"Modern Golf Course Architecture improves on the original yet again.
I especially enjoy the replacement of angular hazards with water.
Bill,
As I look at the photos (as a native Chicagoan, I beg Dan to keep posting these) I can see the rationale for many of the changes made. I could also see them for the Evanston CC course last week.
It looks like they picked up the stretch of land parallelling the rr tracks to the east and decided to use it, causing some rerouting......which may have also added length.
I will agree on the lake on the right. It looks out of place. They probably needed to add or expand the irrigation lake with the advent of a bigger system. The lakes in the middle of the property look a lot better, and probably serve that function. It also appears that the par 5 with the lake was getting too short to have an open front green in modern play.
There are many FW bunkers moved back into play. Of particular note are the FW bunkers 100 yards or less from tee removed from the hole at the top of the pic. As per typical, many fw bunkers were removed altogether, which is a shame, although the crowding in of trees probably caused the double hazard situation.
It also appears that the fw bunkers have been softened, with the steep banks reduced in the name of "fairness." I'm not sure I like the new style. The older ones appear more rugged and attractive.
Surpizingly, most of the fw bunkers on the bottom left hole appear to be in the same location, perhaps simplified in shape by Harris at some point in the past? Or maybe just enlarged through different edgings over the years.
Some of the greens appear to retain very similar bunker patterns to the original. A few on the right have actually added some bunkers. There does seem to be a variety of bunkers styles around the greens, from pots to extravagant shapes......some do seem way out of place from the aerial.
It seems pretty typical of course changes over the years. While I understand there are parts some wouldn't like, can you really justify bunkers less than 100 yards off the tee? Especially when the original designer may very well have recommended taking them out as "duffers headaches" while on his tour for the PGA anyway?