Shackamaxon 9th hole

[Sean_Tully]

Looking at some pictures of the 9th hole from around 1928 (Course is a Tillie from 1916)and it shows the green as being an island green that has mounding on the back of the green to keep ball from running off the back and into the water. Also, in a drawing, they show a grassy mound on the green itself, but in the picture it appears to be off to the side.

Wondering if Tillie used this feature often, or if this was his first and only attempt at placing a grassy mound on the green proper? Was it something that he even designed into the hole or was it a green committee decision after the fact? Besides the 6th at Riviera this is the only other use of a bunker/mound with long grass that I have ever seen on a green from this time period. The mounding behind the green sure has a "dark ages" look to it.

1928 DRAWING AND PHOTO


Here is a pic of the course today where it appears to have lost the backstop mounding and grassy mound on the green. From the look of the green surrounds there appears to be a generous tilt from back to front. Having not seen the course in person I can only speculate.

Tully

[Patrick_Mucci]

Sean,

The photo is accurate, I'm not so sure that the sketch is.

Of all the pictures I've seen of the hole, I've never seen a grassed mound in the green.

There is a ridge that runs through the green, seperating and defending a back hole location, but no mound.

A member called me tonight on another matter, I"ll call him back and ask him to investigate it for me.

The surrounding berm, which gave it a semi-punchbowl effect isn't as pronounced today.  It's a feature I'd like to see restored.  The green does tilt back to front to be more receptive to approaches, given the island nature of the green.

It's a neat hole.

[Andrew Summerell]

Are you sure the 'grassy mound' in the drawing is not just meant to be the shadow from the tree at the back of the green. The artist has shadows going every which way, but the two trees on the other side of the water have their shadows going the same way.

Stangely, the flagstick seems to be about 15 foot high, yet has no shadow at all.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Andrew,

Interesting point about the flagstick.

The green sits well below the fairway and a tall flagstick makes sense, just like on the par 3 8th hole at Maidstone, where a dune blocks the view of the green.

[Sean_Tully]

Are you sure the 'grassy mound' in the drawing is not just meant to be the shadow from the tree at the back of the green. The artist has shadows going every which way, but the two trees on the other side of the water have their shadows going the same way.

Stangely, the flagstick seems to be about 15 foot high, yet has no shadow at all.

Andrew
Here is the caption from the drawing...,the architect added a unique hazard touch by placing a rough grass mound on this green, an "island" on the island.

The sketch has the mound at the edge of the green close to the bridge, whereas the pic shows what appears to be a mound just off the green. They may have moved the green rough line in, so as to leave the mound in the rough? Speculation on my part.

Tully

[Patrick_Mucci]

Sean,

Who wrote the caption ?

Is it the same person who drew the sketch ?

[Sean_Tully]

Patrick

The caption and the drawing was done by Frank Hopkins. I am not familiar with the name, but he must have been in the know as he was the "correspondent" for Golf Illustrated in the Metropolitan Fairway section.

Tully

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