HIRONO: CH Alison's Masterpiece (V Long!)

[Paul Turner]

Bill

It's not your computer, it's my AOL webspace.  AOl have managed to mess them up; but hopefully they'll be back at some date.  I'll bug them!

I could re-upload them.  But it's a painful process with my dial up, maybe if I have some spare time.

Re: B&B

I meant moved the 8th green LEFT

[Dave Q]

Paul -

I'll check the book again and get back to you with more detail on Colt / Alison's changes (which were quite extensive).  Alison's solo changes I think were more subtle.  No mention of MacKenzie as the designer of the 16th green (although Colt and Allison - who I believe are credited with that green - would presumably have seen MacKenzie's suggestions for the hole in the report he prepared).    

Regarding the 6th green site, all I remember is that I carded an 8 (with 6 of those shots taken around and on the green)!  I chipped coast to coast a few times - I remember the green being a bit tricky, but my troubles were certainly due more to my woeful short game.  

Had changes recently been made to that green?  I know from the club history that the 6th was origonally laid out in the late 1970's by Fred Hawtree (Matrin Hawtree's father?), when the church hole was re-routed to the inside of the church.  

I definitely need to get back to B&B.  When I played earlier this year, we got as far as the ninth green (as you know the furthest most point on the course) before monsoon-like conditions set in.  We had no choice but to make the very, very long walk back to the clubhouse into the teeth of the rain.  It was a shame to have to miss the back nine...I'll be back for more!

-Dave Q

[RT (Guest)]

Dave,

Is your e-mail address correct?  Have been getting a bounce when I send you an e-mail.

Cheers

RT

[Paul_Turner]

Reuploaded

[Pete Lavallee]

Thanks Paul. I don't know how I missed this thread the first time around. I would be very interested in the evolution of these marvelous looking bunkers. Does anyone have any current photos they could post?

[Paul_Turner]

Hirono was mentioned in a recent thread.  Thought I'd bring these old pics back up for the newer GCAers.  Still my favourite set of any old pics.  I have to see this course before my time is up!

[ian]

Paul,

 I enjoyed it just as much the second time. Thanks.

I just can't get over the bunkering in the ravines, they add so much more drama to the course. Some great threes.

How much still remains of this architecture? Does anyone know.

[T_MacWood]

I agree that these have to be the best set of old photos I've seen too....what a spectacular golf course.

[Brian_Ewen]

Guys.

Konnichi Wa .

Now and again , I will have a search for some Hirono pics. and last night , amazingly found some , and presume they are quite recent .

I thought it would be worth posting them here and adding them to Pauls fantastic post from a few years back .

Has anyone had success in trying to find an aerial of Hirono ? . I have tried several times on google maps and failed , I dont think the area has been covered yet , but it doesnt help that you cant translate to English to find your way about .

Again thanks to Paul for the original post , and to www.kimigolf.com for these .

Best Regards.
Brian


3rd


4th


7th . ( Does this mean the 'Devils Divots' have gone ? ) .


9th .


9th green .


12th


13th


14th


15th


15th fairway


17th


18th


18th green

[T_MacWood]

Brian
Thanks for sharing those pictures. This thread has to be one of the most spectacular in GCA history. It appears Hirono has lost some of its original charm.

[Bill_McBride]

Tom, I think I know what you mean, some of those fairway edge cuts are just too precise, sort of like origami!  But what a spectacular course.  

[Sean_A]

TMac

I know what you mean.  The course seems overly fussy from the newer photos.  But look at those seemless elavation changes!  The forward tee at number 18 is fantastic how the land from behind just flows forward.  The same is true of ridge pathway to the left of the  15th fairway (the photo with the large tree in the foreground).  This is magnificent stuff.

Thanks a load Paul and Brian.  Great stuff.

Ciao

Sean

[Tom_Doak]

When the greens were rebuilt 15-20 years ago, all of them were enlarged from Colt's original plans, out of fear that the smaller greens would not perform well with the combination of heat, humidity, and traffic.  They tried to be faithful to the original design, but none of today's putting surfaces are really the work of Colt and Alison ... just an interpretation of their plans by a Japanese designer.

Also, one of the recent photos is mis-labeled ... what's listed as the par-3 7th hole is actually the 5th.  The "Devil's Divot" is still there at #7 but there is no photo of it among the last bunch.

[Brian_Ewen]

Tom
I spent ages trying to figure out if that was 5th or the 7th , as it didnt look right to me , but it was originally labelled that way , and the holes looked similar in Pauls original post , so I left it as it was .

Is that definitely the 9th green , as it didnt look right to me either .

Thanks.
Brian

[Tom_Doak]

Brian:

Actually the first photo you have labeled "9th" might be the par-3 7th ... a bit hard to tell from back in the trees, but I'm pretty sure that's right.

The second photo labeled 9th green looking back, is correct I think.  I don't remember the hole that well, but it does come back up to the clubhouse and the green is built up.

[Paul_Turner]

I'm amazed that AOL are still hosting those pics!  Bit small now.

Brian

Thanks for the contrasting pics. The 13th is better from the old angle.

Alison did highly detailed green drawings for Tokyo (they're in the club history) I assume he did similar ones for Hirono.  I wonder how accurate the architect was the were expanded?

[Keith Durrant]

Paul, what's the source for the pictures - an old club handbook?

Please could they be saved as a course profile? This is certainly my favourite thread.

If ever there is a case of keeping tree density thinner to open up vistas, this must be it.

The old 13th, just cries out to be played.

Also the old 12th, the spectacular "pebble beach 18th", with the open view of the lake from the tee. This is in contrast to the current hole with the trees and shrubs along the lake-shore, on the inside of the dogleg.

One can only speculate where this course would be in the "world rankings" if still in its original form, but surely much higher than its present position.

[Mike Sweeney]

A couple of people asked me if I was Top 100 golfer today! I am not, but Joe does post here.

I thought I would bring up this classic post for the new guys.

[David Stamm]

Mike, thanks for bringing this thread back up! I've always wanted to see more of Hirono. Alison's work there looks pretty damn solid, IMHO. These are the kind of threads that make this site great.

[John Mayhugh]

Great repost. I will be in Kobe later this week but no trip to Hirono is included. So far the only way I have found to play there is through a tour operator. Expensive but I guess that is to be expected.

[Patrick Kiser]

Yes, fantastic before and after.  Thanks for sharing.

These folks could really use some tips on tree clearing though...