Photos of Boston GC

[Scott_Burroughs]

Thanks to Mark Fine, longtime GCA poster who more recently
started his own golf design firm (and is rather busy in the
restoration area) and also will be coming out with a book on
hazards in golf, we have the first good look at Gil Hanse's
Boston GC, which is due to open some time this year.  I don't
know hole numbers, except the last:

Tiny green on the drivable par 4:


Same hole as above:






Par 3 (!)  (I'm guessing long par 3)






A bunker between back and front tees is fairly unusual.  This
hole reminds me of a couple of Mike Strantz holes.








Believe it or not, this is the same hole as the first two pics in this thread, the drivable par 4:


Same hole again, obviously:


This hole (par 3, with green over right bunker in shadows)
seems to have similar playing characteristics as #17 at Rustic
Canyon, with the safe fairway area left of the green (see following photo):





Reminds me of #10 at PVGC:

Par 5 (that's fairway, not the green):


You can see the green in the distance, at left, at the bottom of the hill:




Same par 5 as the last 3 pics, the green at the bottom of the hill:
















Is this the "Bucket" described in the C&C article in Links on Bandon Trails?











Hole #6 that I had shown in the other BGC thread:

[Sébastien Dhaussy]

Great photos.

Thanks Scott.

[Scott_Burroughs]

De rien.

[mike_malone]

 The hole where the golfer is walking reminds me of one at Applebrook. It is the one over the scrub that goes right. If you approach from the right there is bunker trouble, but the easier-looking left approach leaves a devilish downhill chip or putt.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Several of these holes seem to have the same tightly-mown
bent grass chipping surrounds within 20-30 or so yards of the
green as Rustic Canyon.  Get our your putter if you like.

[Brad Tufts]

Great pics guys, I'm sure the pulse of the Boston GCA guy collectively quickened as mine did.  Anybody have pics of Old Sandwich for comparison (gawking)?

-Brad

[Jeff_Lewis]

Something like that Shivas.  It looks like one would do very well to make a pilgrimage to Plymouth this summer!

[Mark_Fine]

The course is really special.  Needless to say, Gil is a genius.  He has been very supportive of some of my own recent efforts.  I got to walk portions of the course with Gil and then got to play it.  It was a blast.  Even played some holes that they were still working on.  Don't miss this one when it finally opens.
Mark

Scott,
I'll try to get you the hole numbers.  Gil drew me a rough routing map (signed it as well) with the hole numbers.  I told him one day it would be worth a lot of money and he laughed.  He is very modest which is great.  

[George Pazin]

Thanks for the photos.

As an incredibly small comment, perhaps throwing in some spacing between the photos and/or the comment would clarify things.

Wish Gil would help us out in Pittsburgh....

[Chris Munoz]

The superintendent, Rodney did a great job constructing the course and growing it in.  Does anyone know what they used for seed for tees, fairways, greens, and the rough?

Muni

[Dan Herrmann]

Mark,
Amen to Gil's modesty.  I think his first "outing" at French Creek was an unannounced, very low key Sunday afternoon with his family.  A nice contrast with the big grand opening with the architect and others.

He's a classy guy, and a very nice man.  I'm proud to play at a Gil Hanse course.

And, I agree with the signature - I have a nice watercolor of 18 @ French Creek that was signed by the artist and Gil.

[Mark_Fine]

Muni,
Rodney is an artist with great passion and vision.  He also works non-stop.  I was with Forrest Richardson that day and we spent time with Rodney as well.  I'm sure Gil gives Rodney a lot of credit for this golf course.  

Dan,
Gil is very modest and a class guy.  He has bent over backwards to help me.  I've been impressed with him since we first met back in the late 90's.  

Gil and I have played golf a number of times together including at Applebrook as well as at French Creek.  It's a lot of fun talking about design with him especially since we both have played so many of the courses in the British Isles.  I love to have discussions with someone like that as we tour a U.S. course and draw comparisons.  There is no question that his time over there inspired his design ideas.
Mark

[Mike Hendren]

Does the architect get a pass on the mounds, uh I mean chocolate drops?  


I LOVE the sand pile that guards this corner and heads the bunker complex:


Nice photographs that make me wish Gil had the Westhaven job south of Nashville.  

[Scott_Burroughs]

I have updated the original post in this thread, with updated
information on some of the holes, as given to me by Mark
Fine.  I have also separated the pics for better viewability.

You'll notice that a few of the pics later in the thread are the
same hole as the first two pics, but you'd never know it otherwise.

[Ted Kramer]

Outstanding pics.
Thanks for sharing.
The driveable par 4 (1st and 2nd pic) looks like a great hole.

-Ted

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike Hendren;

I don't get the mounds either, at least the ones behind the green.  It seems that the approach would benefit from not having a backstop that the mounds provide.

Otherwise, looks like some really cool visual stuff, as befits Gil's reputation.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I would also like to say that I don't get the mounds either. In fact it appalls me to see them. Still, the place looks pretty awesome.

[Brian_Gracely]

I sort of like the mounds, although I would have like to see them a little more spread out (and possibly back into the trees).  Also, few people hit the ball long, so they might have been a better hazzard along either side of the green.  The junk in front of the green will enourage some people to take more club, but I don't think it'll be a frequently visited area.  

I'm surprised some of those trees near the green (left and back left) were not removed.  

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Now this looks like the work of a man who really "gets it"
Great photographs, I think I can feel a trip out east coming on...I think we have found a good site for a gca meeting.
Some of those photos make the course look wonderful, if it is as good in person..I think Boston has another reason to visit!I have a sneaky feeling some of that mounding will be adjusted over time, but as we all know it is hard to get just right at first.

The run up areas into some of the greens look very interesting, I can see an imaginative short game being required.
I like the look of some of the natural vegitation breaking up the golf course..I always like that look on golf courses...takes me back to alot of the Colt courses from home.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Althought Mark didn't say it, the picture immediately after the
one of the par 5 green at the bottom of the hill also appears
to be of the same par 5, taken from the same spot as the
green pic, just that he turned around and took a pic back
toward the tee.  My, how Hog's Back that fairway looks!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

The course looks totally impressive to me. That 1st $ 2nd pictures of the green look as if they channeled into the spirit of Tillinghast and he told them it was the way to build that green. I would love to have a pin where I could aim for that left knob towards the back and watch it dance and roll around the green. Good things...

Scott, I don't see a single comparative thing to Rustic Canyon #17 on that one image. But that will show everyone that there is a difference what everyone sees. I believe this is the 18th hole as I heard the course ends on a par 3. Nothing like a plus good old fashion match play course!

As MW-P says, These guys do really get it.

 

[Gene Greco]

Looks fantastic.

Will Boston Golf Club be to Gil what Sand Hills was to C&C and Pacific Dunes to Tom Doak?

My guess is yes.

[Bill_McBride]

Interesting to see single row irrigation.  Every new place I see today has double row which leads to really thick rough.  Was that just in a narrow fairway area, or throughout the course?

[Mike Nuzzo]

Interesting to see single row irrigation.  Every new place I see today has double row which leads to really thick rough.  Was that just in a narrow fairway area, or throughout the course?

Sorry partner...
That looks to be the main line.  There are laterals that run off and create a double and triple "row".  The heads on the edge of the fairway say full irrigation.  The white stakes are where the heads are going in the construction shots.
Cheers

[Bill_McBride]

Aha!  Thanks, Mike.  So the rough WILL be really thick and wiry instead of that wonderful "wispy!"