First Review In For Hoylake's New 17th And Prediction Of Its Next Open Rota Appearance

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Royal Liverpool clubhouse, photo by Geoff Shackelford

Royal Liverpool clubhouse, photo by Geoff Shackelford

In his weekly Daily Mail golf column, Derek Lawrenson says news may be coming soon on Royal Liverpool getting pushed back in The Open rota so that Royal Troon can retain its 2023 centenary date.

The cancellation of the 2020 Open has pushed the schedule back a year, with Royal St George’s hosting in 2021 and The Old Course in 2022.

Lawrenson also tested out what will be the courses new par-17th hole whenever The Open returns (photo below). The new hole was created in addition to other adjustments by Mackenzie and Ebert.

Leaving aside the two new holes showcased when Portrush returned to the rota last year, this will be the first time we've seen a brand new hole on one of the established Open courses in recent memory.

It's good to report, therefore, it's a beauty, with dramatic views over to Hilbre Island, and quite a talking point too in these days of ever-longer courses, given it measures under 130 yards.

National Park Service To Begin Negotiating With National Links Trust To Restore DC Munis

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Nice work here by Andy Johnson at TheFriedEgg.com to explain the next big step for the National Links Trust’s effort to save some architectural gems.

National Links Trust (NLT), a non-profit headed by Michael McCartin and Will Smith, plans to make a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment in the East Potomac, Rock Creek Park, and Langston golf properties.

As The Fried Egg previously reported, NLT has partnered with management company Troon Golf, developer Mike Keiser, and a trio of leading design firms. Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design hopes to restore Walter Travis’s reversible layout at East Potomac; Hanse Golf Course Design has agreed to improve Rock Creek Park, a William Flynn design; and Beau Welling, a senior design consultant for Tiger Woods’s TGR Design, looks to renovate Langston.

Kudos to all involved fr putting in the time and effort.

A few of Andy’s past contributions to highlighting this cause:

A little history

When it opened in 1921, East Potomac Golf Course set out to be “the model public playground.” The reversible nine-hole Walter Travis design was an immediate hit among Washington, D.C., residents and led to a surge in enthusiasm for golf. The East Potomac facility quickly expanded from nine to 18 reversible Travis holes in 1925. Still unable to meet demand, the facility added yet another nine—this one designed by William Flynn—in 1927. In its first year of operation as a 27-hole facility, East Potomac logged over 157,000 nine-hole rounds. East Potomac was so well-regarded that President Warren Harding would often play it instead of his home club at Chevy Chase.

Tiger Checks In On His Peter Hay Course Revamp, Detailed Plans Unveiled

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We got an update and plan of the in-progress updating of Pebble Beach’s Peter Hay Course, adjacent to the Lodge and becoming a big kids pitch and putt. Also great to see it is the plan to have a putting course.

For Immediate Release:

Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods release plans for reimagined short course facility at Pebble Beach

New facility will include a nine-hole par-3 short course, a putting course, and an indoor/outdoor food and beverage venue overlooking one of the Resort’s most stunning views
 
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. (June 18, 2020) – Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods, through his TGR Design firm, today released plans to transform the former site of Peter Hay Golf Course. Located directly between the Pebble Beach Pro Shop and Golf Academy, the new facility will include:
 
• A short course comprised of nine par-3 holes ranging in length from 47 to 106 yards and measuring 670 yards in total;

• A 20,000-square-foot putting course that can be set up in a variety of different hole and routing combinations; and

• A 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue featuring a full kitchen and bar, indoor seating, and the resort’s largest outdoor patio positioned for expansive views of the short course, putting course, Carmel Bay, and Point Lobos
 
“We are thrilled to elevate the quality of our short course to a level consistent with our other world-class golf courses,” said Bill Perocchi, Chief Executive Officer of Pebble Beach Company. “You can see the genius of Tiger Woods and TGR Design come to life when you walk the site, the way it all fits together. I expect all aspects of this new facility will be very popular for junior golf events, Resort golfers, outings, resident hang-outs, and everything in between.”

Woods’ design philosophy for the short course is anchored on playability and creativity. His vision is that the course will draw new players to the game, bring families together, and provide a fun golf experience for players of all ages and abilities, while still offering a challenge for skilled players.

“Everyone who plays this golf course is going to enjoy the playability of it,” said Woods. “Golfers will have the choice to play nearly any club off most tees and around the greens, which will make them think and channel their creativity. It will also play differently from day to day depending on the tee and hole locations and wind direction. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to play it.”

In shaping the new course, Woods’ inspiration resulted in dramatic terrain movement and nine holes entirely distinct from the old course. He also reoriented the routing to better capture the views, with four holes now playing directly toward Carmel Bay.

In addition, Woods aligned each hole’s yardage to correspond with a significant year in Pebble Beach history, with accompanying plaques on each tee telling a story and creating the sense guests are walking amongst the Resort’s rich championship heritage as they play. The only exception is the course’s second hole, which will be an exact replica of the famous seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Oh why not just go all 1929 in that replica while we’re at it!

“Pebble Beach is such an iconic golf destination, we want guests to feel the entirety of that spirit when they play this course. We also know not everyone who comes to Pebble Beach will have a chance to play the U.S. Open course, so we wanted to create the opportunity for all visitors to experience one of its most famous holes,” Woods added.

The Grand Opening of the entire facility is currently scheduled for the Spring of 2021.

Pictures from TGR Design of Tiger making a visit:

The Shack Show With Guest Gil Hanse

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Gil Hanse

Gil Hanse

While the Colonial focus for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge is rightfully on the “challenge” of putting on the first major COVID-19 era golf tournament, the course is always an integral part of Colonial week.

So I called up Gil Hanse, recently commissioned to do a master plan for the oft-changed classic (you won’t believe the list!). We also chatted about a few other topics I hope you’ll enjoy, plus me questioning his world top 10 published this week on Golf.com.

The Apple podcast option for listening and subscribing, or you can listen here on iHeartRadio:

**Here is one of the lost Colonial golf holes discussed in the show by Gil, courtesy of Mr. Maxwell! ;)

Sigh....What's Going On At (Still Closed) Yale GC?

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Joseph Morelli reports on the suspicious (continued) closure of America’s No. 1 college course due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given how the university has neglected the course through the years, it’s hardly a surprise to see more odd events taking place. Currently, the course is closed through the end of July.

Worse, Yale’s longtime superintendent and head pro have recently moved on to greener pastures. While this is a first world matter in the most first-world way, Yale GC offers the best course at the most affordable membership in a state not known for great or affordable golf.

Morelli writes:

The Yale Golf Course will remain closed through at least the end of July, according to the course’s website and correspondence sent to the course members last week.

“As COVID-19 guidelines regarding the opening of facilities at Yale University are established, the Yale Golf Course will remain closed through July 31, 2020. We will provide an update as soon as additional information becomes available to us. Should the Yale Golf Course re-open after July 31, detailed information on policies and procedures for golfers coming to play will be provided,” the course’s website reads.

The story goes on to try and unravel why the course remains closed while others in the area have reopened.

Thanks to Anthony Pioppi for highlighting this story and also for checking in on the course, which, contrary to the claim of one person in Morelli’s story, still is getting its fairways mown.

Sheep Ranch: "Home to moody atmospherics unlike those of any other Bandon course."

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Golf’s Josh Sens had the tough task of trekking to Bandon Dunes in a time of pandemic to scout out the new Sheep Ranch, debuting June 1. The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design replaces Tom Doak’s previous iteration of the course and features dramatic clifftop holes but little sand.

Sens writes:

It’s silly to think that Sheep Ranch will be anything but Bandon’s most sought after tee time throughout this year, and likely beyond, and that’s not due to its newness alone. The seaside holes are a powerful magnet, as is the uniqueness of the design and setting, with unruly grass bunkers in lieu of sand bunkers, and dead trees known as snags that look like ghostly gunslingers, dotting the property here and there. The Sheep Ranch is home to moody atmospherics unlike those of any other Bandon course.

Will design aficionados find cause to ding it? Maybe so. Some might gripe about the lack of bunkers (what, no sand to frame your tee shots?) or the cozy confines of the routing, which, compared to some of Bandon’s other courses, lessens the sense that you’re on a journey, transitioning from one world to the next. But design aficionados assessing courses can sound like art-house critics reviewing Marvel movies: out of touch with popular tastes.

The story includes this embeddable video element. For a larger version hit the link.

The Shack Show Episode 12: The Great Par-3 Course Renaissance

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Children’s Course at North Berwick

Children’s Course at North Berwick

How time flies!

To celebrate the first ten Shack Shows (eleven now after a chat with Hank Haney about his change of heart on rules bifurcation), I’m offering up something a bit different: a look at the par-3 course renaissance.

I love a good par-3. Always have. And from the earliest days playing golf I could never grasp why there were so few. Maybe it was my exposure to a couple here in southern California that shaped this view, but either way, the resurgence of appreciation for wee courses that appeal to all golfers and schedules is a beautiful thing.

Because of their scale, par-3 courses are the perfect place for children to begin the game. They’re also ideal spots for those without the time or ability to play a full-length course. And, no offense good players, your game inside 120 yards or so would be a lot better if you played one instead of banging range balls.

As for Shack Show 12, I asked some of the previous guests about their thoughts, memories and emotions when considering a par-3 course. So after my introduction sketching out the history and beauty of the par-3, you’ll hear from, among others, Nick Faldo and Ben Crenshaw talking par-3 courses.

As always you can subscribe and listen via Apple podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts. And the iHeart embed below. Thanks as always to producer Tim Parotchka for the editing, guidance and polished turnaround.

Show Notes:

If you are looking for a reference piece or just some assurance that my assertions in this podcast are not all a figment of my imagination, check out Adam Schupak’s definitive Links story on the par-3 comeback.

The proposed MacKenzie approach and putt course at Augusta National, found by Josh Petit and posted by him here.

The Horse Course designed by Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford credited by Mike Keiser as inspiring his interest in par-3’s at his developments.

And the epic ace referenced in the show:

World's Seventh Oldest Club Offering Membership Specials

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The incredible Fraserburgh is offering options for membership to help raise funds for both domestic and international players. I wrote about the course here for GolfDigest.com and Ran Morrissett published this profile many years back.

You can check out the primary offerings here and the more extensive options here.

Video: Seminole Portion Of The Donald Ross Doc

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Before Seminole goes away a bit until the 2021 Walker Cup, the course might have intrigued you enough to here a few more minutes about what Donald Ross thought was one of his finest efforts.

This clip is from Cob Carlson’s documentary and viewable online:

A Seminole Primer And Preview Plus A Distance Debate Note

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Michael Bamberger predicts that Seminole will be the real star of Sunday, May 17th’s TaylorMade Driving Relief Skins Game.

The club’s history with elite players dates to Ben Hogan’s era and his affinity for the place, as Jim McCabe writes for PGATour.com.

Making its national TV debut Sunday on NBC and Golf Channel (2 pm ET), the Donald Ross design could come off a bit underwhelming with limited production values due to safety concerns. But Andy Johnson’s article about the Ross approach to a tough site is worth a read as well as for Jeffrey Bertch’s photos.

David Normoyle also looks at Seminole and captures some of what makes it special.

Seminole is admirable and worthy of study because Donald Ross, helped by several other architects since 1929, offers for us today a course in the swamps of Florida very much like St. Andrews and the National in that: 1) it is remarkably easy for a group of average golfers to get around quickly, while 2) being remarkably difficult for an expert in that same group to get the ball into the hole quickly.

That is the holy grail in golf design, and Seminole achieves it. Few others do, though many more should.

Finally, there is the foursome taking on the course and what Mssrs. McIlroy, Fowler, Johnson and Wolff might do to make Seminole look like a museum piece.

Bamberger has a theory that this could be one final eye-opener to kick start distance regulation conversations currently on hold.

Henry Kissinger likes to say that great historical events begin with great personalities. The resurrection of the 560-yard par-5 may not qualify as a great historical event, but it would make for better golf.

Rees Jones, a Seminole member and the course-architect sometimes called The Open Doctor, believes that. Mike Davis, the USGA’s CEO, is a Seminole member and a driving force behind the USGA’s recent Distance Report, believes that. Nick Price, a Seminole member and USGA executive committee member, believes that.

Seminole will be the site of next year’s Walker Cup match. That will give Jimmy Dunne, the Seminole president, and Mike Davis plenty of opportunity to compare notes and their wish lists. McIlroy, as the son of a Seminole member, as a U.S. Open winner, as a former GB&I Walker Cupper, can offer his insights. He can help chart a course. He can persuade the lodge brothers — his fellow touring pros — that the time has come.

Tipping points are movements. Movements start with people. They start with a message. Enter Rory, a microphone under his chin.

Rory On McKellar Podcast: Appreciating Architecture, Ohoopee, Seminole, Carrying His Clubs On Sunday, Swing Ownership, Golf With Trump (Probably Not Again)

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Rory McIlroy joins the latest McKellar podcast to discuss this Sunday’s charitable match at Seminole and anything else Lawrence Donegan and John Huggan asked. Thankfully, the hosts did their best Columbo impression and drew all sorts of fun things out of the world no. 1 past the allotted time.

Highlights:

—McIlroy discussed his appreciation for golf course design as he’s gotten older, wiser and played enough less interesting courses.

—Seminole and his fascination with the design.

—He confirmed players will be carrying their bags at this Sunday’s charity relief fundraiser, saying the look of golfers in carts would have been a poor one (perhaps the Woods-Mickelson-Brady-Manning event a week later in carts will rethink that dreadful look).

—Playing with less than 14 clubs and the importance for young players to learn shots by playing and perhaps doing so with fewer clubs in the bag.

—He’s a big fan of Kingston Heath and considered playing the Australian Open there this year just to rekindle his affinity for the course.

—Shared that he is a founding member of Hanse Design’s Ohoopee Match Club and why he loves the course.

—Instruction and the importance of players taking ownership of their swing.

—He discussed his golf with President Donald Trump, was critical of his leadership during the COVID-19 crisis and seems unlikely to accept a future invitation to tee it up.

—McIlroy continues to believe the Ryder Cup should not be played without fans and should be postponed a year if galleries are not permitted at Whistling Straits

Head to the iTunes link to listen or below or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to support McKellar Magazine!


Golf.com Thinks An Old Template Hole Comes From Muirfield...Village

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For a while now I’ve been watching as Golf.com rolls out a familiar feeling series on “template holes.”

You know, those famous old golf holes noted for their brilliance and sampled by CB Macdonald when he was trying to import good golf to America.

Desi Isaacson—past Fried Egg intern and no doubt well-intentioned—took things in a new direction at Golf.com by naming the “Narrows” of Muirfield as a template and but someone on the desk posted a photo of the narrow 15th at Muirfield Village.

A bit like thinking Seth McFarland was the real vocalist who made My Way a hit.

Anyway, the desk editors, they’re old enough to rent a car, should have caught the initial mistake in a story where Muirfield Village is never mentioned, added this note:

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It’s a funny and slightly lame mistake under most circumstances, particularly during a time of pandemic.

One problem: Golf’s template hole articles are both unoriginal and often dancing up to the line of all-out rip-off of a series by The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson, even down to the holes mentioned as templates and the actual examples cited.

The Golf Gods strike in mysterious ways.

Hey about the original narrows, a video from the 2013 Open Championship.

DeVries: A Golf Architect's Perspective On Post-Pandemic Effects

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Golf architect Mike DeVries considers the long-term effects of COVID-19 on golf in the United States and while I found it calming because I agree with what he writes, I think even those eager to see a return to everything we knew in golf will enjoy DeVries’ calming, sensible tone.

Writing for Golf Course Architecture, DeVries highlights how it might be time for golf in the U.S. to focus even more on how a course plays and less how it looks. And after making several strong points, concludes:

We can emerge from the Covid-19 era with a better idea of what is really important about our favourite pastime. We’ll walk, play, and exercise while engaging with others, and still pursue that little white ball. By simplifying its ‘touches’ and carefully limiting the potential for exposure to the virus, golf maintenance might just deliver us a more sustainable model. Golf may become more affordable and, therefore, more popular to a wider demographic. The ‘grow the game’ initiatives of the last few years have been searching for new ways to interest more people. Perhaps the restrictions and related impacts of this challenging period will point the game back towards its humbler roots and make it more popular than ever.

While Augusta National Is Still On Our Minds...

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Why not go back into the past and do a little reading?

If 2020 means a lost spring Masters and a longshot November playing, maybe the year can at least offer time to reflect on the incredible creation by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie.

So if you want to learn more about the design origins, with some colorized images to bring the original more to life, MacKenziephile Josh Pettit has several excellent original MacKenzie writings and plans at his site posted.

For those interested in the original Par 3 course concept, where it sat on the grounds and Dr. MacKenzie’s vision, Pettit has also detailed all of that and more on this page.

The Shack Show Episode 3 With Guest Ben Crenshaw

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Twenty five years ago Ben Crenshaw captured his second Masters.

We discussed that week and a range of other Masters topics, and we zeroed in on the wondrous par-5 13th’s ingenious details. I have plenty of show notes below, so here is the show thanks to iHeart with a special shoutout to producer Tim Parotchka for turning around the first week of shows within hours of recording.

Here is the iHeart embed below, the Apple podcasts link and of course, a subscribe on your favorite podcast platform will auto download the Shack Show.

Show Notes:

The 1984 Masters final round.

Ben playing the 13th hole in 1984:

The 1995 Masters final round broadcast.

Ben playing the 13th hole in 1995 starting with the tee shot:

Alan Shipnuck’s Golf.com story on watching the 1995 Masters recently with the Crenshaws.

Pages from A Feel For The Game discussing his final round shirt by Jeff Rose featuring Bobby Jones images.

Abebooks results for A Feel For The Game. ABEBooks is also featuring many independent booksellers offering new and used books.

Scott Sayers and Ed Clements interviewed Carl Jackson this week.

Ben Hogan hitting a shot into the 13th at Augusta National.

Here are Ben and I discussing the 13th in 2018 for a Golf Channel feature.