I've been lucky enough to be a Member at Cataraqui G & CC in Kingston, Ontario for many years. I think it's one of Stanley Thompson's 10 best designs. Anyway, because of water restrictions that continue to get worse it was decided that we would put in a holding pond on the 17th hole, onw of the original Stanley Thompson holes (he remodeled holes and added 12 new ones). When I first heard about this, I was against it because it would change the nature of the hole too much. I figured if there should be a pond there, then Stanley would have put one in.
The 17th hole is a dog leg right, and plays about 370 yards with OB all the way down the right side, and is usually into a pretty good wind. There used to be 3 cross bunkers around the 240 mark off the tee that would make some people think twice about taking the short cut. There was a natural waterway (albeit about 3 feet wide) that crossed the fairway around the 100 yard mark, but that was filled in sometime in the early to mid 1980's. In recent years, about 30 yards beyond the cross bunkers, a lateral hazard was put in where the natural watercourse existed. It was only about 7 feet wide, but it made the longer hitters think about taking the short cut, as the cross bunkers were no longer a threat to them.
Here is the tee shot from Oct. 2007. The middle of the fairway is on line with the right edge of the Condo building on the far left. The cross bunkers start around the middle of the middle Condo.
Here is the 2007 approach from just behind the cross bunkers. This shot would leave you about 130 yards to the green. You can see the lateral hazard about 30 yards beyond the bunkers.
And now the changes, this is from Aug. 2008. Here is the tee shot taken from nearly the same spot as the other picture, but the tee has been elevated a little bit to give you a better view of the hole.
Here is the approach from about 200 yards out which shows the dog leg nature of the hole. The 2 condos you see in the background are the middle and the right condos from the 2007 picture. I'm so glad they took out all of those crappy trees that were blocking the view of the hole. I wish they had done that years ago so you could see the cross bunkers from the tee.
Here is a slightly closer view of the pond from about 150 yards out. The photo from 2007 of the cross bunkers was taken behind and to the right of the Larch (beside the pond) about where the pond starts.
I know not too many of you have played Cataraqui but I'm wondering what people think about the changes? There were other options for the holding pond, but this was the best option cost wise.
Evan