Alister MacKenzie's Most Preserved

[Ken Moum]

Has anybody ever played Duff House Royal, a MacKenzie course in Banff, Scotland?

www.theduffhouseroyalgolfclub.co.uk

Drat!!!

I have a photo of our little party of four on the shore in Banff, as we headed for The Macallan and Aberlour establishments last July 4.

Had I known, I might have tried to plan a sidetrip.

Until now, it was bad enough that I missed the Quaich in the Craigellachie hotel.

One more reason to go back.

Ken

[Tony Petersen]

Regarding the on-going restoration at CPC:

 ;)I had the pleasure of working with one of the Superintendants at The Desert Mountain Club who is now at Lakeside CC in Burbank... Before making the move to DM, he had worked at CPC and had a direct hand in much of the bunker restoration that has been going on for the past 5 years. A great guy with quite a pedigree (former Vol & NFL) who was the closest thing to a GCA nut that I've been able to find here in AZ. Seems to me that the CPC is going to great pains to return the design back to it's original glory. My question is whether it's possible to remove the flora and iceplant that has consumed the originally exposed dunescapes that you see in all of the old photos???

[Bill_McBride]

I will now add a vote for Valley Club of Montecito.  What joy it is!

I understand that some greens restoration work is planned for this summer.  Temporary bent greens have been prepared so it certainly appars to be a thorough proposal.

But then, we shouldn't have expected any less.

James B

The greens will actually be out of play from June through the end of April next year, closing after this year's member guest, finished in time for the 2008 member guest.

You have to truly admire a membership that "gets it" enough to effectively close their course for almost a year.  The temporary greens will be better than the usual winter greens mowed in a circle, but it won't be the Valley Club again for quite some time.