Paxon Hollow

[D_Malley]

check out some of our recent work at PHCC.
Jim Wagner of Gil Hanse Golf Design is doing all bunker shaping.  many trees are being removed, new back tees are being added on several holes.  click on link below or go to PaxonHollowGolf.com and go to "what's new" page




http://hstrial-tkelley1.homestead.com/Paxon_Site/1_WhatsNew.html

[TEPaul]

D Malley:

That bunkering Jim Wagner is doing is nice. I spent a few hours over there going around the course with him. I can't believe I've never been there as I basically live just outside Newtown Square.

We even went down and checked out the old "lost" 2nd and 3rd greens.

I realize it will never happen but can you just imagine what that little golf course would look like if they took almost all the trees off the interior of the course? Not around the periphery of the course just out of the interior. If they did that that golf course would be incredible looking with that amazing topography in there.

They could sell all the wood and raise enough money to hire me to go in there and collaborate with Jim Wagner. If that happened I really do think that little course would then deserve to be ranked in at least the top 8 in New Jersey.

[D_Malley]

tom
you must get down here and play some time.  just let me know when you want to come over and play.

dan

[Mike_Cirba]

D_Malley,

Does anyone know who was responsible for all of the routing changes at PH during the time the club was White Manor, or the reason(s) for those changes?

I have a description of the original course layout and it certainly sounds to be intriguing, and likely somewhat superior to today's shortened (but still fun and quirky) layout.

[D_Malley]

i do not know who was responsible for the changes during white manor control of the course, but i can see why some of them werew made.  the old 2nd hole simply would not work today, it would be a par 4 where you would have to hit 7 iron off the tee. And the old 13th green also would not work today, people would simply play right down the 12th fairway.  and i also believe that they did not like walking up the hill of the 17th hole, which was required in the old routing.  there is a good pic of the old routing on our clubs website. paxonhollowgolf.com  go to "club history"

[Bill Shotzbarger]

The 9th hole is amazing. One of the tightest I've ever played, especially when you're playing in a 9 hole match.

[TEPaul]

MikeC:

According to a one page club history Paxon Hollow was considerably changed after Marple Township bought the club in 1967. Jim Blaukovitch has done work at Paxon Hollow.

In 1948 the course and club was purchased and reformed as White Manor when some architectural work on the course was apparently done. In 1962 the club sold the course to a Mr Bodek and moved to their present William Gordon course in Willistown. It would not surprise me if Gordon did some work on Paxon Hollow for White Manor when they were there, as Gordon was certainly coming into his own around here following Flynn's death in 1945. Gordon was also the orginator of the PPGA (Philadelpha Public Golf Association).

Bodek operated the club as a pay-as-you-play club until selling to Marple Township in 1967.

The interesting thing to me is the one page history of Paxon Hollow says the course was designed by Francis B. Warner and built by Franklin Meehan and his son in law Ralph Raynor around 1926-28. The one page Paxon Hollow history also mentions Francis Warner designed Philadelphia Cricket Club's Flourtown course as well as Cobbs Creek.

Francis B. Warner is not unfamiliar to me but he certainly is as a golf course designer. Warner was a long time Secretary/Treasurer of the Golf Association of Philadelphia.

The Flourtown course (FKA Philadelphia Cricket Club (Flourtown)) has some attribution to Ross and Maxwell but apparently as redesigners. And what about the Cobbs Creek attribution to Warner? Interesting!

Francis Warner (everytime someone mentions or writes about Warner they seem to use a different middle initial but I know its the same man) then obviously designed Paxon Hollow and perhaps a few more early courses around here. And now I find he was one of the early and initial members of Pine Valley. Was Francis Warner also part of that early ultra collaboration as well?   Perhaps Warner's name should be added to that interesting list of early amateur architects who made up the mostly "amateur architect" "Philadelphia School of Golf Architecture".

Dan:

Sorry, I didn't realize D. Malley was you until just now.

[mike_malone]

 That new bunker on #12 will take away an old option of bouncing the ball on. I don't know whether that is better or worse but I am sure it is quite different. I look forward to seeing how the new fairway bunkers on #13 change that tee shot. It could be quite exciting. The bunker short and right of #14 with fairway beyond it adds a nice option to that hole. I will miss the severity of the falloff on the left of #15. That added to the thinking on the tee. It looks like the narrowness of the left greenside bunker on #16 is gone. That would be a shame. It was a unique shot for a public course.

   I look forward to playing the course.I  posted on the "Jeffersonville" thread about  Paxon. It is a very nice public course. It shares some of the same terrain as Rolling Green.


 After another look at the photos I think the new bunker on the left of #11 may be an impediment to risktaking on that hole. Before ,you tried to hug that left side but could go out of bounds. I wonder if the new bunker will lead to laying up.

  #14-the new fairway bunkers are great. There is OB left on that hole , so bailing out to the right is the usual move. It sure is more fun to deal with bunkers than those evergreens beyond them.

[D_Malley]

mayday

it seems you are very familiar with our course.  in regards to your commments about some of the new bunkers.

#12 green sits on top of a very steep incline and bouncing the ball onto the green was never really an option, even before we added the front bunker.  there are plans to make the ravine in front of the green into somewhat of a waste/quarry looking element, and tie in with that front bunker.

#15 still has the falloff on the back left.  the new bunkers were put in at approx the same spot as the old front left bunker.  the main difference is the new back tee angle which as you can see in the two pics of that hole, old and new angle one must carry bunker to get at a left hole position.

#11 the new bunker short left has now been in place for over a year.  i think we do not see as many balls hit on the road, but it does make a player think a little more on the second shot. rather than just trying to bang it up there as near to the green as possible.

come over and play sometime and check it out.  we are currently finishing work on hole 1-5 & 10

[mike_malone]

 Dan,

   I played there all the time from 1984 until the greens got destroyed by that chemical problem. Then I migrated to Cobbs. I intend to get there with some friends soon.

    I can tell you that from what I see in those pictures a fine job is being done. Congratulations!