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Neil_Crafter

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How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« on: April 23, 2010, 07:29:12 PM »
Just a quick question for interested GCAers. How did the famous Gibraltar hole at Moortown get its name? At various times it has been the 17th, 8th and the 10th. I believe I know the answer (as I have a copy of the relevant page from the club history book!) and I was somewhat surprised as to the reason. First neatest correct entry will win an autographed copy of Mackenzie's plan for Moortown (if I can discover it first!).
Good luck!
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Michael Dugger

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2010, 07:36:34 PM »
How about because the entire hole is built upon rock?
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What does it matter if the poor player can putt all the way from tee to green, provided that he has to zigzag so frequently that he takes six or seven putts to reach it?     --Alistair Mackenzie--

Michael Dugger

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2010, 07:39:04 PM »
You didn't say anything about not guessing twice!

So, how about if it is not my first answer, then my second is...

because the hole has stood the test of time.  It's solid as a rock......a rock of Gibralter in that despite all the revisions to the course, all the remodels, reroutings and renovations, that hole as always remained in the mix...

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What does it matter if the poor player can putt all the way from tee to green, provided that he has to zigzag so frequently that he takes six or seven putts to reach it?     --Alistair Mackenzie--

TEPaul

Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2010, 07:45:10 PM »
I would say because the over-all arrangement and look of the hole essentially looked like or somewhat mimiced the look of Gibraltar or what is known as the Rock of Gibraltar. For those who have never actual seen it---eg Gibraltar itself---when you do the connection seems fairly obvious. I suppose the Rock of Gilbraltar or Gibraltar originally became both famous and well known to the first Mediteranean sailers for the very prominence of the landform which probably made where they were identifiable and then of course later it became a fixture of military defense for its very prominence which most military defensive areas share.
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Pete_Pittock

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2010, 07:53:50 PM »
My memory says MD got it on his first try. Here is a link to a pre-1914 photo.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MacKenzie_Moortown_Gibraltar.png
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Neil_Crafter

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2010, 09:34:04 PM »
Well some interesting answers there. TE went for the fortification approach which obviously has spawned names such as Redan and Spion Kop. That probably would have been my first thought.
Michael is warm but not quite there........
i won't give it away just yet.
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Pete_Pittock

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2010, 10:35:19 PM »
2.1.0 The person doing the construction was hung-over after last night's masquerade party and was still wearing a barbary ape costume.

2.1.1 The green is on a raised platform covering a large rock outcrop. Similar to redan, but Mackenzie hadn't been to North Berwick.

2.1.2 Atop a large rock outcropping set into a sea of bushes, heather and rough
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19290425&id=QMIhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T50FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1583,5425463

(My one round there feature a successful birdie putt somewhat less than one foot long.)
« Last Edit: April 23, 2010, 10:43:45 PM by Pete_Pittock »
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Neil_Crafter

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2010, 11:23:58 PM »
Pete
Answer 2.1.0 - barbary apes are not thick on the ground in that part of Leeds - at least I didn't see any when I was there a couple of weeks ago, but maybe I came at the wrong time of day.

Answer 2.1.1 is basically it. You win the prize by a short half (ape's) head from Michael Dugger who said that the entire hole is built on rock, when in fact it is only the green. Sorry Michael.

The exact phrase in the club's history is "The eighth was the fabled 'Gibraltar', so named because its sloping, plateau green was built on the top of a rock".

So if I can only find Mac's plan for Moortown I will be rushing you a copy by DHL. Congratulations Pete!   ;D
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Ronald Montesano

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2010, 03:05:51 PM »
Well, that's a no-brainer, gents.  The first pro at Moortown, Tariq ibn Ziyad, fresh off a stint from defeating the Visigoths in an international unfriendly in southern Hispania (down on that-there Iberian peninsula), came upon this particular hole at the course during a match and decided that this personal mountain (gibr in Arabic) would serve as a metaphor for overcoming persuasive obstacles.  He also declared that the hole should change its location (hole number) on the course from time to time, to never be a stationary/static mountain.  Hence, Gibraltar (mountain of Taric) established its place in the lore of golfing legend, thanks to a golf-smitten Muslim general.
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Neil_Crafter

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Re: How the Gibraltar at Moortown got its name
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2010, 06:32:57 PM »
Thanks Ronald! How has this snippet been kept secret all these years I wonder?
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