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[Bill_McBride]

Tom, I think I know what you mean, some of those fairway edge cuts are just too precise, sort of like origami!  But what a spectacular course.  

[Sean Arble]

TMac

I know what you mean.  The course seems overly fussy from the newer photos.  But look at those seemless elavation changes!  The forward tee at number 18 is fantastic how the land from behind just flows forward.  The same is true of ridge pathway to the left of the  15th fairway (the photo with the large tree in the foreground).  This is magnificent stuff.

Thanks a load Paul and Brian.  Great stuff.

Ciao

Sean

[Tom_Doak]

When the greens were rebuilt 15-20 years ago, all of them were enlarged from Colt's original plans, out of fear that the smaller greens would not perform well with the combination of heat, humidity, and traffic.  They tried to be faithful to the original design, but none of today's putting surfaces are really the work of Colt and Alison ... just an interpretation of their plans by a Japanese designer.

Also, one of the recent photos is mis-labeled ... what's listed as the par-3 7th hole is actually the 5th.  The "Devil's Divot" is still there at #7 but there is no photo of it among the last bunch.

[Brian_Ewen]

Tom
I spent ages trying to figure out if that was 5th or the 7th , as it didnt look right to me , but it was originally labelled that way , and the holes looked similar in Pauls original post , so I left it as it was .

Is that definitely the 9th green , as it didnt look right to me either .

Thanks.
Brian

[Tom_Doak]

Brian:

Actually the first photo you have labeled "9th" might be the par-3 7th ... a bit hard to tell from back in the trees, but I'm pretty sure that's right.

The second photo labeled 9th green looking back, is correct I think.  I don't remember the hole that well, but it does come back up to the clubhouse and the green is built up.

[Paul_Turner]

I'm amazed that AOL are still hosting those pics!  Bit small now.

Brian

Thanks for the contrasting pics. The 13th is better from the old angle.

Alison did highly detailed green drawings for Tokyo (they're in the club history) I assume he did similar ones for Hirono.  I wonder how accurate the architect was the were expanded?

[Keith Durrant]

Paul, what's the source for the pictures - an old club handbook?

Please could they be saved as a course profile? This is certainly my favourite thread.

If ever there is a case of keeping tree density thinner to open up vistas, this must be it.

The old 13th, just cries out to be played.

Also the old 12th, the spectacular "pebble beach 18th", with the open view of the lake from the tee. This is in contrast to the current hole with the trees and shrubs along the lake-shore, on the inside of the dogleg.

One can only speculate where this course would be in the "world rankings" if still in its original form, but surely much higher than its present position.

[Mike Sweeney]

A couple of people asked me if I was Top 100 golfer today! I am not, but Joe does post here.

I thought I would bring up this classic post for the new guys.

[David Stamm]

Mike, thanks for bringing this thread back up! I've always wanted to see more of Hirono. Alison's work there looks pretty damn solid, IMHO. These are the kind of threads that make this site great.

[John Mayhugh]

Great repost. I will be in Kobe later this week but no trip to Hirono is included. So far the only way I have found to play there is through a tour operator. Expensive but I guess that is to be expected.

[Patrick Kiser]

Yes, fantastic before and after.  Thanks for sharing.

These folks could really use some tips on tree clearing though...