Mike,
A bit here on Santa Anita.
It was a WPA project that got started in 1937 and the first nine holes opened for play in 1938. The history of the site is rather interesting asit started off as Lucky Baldwin's original Santa Anita Race track and glimpses of the old track can still be seen on several golf holes. For example, The Redan 12th is in fact the 4th turn of the old track! The 16th, which is a take-off of #13 at Pine Valley, is in fact the 1st turn!
When the course was being planned, the architect of record was Jame Harrison Smith, an LA County Parks & Recreation Engineer who had been giving the task to design 18 holes for golf. He traveled back east to some of the more famous courses and emulated many of the golf holes he found. He also emulated golf holes from various courses in SoCal. For example, the 1st, is aptly named, George Thomas, and it was a scaled down, reverse version of Rivera #15 and a similar hole on Griffith Park-Harding. The 2nd is called "Dune" and its nothing more then a "Plateau" and the following par 5, 4th emulates certain characteristics of St. Andrews, Long Hole-In. (including a NLE bunker that didn't look like, but was placed more like "Hell."
The 7th is called "Narrows" and it is anything but narrow, and is more akin to a reverse, mid-length Road Hole par 4. The green itself is a honest to goodness Road Hole green.
Simply put, Santa Anita will have you thinking and smiling Seth Raynor in several places, while asking yourself how did this place exist for so long, yet fly under the radar?
As far as the 10th, somewhere along the way, somebody graded down much of the very pronounced "hogsback" on this hole. While I did in fact over-expound on it in the illustration, the reason being was to show the masses that wouldn't have noticed it. (that was actually to a plan to do that!) I actually did two versions of it, one where its more like it should be and the one you see here. Thanks for noticing that though! The idea was more or less depending on the flag, you could get a good angle by playing off of the hogsback, whereas playing directly straight at it, would have been the toughest route which to take. You see, that spine and the bunker, even today without the bunker, blinds the centerline of the hole.
It's simply a charming golf hole and very challenging strategy. Although in its present shape and form, somewhat of nothing more then an open field of grass. But you still have to make your way to the green and the path to there is rather interesting.
Before the pictures, first off, lets get this out of the way. The similarities are uncanny.....
O.K. now that we are done with that......
The long and challenging approach into #16 by this board's "glassiest" swing. (Pure glass!)
The challenging and deceptive 8th
This hole alone, I can say with complete confidence, is the best "unmodified" Redan in Southern California!
