Westwood CC(Paddock) in St. Louis, MO

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Since the St. Louis CC profile has been posted, I thought I'd bring up this course for discussion. I never heard of the architect until I found this:

www.worldgolf.com/golf-architects/harold-paddock.html

Lloyd Mangrum won the 1952 Western Open there.



Any comments about the course? The website is not very helpful:

www.westwood-cc.com

[Jim Nugent]

I caddied there once, in a pro-am, and played it twice, too.  This was 40 years ago, though, so I can only make a few general comments. 

A classic-type design, where every hole had character.  Plenty of rolling hills and uneven lies in the fairways.  Trees, but as I recall they did not impact play much at that time.  A drop-shot par 3, a 235 yard par 3.  Two par 5's in a row.  About 6700 yards long back then.  Super-fast greens, at least for muni players: the first putts from our pro-am group sailed 15 or 20 feet past the hole.  Beautiful conditioning.  Westwood greatly impressed me, much more than Bellerive or Old Warson did.  Was my second-favorite course in the St. Louis area in those days, a close second to SLCC. 

I was told that Westwood was built as the Jewish equivalent of St. Louis CC.  Hopefully some of the St. Louis GCAers can give pictures and better insights. 

[Jeff_Stettner]

I keep meaning to bring a camera to Westwood. I promise to post pictures soon.

Westwood might occupy the best piece of land in St. Louis. The property is huge -- well over 200 acres and has a nice mix of elevation, creeks and lakes as well as some nice specimen trees. It is an interesting routing as Jim noted -- back to back par 5's and dueling par 3's that play reverse directions across a lake.

Jim's comment on trees is interesting -- it's Westwood's biggest issue these days. The course is massively overtreed. I guess that 40 years has led to some serious growth. There is also a lot of work gone that could be brought back into play with tree removel... I'll use the eigth hole as an example.

8 is a 530-yard par 5 that tees off to a sweeping fairway with a creek down the right and a forest to the left. It then turns sharply uphill into a dogleg. The hill that leads to the dogleg is where the aggressive golfer could cut the corner and you can still see some old bunker shaping on the hillside. It is now a forest of trees, however, taking the aggressive path out of play. This type if shot-removal is rampant.

Conditions are always fantastic, especially the greens, save for some fairways with too much tree cover.

As mentioned, I will follow up with some pictures soon.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

bump

[Jeff_Stettner]

I will be there Saturday and will bring a camera...

In the mean time, hole by hole:

1 -- Sharp dogleg left par 4 (around 400 yards) that goes downhill and back uphill at the green with a creek crossing the fairway about 100 yards short of the putting surface. One of the best green complexes with a couple of flashed-up bunkers, some nice internal roll and a cool chipping area back left. They need to lose a few trees on the left side -- most of the membership struggles to get an open shot at the green.

2 -- Mid length (180) par 3 that plays back across the creek to a green tucked into a grove of trees. Big spine runs cross the green.

3 -- Another 400 yard par 4 that plays all uphill. Tee shot across the creek to a fairway that slopes hard from left to right with OB on the other side of a ditch that runs down the right side. Green is well-bunkered blind -- only the top of the pin is usually visable. Lot's of movement in the putting surface.

4 -- The 400 yard par 4 run continues... Downhill to a sloping fairway with far too many trees on both sides. Uphill approach to a great green that is fronted by a false front between a set of flashed-up bunkers.

5 -- Longish par 5 (550?) that plays downhill off the tee and back uphill to the green (another trend). Once again there are too many trees on both sides of the fairway and the approach from the 100 yard mark is blind and straight uphill. Bunkers guard the entire green.

6 -- Mid-length par 4 (380) that plays downhill off the tee across a creek. Hole sets up like you want to play close to the treeline on the right but is actually easier from the left bailout. Elevated green sits at a 45-degree angle and runs hard off the back.

7 -- Short par 3 (130) that plays uphill across a lake. Green sits in a hillside and is surround by sand. A big tier divides the green and everything slopes hard from back to front.

8 -- Potentially great par five (510) that needs a chainsaw. Tee off over a lake to a fairway that drifts to the left with a creek down the right side. Asks for a hard cut. Approach plays way up a hill to a three-tiered green gaurded by bunkers and falsely-fronted. This hole would really benefit from tree removal to bring the strategy back into play. As it stands, there are too many trees to make the risk/reward possible unless the tee shot is perfect and it becomes boring as a mandatory driver-iron-wedge.

9 -- A non-descript par 4 that plays paralell to number 10. About 390, it plays down the hill and back up to a bunkered green. The epitome of Westwood... down and up, too many trees, well-bunkered green. A good.

10 -- See number nine, except you reverse direction, add fairway bunkering and open up the green.

11 -- A strong par 4 (440) that plays slightly downhill and drifts just to the left. Fairway bunkers right and trees left make it one of the hardest tee shots. Green recieves a running approach well. Good hole.

12 -- As short par 3 that plays back across the lake next to number 7 (125). A wedge to a skinny green surrounded by bunkers.

13 -- The first of two back-to-back par 5's (500). Sharp uphill tee shot across a lake to a sloping fairway with a well-placed bunker down the right (hard fairway to hit). Green is reachable. The rest of the hole continues uphill. There is a cool bunker complex in the middle of the fairway about 80 yards from the green and the green complex is suprisingly open with few close trees. Green has a ton of movement.

14 -- Downhill tee shot on a par 5 (530) with bunkers and mounds down the right side. A large lake cross the hole about 200 yards out. Second fairway across the lake drifts hard from left to right and the green sits elevated and at an angle with bunkers well below the putting surface.

15 -- The hardest par 4 (440). Tee shot with bunkers right and trees left with a hard dogleg at the 190 yard marker. Green is guarded by bunkers but open in front and receives a running approach. Tough, tough hole.

16 -- A very long par 3 (230) that plays down a valley. Large green is multi-tiered and plays a bit like a reverse redan (but is always too soft to work properly).

17 -- A completely unique hole. 400-yard par four with a creek that creates two fairways until the 150-yard marker. Left side requires a bigger carry but offers a better angle, right side is safe but harder to see the uphill and crowned green.

18 -- A somewhat bland finish. 400-yard par 4 that plays down a tree-lined fairway to a heavily bunkered green. See numbers 9 and 10...