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Doug Braunsdorf

Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« on: May 28, 2005, 11:11:05 AM »
Here's one that some of you might know, others may have heard of, but I don't blame you for not knowing it.  

Serious disrepair, but a well-known architect.  



Here's a clue, from some lyrics:
Ah, blood to blood
Ah, players to ladies
The last percentage count was eighty
You don't need the bullet when you got the ballot
Are you up for the downstroke, CC?

Enjoy your weekend--it's beautiful out east here--
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

Craig Disher

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2005, 04:14:54 PM »
This is a great example of why aerials don't tell the whole story. The topography is the thing here.

Doug - what a strange picture. It looks like the top half and bottom half were photographed at different times of the year.

wsmorrison

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2005, 04:57:15 PM »
A capitol course!  

Right you are, Craig.  It sure looks flat from this angle, but it is far from it.  

Is the different color from fertilizer or some other application that isn't quite finished?

Joe Hancock

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2005, 05:04:21 PM »
two different images...check the foliage, and the sun angles....

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

wsmorrison

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2005, 06:05:38 PM »
That must be it, thanks Joe.

Bill Gayne

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2005, 07:47:10 PM »
I'm struck by the lack of bunkers. Only nine on a quick count. Where there always so few?

wsmorrison

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2005, 09:49:02 PM »
Bill,

I don't think so, originally.  But a 1940 aerial shows only a few more than can be seen in the Google aerial, about 14.  It is a public course that gets little attention but a lot of play.

Doug Braunsdorf

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2005, 05:27:47 PM »
Wayne,

  But this architect really doesn't have any public courses in his resume, as some of his contemporaries do.  

Craig,

  You're absolutely right.  This is great, rolling land, situated in an urban area.  I think everything drains left towards the creek, but I might be mistaken.  

  This is neglected, but the bones are still there.  From the ground, one can see filled in bunkers and green pads that could be reclaimed with a little effort.

  The 17th hole, which is in the clearing in the lower center of the picture, could be wonderful if the bunkers were reclaimed and the trees were removed.  When you see the look of the hole, it bears an unmistakeable likeness.  

  Art Hills hasn't gotten here yet.  

  15th hole is different today--the plans had it routed differently, remember?  It's choked with trees, and up the hill.  It would be a wonderful hole to tee off and just rip a driver with 10 yards of cut on it down the fairway.  

Routing is as follows:

1st hole-from the parking lot, downhill towards the woods.  Bunkers behind the green were filled in, they're in the plan and still visible.  

2nd-back up the hill towards the shed.
2 bunkers to the right of the green, slightly lower than green level, maybe another one was green level and cut into the hill on the left at one time.  Hmmm...

3rd hole-par 3 at the bottom of the picture.  Green shape isn't perfect, but from the ground...

4th hole-across the entrance road, all the way to the right in the picture.  
5th-to the left of 4.  Plays in same direction.  Great rolling land here.  
6th-opposite direction as 5.  
7-uphill, green is on a ridge.  
8-just above 7.
9-great rolling land, I recall some really good use of slopes.  
10-middle of picture, NE towards Philadelphia.  
11-par 3 at top
12-at top
13-down a small hill
14-left to right on the left side.
15-walk around 16 green, and play up the hill.  This isn't original.  
16-back down the hill.  Funny looking bunker here, I don't think it's Hills  ;)
17-unmistakeable, the par 3 green  ;)
18-back up the hill towards the clubhouse, opposite as #1.  
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

Patrick_Mucci

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2005, 05:47:33 PM »
Craig Disher,

I'd agree, the shadows in the lower half would seem to position the sun at about 9:00 O'clock, and the shadows in the upper half appear to position the sun at about 6:00 o'clock.

What I want to know is why more people didn't mention the nice article in Golfweek that featured Craig Disher ?

Craig, thanks again for contributing so many times to so many golf courses, architects and interested parties.

Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

ChipOat

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2005, 06:11:09 PM »
Unless I read through the thread too quickly - what is it?

wsmorrison

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2005, 07:31:33 PM »
Chip,

This is Rock Creek Park golf course in Washington, DC.  The course opened in 1923 as a 9-holer and Flynn added nine holes in 1926 for the Office of Public Building and Public Parks.  The entire course sits on 106 acres.  It is in pretty poor shape these days but there are an ardent bunch of golfers that are happy to call it home.

Doug,

Flynn is pretty well known for some of his resort courses (Boca Raton North and South, Seaview Pines, Cascades and Old Course at the Homestead, etc.  He also designed, built and owned the first public course in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Marble Hall which Green Valley CC bought and turned private.  William Gordon managed the place for Flynn and was the first director of a public golf association in Pennsylvania.

While Flynn did have an illustrious client base and had a hand in some of the very private clubs in America, he did not ignore the hoi polloi.

Doug Braunsdorf

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2005, 07:40:59 PM »

Doug,

Flynn is pretty well known for some of his resort courses (Boca Raton North and South, Seaview Pines, Cascades and Old Course at the Homestead, etc.  He also designed, built and owned the first public course in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Marble Hall which Green Valley CC bought and turned private.  William Gordon managed the place for Flynn and was the first director of a public golf association in Pennsylvania.

While Flynn did have an illustrious client base and had a hand in some of the very private clubs in America, he did not ignore the hoi polloi.

Wayne-

  You're right.  Shoulda thought deeper...there are some NJ courses in there!  I didn't know Marble Hall was public at one time.  

  From your records and plans, do you think, if this place was restored to a certain architectural point, say, 1926, when the course opened, it could be a public course, of, say, Bethpage Green?  Although, as well know all to well, classic golf architecture is not a high priority in our Nation's Capital.  
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction."

wsmorrison

Re:Aerial of the Day-Memorial Day Weekend
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2005, 08:49:45 PM »
I've never seen any of the Bethpage courses except Black.  In its current state it is probably like Bethpage Monkeyshit Brown  ;D

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