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Feature Interview with Mark Chalfant on Devereux Emmet

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Ran Morrissett:
 http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview-with-mark-chalfant/

The works of Ross, Tillinghast, MacKenzie, Flynn, Thomas and Macdonald/Raynor/Banks have all enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past 25 years. Same too to a slightly lesser extent for Travis, Macan, Bendelow, Stiles and Van Kleek and Willie Park Jr. Who else is most deserving to have his work championed?

Ever a Macdonald school guy, I naturally put forth Langford & Moreau and Macdonald's buddy and travel companion, Devereux Emmet. Happily, Mark Chalfant feels the same: he penned an IMO piece and shed light on Langford & Moreau about a dozen years ago and now is wrapping up a 135 page book entitled Deveraux Emmet - The Forgotten American Master.

I had no idea how often Emmet traveled to the United Kingdom. Mark reckons it was nearly annually for 30 years. As such, Emmet epitomizes how the game was successfully imported from across the pond. Scottish professionals emigrated with ideas as to what constituted good golf but none enjoyed the financial luxury of Emmet who could regularly jump between the USA and the UK. Other architects had to work from memory while Emmet had the luxury of regular visits when he made sketches of pertinent features or holes that caught his eye. North Berwick was his favorite haunt for extended stays - good man! No wonder his designs are so feature rich relative to many other Golden Age designers.

In this Feature Interview, Mark takes us on a tour of Emmet's designs and his philosophy. Some courses (Hob Nob Hill) no longer exist but that doesn't make what Emmet did there any less praiseworthy. Others, like MacGregor Links still exist but have fallen prey to disfiguring development. Nonetheless, MacGregor was once magnificent and is case A1 that Emmet could build world class golf holes - I feel confident it was one of the country's top 20 or so courses in the early 1920s.

As an existing course, while Mark admires the superb greens at Wee Burn and the compelling hazards at Huntington, he shares my conviction that St.George's on Long Island is the show pony for Emmet's talents. Before Gil Hanse became the Gil Hanse  ;D , he led a dramatic restoration there that exposed the land and a slew of really cool attributes like L shaped bunkers and some really fine, rolling green contours. Emmet seems to be the king of 6,300 yard designs and when preserved are generally jammed packed with neat, low profile features. Emmet didn't go for big splashy bunkers of the sort that took hold in California but favored smaller, grassed faced ones that sliced into fairways on a diagonal.
 
Mark's research puts Emmet on the pedestal where he belongs. Mark explains that the line between Macdonald and Emmet's work is blurred because they shared many of the same design tenets. Yet, Emmet eschewed template holes so that his courses enjoy a certain 'freshness'. You never know what you might encounter. Hopefully, those clubs that play on an Emmet course will take note of Mark's words and images with an eye toward restoration. Emmet was a pioneer when the fledgling sport needed him and it would be nice if we could return the favor a century later and reinstate his work to the prominence it once so rightfully enjoyed.

A tip of the hat to Mark for his research and devotion in assembling this book and for shining the spotlight on such a worthy subject. It is a fitting way to ring out our final Feature Interview for 2017!

Best,

John Mayhugh:
My only Emmet exposure has been at St. George's and Leatherstocking.  I certainly want to see more. 

Mark, how long til the book is ready to acquire?

Brian Finn:
Very interesting interview.  Thank you for providing more information on Emmet.  I am also very interested in purchasing the book. 

I've played  a half dozen or so Emmet  courses, and genuinely enjoy them all.  In addition to the many fine private clubs, I would suggest folks check out now-public courses such as the Green Course at Bethpage (fka Lenox Hills CC) and The Red Course at Eisenhower Park (fka Salisbury CC), which hosted the 1926 PGA. 

John Blain:
Sort of surprised Mark didn't give more love to Mohawk Golf Club in Schenectady, NY.  Love that course.

Matt Frey, PGA:
In 2015, Mark presented on Emmet at one of Joe Bausch's "Barn Fests." Here is a video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIXMF2eXlYk

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