Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Dan Moore on August 25, 2014, 08:30:04 PM
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Its been awhile since I did one of these. The original design of this course had the unusual combination of 7 par 3's, 4 par 4's and 7 par 5's. Today it has 5 par 3's, 8 par 4's and 5 par 5's. May the forse be with you.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/untitled-38_zpse0d8cc89.jpg)
And in 2005.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2005Aerial-_zps1d47cb04.jpg)
2013 Showing the Renovation Work in Progress
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2013Aerial-_zps9cff9954.jpg)
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Bryn mawr CC.
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Also, this looks remarkably close to current routing, what year is that from.
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I can make out the face of a man on the far right border, up about 1/2 way up the page. And of course, there's the Playboy bunny ears, just over the top of the head of the man.
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Every hole is dead straight
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I've played it several times - right by my house. A lot of fun - exceedingly good green complexes. Excellent conditioning. Over treed of course - chicago area parkland course so it's kind of the law. Nice post Dan.
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Fun Dan!
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Dan:
Where did you get the old aerial? I am trying to find an aerial on the old Lincoln Park course at Diversey and came up empty.
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really cool how much Langford & Moreau shine through the original photo. Hopefully the restoration/renovation brought much of that back out.
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really cool how much Langford & Moreau shine through the original photo. Hopefully the restoration/renovation brought much of that back out.
Nagle's work certainly added angles, protruding bunkers perpendicular to lines of play and some centerline bunkers as well. They didn't mess with the greens except to expand to recapture lost space and in a couple instances, I think they made some greens smaller to better reflect the original intent of the architect. The result is a fun and playable golf course with some challenging greens. They've made a decent initial effort at tree removal, but they could take out another 500 trees as far as I'm concerned. Too many cottonwoods, spruce/pine and other undesirable species to my eye.
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Here is a copy of Langford Moreau's original plan showing 7 par 5's and 7 par 3's for Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood. I'm not 100% sure it opened with that unusual configuration. Course opened around 1921 so was an early example of L/M. A tight flat property the profile of the features is not as dramatic as seen on later courses yet quite intriguing how they added low key contours around the push up greens.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/LMPlan_zps85bfc280.jpg)
Ron Forse and Jim Nagle recently completed a complete bunker renovation which restored many L/M strategies and included a fair amount of tree removal. Playing angles, corridors and aesthetics have been dramatically improved. I am in agreement with Terry that tree removal could go much further.
Here is an example on the third hole. More to come.
Before from fairway.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/ThirdHole-002_zps24665f8f.jpg)
After from fairway showing restoration of a quite interesting right hand fairway bunker.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/ThirdHole-3113_zpscbab9e73.jpg)
Before around green.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/ThirdHole-004_zps3783b16c.jpg)
After around green showing removal of unoriginal bunkers and restoration of contours around the approach.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/ThirdHole-3120_zps31e405bc.jpg)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/ThirdHole-3327_zpsa7743d44.jpg)
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That short right fairway bunker screams L&M.
It certainly seems by the time your original aerial was taken, 10 had been shortened to allow 11 to play as a short par 4, and #3 had been extended to a short par 4.
Would have been a couple brute par 3's in 1920.
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Dan,
Thanks for posting. Are there any plans of taking the pond out on #14? I'm guessing that was dug out in the 70's or 80's?
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almost certainly an irrigation pond.
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Andrew,
While the 3rd hole was a par 4 in 1938, I don't think #10 was changed at all since it still plays as a 237 yard par 3 over water.
10 Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/10th-6187_zpsde14f895.jpg)
10 After-note tree removal left of green.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/10th-3165_zpsd43e3770.jpg)
From the right of the green showing some of the greenside contours.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/10th-3289_zpse523e3e8.jpg)
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Ben,
I doubt the pond on 14 is coming out, but I'd like to see the willow go.
Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/14th-0288_zpsceac7868.jpg)
After
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/14th-3224_zpsb2224813.jpg)
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Dan:
Where did you get the old aerial? I am trying to find an aerial on the old Lincoln Park course at Diversey and came up empty.
John - Have you tried here:
http://crystal.isgs.uiuc.edu/nsdihome/webdocs/ilhap/
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Dan,
You may be right in regards to 10. I was remembering it more in the 215 - 220 range from the back, but it's been several years. Tough to tell from the various aerials and original routing map, but it didn't seem there would have been room to squeeze a tee behind 10 and left of 7 with the original green location.
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Dan: Perfect. No 70 is the one I think. You can see Waveland on the aerial above it, and use Wrigley as a landmark.
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Students of Langford/Moreau, and those interested in their work, would do well to study that drawing of the course that Dan posted, notably the "card of course." The seemingly odd arrangement of seven par 5s and 3s really does reflect Langford's emphasis on presenting varied shot values to the golfer during the round -- he was more interested in testing a player's ability to use a variety of clubs when hitting into greens than he was in adhering to conventional notions of par, or hole assortments.
Look at those par 5s (remember this was a course opened in the early 1920s): two very healthy holes of 543 and 550 yards, three-shot holes for any player of the day. Yet he also provides five par 5s under 480 yards -- four of them 460 yards or less -- short even for 1920-era courses. He envisioned the better player going at those holes with long irons and woods for the second shot, as opposed to the traditional par-5 tactic of tee shot/layup/short iron. Even the lesser player is likely to have a go at a par 5 in two with holes playing at 450 to 455 yards. Yet short-irons and wedges will be used by players unable to reach the green in two for the longer par 5s, and perhaps even the 478-yarder.
And look at the assortment of par 3s -- yardages run: 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220 and 240 (!). Back in the 1920s, that's everything from a short-iron to a driver perhaps. Anyone who's played the par 3 5th at Langford's Spring Valley (Salem WI) will recognize the 10th at Bryn Mawr -- a long, testing shot with a wood of some sort over a pond.
There is even a funky, Sahara like 302-yard par 4 (the 7th) that vaguely recalls Spring Valley's 14th hole.
Neat stuff; thanks for posting.
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I'd guess 240 should be a driver for 80% of players today.
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I can make out the face of a man on the far right border, up about 1/2 way up the page. And of course, there's the Playboy bunny ears, just over the top of the head of the man.
What's the story with the face and the bunny ears? Once you see the face, it's kinda creepy.
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2nd Tee Shot Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2ndold-062_zps8a658f3e.jpg)
2nd Tee Shot After
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2nd2014-3260_zpsc1f95c5b.jpg)
2nd Approach Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2ndold-065_zps520d62ed.jpg)
2nd Approach After
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/2nd2014-3265_zps10f9ab8d.jpg)
6th 205 yard par 3 Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/6thold-0272_zpsd3da03b6.jpg)
6th 205 yard par 3 After (note removal of large tree to right)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/6th2014-3236_zps51314a84.jpg)
7th Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/7thold-019_zps48398ab8.jpg)
7th After
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/7th2014-3300_zpsd874e697.jpg)
11 Tee Shot Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/11thold-031_zpsd40f37b8.jpg)
11 Tee Shot After
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/11th2014-3180_zpsa3ab3856.jpg)
11 Approach Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/11thold-033_zps74849650.jpg)
11 Approach After (restored left hand bunker)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/11th2014-_zpsd6a639a4.jpg)
16 152 yard par 3 Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/16thold-048_zpse69a816f.jpg)
16 152 yard par 3 After (Restored Bunkers on right and Judicious Tree Removal)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/16th2014-3237_zpsc044ced6.jpg)
18 Before
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/18thold-056_zpsf1f4bf5d.jpg)
18 After (note restored where cart path and trees were located before)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/troonster/18th2014-3276_zpsa400fe08.jpg)
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Great pics ... love that the tree on 6 was gone.
Can't way to get back, hopefully next year.
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My dad was a member. Played it dozens of times. Way too many trees. The old pictures looked GREAT
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Dan,
The course looks much better in the after photos. The greens on some of the holes on the front look as they have some very nice bold contours. Bunker work looks good. Maybe a storm will pass and take another 500 trees out.
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What a lovely looking golf course -- amazing what simply keeping the mowing lines intact/original can do.
Peter