Willie Park, Jr's Mount Bruno (1918) in Quebec

[wsmorrison]

The Lesley Cup is an intercity match that originated in 1905 between the top players from the Metropolitan Golf Association, the Massachussetts Golf Association, and the Golf Association of Philadelphia.  The cup was donated by a Merion member, Robert W. Lesley, the president of GAP from 1906 until 1924.  At some later date Montreal was added to the competition.  As Tom Paul has stated, the structure for competition in the Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup was modeled after that of the Lesley Cup.

This year the Lesley Cup is being played at Mount Bruno in Quebec, Canada.  Perhaps our neighbors from the North and others that are familiar with the course might comment on this 1918 Willie Park, Jr golf course.  I am sure that Tom Paul and at least one other GCAer, Willie Dow, will be up there and will comment upon their return.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Wayne,

Mount Bruno was recently remodelled by Tom McBroom, who COMPLETELY REBUILT Willie Park Jr.'s original design at Ottawa Hunt C. a few years ago.

Lorne Rubenstein harshly criticized McBroom's work at Ottawa Hunt shortly after the course's re-opening.

I haven't seen McBroom's recent work at Mount Bruno. Funny though, I was with Lorne last week and he mentioned he was scheduled to play Mount Bruno very soon. I'll have to check with him, and solicit a report.

All of that said, Mount Bruno is a special place in Canadian golf. And Park Jr.'s work there is worth preserving.  

[Robert Thompson]

Gents: I've played Bruno a few times.

McBroom's work there consisted of removing tons of trees and some bunker work, but he left the greens largely in tact (at least that's my understanding).

It is one of Canada's quietest private clubs -- and home to many of Montreal's most senior executives. The course itself is a bit of an understated masterpiece. Nothing is going to blow you away, but it is rock solid throughout and the routing is terrific. Great finishing hole and par five on the back nine (#12, I think).

Anyway, Tom may have been rightly criticized for overhauling Ottawa Hunt, but the work at Bruno seemed fine to me.

Either way, Bruno is well worth playing -- but get yourself a map before you try to go find it.

Robert

[TEPaul]

"It is one of Canada's quietest private clubs --"

Robert:

You're not kidding! They were all joking about that up there. There're people within a mile of the course that say they've known for decades it's been somewhere in there but they've never seen it and weren't that sure exactly where it was. It's at the end of an inconsequential little road with no trace of a sign and no evidence of it until you're well into the drive and the clubhouse appears.

I thought it was a wonderful course. The first afternoon I played with a fifty year member who knew everything about the evolution of the course. It's all Willie Park with the exception of app. three greens (apparently #11, 16, #17 and perhaps #18). The bunkering was redone but I'm not sure if that could be lableled a redesign. And it seems a small lake or large pond was added to the left of #14 and #16 that really doesn't effect either hole. It seems all of the foregoing was McBroom.

Those 3-4 redesigned greens don't look anything like the rest (Park) but they actually play very well and very interesting (#18 is short but truly strategic throughout).

The hole I really liked (very strategic) was #12 (par 5) and anyone who plays the course would probably never forget #15 green---a 230 yard par 3 with one of the largest center spines I've ever seen on a putting green.

Then there's the most interesting #7 green that has to be a bit of a Park copy of MacDonald/Raynor's #12 double plateau green at NGLA. #10 green was very interesting too. Only about 160 yards with a green downhill below you but probably the entire left 1/3 of it is a false side non-pinnable green space where no ball will stay.

The weather for three days was warm and perfect and the golf course was absolutely in its most "ideal maintenance meld" in my opinion---firm and fast "through the green" and greens that were very firm and pretty darn fast. I  was going to go find the superintendent and congratulate him on the course but ironically I heard he got fired right in the middle of the Lesley Cup Matches.

Jeff:

I sat outside and spoke to Lorne Rubinstein for a while. He spoke at the Thursday night dinner. I also played against Graham Cooke on Friday as I did against him the last time up there at Beaconsfield---that guy's a helluva player!

Next year the Lesley Cup returns to GCGC for its Centennial where it all began in 1905. I, for one, believe the Lesley Cup had a very large influence on early golf architectural collaboration as one can't help but be impressed by the names of the players and early architects who played in the Lesley Cup in the early years.

[ian]

I think the super's name was Paul Brown. I spent an afternoon with him looking at the course. He was one of Harry Dawe's former assistants. He worked very hard to get the trees out, and to restore it the origional look, but they would only remove about half of the trees. The 17th provides a good example of what it used to look like other than the 3 holes in the forest.

The place used to be an open bowl looking down to the town in the valley below, particularly on 10. I seem to remember that a few holes (10 and 18 come to mind) were rebunkered by Stanley Thompson, but that was all the work before Tom.

I have a complete set of photos before Tom's redo, but I doubt much changed, they sent 10-14 members out with him during many of the visits.

I like Bruno, but I find there are more interesting individual holes at Laval, Beaconsfield and Islesmere.

The entrance is priceless though; no sign, just a farm laneway, so nobody can accidently find the club.

[TEPaul]

Ian:

I also liked Laval and Beaconsfield a lot but unless they've done something pretty dramatic to both of them in the last few years they both sure had a far more treed feeling to them than Mt Bruno. But one thing about Mt. Bruno this week was that thing I call the "maintenance meld". They had the greens at a firmness and a speed that made the course really interesting and challenging. Most of the old Park holes are pretty open and they need that. A lot of us really did use the run-in approach on many of those holes---it was almost necessary!!

[ian]

Tom,

The courses remain the worst treed in Canada.

Apparently I need to speak french to get trees removed , and until I'm bilingual, they will not remove any. I've managed to get down 5[/] since I began at Laval 5 years ago

Did you see the Albert Murray designed Kanawaki?

[Willie_Dow]

Another great green with a center spine was on #2.  The 560 yard par 5 had the pin on top of the spine for the singles match on Thursday - 10 matches.  The drop off to the left was much greater than to the right, which created a very deceiving read as we were told everything breaks away from the mountain.  If  your approach from a lay up short of the green, as most of my second shots were located - a third shot in this instance - you could find yourself 10 feet to the right or 30 feet to the left, depending on your read.

I was told the greens were much larger, almost Raynor size, originally.  This was why the bump and run was so much fun.  My 3 wood never had it so great, even though my scores were awful.

One of the highlights in my 70 years of golf.

Willie  

[Jeff_Mingay]

Hi Bill...

Wow! Mount Bruno was one of the highlights in YOUR 70 years of golf experience. Well, if that's not a major compliment...

[wsmorrison]

Bill,
And there I thought our victory at Kittansett was your highlight in 70 years of golf  
Best,
Wayne

[Willie_Dow]

Willie Park, Jr. has proceeded me all around New England for years.

New Bedford Country Club - front nine.  Some of the greatest holes to study.  Forget what is now #13 or #14 tee, which was changed.  But most all is still Willie.

Milton, Whosic Quissic, nine unchanged - and should be studied.

Keep those greens!

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