GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture
A Tillinghast Reef Hole?
Steve Lapper:
--- Quote from: Joel_Stewart on July 31, 2015, 11:46:42 AM ---Yesterday I played out at San Francisco Golf Club and the 4th hole is closed. Apparently Tom Doak and/or Phil Young are restoring the hole to the original reef hole. Most of the work is on the tee which has been shifted to the right and has now been sodded. The other change is the addition of a large bunker to the left and short of the green by maybe 50 yards.
--- End quote ---
Joel, et.al:
Although I don't know for sure, I'd venture a guess and say Jim Urbina is leading (or at least involved in) the restoration work. As many here know, Jim restored the 18th hole at Paramount CC to a authentic Tilly Reef hole. Paging Brian Chapin or Steve Scott for pix.
From the tips, it can reach 195-200yds, but more commonly plays nearer to 180yds. It is, to the best of my knowledge (and I defer to Phil Young for confirmation) the only Reef hole of it's kind in the AWT-rich NY-CT-NJ region. It exists as a mirror image to the right-left version discussed in "The Course Beautiful," putting the reeflike-bunker down the left and the kick plate to the green behind it.
Building it was primarily Jim's (and Phil) idea and I can confidently report that this hole has been enthusiastically and unanimously well-received by everyone, ranging from our members and guests to the competition committee of the MGA. It's a gem and I invite anyone interested to come take a look.
Tom_Doak:
--- Quote from: Steve Lapper on July 31, 2015, 01:45:46 PM ---
--- Quote from: Joel_Stewart on July 31, 2015, 11:46:42 AM ---Yesterday I played out at San Francisco Golf Club and the 4th hole is closed. Apparently Tom Doak and/or Phil Young are restoring the hole to the original reef hole. Most of the work is on the tee which has been shifted to the right and has now been sodded. The other change is the addition of a large bunker to the left and short of the green by maybe 50 yards.
--- End quote ---
Joel, et.al:
Although I don't know for sure, I'd venture a guess and say Jim Urbina is leading (or at least involved in) the restoration work. As many here know, Jim restored the 18th hole at Paramount CC to a authentic Tilly Reef hole. Paging Brian Chapin or Steve Scott for pix.
--- End quote ---
Steve [and Joel]:
Perhaps you guys should ask me if I'm involved before speculating. I'm pretty easy to find here.
Eric Iverson did the work on the 4th hole at SFGC two weeks ago. I was there in February and was surprised to hear that they wanted to do this work. The 4th hole was definitely a version of the Reef hole in one iteration of Tillinghast's work there, but that was before all of the fairway bunkering was done in the late 1920's, and we had been using the later date [and a 1931 aerial photo] as our benchmark for restoring the course up to now. However the new green chairman was intrigued by Phil Young's description of the hole for the club's new history book [I'm not sure it has been published yet], and asked if we could restore it.
I guess this is no different than restoring the front and middle parts of the Biarritz green at Mid Ocean, which I was overseeing while Eric was in San Francisco ... even though we really had no evidence that that was ever part of the green. They just think it will be more fun to play if you can putt through the big swale, as they have seen elsewhere!
Phil Young:
Kyle,
From the aerial you posted I would certainly believe that to be a variation of his Reef hole concept. In his 1926 article which included his now famous sketch he mentioned that he had constructed a number of "variations" on this in the past. I use the term variation because one of the main features would be mounding at the front green entrance on the opposite side of where the reef comes to an end up by the green. In this case I can't tell if there is any mounding on the front left side of the green.
Steve, there were two original Reef holes on Long Island, one that still exists. The 4th hole of the original Blue course is the only par-4 version that he ever did. Besides the design of the hole, we know it was a Reef because it was called that in the April 1935 Farmingdale Post article which gave a hole-by-hole description of the course. This hole was actually drivable at 300 yards back then. Today it is the 12th hole of the Yellow and all of the Reef features were removed when that course was built.
The other Reef hole is the 14th hole at Southward Ho CC on Long Island, an original 1926 Tilly design that his construction firm also built. Here is the hole enlarged from the original design drawing:
There is now another new Reef hole in the metropolitan area. It was designed for Tilly's Shackamaxon course by Steve Kay. It is the 13th hole. The course had to be changed as a result of the community telling the Club that the entrance road was no longer workable for regular street traffic and a new road in another area needed to be built. And so, with changes to the holes in this area, Steve designed a version of the Reef hole. Here's a photo of the finished hole:
The 1924 designed 4th hole at SFGC is a near perfect copy of the 1926 Reef hole design sketch from the Golf Illustrated article. Here is an enlargement from Tilly's original design drawing:
And this is what it looked like on opening day of the new course in 1925. In this group was Roger Lapham. Note where the players found themselves off the tee. Almost as if they purposely played per Tilly's sketch:
I'll be at the Club the end of August and am greatly looking forward to Tom's work and how it turned out. I've heard nothing but praise from all of the members I've spoken with!
MCirba:
Thanks for all the additional info Tom and Phil.
The final hole at Paramount is also a beauty, Steve.
Ronald Montesano:
Joel,
Along the left of what? I can't find it in the image you provided. Any help from anyone is appreciated.
R
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