep right to left slope of the fairway and your pics show the extreme nature of the topography the hole is laid over. You mention a draw as being the preferred shot shape off the tee. Did you mean a fade as a draw would most certainly end up in the left rough through the fairway no?


Cheers
« Last Edit: August 11, 2015, 10:28:28 PM by Will Lozier »

Jon Cavalier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2015, 10:26:28 PM »
Will:

Thanks. Error fixed.
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Sean_A

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2015, 04:49:00 AM »
Jon


Thanks for the tour.  The course looks extreme and difficult.  Are the fairways as hard to hold as they look to be?


Ciao
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Ed Tilley

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2015, 05:00:50 AM »
Jon,

Excellent tour thanks. Looks fun. Excuse my French but those fairways look bloody narrow - particularly given their slopes. Some of those look very difficult to hold.

Ed

Thomas Dai

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2015, 08:17:39 AM »
Thanks for this tour Jon. The Clubhouse...wow....it looks like a manor house or country hotel in the UK.
Atb

Phil McDade

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2015, 08:24:41 AM »
Jon


Thanks for the tour.  The course looks extreme and difficult.  Are the fairways as hard to hold as they look to be?


Ciao


Holy moly -- what a course! I've never heard of it, although I seem to recall seeing something about that great old clubhouse. I agree with Sean -- it looks like a really hard course; my guess is that handicaps established there travel well, even in an area known for some tough courses.




JNagle

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2015, 08:49:36 AM »
Great photo tour.  A number of the fairways do have extensive side slopes.  The 14th fairway is the flattest of them all having been leveled like a highway sometime in the late 80's or early 90's.  The master plan was developed in the late 90's with some emphasis on fairway widening and tree management.  The bunkers were rebuilt and greens expanded in the early 2000's and a number of fairways were widened to a point which could be managed with limited tree removal.  Our contention is that with the abrupt side slopes wider fairways allowed golfers to play further up the slopes allowing the ball to eventually stop in the fairway and not the opposite side rough which was commonplace.  A number of fairways remained narrow as the tree program really did not kick in until after the bunker project and other limited expansions. 


The redan was modified at one point by raising the front portion of the green eliminating the "typical" slopes found on a redan.


A true hidden gem among the many great Pittsburgh area courses. 
It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; .....  "The Critic"

Mark Jackson

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2015, 08:52:43 AM »
Excellent photo tour, Jon. I had the chance to play Longue Vue awhile ago - you captured the essence of the course very well. Like most courses in the hills around Pittsburgh, the walk is strenuous due to the nature of the land as the course tumbles up and down the hills, but the walk is not overly difficult.


From my recollection, Longue Vue was a difficult driving course (especially when I played there and the fairways were firm). Many of the fairways have strong contours or are angled in a specific direction that you need to work the ball against the angle if you want to remain in the fairway, otherwise the ball will roll-out into the rough. Additionally, due to these contoured/angled fairways, you don't get many flat lies on approach shots, which a player must take into account when hitting to the green. This adds another element of difficulty. The course is not overly long, but these factors create significant challenge (along with the elevation changes) to make the course play harder than expected.


The property is very scenic and I really enjoyed the routing. As Jon mentioned, Longue Vue definitely flies under the radar in the Pittsburgh area behind the big names (Oakmont and Fox Chapel), but is well worth seeking out if you can get access.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2015, 08:54:22 AM by Mark Jackson »

Rory Connaughton

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2015, 08:58:08 AM »
Some severe topography but, I agree, the course is very playable and walkable.

MCirba

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2015, 09:40:21 AM »
Wow, really terrific tour Jon, thanks!

I'm exceptionally impressed with Robert White the more I see of his work.   Berkleigh in eastern PA also has Redan and Eden holes and a similar set of terrific par threes.
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Benjamin Litman

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2015, 09:57:15 AM »
Top-rate work as always, Jon. Thank you for starting off an otherwise dreary day with such beauty. I was struck by how many seemingly world-class uphill holes exist at Longue Vue. While playing the course, does the sheer number of them overwhelm their individual quality? Also, for those of us who haven't played it, can you give us a comparison to other courses we might have played that have a similar "feel"? Thanks again.
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Jon Cavalier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2015, 10:28:52 AM »
Thanks for the comments guys.  I'll try to answer a few questions here.


Driving difficulty: Yes, the course is difficult off the tee.  I went back and looked at my card and, though I am typically a pretty accurate driver of the golf ball, I hit less than 40% of fairways on the day (I am typically just over 65%).  The narrowness of the fairways, combined with the fact that many of them slope, makes them very difficult to hold.  This round was close to four months ago, but I do remember landing in several fairways only to fail to hold them.  That said, the rough lining the fairways is not overly penal and can be played from pretty easily.


My one suggestion to improve the course would be to widen the fairways significantly.  On a few holes (8 comes to mind), there are fairway bunkers that are some 10-15 yards off the fairway, and which would seem to indicate that the fairways have pinched in substantially with time.  There is no question that the course would benefit - both in playability and in strategic interest - if the fairways were pushed out across the board.


Here's an overhead view of the 8th hole.  Note the bunkers to the right of the fairway.


And here's a fairway level view of those same bunkers.

I have to imagine those bunkers to the right of the fairway are there for a reason.  If the fairway were pushed out to those bunkers, they would make a wonderful hazard -- they're not really visible from the tee, but a sloping fairway that would carry poor tee shots down into them would make for a really interesting tee shot, and a very difficult recovery.  As it stands, they are out of play.

The point about the fairways is a relatively minor one, but I do believe that if one thing could move this course from "under the radar good" to "recognized classic gem," it's that.


I did not find the course to be extremely difficult overall.  The greens are large and playable and will hold proper shots.  It is not overly long.  The rough is manageable.  The terrain is severe enough to provide interesting golf but not so severe to create unplayable situations.

Ben:  Good question re: a comparable course.  It's rather unique, which is part of the reason I wanted to do a tour.  But if I had to compare Longue Vue to other courses, I'd say its got a little Whippoorwill in it (in fact, Whippoorwill, which is one of my all time favorite courses -- photo tour link below -- is what I think Longue Vue could become with some minor changes).  I was also reminded a bit of Bethpage Red at times, a bit of Homestead Cascades, a bit of Paramount, and a little of Pocono Manor.  I don't think Longue Vue is directly comparable to any of these courses, but I do think it has elements that are common in each.

Glad you guys are enjoying the tour.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2015, 10:59:52 AM by Jon Cavalier »
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Ronald Montesano

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2015, 06:59:07 AM »
That bunker/rough comparison between the overhead and the ground level indicates massive disparity. The overhead shows a thin line of rough, whereas the ground-level shot offers three times the width of rough 'twixt fairway and bunker. Did LV have an upcoming (or recent) event where massive rough was deemed necessary? What was the date of the google overhead, as compared to your tour?


Thanks, Jon.


RM
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Phil Lipper

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2015, 09:57:27 AM »
I played there earlier in the year and really liked the course, it was truly a pleasant surprise. One interesting thing about Long Vue is this was Fownes club before he founded Oakmont.

Jon Cavalier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2015, 01:17:53 PM »
That bunker/rough comparison between the overhead and the ground level indicates massive disparity. The overhead shows a thin line of rough, whereas the ground-level shot offers three times the width of rough 'twixt fairway and bunker. Did LV have an upcoming (or recent) event where massive rough was deemed necessary? What was the date of the google overhead, as compared to your tour?


Thanks, Jon.


RM

Ron:

I don't see the disparity to which you refer. Can you explain? To me, the bunkers off to the right of the fairway appear separated by yards and yards of rough in both the overhead and my ground level shot. Essentially, it's a full fairway width strip of rough between the actual fairway and the bunkers.

Jon
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Ryan Hillenbrand

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #19 on: August 13, 2015, 03:53:33 PM »
Jon,

Is this a fairly exclusive club? I had never heard of it but it looks beautiful and the clubhouse is impressive. Wasn't sure if this was a case in Pittsburgh where Oakmont is the preferred major championship style club, while the old money gravitates to the under the radar Longue Vue?

Jon Cavalier

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #20 on: August 13, 2015, 03:57:00 PM »
Ryan:

It's a private club, but I didn't get the impression that it was unusually exclusive. I played it in an event, but the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Maybe someone from the Pittsburgh area would have better info on that. But my impression is that it's just an under-the-radar kind of place.

Jon
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Curtis Woods

Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #21 on: August 14, 2015, 12:49:25 AM »
Ryan -
My understanding is that the club was founded by Andrew Carnegie and fellow wealthy men.  It was referred to as the "Millionaires Club" by locals.  So I believe your hunch is correct.

Tim Taylor

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #22 on: August 14, 2015, 08:57:45 AM »
Beautiful photos and descriptions. I would enjoy playing that course regularly.


Tim

Dan Herrmann

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #23 on: August 14, 2015, 03:26:30 PM »
Jon - Thank you very much!


To compliment your great tour, some video from the club:  http://www.longuevue.org/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=310543&ssid=199437&vnf=1

« Last Edit: August 14, 2015, 03:29:55 PM by Dan Herrmann »

David Lott

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Re: Longue Vue Club (Verona, PA) - A Photo Tour
« Reply #24 on: August 17, 2015, 01:55:17 AM »
Nice. I played Longue Vue as a kid, and hitting up those hills and across those valleys was a challenge at age 10 and 11. But they just let us go out and play, which was very cool. My recollection is that the views out over the river and the nearby towns were mostly blocked in those days. They must have done some chopping. The views add a lot.


Longue Vue and Oakmont predate Fox Chapel and Pittsburgh Field Club by a couple of decades. Both Oakmont and Longue Vue were easily accessible from Pittsburgh's East End and Squirrel Hill once the automobile arrived. These were the neighborhoods of the great and not quite so great industrial and financial leaders of the city, and the clubs were sited for their convenience and pleasure. The Fox Chapel area was not easily accessible to the east end city dwellers. This issue was slightly alleviated with the construction of the Holton Bridge crossing the river at Oakmont in 1908, but there was not robust traffic access across the river from the east end of Pittsburgh until 1938 when the Highland Park Bridge was built to cross the river near Aspinwall. It was only with the construction of that bridge that the growth of Fox Chapel as a residential area took off (slowly).


Longue Vue used to lack a first class practice area. The problem was lack of space. (Fox Chapel's isn't great either.) Have they figured out how to have a better practice facility?


It was good to see the old girl again. Thanks.



David Lott

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