Master Plan Projects in Philadelphia

[TEPaul]

In the last few years a number of the older (classic) courses in the Philadelphia region have undergone Master Plan projects. I feel these master plan projects have been primarily "restorative" or restorations but I'm going to call them Master Plan projects in the hopes this thread doesn't devolve into an endless debate with someone like Tom MacWood over the degree these projects are pure restorations in every single detail or not.

The master plan projects I'm most aware of around here which are pirmarily restoration-focused are;

Merion East=Wilson & Flynn (Fazio) and West (inhouse)
HVGC=Flynn (Prichard-inhouse)
GMGC=Ross (Hanse)
LuLu=Ross (Forse)
Philadelphia C.C.=Flynn (Forse and inhouse)
Aronimink=Ross (Prichard)

There're a few others around here that are in the planning stages;

Tavistock=A. Findlay (Forse)
St Davids=Ross (Prichard)
Manufacturers=Flynn (Forse)
Woodcrest=Flynn (undecided)

Also, interestingly, all these restorations or master plan projects seemed to be combining with dedicated maintenance practices that are returning these restorations and restored courses to the "playabilities" they were designed for. Tree removal programs are part of all these master plans as are greens expanded back to original size, restored bunkering and  practices to firm up "through the green" and the greens. Evolutionary redesigns are being removed from most of these courses and original featuring is being restored to various extents in every case with the use of historical research material mostly including good staggers of course aerials from the 1920s and 1930s! In some cases original architects plans have been found and are being used.

In every case the courses that are undergoing these master plan projects or have primarily completed them are universally successful and well received. Actually well received seems to be a massive understatement. In some cases it's more like delighted awe on the order of great art coming out of the attic after decades is the reaction amongst entire memberships and others who've known these courses well.

Wayne Morrison and I spent the morning today at Manufacturers with superintendent Scott May going over the Forse plan and the course itself to look at what the restoration changes will be.

Manufacturer's master plan project may be staged in over up to seven years but it looks to me from what I saw that Manufacturer's restoration master plan project (if executed as planned) just may have the potential to have the most impact of all of them. I have a feeling Manufacturer's membership if and when their project is completed as planned will be absolutely stunned.

I'd love to see the face of a Manufacturer member who knows the course as it is now, who left and then came back to see the way the course will be and will play if their project is completed as planned!

I'm so encouraged with the restoration master plan projects that've been done on a number of courses around this district. I fully expect it to create a critical mass if it hasn't already. The look, the feel, the features and the playabilities of much of the classic old architecture around here is coming back and it's having a fantastic impact on the memberships and players in this district!

Perhaps the memberships and players in this district who are enjoying the results of these master plan restoration projects should thank the man who may have been the first and just may have started it all with his efforts at his club going back perhaps three decades now----perhaps American classic architecture's original architectural purist---Huntingdon Valley's Linc Roden! Linc may have spent a couple of decades out in the wilderness with his ideas on classic course restoration---particularly the restoration of HVGC. But he never gave up and about ten years ago his time finally came and it looks like it started something that's really on a roll now!

[Jason Mandel]

Tom,

I haven't been to Manny's since Ron Forse started their work there, but I can only imagine that it will be a success if he just takes out as many trees as he took out at Philly Country!  I am sure the membership will be a bit taken a back at first, and perhaps thats why its getting staged over 7 years, but I can assure you the results will be astonishing.  We certainly didn't do a restoration at our place, but the the overall impact of losing over 1000 trees and the firm and fast conditions we are expreincing as a a result has been a joy to the entire membership.

Jason

[TEPaul]

Jason:

More trees will be coming out at Manny's than at PCC, I believe---and the trees at Manny's were so much more encroaching than at PCC the impact will be exponential!

There is a supreme irony here, though, with the trees at Manny's (perhaps something like Rolling Green). The pine trees and such at Manny's unfortunately have probably been there a decade or two too long and they've actually screwed up some really beautiful trees that haven't been visible in years. Many of those truly beautiful trees that haven't even been visible have unfortunately had their branches and such damaged and stunted by decades of massive tree encroachment. If Manny's had attacked this problem a couple of decades ago it could have been the ultimate answer to resistance from "treehuggers". It could have been said;

"If you let us remove hundreds, or even a thousand or more  trees we'll show you some really beautiful ones you can't now see!"

There's no better answer to resistance from treehuggers than that one!

The other really potential factor of real tree removal at Manufacturers is if they do enough of it they'll be exposing some incredbile natural features of that site, such as some truly varied topography that includes perhaps up to six or so really interesting quarrys!! I've played that course a number of times over the years and there're a bunch of small quarrys I never even noticed because they were surrounded by trees!

[Rob_Waldron]

FYI

Kelly Blake Moran is presenting his Master Plan for Old York Road CC in Spring House, PA to the membership on Wednesday Sept. 22 at 7:30 PM. The course was designed by the Gordon's and opened for play in 1962. The plan is well over due!

[TEPaul]

I'd be extremely interested to see what must be an "improvement" master plan for Old York Rd. I sure hope it's not a "restoration" master plan.  

I used to play in the Old York Rd Invitational and we played a bunch of qualifiers and such there. I never quite knew what to do on that 10th hole. I don't think anyone really did. I always thought the 12th green there was brilliant---the perfect type of green for a really short par 4 like that!

[Jason Mandel]

Tom,

If you have seen the master plan for Manny's, can you tell me if you remember what Ron plans to do with 17?  I really think that is one of the most interesting little holes on the course, and I would think that he would keep some of the trees on the left?

[TEPaul]

Seeing Jim Nagle's (of Forse Design's) name on the board I thought I'd bring this thread back up as he might want to comment on the thinking behind the really good looking Forse master plan for Manufacturers G.C. that's been presented and apparently largely approved. However, as we all know, it may not be prudent for a restoration architect in the midst of a master plan project to comment on here. From what Wayne Morrison and I saw at Manufacturers with Superintendent Scott May a week or so ago, though, it looks to be a very exciting plan if the club puts it all into effect.

[JNagle]

I will briefly comment on the Master Plan as time is of the essence today.  In developing the plan Ron relied heavily upon the b/w photos from 1928.  Much of the bunker restoration will fall in line with the photo's.  As suspected extensive tree removal is planned.  There will be very few, less than 5 or 6 new bunkers planned.  5, 10, 17 and both #18 greens are planned for rebuilding.  A couple of interesting restorations will be the 3rd hole where the right greenside bunker will be removed in lieu of a grassy slope, fairway height of cut to further roll away a missed played shot.  The 6th hole may have a carry bunker cut into the hillside well short of the green.  This bunker will come into play when a golfer tries to approach the green from the right using the side slope into the green.  #7 will be returned to a better risk/reward short 5 with one of the many bunkers short of the green being removed allowing for more guys to take a chance with long drives.  

There are some great opportunities at Mannie's and too many to type and discuss on this site.  We are waiting to hear from the Club as to how they will approach implementing the plan.  We are thrilled about the project for a number of reasons, but one that excites us is the opportunity to do a completely different restoration than what is across the street at LuLu - at Mannie's you have the elegant serenity of Flynn with broad contours and undulations and across the street you have 1915 and 1919 quirky, funky Donald Ross.  Great contrast.

[TEPaul]

Thanks Jim, and maybe when time allows you'd like to comment on Forse Co's interesting master plan on the Alex Findlay course of Tavistock across the river. Do you know if any Findlay course has ever undergone any form of restoration? I very much like the interesting Findlay feature of using basically a single bump or low mound here and there on the various greens to create interest and challenge----simple but effective design it seems to me.

I do have a few specific questions on the Manufacturer's master plan I'll fire your way but answer them only if you wish and at your leisure (but you should think about reordering your priorities---what's more important, restoring the golf course or posting on GOLFCLUBATLAS.com about the restoration of the golf course?).

That bunker up into the hillside short of #6 looks to be potentially really cool to me particularly if you raise the face of it enough to hide the available playable ground behind it from the golfer on the tee!! That to me is terrific visual deception and so typical of Flynn even on some of his downhill (of all things) holes---eg the bunker app 30 yards short of the 10th at Lehigh. The other day I walked off the distance from where I believe you'll restore that bunker on #6 Manny's and it looks to be app 20-25 yards short of the front of the green. Making that space useable for a bounce and run shot just over the bunker but hiding it from view is really great stuff in my book! There are a number of other examples of this kind of visual deception I noticed on the bunker work you did at Indian Creek---it's terrific stuff!

The membership is going to just love what you guys are planning on doing there at Manufacturers---I can feel it in my bones!  

[BCrosby]

The roll out of these master plans in Philadelphia within the same couple of years is an interesting case of club peer pressure.

Don't get me wrong. As far as I can tell the projects all sound terrific.  

My post is only to note my despair with the very different peer pressure down this way. You are blessed to have clubs that understand the value of your historic Philadelphia courses.

Around here club peer pressure still runs in the opposite direction. The pressure is to get a Rees or Fazio to muscle up the course, get the greens faster, tighten fairways, add trees - the whole Dark Ages schtick. Historical and playability issues seem to carry very little weight.

You Philly guys don't know how fortunate you are.

Wistfully, Bob  

 

[TEPaul]

Bob:

One of the unique reasons this kind of thing may be happening in Philadelphia the way it is could be due to the Golf Association of Philadelphia itself. Not that the GAP gets in any way involved in any part of restoration projects (or any of its member club projects) just that the tournament schedule up here is pretty unique. GAP runs close to 50 tournaments a year up here always using one of their 125 or so member clubs. You can see at that rate there's generally a GAP tournament at most all the member clubs at least every other year.

I keep saying that really good restorations with the proper maintenance practices to follow truly are getting the attention of most any player who sees or play these courses that have been well restored with the appropriate maintenance practices to follow so word is obviously spreading fast around here from club to club.

About 10-12 years ago Bobby Young from Georgia who seemed to keep coming up here to qualify for the US Am and Mid-am told me he couldn't believe how good the GAP was and how many tournaments they put on compared to any other regional association he knew, including Georgia's.

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

I believe that a positive, micro trend is occuring in your area.
A "keeping up with the Jones's" renaissance.

I also think it's helpful that many of the courses in your area were designed by the same man, the noted architect Flynn.
When one Flynn course undertakes a project that turns out successful, it sets the bar higher for other clubs, and sends out the signal that restoration is the direction of merit, influencing other clubs to embark upon similar projects.

This localized "feeding frenzy" of restorations is great for golf course architecture and golf.

I say that in the context of the massive and numerous disfigurations of golf courses, over the last 50+ years, by green committees, boards and club presidents.

Let the trend continue.

Now, if you could just get the 12th and 7th holes at GCGC restored, I'd really appreciate it.