Taylor or Mackenzie?

[Tony_Muldoon]

In researching for a history of his club, reading through all the existing minutes, Keith Fitzgerald discovered a note that in 1921 they paid Mackenzie £19 to remodel the bunkers on 4 of the holes on the Men’s course.  The total cost of this work, including fees, was £156 pounds seven shillings and sixpence.  Until then it was believed that prior to the Second World War all 36 holes were the work of Taylor.

Photographic evidence from those times is slim but here is the most intriguing picture.



That clubhouse burned down in 1926 so if the picture is earlier than 1921 its Taylor.  Even if was taken between 1921 and 1926, mathematically its 14:4 probability towards Taylor.

However in those days this was the 18th and isn’t it more likely that you would pay for the bunkers to be redone on an important hole like this?  

The hole plays as a one shotter of approx 155 yards, across a pond with the ground beyond rising upto the green.  The bunkers are cut into a mound at least 15yards short of the green.  I love the way they overlap across the face of that mound. The top of the mound tends to obscure the lower half of the pin.  All in all a great example of a hole playing easier than it looks.

So I know it can only be speculation but I’d love to hear the opinions of those with more experience.

But first can someone identify this course. The hole still exists in a similar form today...

(If I’ve told you about this then you’re d/q’d. OK?)

[Tony_Muldoon]

you won't find athe Mackenzie reference in any book so before I start giving other clues here's a more modern photo.

This is todays format of the 9th hole with the new clubhouse.

I feel sure that at least one of you guys will have played there?



I know it's hard to make out detail in the first picture but the contrast between the bunkers then and the standard modern ones is quite marked.

[TEPaul]

"However in those days this was the 18th and isn’t it more likely that you would pay for the bunkers to be redone on an important hole like this?"

Tony:

Why do you say that?

And what happened to that nice mound and bunkering if front of that green? Is that what you're asking?    

[TEPaul]

It appears the original left bunker fronting the green was removed. A portion of the original middle bunker fronting the green was turned into what today appears to be the left bunker fronting the green. And that neat mound whose top line twisted into the top line of the original middle fronting bunker appears to have been removed and replaced by a bunker too similar to the bunker front left. Maybe the club just couldn't deal with the blindness those neat fronting hazards created in the older photo.

That hole needs some tree work.  

[Tony_Muldoon]

What am I saying? Good question.

This is the first time this course is identified as having been touched (4 bunkers and I believe greens) by Mackenzie. I can’t prove it but as I've hinted I believe that picture is far more likely to show his work than Taylor's, even if mathematically the odds are against this. The bunkers in the original photo are sophisticated not something Taylor is renowned for.  There are at least a couple of Mackenzie experts on here and I’d like to know if others agree?

I’ll post more historical stuff and photos over the weekend.

Mackenzie claimed to have worked on hundred's of courses and we now know about another one.  

The whole course could do with tree work last summer they still seemed to be planting!

For those who haven’t played it but like to do a little research. This course was the first to employ Henry Cotton, as the 5th Assistant Pro!

[Tony_Muldoon]

I'm a stubborn kinda guy and I obviously enjoy talking to myself.

Clue no 3

If you believe all the sources this course has been worked on by

Tayor, Mackenzie, Alison and todays course is by Morrison.

The club history gives no creedence to Alison.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

The water supply is adequate? 6544 yards par 71 sss 71.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I knew someone here would have played it, and you were always the No 1 suspect.  Details correct as per the late lamented Times Guide to Golf Courses of Britain and Ireland  

Mark as the recent author of an excellent introductory article on the good doctor any views on the photo's?

It’s thanks to my daughter that I managed to get anything onto photo bucket. She's now hopping up and down for her turn on the computer so more tommorrow.

Another clue for others

It is less than 20 miles from Sunningdale.

(Unless Colt was giving Mackenzie the crumbs could this be the first instance of the latter poaching work in the south? Often cited as the reason for the break up.)