Aerial of the Day #158 - 30 Jul 2002

[Scott_Burroughs]

Sorry, folks, today will probably be a letdown, and the # of
views could be an all-time low. The reason is I wanted to get
a course from this state as people have wondered why this
state has been left out, but only one course of any moderate
significance is available and this is it.

I supposed there's a clue above and one in the aerial if you
see a hole that looks familiar.  But the main reason for a
letdown is that even though this is the only course of interest
available in this state, only 9 full holes and 2 half holes are
available because the coverage ended on the right half of the
course!

I do have a clue saved for a little later that is a little different
that will help with location.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Even though supposedly little is left from the original design,
I still recognize something as being from this architect.

12-letter alphabet.

[RJ_Daley]

I believe that could be a Biarritz green in the center and a typical short hole to the left with the green surrounded by bunkers.  Teeing grounds are old style.  But that squiggly pond edge is out of place.  The sand seems to be an unusually grey or clayish color.  Is this in Iowa?  

[SPDB]

if i am correct in my thinking of where this course is, I believe there are a number of courses of interest, and I probably wouldn't include this one among them. True it's probably the only course in this area with any intriguing provenance, but there is so little of it left that it is not really that interesting.

but what do i know, i could be wrong about the course.

[RJ_Daley]

Well, if it is Seth in R.I., with 12 letters, I guess I have found it in C&W's book.  Otherwise, I am back to Iowa without a clue.

[SPDB]

Dick,
I don't think it is Wanumetonomy.
 

[Dave_Miller]

Can't be Rhode Island there are too many good courses there such as Newport, Wannamoisett, Rhode Island, Point Judith, Metacommet, etc, etc,

Cheers,
Dave

[Scott_Burroughs]

Not to mention that 3 AOTDs have already been done for
R.I.:  Metacomet, Newport, and Wannamoissett.

I think SPDB has it.

Yes, that's a Biarritz and what looks like a Short.

As I said, this is the only course (part of it, anyways) of any
moderate signifcance in this state available, which is
unfortunate, because there are quite a few more courses that
deserve to be shown.

There is a feature form this state that would help give it
away, but you can't see it in this aerial.

12-letter alphabet doesn't mean the name has 12 letters.

Back in a half hour to show the "different" clue.

[SPDB]

Scott - i didn't read that this was the only course of significance in this state that was available. whoops.

[Scott_Burroughs]

It looks a lot different from the air (and without the holes
you might recognize from TV cut off), but most of you have
probably seen the course before on TV, in the middle of winter.

Here is a local tourist attraction, as somber as it is, not
terribly far from the course.  Squint your eyes a little, but
yes, that is what that is.  A day that will live in infamy.  Bow
your heads in honor:



Back in a few hours....

[SPDB]

Yes, September 7th, errr... December 7th.

[RJ_Daley]

Believe it or not, I had an initial inkling about this course using the clues of nothing else available from this state and zeroing in that it must be Raynor from the Biarritz.  But, I talked myself out of it because the terrain and trees didn't look like I would have imagined and the creek looked so muddy.  Of course the last picture is a no brainer.  

[Dan Grossman]

I have it now too.  Scott - the clue "on TV" can also
refer to a company that sponsors an event here!  

[Scott_Burroughs]

This is Waialae CC, in Honolulu, HI, originally by Seth Raynor
in 1927.  It originally was built for guests of the Royal
Hawaiian Hotel.

Waialae is the annual host of the Sony Open, formerly the
Hawaiian Open, the first full stop on the PGA Tour, after
the "Tournament of Champions", The Mercedes on Kapalua's
Plantation course.  What constitutes the TV back nine, is
what is missing from the aerial.  The nines are switched for
the tournament, having the ocean holes on the TV back nine.

None of the more worthy courses are available in HI, such as
Kapalua, Princeville, Mauna Kea, and two other Oahu courses,
the famously difficult Koolau, and Raynor's other Hawaii
design, Mid-Pacific.

clues include:

first AOTD for HI, and might be the last.

could see the Biarritz and Short = Raynor.

Hawaii's alphabet has only 12 letters, the 5 vowels and
H,K,L,M,N,P, and W.

You can't really see any palm trees in the aerial, though
they're quite prevalent on TV.  Only state laden with palm
trees not used so far, except maybe southern Mississippi.

The other aerial was, of course, the USS Arizona Memorial,
over the sunken USS Arizona (part still sticks out of the
water), from the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor ("The day
that will live in infamy").


There's an interesting piece and history on Waialae on the
PGA Tour's web site, even mentioning the Road Hole (shown,
hole above range) and Redan (not shown).  No mention of
Biarritz by name, but has description on long green with
swale.  Also, Short is not mentioned by name, but did
mention about bunkers formerly surrounding green, no
longer behind.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r006/course.html

[ChipOat]

Scott:

Oahu CC is as good as Waialae and Mid-Pac, IMO.