[Mike_Cirba]

While we're seeking architectural attribution at Merion, PV, etc., I have a question related to the 3 lost Tillie holes at San Francisco and the three new holes that replaced them.

I understand the work was done in the late 40s, early 50s, and I understood it to be the work of the head pro (Harold Sampson?) at the time.  

But, C&W show revisions done to the course in 1947 by William P. Bell, which I'm assuming is the same timeframe.

Does anyone know who was actually responsible?

Thanks!

[Tom_Doak]

Mike:

I have always heard it was the head pro, Sampson.  But I'm sure Ron Whitten has some documentation for listing it the way he does.

Have to say I'm surprised, though.  The revised holes don't look to have been professionally done, but maybe they just paid Bell to re-route them and got Sampson to oversee the reconstruction.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tom;

Thanks!

I agree that they look a bit less than professionally conceived and polished.  The old man Bell created some good-looking stuff so I was surprised to see that attribution, as well.
 

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Mike,
I'm surprised that you found it in the late 40's Early 50's. I thought and still suspect it was closer to the late 50's early 60's as the freeway was built in the early 60's, which would have to make it Billy Bell Jr. as BB Sr. passed in 1952.

I'll investigate some also. I have a very good source. My Dad retired from Cal Trans in 1994 after 45 years! He still has friends there!

[Tom_Doak]

Tommy,

I've always heard the 1947 date, too.  One of the reasons that the older members resist the subject of restoration is that none of them can really remember the pre-Sampson course; in their own frame of reference they don't want to change the course they've always known.

[Brad Klein]

I'm sure Tommy Naccarato has these, too, but I have perfect, undistorted aerial look-down images as JPEGs in my digital files. They show the original, pre-1947 holes at SFGC, plus the same view, same angle from decades after the changes with the new holes. Now, if I could only post them.

Tom Doak, hasn't the club seen these?

[Nick Pozaric]

I'm sure Tommy Naccarato has these, too, but I have perfect, undistorted aerial look-down images as JPEGs in my digital files. They show the original, pre-1947 holes at SFGC, plus the same view, same angle from decades after the changes with the new holes. Now, if I could only post them.

Tom Doak, hasn't the club seen these?

would you mind sending those to me to look at? nickpoz@insightbb.com
Thanks

[Tom_Doak]

Brad,

Sure, SFGC has the aerials.  There are just some people involved there whose personal history means more to them than any set of documents.

I don't want to belabor the point, though.  The club is not interested in pursuing a restoration of those three holes at the present time.  In ten or twenty years they will probably look at it differently, and when and if they do, it won't be hard to fix.

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