Best school-owned (NOT college) course

[Tim Gavrich]

I only have played two golf courses on the grounds of prep schools.  The first is Hotchkiss School Golf Course, out in Lakeville, CT, which I quite like (with the exception of the witch of a ninth hole, but I'd love another look at it), and the second is Watertown CC in Watertown, CT, which lies mostly on Taft School property.  I only know for sure of one other, and I believe it's at Lawrenceville Academy in Lawrenceville, NJ.  Is it any good?  Which is the best prep school-owned golf course?

[Kyle Harris]

Would Glen Mills count in this category? Haven't played it yet, but I've only heard good things. Bobby Weed, right?

Lawrenceville Prep is an alright course, nothing crazy and not in terribly good shape. I played it summer 2002.

[T_MacWood]

Culver is an excellent nine holer.

[BCrosby]

I believe Andover has its own course. I don't remember much about it.

As Tom notes, Culver has a very nice Langford/Moreau nine. I have heard talk that some restoration efforts are being considered.

Bob

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I haven't played there but The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ has a 18 hole course. www.peddie.org/community/golf/

I wouldn't call Glen Mills School a prep school but the course is an excellent public course with a good program for the students to work there.

[SteveC]

Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, has a 9-holer that looks like fun. I have walked it but not played it - hope to this spring or summer. Lots of elevation changes, several excellent doglegs, smallish greens that present a challenge, and a multitude of canted fairways that make flat lies a 50-50 proposition. They just completely rebuilt the 9th hole to make it more of a test.

I love the idea of a high school student being able to shuck his or her textbooks, grab a walking bag, and head out to the course to turn off the world for a couple of hours.

[Brad Klein]

Hotchkiss School Nine is very cool -- Raynor & Banks through the middle of the campus and a great little New England town just down the street.

[Kelly Blake Moran]

Hotchkiss School Nine is very cool -- Raynor & Banks through the middle of the campus and a great little New England town just down the street.

Is it open to public play?

[mark chalfant]

Kelly: it is usually open for public play  and the pro is a very nice guy who posts on  GCA,   Jm  Kennedy

[Dan_Callahan]

Northfield Mount Hermon and St. Mark's School, both in Massachusetts, own 9-hole courses.

Woodberry Forest in Virginia owns a 9-hole course that was designed by Donald Ross, although I don't know how much is intact.

[Doug Wright]

Cranwell (Stiles and Van Kleek) in the Berkshires was a school-owned course when I was growing up. The school's long closed, but the course/school building survives as part of a resort.

[Paul Carey]

Georgetown Prep in Rockville, MD had a nine hole course that can be added to the NLE list as of a year ago.  It was originally designed by Frank Emmet considered by many to be the Dean of Junior golf in America.  The golf course was a par 35 with one par 5 and was a bit over 3,000 yards.  

It was truly a place where the students could finish classes grab their bag and play a few.  It was also a great course for many of the locals.  $25 a year to join and $3 for a round (in the 70s).

I started playing golf there by sneaking on before I was 12 (the minimum age) and when I reached my 12th birthday I picked up trash for free golf.  I went to school there and continued to work on the maintenance staff through graduate school.  The course was run by Brother  Lauriere who used to show his collection of guns including his magnum on occasion.  There were a bunch of regulars that played there most every evenings.  The occasional threesome of Genie, Feeney and the Fat Man.  Frank and his son Marty were there every day as well as well as a long list of characters.

The course is now plowed under as the President of the school sold a bunch of the land and the rest of the campus is being turned into playing fields.  It is a shame.  As the school became a school of rich kids that all belong to clubs the student play declined and thus the demise of the course.

This may have been a bit OT but when the the place that I learned to play this great game is plowed under it strikes a nerve.  

[ChasLawler]

Woodberry Forest in Virginia has a 9 hole Donald Ross course running through the campus.

[Bill Gayne]

Paul,

I'm sorry to read about the course at Prep. I went to Gonzaga and had a couple of freinds that went to Prep and I always thought that it was kind of cool for a school to have a golf course. Last I heard was that the school was slowly developing/selling the land and the course had been reduced to four or five holes. It's my understanding that Father Dooley, Gonzaga President, spent a good bit of time on the course at Prep.

[Andy Troeger]

I believe Andover has its own course. I don't remember much about it.

As Tom notes, Culver has a very nice Langford/Moreau nine. I have heard talk that some restoration efforts are being considered.

Bob

Bob,
I'd be interested to know if you have any more info on any potential Culver restoration.

[RJ_Daley]

I think that the decades of teaching ministeries, seminars, and assemblies of church leaders conferencing on defining their goals and missions would offer a broad enough definintion to categorize Lawsonia as a school. Have a look...

http://www.glcc.org/Green%20Lake%20Story.htm

In fact we haven't spoken of the very early gated home enclave that is Lawsonia either, when we have discussed early golf-home development projects.

[Paul Carey]

Bill,

I think I remember Fr. Dooley but it was suprising how few of the Jesuits played (if I had been an SJ I would have plyed every day).

One of the great things about Prep's course was that a regular Fall and Spring Junior Varsity League of all the Catholic schools gave a lot of young players a chance to get some much needed competitive experience.

I won't hold the Gonzaga affiliation against you.  "some of my best friends are Gonzaga grads (including two brothers)"

Take care,

Paul

[Chris_Blakely]

The Winchendon School in Winchendon, MA has an 18 hole course designed by Donald Ross in 1926.  The course used to be called the Toy Town Tavern CC.

The course is on the short side 5430 yards par 70.  The course starts with back to back pr 3's and finishew with 2 of the final 3 holes are par 3's as well.  Very scenic course on a rolling piece of property.

http://www.winchgolf.com/

[Mike_Cirba]

Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, has a 9-holer that looks like fun. I have walked it but not played it - hope to this spring or summer. Lots of elevation changes, several excellent doglegs, smallish greens that present a challenge, and a multitude of canted fairways that make flat lies a 50-50 proposition. They just completely rebuilt the 9th hole to make it more of a test.

I love the idea of a high school student being able to shuck his or her textbooks, grab a walking bag, and head out to the course to turn off the world for a couple of hours.

Steve,

The nine-hole Blair Academy course (Duer Irving Sewell - 1925) is a blast....for six holes, that is.

It appears to me that the present 7th thru 9th holes (although I haven't seen the changes you speak about to the 9th) were relocated sometime later to make room for the athletic fields.  They certainly don't seem to fit with the architectural stylings or interest of the rest of the course, although I believe the 9th green is probably original.

For six holes I though I had found a serious hidden gem, only to be left a bit disappointed at the end.  I believe that Sewell also designed the Peddie School course that Steve mentioned.

[Chris_Blakely]

I agree with Mike C about holes 7 & 8 at Blair Academy; however, I enjoyed the 9th hole.  I played the course in 2003 and am not sure if the hole was rebuilt before or after this.  I remeber the hole playing along a hillside and slowing rising up to the green that was smallish.  The hole had a strip bunkering running along the left side and that was have been there to keep balls from rolling into the woods, I should go back and look at my pictures.  All in all, this hole was not as simple as 7 & 8 which were obviously not original and built with little thought.

I remeber the second hole is Biarritz like par 3 that it plays from an elevated tee box to an elevated green and has strip bunkers flanking both sides of the green.  The hole also has a carry bunker like the Biarritz that was grassed over

[Mike_Cirba]

Chris,

You're right, the 9th is not a bad hole.  It just seems to me that it's unlikely that it's original, or that the hole played in the same manner it does today.  I did mention that the green seemed original and it does have some decent interest.

The 2nd is a wonderful par three and the 1st green is just superbly located on a high knoll, which may result in a blind approach if the drive is not struck long and true.  

The 6th is also a suberb hole.

[Chris_Blakely]

Mike,

In my description of the 9th hole the strip bunker along the fairway runs along the right side of the hole if your on the tee box facing the green and not the left.  We are in agreement that the 9th hole is a good one and appears to not be original as for the green, I remember it having more charm than the 7th or 8th.  Again, I need to go back and look at my photos.

I too enjoyed the location of the green on the 1st hole.  I absolutely loved the par three second hole and it is a terrific medium to long par 3.

The sixth is a great par three as well, the green location is what makes this hole.  If I remeber correctly the greeen falls off to a gully/valley behind and to the right.

My brother and I left Blair Academy very happy at our find and completly enjoyed our round in spite of the 7 and 8th holes.  This joy was lost after the constant ribbing I took from him when we played Mount Pocono GC next, one of the worst selections of the courses we have played together and he let me know!!!

Also the only time he has beat me in stroke play on a course, his drive on the par 3 9th hit a rock left of the green and kicked to within a foot, he tapped in for even par.

[SteveC]

I will take notes when I am next at Blair - strike that, when I can see the ground, as I will be there this w/e but I fear snow covers the landscape.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tim,
I've been away so I didn't see this thread but I did want to reply by saying that #9 is an acquired taste. George Bahto really helped this adaptation of a road hole by creating a landing area in a spot that had slowly sank away over the years. He would really like to get his hands on the green and its surrounds. Originally the green went almost to the bunker on the right side and extended ten yards or so back down the fairway. It also had a sharp ridge on the left side, where the land drops off 12' or so, and it also dropped off a bit at at the back.  

Mark Chalfant,
Thanks for the kind words.

Brad  Klein,
Can I quote you?  

There have been a few GCA guys and gals that have stopped by and the more the merrier. Hotchkiss isn't FI or Yale, but I don't think you can access much Raynor/Banks/Bahto for 13 bucks.  
 

[Brad Klein]

Jim Kennedy, you can quote me, but only if we can put a group togther (Chalfant, Gavrich, Curry, myself) to check the appropriateness of the quote with a test round. Been years since we've been there, even though it's only 50 miles away.