Courses Messed Up by Adding New Practice Facilities

[Tom_Doak]

An offshoot of the other current thread.  As someone mentioned there, a lot of older courses have seen modifications in recent years to provide for a bigger practice range.  Often, two holes near the clubhouse are co-opted and two new holes are built further out on the property.

I brought this up because The Eden Course at St. Andrews was wrecked in an effort to provide better practice facilities for visitors to St. Andrews.

Off the top of my head, Rochester G & CC in Minnesota and one of the courses in Buffalo (I think it was Orchard Park) built new holes which they have since considered abandoning to get the old holes back in the rotation.

Where else?

[Brad Klein]

Peninsula G&CC in San Mateo, Cal., formerly Beresford CC, Ross' only California layout, was badly hemmed in by installation of an expanded practice area that totally compromised the 1st hole, among others.

[Eric Franzen]

Wasn't the 1st at Pasatiempo altered a bit when the driving range was added?

[Paul Carey]

The 18th at the Old Course at the Homestead replaced its 18th hole for a driving range. It was replaced with a par three up in the woods that does not fit in with the rest of the golf course.  I found it odd that the course that touts the oldest first tee in continuous use in the United States would blow up it's 18th hole for a range.  (Actually I did not find it odd....stupid stuff like that happens all the time.

[Scott_Burroughs]

While the new Shore course at Monterey Peninsula CC is terrific, the expanded practice area meant that the finishing hole on the redesigned course ended about 300-400 yards from the clubhouse (and is not a stellar hole).

[Geoffrey Childs]

Though Plainfield CC is a great golf course, the tunnel holes created after the practice field were added get a lot of negative press.

[Jon Spaulding]

Thomas' short course @ Riviera ....

[Jon Spaulding]

Peninsula G&CC in San Mateo, Cal., formerly Beresford CC, Ross' only California layout, was badly hemmed in by installation of an expanded practice area that totally compromised the 1st hole, among others.

Isn't it the mini-Wimbeldon they put in that hemmed in the existing #1? That is the only first hole I've ever had to hook a tee shot between a driving range and a tennis facility .

[mike_malone]

 Gulph Mills GC #10 was turned from an enchanting straightaway downhill par four with a view of the fronting water to an awkward dogleg left with a left to right slope in the landing area.

     I would think that the members there could practice in their front yards!

[Bob_Huntley]

While the new Shore course at Monterey Peninsula CC is terrific, the expanded practice area meant that the finishing hole on the redesigned course ended about 300-400 yards from the clubhouse (and is not a stellar hole).

Scott,

That is not the only reason for my disquiet. The old Shore's 18th hole was the toughest out there. OB both left and right, 444 yards with a green very close to the Clubhouse, just a great finisher.

You are dead right about the new 18th., it is almost as awkward as CPC's.

Bob

[Tom Huckaby]

Bob:

I too miss the old 18th - that was one tough tough finisher, and quirky in that in a way it was the US version of the road hole... only the road (cart path, etc. to the right near the green) was OB.  That OB was so darn close in, so right next to the green, that it made the inevitable long approach a VERY large butt-tightener.  I did love that golf hole... and hated what it did to my scores.

The solace of course is that you did get a world-class practice area.  In fact I've seen no rivals to it, at private clubs anyway.

BTW I am speaking heresy about your courses over in the "improved on the original" thread... check it out....

[Steve Kline]

Re: St. Andrews

Been their twice and never even considered going to the practice facility either. Why bother? It's too far away from the starting holes. And, if I had the opportunity to play one of those courses I would never choose to practice.

[Tom_Doak]

Steve:

The only time I've ever practiced hitting balls at St. Andrews was the morning before I teed off at the Dunhill ... I had a little nervous energy to get out that morning.

I could see some justification for the new Eden practice facility on that basis, except that for the Dunhill they close a couple of holes from the New or Jubilee course (I can't remember which) so people can practice closer to #1 tee!

[Kyle Harris]

Huntingdon Valley CC's C-9 was compromised by the addition of the larger driving range. When restored, the driving range necessitated the relocation of the 6th green and 7th tee, making for a different angle into the already difficult 7th green.

One can still locate the old bunkers from the original right of way of the 7th in the woods to the left of the "island" fairway on C-7 and the tee boxes from the old 6th still lie in the fescue rough to the right of the 5th green - best viewed from the new 7th tee looking up the hill.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom Doak,

TEPaul would be a good respondent since his club lost their property, land that contained their original practice facility, and they had to reconfigure their golf course to accomodate a new range.

You bring up an interesting dilema.

What architectural compromise is reasonable when reconfiguring a golf course, especially a classic golf course, to accomodate a practice facility ?

I've seen a number of golf courses make poor alterations toward that end.

I've never understood why a hole or holes should be disfigured, along with the routing, especially on classic and/or good golf courses, just to introduce a practice facility.

Most AWT courses were rather sparse in that department.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not nearly as traveled as most on here....but the nicest range I've ever seen and practiced on is the one at Bandon.

Are there other courses/resorts that are as nice as that or even nicer?

[Tom Huckaby]

I'm not nearly as traveled as most on here....but the nicest range I've ever seen and practiced on is the one at Bandon.

Are there other courses/resorts that are as nice as that or even nicer?

World Woods makes Bandon look like kids' stuff. I am not kidding.  WW is absolutely unbelievable.. range rat heaven.  Take the Bandon range and make it an entire full circle and wider, longer... add 3 practice holes... enormous putting green with full-scale putting course also, ala Himalays at St. Andrews... short-game areas to the bejesus... It really does have to be seen to be understood.  This link barely does it justice:

http://www.worldwoods.com/fw/main/The_Practice_Facility-45.html

That being said, Bandon's area is very, very cool.  Addition of par three course is magic.

TH

[Chris_Clouser]

Dornick Hills first and second were rerouted/altered to make room for a driving range.  

That was just the beginning of the demise of Maxwell's first course.  

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not nearly as traveled as most on here....but the nicest range I've ever seen and practiced on is the one at Bandon.

Are there other courses/resorts that are as nice as that or even nicer?

World Woods makes Bandon look like kids' stuff. I am not kidding.  WW is absolutely unbelievable.. range rat heaven.  Take the Bandon range and make it an entire full circle and wider, longer... add 3 practice holes... enormous putting green with full-scale putting course also, ala Himalays at St. Andrews... short-game areas to the bejesus... It really does have to be seen to be understood.  This link barely does it justice:

http://www.worldwoods.com/fw/main/The_Practice_Facility-45.html

That being said, Bandon's area is very, very cool.  Addition of par three course is magic.

TH

That is very impressive indeed with the clover range.  But the coolest part is that putting green with trees and rocks in it.  Looks like you could have a rip roaring time out there putting from one location to another, especially with a little bit of money riding on it.  

Thanks Huck.

[Jim Bearden]

Best driving range is CPC. Actually the best I've seen was at the Country Club in Pepper Pike Ohio becausein the winter it used to be used as a skeet course and I loved to shoot there.

[Tom Huckaby]

Jim:  great point, given what use of that driving range MEANS.

 

[Mike Nuzzo]

I didn't even know the Old Course had a practice facility...  

Sidebar:

Why do they charge to play the Himalayas?
Do they need the revenue stream?
So they can keep all the young and old golfers off?
Can you putt on a Sunday?

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

"Off the top of my head, Rochester G & CC in Minnesota and one of the courses in Buffalo (I think it was Orchard Park) built new holes which they have since considered abandoning to get the old holes back in the rotation."

You are correct with Orchard Park's changes to find a range, they have no desire to go back to the old rotation.

The demise of the 18th is still concidered a sore point to many Walter Travis fans outside the club. It has been suggested by a few of the Travis Society that this was not only the best hole on the course but one of the best in the city.

Huntingdon Valley - as mentioned previously - was also one that sprung to mind for me too.

[David Mulle]

I believe that Pelham Country Club modified the first hole in order to accomodate the driving range.

[Paul Carey]

I thought of another one....a real travesty.  I learned to play golf on a nine hole course at Georgetown Prep in Rockville Maryland.  In fact I picked up trash for free play!  Any way they replaced the entire golf course with a number of practice facilities....for lacrosse, baseball and soccer...and a driving range as well.  It breaks my heart thinking about it.

The golf course measured about 300 yards and plyed to a par of 35.  It was designed by Frank Emmett the Father of Junior Golf in the US.