Burning Tree has no par fives?

[Sean_Tully]

I came across an interesting article on Burning Tree from 1925 where  
it is mentioned in a bold headline, "WHERE PAR FIVES ARE ELIMINATED."  

It sounds like that was the original intention of the course or at  
least the finished product. Unfortunately the jist of the article is  
missing, with it all the information about the design itself. So my  
question is, do they have par 5's on the course now, how long did the  
design last without(if they did eventually go to a par 5), is there  
any mention as to why they decided upon the desire to not have a par  
five at all on the course?

The article was in the January 1925 issue of Golf Illustrated if  
anybody knows of another copy(segl's is missing it) it would be  
interesting to read the remainder of the article!

Tully

[wsmorrison]

Sean,

I have a copy of a Burning Tree scorecard from 1936 and there were three par 5s at the time, the 7th at 520, the 14th at 432 and the 18th at 400.  Total par was 71.  If the course opened with no par 5s, I guess it was a par 68.  Only the 7th, called "Long" would have been a real par 5 (for scratch players) if it were not significantly lengthened.  It was the number 1 handicap hole.

Was the handicapping of holes in the olden days more heavily influenced by length than today?

Flynn constructed the golf course according to Alison's design plans.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Sean-

  Burning Tree, as it plays today, has several par fives on the scorecard.  I don't have the scorecard handy, but #2 is a short, reachable par 5 of less than 500 yards.  
  A few months since I've played it, but I recall #9 as a par 5 on the scorecard, although I may be wrong; I do recall it was a moderately uphill hole, playing probably about 460-480.    
  #16 is a par 5 on the scorecard as well, also in the upper-400-yard range.  

  In the context of today's game, I suppose the holes don't play as par fives for the better player.  

  Wayne's information is valid; to add to this, the nines at Burning Tree were switched, I believe, sometime before or around 1950.  Not certain as to why.
The seventh hole would be today's 16th.  I don't recall today's 5th (14th according to Wayne's scorecard) being overly long.  The "old" 18th hole would be today's 9th hole, and today's hole plays longer than the original.

The interesting thing about the course is that only one hole, #2, features fairway bunkering, and only the bunker about 40 yards short of the green is really in play for a longer driver of the ball.  

It's a great atmosphere and a fun course to play.