Peninsula G & CC (Ross), San Mateo, CA

[Mike Benham]

Over the past few months, I have had the chance to play a series of rounds at Peninsula, snapping some photos along the way.  Gib Papizian had penned a few columns on the renovation undertaken by the club a few years back which were published in the San Mateo County Times.  With his permission, I have edited the hell out of the 2 columns and inserted some of the photos I took.  

I found the greens to be outstanding in design and features.  The photos don't do justice to the dips and undulations present in all the greens.  My one complaint is that the course is far to wet.  Over the past 2 months, there has been no rain in the Bay Area but the turf is overly lush and soft, with huge ball marks on approach shots and very little if any roll.  Unfortunate ...

Originally called Beresford CC, Peninsula CC was organized by several prominent members of the local Jewish community who had been barred from joining the more established clubs in the area.

Despite being America’s most prolific and respected golf architect at  the time, Donald Ross had never designed a golf course west of the Rockies. Knowing his name on their course would give the fledgling club instant credibility - and serve as a metaphorical thumbing of the nose at rival clubs - the founders lured Ross out from his home in Pinehurst to build them a golf course.

Ross spent several weeks meticulously mapping out the layout  before turning the final plans over to the club and heading home. He never returned to California and Peninsula CC remains the lone Ross creation in our part of the nation.

Like many clubs organized between the great wars, a series of financial setbacks forced the sale of some land that forced some redesigns of the golf course, particularly the front nine.

As many clubs rediscovered their pedigree over the last decade, it has become fashionable to undertake restorations of their courses - often done concurrently while solving drainage or agronomic issues.

When the time came, the notoriously muddy Peninsula club brought in Donald Ross restoration specialist, Ron Forse from western Pennsylvania to do the work.  His concept was taking elements of Ross' style, especially on the greens added in during the 1950's, and blending them with original work.

“This was a unique project in many ways,” says Forse, as he busily snapped photos for his archives. “A few of the holes had been built long after Ross was gone, so we studied what he did in similar situations at other courses and blended those ideas with his original work out here.”

"Putting-greens to a golf course are what the face is to a portrait. The clothes the subject wears, the background, whether scenery or whether draperies - are simply accessories; the face tells the story and determines the character and quality of the portrait - whether it is good or bad."  - Charles Blair Macdonald

In short, the work Forse did is superb, especially the putting surfaces.  The expansive putting surfaces are varied, tasteful and elegant - a perfect reflection of the architecture of Donald Ross.

The front nine posed a special challenge because so much of the golf course had been drastically changed.

The first hole - once one of the most awkward openers imaginable - now works pretty well. A hard dogleg left with a blind approach simply never played as intended. Examining old aerial photos with the club historian, Forse decided to move the green back to its original position on the left hillside. Why it was moved in the first place is a  mystery, but the hole is immeasurably improved.

The second hole is similar, but Forse reinstalled a small framing bunker on the left side and removed a grove of eucalyptus trees lining the tennis courts. The green is a rebuilt version of Ross original, long considered the most fearsome on the course.



Number three is still a par five up the hill, but the adventure begins on the putting surface with all sorts of humps, bumps and hollows. Keen approach play will be necessary, depending on the pin position.



The par-3, fourth hole is far less severe in front of the green, where much of the hillside was softened. The putting surface has a sharp spine, essentially cutting the green into two parts. This is still a difficult hole in the swirling winds atop the hill.



Leaping off the hillside, the par-4 fifth is completely different. Bunkers litter the edges of the fairway and the green has all manner of mounds and collection areas. Visually, it looks to me like the old black and white photos from the golden age. The members will be thrilled.





In similar fashion, the bunkering on the short par-4, 6th changes the entire feel of the hole. Once a drab dogleg left to a terrace green, the line of eucalyptus trees on the left have been removed and replaced by artful bunkers giving the the fairway an expansive feel. In concert with the rest of the golf course, the green is another adventurous portrait.



I always thought the par-3, 7th was the weakest hole on the course - an odd green that looked to be shoe-horned into a corner on the far end of a line of trees. It still is a bit claustrophobic, but the putting surface has been drastically expanded, divided into sections by clever rolls and drop-offs.



Up the hill to the 8th, the key feature is now a fairway bunker nibbling in from the left side, giving the hole some shape. The green is two-tiers, guarded by deep, intimidating bunkers leering back down the fairway.

The 9th hole was always my personal favorite on the golf course because the blend of the old fashion carry bunkers and naturalistic putting surface really showed the potential of the rest of the golf course. Forse did not really change anything strategic as much as gussy up what was already there. Like all the great restoration specialists, he seems to know when change is necessary and when it is best to leave the original ideas intact.





The 10th hole features bold plateaus divided by a diagonal swale running towards the back of the green. Both the 11th and 12th are much as they were with a few wrinkles, and reexpanded to original size.



“Wherever possible,” says Forse, “I try not to lay a new imprint on what was there, just bring it back as close as possible.  After all, Ross was a genius at building greens.”

The 13th and 16th greens - which sit next to each other -  had been redesigned many years ago and always appeared a bit bland. Now, golfers will find two holes with similar topography but vastly different putting surfaces. Both invite numerous approach options with distinct personalities.



“I had to do something to distinguish them from each other and chose a couple of ideas from two of my favorite Ross courses,” said Forse, who declined to give me which ones.

The most impressive green I saw was the uphill 14th, framed by two irregular mounds on the outer perimeter of the green. The putting surface is a collage of interconnecting humps, drop-offs and swales that certainly ranks as one of the most complex creations I have ever seen.

“We worked hard on that one,” he said, “because it is tough to get something with all that movement to tie together correctly.”

It has been said that the key to success in any endeavor is getting the last 10 percent right and the deeply religious Forse is a relentless perfectionist.

Standing on the 18th tee with the construction supervisor, Forse suddenly scowls.

“That’s wrong,” he says, pointing at a fairway bunker in the distance.

“It looks fine to me,” said the supervisor.

“See the nose on the top of the bunker?” asked Forse. “Donald Ross never built symmetrical features like that.”

“Well, it will slowly change over time,” said the supervisor hopefully.

“I don’t care,” said Forse, scowling. “What the heck is the point of doing a Ross restoration and then leaving a mistake? Make sure it is fixed tomorrow morning.”

Is Peninsula a pure and original Ross course like Pinehurst? Not exactly, but the membership can be assured that it will be as authentic as humanely possible and something the great man himself would be proud to attach his name to.

All things considered, Peninsula Golf Club arguably now has the best set of greens in the area. The look and feel of the golf course is both tasteful and elegant, a classical renovation in the style of Donald Ross through the eyes of architectural historian Ron Forse.

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[THuckaby2]

This is absolutely fantastic stuff - thanks, Mike!  Unfortunately silly me, I have played Peninsula but once, and it was before all the recent changes.  I truly need to get over there again.  Sounds like it's time to put on my America's Guest hat, huh?

So here's the $256K question, adjusted for inflation:  is it fair to call it a Ross course or not?  I've always assumed no, given how bastardized it became over the years from what Ross originally intended.  It would seem that Gib - and you - would think it fair to call it "Ross-like" now, no?  That is, restored to Ross' intent?

Hell this is really mincing words, I know.  I just want to be able to say with clarity how many Ross courses I have played - and it's not many, sadly.

TH

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom, I think you should wait for me...........

[David_Tepper]

Just how long ago was the restoration/enhancement work done at Peninsula?  I played there a few times in NCGA league matches (at least 6-7 years ago) and was never very impressed. These pictures look like a huge improvement. My compliments to the chef!

[Steve_Lovett]

Mike,

Thanks for this thread - a REALLY good one...  Enjoyed the photo's, and context/information...

I've never played Peninsula, but as a kid, it was the first golf course I have conscious memories of and it sparked an interest (or at least curiousity) in golf - from driving by the adjacent road growing up as a young youngster in San Mateo.

I'm traveling back to the bay area next month, and will be viewing it (from the same perspective as when i was a kid) in a whole new light!


 

[Mike Benham]

Just how long ago was the restoration/enhancement work done at Peninsula?  

The back 9 was completed in 2001 and the front 9 opened for play in April 2003.

And to clarify, GIB wrote the text in 2 separate columns, 2-years apart and he deserves his usual accolades  ...

Edit:  Here is a link to the Ross Society page detailing the restoration project.

http://www.donaldrosssociety.org/MEMBERS/Restoration%20Peninsula.htm

Mike