For all you SFGCholics

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Yes, I heard the same thing.

Thanks Tom Doak, Jim Urbina, and crew, as well as the SFGC Members and their respective committees that have put this gem back together again.

Outstanding! What a great thing for Golf.

[Tom_Doak]

Glad to hear that the course has been put back together, and congrats to the superintedent Bob Klinesteker who is really responsible for that part of the job.

However, I'm next door to Muirfield this week and I won't actually get to play the results of our work for another month or so.

[AndrewB]

Tom Doak,

I was told by a SFGC member that the course is now much more open through this area because of the removal of many trees.  Among the reasons he cited for liking the changes was that the wind is a much more significant factor when playing these holes.  He said that previously the holes tended to act as "wind tunnels" where you only get straight down or into wind shots, but now there's a lot of cross wind that makes it (or, I guess, will make it) play more interesting.

Any thoughts on this?

[Tom_Doak]

Andrew:  I'm sure the wind is more in play, since that is the top end of the golf course and the winds off the ocean will be more likely to hit it.

Most of the trees were dying anyway, of course, but we did remove a pretty big chunk where the 14th and 15th fairways come together.

[Sean Leary]

It was very difficult for me to picture the changes when the trees were still there, particularly the ones Tom mentioned.  The trees were down the last time I was there, and it looked fabulous.  Tom, how significantly did the greens need to be altered/restored?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Tom, I am sorry I missed you. I was through there last Thursday. John

[Geoffrey Childs]

This is great news for fans of classic golf courses, AW Tillinghast and the trend towards restoration and preservation.

This was as good a candidate as any I could think of with the 12th at Garden City being a close rival (Tom Doak- are you listening?   )

[Joel_Stewart]

 I'm still interested to see how 13 turned out and I'm still not sure what year did they choose to restore the holes to.  Tillinghast worked on the course many times after the opening so did they choose to restore back to the 1920's, 30's or 40's???

[Tim Leahy]

Yes, I heard the same thing.
Thanks Tom Doak, Jim Urbina, and crew, as well as the SFGC Members and their respective committees that have put this gem back together again.
Outstanding! What a great thing for Golf.

How about SFGC for next years Kings Putter, Tommy, paired with the Peninsula CC, Donald Ross classic, or Olympic? Any chance?

[Sean Leary]

Tim,

There might be a better chance to have it at Augusta National...

[Adam_Messix]

Tom D--

Did the Monterrey Pine that was the source of much discussion among the membership at SFGC make it through the restoration?  I'm thinking it is now left of the new 14th hole, but I'm not sure.  

[Joel_Stewart]

How about SFGC for next years Kings Putter, Tommy, paired with the Peninsula CC, Donald Ross classic, or Olympic? Any chance?

What about the spectacular Chris Grey creation, Harding Park?  Its a wonderful example of hack architecture on a classic golf course and how to spend $50 million on a renovation.  Good case study.

[Mike Benham]

Tim,

There might be a better chance to have it at Augusta National...

Sean -

Augusta would be prohibitively expensive as everyone would have to fly from the Bay Area to Georgia.  A suitable replacement would be Cypress Point ...

[Tom_Doak]

Adam:  I am not sure which pine you are referring to.  The pine that often tangled with tee shots on #13 is still there, but not in play for the tee shot on the restored 14th.

Joel:  We didn't pick one date to restore the holes to.  Our best aerial photo was from 1938 but we did include a couple of bunkers on 15 up the right side that had been filled in by then.  And the edging of the bunkering has a more recent look than the jagged 1920's lines ... we were never really hired to rebuild all the bunkers there, it's been piecemeal as we did other things and so when we've done them we've made them compatible with what was out there today.

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike/Tim:

Yeah, but Cypress Point is so been there / done that for so many folks in here... we need some new blood, and it's time to travel.  I suggest Pine Valley / Merion.

TH

[Jfaspen]

I've heard Tommy already has secured tee times for 50 people at both The Institute and Porcupine Creek.. Complete with jet-copter service between the two courses.