John VB:
You say that this one was one of Emil Loeffler's favorite holes?
Perhaps I'm mistaken but I vaguely remember someone like Forrest Richardson mentioned on here a few years ago that this hole was altered quite a bit by perhaps a later Oakmont superintendent that he is somehow personally familiar with.
I've tried to make a quick search in GCA old threads on the 8th hole evolution. Some quotes from Forrest Richardson on this subject :
Forrest Richardson, 07/11/04 : “My mentor, Arthur Jack Snyder, re-built No. 8's green in 1952-53 so it would better accept a running downhill shot on fast ground conditions. He tells me that professional Lew Worsham often said that the green was "nearly impossible to hold" due to its length and the fact that a wooden club was almost always the weapon of choice. Both men agreed — and so, too, the members — that the hole was best as a very long par-3 requiring exceptional skill to bound a ball onto the green, or even greater skill to fly a ball into the surface and hold it. The work to the green was mainly to raise the right and right/back portions, giving the well-executed shot a chance to hang on. Worsham said he could only hold a ball 25% of the time on the green prior to the 1952-53 remodel.”
Forrest Richardson, 22/01/03 :
“Regarding No. 8 Green?
The Green Committee authorized Jack to re-do No.8 green after Jack asked pro Lew Worsham how many times he might be able to hold the green -- "Only one in four" was Worsham's answer. Jack created the plan for the green and used in-house labor to get the work done. The sand came from local river sources. The Saraha trap stayed along the left, the change was in contouring and a raise on the right portion so a ball could be held more often by a well executed shot. The intent was not to change, just improve the playability.
"When a pro of Worsham's caliber could only be on 1 out of 4, something needed to be done", Jack said.
- - -
I would love to hear what Jack has to say about the moving of the 8th green when the turnpke was added to the existing railroad bed?
The re-done No. 8 green had nothing to do with the turnpike, it was simply Jack's suggestion because the green was too difficult to hold. And, it didn't move, it just was just re-contoured. Jack also enhanced the sand on the right, making it work with the newly contoured green. Jack also recalls building a new forward tee at No. 8 hole at the same time.
- - -
Regarding the No. 8 green being 3 feet above its present height and playing as a short par 4 that balls would not run up on and stay put?
Jack doesn't recall this at all -- No. 8 was raised only on the right and it was always a par-3 as he can recall. He kept the green in the same spot and shape.”
Here are some good GCA threads on this question :
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=7749http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=1064http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=1084Hope it helps.
![Wink ;)](http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/Smileys/classic/wink.gif)