Red Hill CC (Thomas & Bell)

[Jon Spaulding]

Had the chance to get out here last week and take some pics. On paper, front side is Thomas 1921, back side Bell Sr. in 1947. Also ran a lousy copy of a Thomas writing from 1923, which makes the current front 9 offensive to some degree . The third page is large for no reason other than my inability to scan. The club recently unveiled a new "TPC style" clubhouse. I believe the head pro, Jim Porter, has been doing some work, but do not know the extent, or if this is a restoration of sorts....fairways have been regrassed in the last couple of years.

What I find most interesting here is a) this predates the partnership, b) GCTJ trapped the course after is opened, and c) we see some interesting hole influences.

#1 is old #9, #2 is old #1....will start with hole #2 to tie in with the GCTJ descriptions:







#2 tee shot


#2 approach


#3 tee shot/now a dogleg left medium length par 4


#3 approach w/tree guarding front left per GCTJ....


#3 from behind


#4


#5 approach


#5 from behind


#6 tee shot


#6 run up area


#7 tee shot


#7 green (now a short par 5 with terrible lay-up & lake)


#8 approach


#9 approach


#1 approach (with water bunker )


close up of water bunker


TPC @ Redhill clubhouse

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Thanks for the pictures.  Too bad about Red Hill.  It looks like a typical SoCal Country Club, importance is on the clubhouse, cute ponds, making the rough thick and green, and the sand nice and white.
Little importance put on shot making.  It is best that George Thomas doesn't see today's course.

Why does everyone think bunkers must be surrounded by rough?
My rant for the day.

[Jon Spaulding]

There's something about longish bermuda fairways and overseeded rye rough in Rancho Cucamonga that just doesn't seem right.

For the amount they spent on the clubhouse, just imagine the restoration....

[David Stamm]

Sadly, this has turned into a recurring theme with clubs. They have the funds if needed to bring the course to it's former glory, but throw it away for something that has really very little meaning, the clubhouse. It's always amazed me how this happens. The typical member spends far more time on the course than in the clubhouse, but that same typical member will spend the money on the clubhouse that he or she spends maybe 1/4 the time of their typical round in. As long as the grass is green, in their minds, nothing is wrong with it.

[Jon Spaulding]

What's nuts is that the old clubhouse was a) not that old and b) a pretty good one.

Still a fun round; you have to hit a lot of shots out there if you're looking for a decent score. Some holes are choked off by trees, but these are really the only defense; as the course sits today. They either never bunkered the place much off the tees, or whatever was done was plowed at some point. Also, any natural washes or barrancas have been grassed in.

They have definitely added fairway bunkering over the last 5 years out here; a couple of holes on the back side stand out. I guess the question for the GCTJ or WPB experts is.....are these a restoration or a new creation.

Of course they have left the water bunker in on #1, while adding some out of play fairway bunkers. One can only imagine the downhill, 300 yard par 3 ninth hole as described above, playing downhill, nice vistas.....

[James Bennett]

Jon

where is Red Hill (somewhere in or near LA I assume)?  The first few photos (ie prior to #7 with that water bunker) had some resemblance to my eye to Lakeside.  Perhaps it is the combination of bermuda fairways and rye roughs, perhaps the undulation of the ground, perhaps the trees, perhaps the distant vistas, perhaps all of these.

Of course, Red Hill appears to have much larger greens than lakeside.  But that is not saying anything new.

James B

[Tommy_Naccarato]

My heart swims in blood........

[Jon Spaulding]

TN; excellent work. If you can do that to a balance sheet let me know . If you have any of your renowned aerials on Red Hill, I would love to see them.

JB; Red Hill is in Rancho Cucamonga, on route 66,  ~ 40 miles due east of LA. It sits right at the foot of the mountains.

I've not played Lakeside , so I can't comment. Red Hill plays on or around the knob that the clubhouse sits on. The back nine is fairly flat, other than #10 which is a dropoff par 3 from the clubhouse, and #18 which heads back to the green adjacent to Wal-Mart. The course has some nice undulation throughout, with some areas that appear to have been leveled over the years.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Well, it was late and I forgot Bed Bath & Beyond....