News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Ned Parrish

8 at Pebble Beach
« on: August 31, 1999, 08:00:00 PM »
First, great site, guys.  It's good to see that they do teach something at North Carolina.Last night I was flipping through MacKenzie's Spirit of St. Andrews (again!).  I noticed something that had slipped by before.  There is an old (date unknown) photo of the 8th at Pebble Beach, which MacKenzie worked on.  It struck me how there was no left bunker there -- just front-right and behind the green.  The area left of the green looked to be fairway, with a nice slope to help bounce the ball onto the green.  Why did they put in that bunker??!?  It looked like an excellent (and more playable) hole before.  Does anyone know the history of that bunker?  Thanks.

Geoff_Shackelford

  • Karma: +0/-0
8 at Pebble Beach
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 1999, 08:00:00 PM »
Ned,There is a new book coming out this fall on the history of Pebble Beach Golf Links, with quite a bit about the evolution of the course. It should be an excellent book, and hopefully will clarify your question, because I wonder the same thing about #8. Robert Trent Jones has claimed credit for one of those bunkers, which means nothing of course. More likely, it was Egan or a course superintendent over the years.MacKenzie rebuilt eight and thirteen greens in 1926, presumably as an audition for the big redo in 1928 that was eventually awarded to Chandler Egan. Neal Hoteling, the Pebble Beach historian who has put the book together, says that Egan tinkered with MacKenzie's eighth green during his 1928 work, but I don't recall him mentioning the addition of bunkers. Just work to the green edges and front contour.I can tell you that the left slope you are talking about was an original course design feature. It was a nasty, geometric bunker that MacKenzie filled, but evidently decided to leave for the purpose you suggested - working shots off of it. But who made it sand again is a good question, and it could in fact be his Trentness.Neal's book also promises to reveal who made eighteen into a par-5 in the early twenties. It was not Egan, and it's actually somewhat of a surprise. But I've been sworn to secrecy until the book comes out.Geoff

Ran Morrissett

  • Karma: +0/-0
8 at Pebble Beach
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 1999, 08:00:00 PM »
Ned,Great post. Bunkers more often than not are 1. just eye candy or 2. reduce the variety/fun that would otherwise be there. The 8th is a prime example.  Doak's Apache Stronghold is on my very short list to play for that reason - very few bunkers which will led to all kinds of different shots around the green. Also, Royal Melbourne is infinitely more interesting than Kingston Heath for the same reason. KH's greens are invariably bunkered on both sides while RM's are only on one side or the other. The golfer at RM has to think which side is it better to miss given the day's hole location, etc. while at KH, it doesn't matter - the recovery shot is the same either side.

Ned Parrish

8 at Pebble Beach
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 1999, 08:00:00 PM »
Geoff:Thanks for the info.  I'll keep my eye out for the book.  I'm glad to know I'm not alone in wondering about this.Ran:I like and agree with your comments on RM and KH.  Asd you guys point out, the lack of a bunker to the left of 17 at RM(West) makes the hole.The 8th at PB is hard enough -- why not give the player a little help in enjoying the hole?  As David Eger noted, there are too few holes at PB where you bounce the ball onto the green.

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:8 at Pebble Beach
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2006, 12:21:12 PM »
I was in that bunker.  


« Last Edit: September 25, 2006, 12:21:36 PM by Joel_Stewart »

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:8 at Pebble Beach
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2006, 01:09:38 PM »
Thanks for the picture. Looks like Raynor may have wanted a redan green there without the left trap...