Beverly Hills Country Club

[Tom Yost]

In the thread titled "Cool Augusta Picture," some links to the Life magazine photo archive included this one:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=golf+source:life&imgurl=43d9cfd281685f9d

A photo of RTJ and RTJ2 standing in front of a model with a title plate that says "Beverly Hills Country Club."

I am unable to find any info about this course, it seems there is a Beverly Hills CC, but it has no golf course.  No mention in Cornish & Whitten's "The Golf Course."

So was it never built?  NLE? Different name?

[Robert_Ball]

Tom,

Calabasas CC was designed by Jones Sr & Jr and is affiliated with Beverly Hills CC (social) but that doesn't look like the routing I've played.

[Ian Larson]

Its a social and tennis club on Motor Avenue (I think) in the same neighborhood as Rancho Park GC. A course never existed from what I know of.

[Guy Nicholson]

This makes it look like a hotel and GC were planned, then abandoned.

http://www.ajla.com/acrobat/Beverly%20Hills%20Hotel%20Cutsheet1.pdf

[Tom Naccarato]

Beverly Hills CC was in fact shaped and ready for grassing up until the environmentalists of the day got to it and halted the project. Big money went into this place: Dean Martin was a major investor as was Glen Campbell. the main stumbling point was the drive going into it. Eventually, I think the money went into building Mountain Goat....I mean Mountain Gate!

It was going to feature two greens on all of the par 3's for agronomic reasons, but more I think just for the uniqueness; I was looking at the picture this morning when John V posted the link and started to laugh out loud, RTJ in a full on suit at the site--it must have been a cold winter day because in those hills it get really hot!

Here is the routing:

[Robert_Ball]

Eventually, I think the money went into building Mountain Goat....I mean Mountain Gate!

So you're saying it took a architect of Ted Robinson's ability to see this through to completion?   

[Tom Naccarato]

More or less, yes. the man was a master. Look at El Niguel....

[BVince]

Tom N's picture of 4, 6, & 13 look like they are sharp doglegs putting other holes very much in the line of play, but the original picture from Tom Y looks like it was more thoughout.

[Pat Burke]

More or less, yes. the man was a master. Look at El Niguel....

Who's buying all the palm trees and waterfalls now>?

[Philippe Binette]

what is it about the 2 greens on par 3s

[Tom Naccarato]

I'll have to find the articles later describing why they went with two greens per hole; as well as why the place never got built. Yes, it seems like it was going to be pretty tight, but then again, your looking at a drawing...

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tommy,

A guy who was involved with building Trent Jones' Rivershore course in Kamloops, B.C., during the 1970s (I believe), also worked with us at Sagebrush over the past 3-4 years. It gets really HOT in Kamloops during the summer as well. This guy tells me Trent Jones was always in a suit and tie, wearing his pants tucked into rubber boots, during site visits!

He has some film footage to prove it, too 

[Tom Naccarato]

Jeff, What did he wear when he got on to a bulldozer and started shaping holes they way he wanted them? 

[Jeff_Mingay]

Not sure that happened, Tommy!

In fact, Les Furber did much of the shaping work at Rivershore (and elsewhere, in Canada, for RTJ). In the same film footage, Furber's outfit made me think of Ralph Ferley (sic), from Three's Company!

No joke 

[Tom Naccarato]

Yes, I've heard that about Les Furber before!

I doubt RTJ ever got on a bulldozer other then for a photo opportunity....so it was somewhat of a joke

[Tom Naccarato]

Oh, That's a Robert Trent Jones patented "Fallopian Tube" hole.

[Tom Huckaby]

8 is nothing - check out 14!

Tommy, where was this course going to be?  I have vague recollections of seeing construction of it in my childhood... not that I checked out golf courses being built - didn't do that then, don't do it know - but I have this weird memory of riding bikes near this site that was gonna be a golf course and then never happened.  Any thoughts?  We used to ride a lot in the hills say going on or near Coldwater Canyon Ave.

TH

[Ian Larson]

Tom H,  its on motor avenue south of rancho park gc I believe. Tommy is that correct?


The double greens for the par three's were probably done primarily for shot variety but they could also serve agronomic purposes. Similar t Riviera keeping all of their temporary greens to give the original greens a break once a week. For example #10.

[Tom Naccarato]

Tom,
Bingo. That was it. Way up in the hills and it was actually going to be a main road between the Valley and the 90210 and of course that just wasn't going to happen!

Ian,
The course you are thiinking of is the old California Country Club which was in Cheviot Hills. North of Rancho was Westwood Pay-As-You-Play Golf Course which then became Westwood Hills. (Max Behr)

[Tom Huckaby]

Cool!  My memory does suck but it's good to get one right some time.  I remember this place.  In fact I think I rode my bike on one of the graded hills behind a Jones shoulder.  Ruined it, made them re-do it. 

So it's my fault it didn't get built!

 

TH

ps - just kidding of course, before the more psychotic in here accuse me of another reason that I ruin golf.  We rode around the outside.

[Tom Naccarato]

Tom,
Digging a little deep and further, it wasn't just the road, that played in the non-development of the course. It was more akin to what one would read in a James Ellroy novel!

And of course a key player in this mess?

Well, lets just put it this way, he supposed to reside now in one corner of Giants Stadium....

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom,
Digging a little deep and further, it wasn't just the road, that played in the non-development of the course. It was more akin to what one would read in a James Ellroy novel!

And of course a key player in this mess?

Well, lets just put it this way, he supposed to reside now in one corner of Giants Stadium....

Excellent!

[Pat Burke]

Tom,
Digging a little deep and further, it wasn't just the road, that played in the non-development of the course. It was more akin to what one would read in a James Ellroy novel!

And of course a key player in this mess?

Well, lets just put it this way, he supposed to reside now in one corner of Giants Stadium....

touchdown Jimmy!?!?!?

[Tom Naccarato]

Exactly! Touchdown Jimmy indeed!

[mike_beene]

7000 yards must have been important to them.Most places would go a little over to pretend it wasn't a goal.