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Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Texarkana Country Club
« on: March 09, 2005, 12:54:15 AM »
It was my great pleasure to join Michael Wharton-Palmer for a round of golf Sunday at Texarkana Country Club.   Michael was a wonderful host, and it was fun to play with someone that has that much game.

The course was designed by Langford and Moreau in the 20’s, and retains its original routing.  In his book “How I Played the Game” Byron Nelson provides a description of the architectural history that is surprisingly blunt but not unique to this course (although he identifies the original architects as “Langford and Monroe”):

"The original course was cut out of a forest, so there were lots of wonderful pine trees, and that was one of the things that made the course so beautiful.       . . . The course itself had a lot of bunkers, and the sand in them was more like fine gravel.  The course forced me to learn how to hit the ball straight, get out of deep bunkers, and to play elevated greens.   . . Through the years the course gradually got redone and basically ruined until Ron Pritchard redid it in 1985.  He restored it to its original design, only better, and he did a wonderful job.”

To me, the most striking impression from one round was what a pleasure the course is to walk.  On a beautiful afternoon with a 10-mile per hour breeze, one feels relaxed throughout the round.  The trees are beautiful.  There is no undergrowth so the chance of a lost ball is remote.  The land very gently rolls and provides contours associated with different angles of play but the slopes are so gentle one rarely realizes whether he is climbing uphill or downhill while walking.

Consistent with this theme, one never faces an extremely penal tee shot.  Generally, the water on the course can only be reached with an extremely wayward shot.  

The entrances to the greens are generally open in front, which makes a run up shot possible, but also extremely difficult given that the greens are elevated and then often contain front to back as well as side slopes running off the green.  Add some wind and this is a great training ground indeed for one seeking to develop a solid iron game.  For the less accomplished, the penalty for failing to hit a good shot into the greens is an awkward chip or bunker shot, leaving a difficult chance for a one putt, but generally not so severe to prevent possible recovery.

The one exception to this general theme is the twelfth, which was recently remodeled moving the green behind a creek, with a sharp bank in front of the green.  Given that the hole is a short par five, the hole is by no means unfair, but a high handicapper (or a northerner who is shaky with the wedge) will find the approach extremely difficult.  The lower handicapper will not.

I really enjoyed the routing of the course.  The fairway corridors were generally ample in width, but there was a decided advantage to taking the inside corner of a dogleg.  One person I played with hits the ball about the same length as I do, but depending on the angle taken off the tee, there was sometimes a difference of 50 yards (or more) in the distance we had into greens.

The only other Langford and Moreau course I have played is Wakonda in Des Moines, Iowa. http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=2794
While the courses sit on vastly different pieces of land, there were some parallels:

-One interesting thing about both courses is that the tightest tee shot is the first.  At Wakonda, the first is extremely tight and the hole extremely difficult, at about 435 yards with a severe upslope to the green.  The first at Texarkana is not as severe, but it is straight out into a headwind with trees lining both sides of the fairway.  My impression is that the hole plays into a headwind much of the time (Michael will need to confirm or deny whether we played in the prevailing wind).  Such opening holes run directly contrary to Ross’ preference for a gentle handshake for an opening hole.  Is this a theme for Langford?

-Another feature of both courses is that they have a number of stern holes early in the round, with a chance to make up ground later.  At Wakonda, the previously mentioned first hole, is followed up by a relatively gentle par three and then two (approximately) 430 yard holes with relatively wide fairways but fiercely defended greens.  Texarkana opens with the difficult tee shot, a short par five that will punish the aggressive and wayward, a 235 yard 3rd that generally plays into the wind and a sweeping dogleg left 440 yard par four into the wind with a difficult green complex.

-After the stern start, both courses progress to provide a wonderful sequence of alternating long and short holes.  One never feels beat up, but also one is constantly making interesting decisions with each shot.

-A final tendency I noticed is that both contain more dogleg left holes than  dogleg rights.

Texarkana holes that left an impression on me the first time around were as follows:

·   2nd (495 yard par five).  This gentle dogleg right is wide enough off the tee, but one wants to shorten the second as much as possible to have a chance at birdie.  The second shot leaves three options
·   Try and hit the green which is heavily protected, runs off in the rear and has out of bounds nearby;
·   Hit it close to the green, which requires a shot to carry a bunker that runs diagonally left to right about 100 yards short of the green; or
·   Lay up to a full wedge distance and try and control the shot to a small raised green that will repel a mistake.

·   4th (449 yard par four) – wide fairway, dogleg left where one will see some very large grassed in bunkers along the left side of the hole.  The green again is raised in front and slopes from front to back.

·   8th (I’m guessing 380 yard par four) – a hard dogleg left that provides the opportunity to shorten the second to a heavily protected green with an aggressive line off the tee.

·   17th (283 yard par four) – An aggressive play off the tee will need to be placed precisely because a series of large bunkers that litter the fairway.  The ideal tee shot hugs bunkers on the left side of the fairway, but the margin for error is thin.

Like a wonderful piece of music, Texarkana Country Club sets a theme from the beginning.  Enjoy the walk from tee to green, but make choice on your tee shot.  Hit your iron shots precisely or else be able to get it up and down.  The course then uses that theme in a variety of ways, making for an enjoyable experience while exposing any weakness in one’s game.

I can find an aerial of the course on TerraServer from 2001 but have no idea how to post it on this site.  Perhaps others can provide it.

« Last Edit: March 09, 2005, 09:56:00 AM by Jason Topp »

Michael Wharton-Palmer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2005, 09:12:55 AM »
Thank you Jason for that delightful summary of the day and course.
You are correct the prevailing wind on#1 is in your face, which does indeed set up a stern opening test.
A new tee on that hole adding about 20 yards is imminent and will really provide a classic start, especially when we as a club also start to reintroduce some if not all of Langford's original fairway bunkers.
I had a meeting last night in fact with the prominent forces of the club, and we intend to satrt work on bunker restoration as soon as the clubhouse renovation project is completed next month.
It was a pleasure to play with my first fellow gca contributer, and if all are as fun as Jason...I am in the right place!

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2005, 09:31:17 AM »
Jason,

I would love to see that aerial. Perhaps you can contact Mr. Burroughs for help?

I say that because I interviewed for that project in late 84, just after starting my business.  I recall a few things, like hitting a rain storm on the way, and arriving late, which hurt my chances (probably not as much as the fact it would have been my second job)

I recall they were proud of their heritage, but more in the sense that they held a long standing tourney, perhaps dating back to the inception of the club that had attracted some well known players.  I would have recognized the Langford and Moreau name had they mentioned it.

I recall it was a great routing, but that the bunkers, etc. by that time were pretty non-descript.

I need to get back out that way to see it some time.
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

JakaB

Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2005, 09:50:36 AM »

  He restored it to its original design, only better..



Exactly...

Michael Wharton-Palmer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2005, 10:00:48 AM »
I haveto strongly disagree with Byron's evaluation of Pritchards work..it was bloody awful..restored my ass..when he finished it looked like chocolate drop heaven..hershey's kisses everywhere.
Unfortunately the regime at the club at that time knew no better and one can only assume did not even bother to look at the old photographs that we have.
However, I accept that this was early in Pritchard's career and much of his recent work that I have seen is very good.
Jeff..I promise you ..we should have used you..
We have been repairing the restoration little by little ever since, and have almost rid the course of all the unsubtle mounding and "restored" the old collection areas that the original photos displayed.

We are almost where we want to be, just wish that we had those original Langford greens..they were destroyed in 1952, when we recieved the very first USGA spec greens in the country.

It really is a great course to play, the routing is ultimatley intimate, very esay to walk.
The tournament Jeff is referring to, is called The fOur States..a.four ball every May..and this is the 70th anniversay of the event.
Agreat 3 day event if anybody is interested..good golf..good food..just a good time.

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2005, 10:32:12 AM »
I spent many a happy summer day as a high school boy in Texarkana but a local girl was on the brain. The only thing i did at the country club was swim and find places to sneak her away too. I now regret not finding at least one afternoon for golf.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2005, 10:32:38 AM by Tiger_Bernhardt »

Scott_Burroughs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2005, 11:19:22 AM »
In Lurch-like tone:  "You ranngggg?"

Here's Texarkana CC (when I hear Texarkana, I immediately
think of Smokey & the Bandit  :P)





Quote
The only thing i did at the country club was swim and find places to sneak her away too. I now regret not finding at least one afternoon for golf.

JB,

That's sounds earily familiar, like Maggie & Danny 'round the ole' Caddyshack....
« Last Edit: March 09, 2005, 11:21:28 AM by Scott_Burroughs »

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2005, 11:30:16 AM »
Micheal,

I doubt I would have been into Langford Restoration at that time either, and no one mentioned it, other than saying they wanted to stay in a "traditional" style.  Having worked around Chicago in my apprencticeship, I did know of Langford's work, and did think it was cool.  I tried to call a very confused Langord sometime around 74-77 for a summer job, but he had retired to Florida by that time, but not too many years earlier, apparently, because he was still listed in the NGF architects guide.

But again, other than the routing, which still looks cool, I don't remember anything as dramatic as what's left at Wakonda out there.

It would be interesting to have some historians find out how much Langford was there, etc. or if he had a young Ralph Plummer or other later to be famous Texas guy building it.
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Gary_Mahanay

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2005, 01:09:08 PM »
Micheal,

I played a junior college golf tournament there in the spring of 1983.  Man, I thought I was in Augusta.  What is the hole on the back 13 or 14 that is the great long par 4?  At least it was long back then with persimmon and balata.

Gary

Lou_Duran

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2005, 01:28:55 PM »
Tiger,

And how have things changed?  I've seen you do some of your best work on a bar stool while appreciating architecture of a different sort.

Michael Wharton-Palmer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2005, 02:34:34 PM »
Gary, The Augusta comment is most kind and one that I shared the first time I played the course as a college student about 5 days after my arrival in the States.
The hole you are talking about is #14 a great dogleg right which is still for the good players about a drive and mid to 8 iron.

Gary_Mahanay

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2005, 07:38:39 PM »
Micheal,

Is 14 the hole at the bottom right of the Scott B. aerial?  I played a Hogan Tour event there in 91' I believe, and the common bermuda rough was grown up so high that you had a hard time seeing the ball unless you were right on top of it.  It played very difficult if you weren't hitting from the fairway.  At that time they said that the Texarkana Open raised more money for charity than any other tournament on the Hogan Tour.  Has your club any interest in trying to get another Tour event there in the near future?

Gary

Jason Topp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Texarkana Country Club
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2005, 10:17:01 AM »
Gary - you are correct, 14 is at the bottom right.  The front nine is generally on the left (West) side of the picture and the back nine on the right.

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