Small property - great course

[Cliff Hamm]

On a rainy Sunday I noticed my Cape Arundel hat.  As much has been written about Wannamoisett lately, it got me thinking  of some similarities between these courses.  Both are built on very small pieces of properties where the surrounding terrain is quite flat.  In this sense they are masterpieces.  Both have maginificant routings utilizing the available land supremely.  Both are interesting and not at all boring, albeit Cape Arundel much easier but perhaps more fun to play for most golfers.  Both have some elevation change but are relatively flat.

What other examples are there of great, using that term loosely, courses  being built on such tight, small pieces of property?  Is it perhaps the best measure of an architects skill to build a quality golf course on such a piece of property?  It seems that one can blow the opportunity to build a quality course on a large piece of property with good topography but quality is the expectation.  The opposite is true for small, flat properties in the sense that one does not expect much and when the results are superb it is a testament to the architects skill.  Thus perhaps the best measure of true architural skill is not to build a great course on great property but to build a wonderful course on bland property.

[David Sneddon]

The Ross course in Windsor, ON,  - Roseland - is built on about 120 acres IIRC, on an absolutely flat piece of ground.  Jeff Mingay has already written about it on this forum.  

Indeed the whole of Essex county is as flat as a pancake, with the highest elevation being the overpasses on Hwy 401.

[Adam_Messix]

There are several courses that jump out in my mind.  Two have been talked about on this site often, Merion East and the Old Course at St. Andrews.  The one course that has been mentioned little, but makes great use of a small sidehill piece of property is Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN.  I believe the course is built on 92 acres and makes great use of the available area.  It seems to be recurring theme, but Cherokee is also a Ross.  Cherokee has a teriffic set of short holes, highlighted by the monster 13th that stretches to 240 yards with a creek left, property line with a railway on the right.  The only hole I'm not sure about is the fourth, the number one stroke hole.  The landing area may be hemmed in a bit tight, but it is a shortish par five.

[David Sneddon]

I would ask then:

Was Ross the best architect in getting the most out of small parcels of land??

[Jeff_Mingay]

David's right. Roseland, and its sister course - Essex G&CC - in Windsor, Ont. are excellent examples of comfortably "jamming" 18 holes onto relatively small parcels of land.

I think Merion East is amazing. Merion's a world-class course occupying a remarkably small piece of ground. I haven't visited Ross' Wannamoisett yet, but I hear the same about that course.

[David_Tepper]

Claremont CC in Oakland,CA is a Dr. Mackenzie, par-68 course on less than 100 acres of sloped land. It has several holes with crossing fairways. Doak's 'Confidential Guide' comments favorably upon the good Doctor's ability to route the course on such a small piece of land.  

[Steve Lapper]

The best in the world, perhaps, would be the 150  (or less) acres used for Kingston Heath in Melbourne, Australia.

Charm, test, and great architecture are all found in abundance on this "garden" piece of land.

[Gerry B]

as previously mentioned - Merion East - pound for pound  - yard for yard.....etc, etc

[Tom_Doak]

As previously mentioned on another thread, Royal Worlington & Newmarket, pound for pound at 9 holes, ranks right up there with any of those mentioned.

[Cliff Hamm]

Tom...I would be especially curious as to your opinion that the greatest challenge an architect faces is turning a mundane piece of property into a quality course and that this is perhaps the true measure of the architect's ability.  That given great property many may be able to develop at least a decent if not exceptional course, but given a small sight with little to work with takes a true vision and gift.  This is why I so admire the work done at Cape Arundel and Wanamoissett.  Travis and Ross took nothing and turned it into a wonderful golfing experience.  Isn't that the true measure of greatness?

[michael j fay]

Ross did another course Metacomet in East Providence on I believe 87 acres. Course has teeth.

Merion has to be the best of the small tracts.

[Willie_Dow]

And yet, Flynn had the imagination to leave ground open behind the tee box, on limited property, to expand the length of the hole.
Where did this mind for design come from ??

[Tom_Doak]

Cliff:

There is no single test of greatness.

Some will get more satisfaction trying to make something interesting out of a dull property; others will get more out of trying to make a "10", which even given great ground, is not often accomplished.

And anyway the grading of the test is up to every individual golfer.

P.S.  The property at Cape Arundel is far from mundane, and Wannamoisett's really isn't that bad either ... they're just packed together more tightly than one would try today.

[Jonathan McCord]

   Sorry to be ignorant, but exactly how many acres does Merion East occupy??

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