[Dean DiBerardino]

Thanks for the feedback Mike!

[Dean DiBerardino]

"Can anyone share anything about that history?"

GeorgeP:

I have it around here somewhere but I can't lay my hands on it at the moment. I recall it sure is pretty complicated particularly from the oldest iteration of the course. I seem to recall the 18th or finishing hole climbing the hill from somewhere on the 17th hole to somewhere around the practice putting green or parking lot around the clubhouse. That hole must have been quite a climb.

TEPaul:

I do seem to remember my buddy telling me that the current practice green is the site of the original 18th green at PFC.  The original 18th tee seems to be on an embankment, covered with trees and brush, which is just to the left of the cart path going up to the current last tee.

Also, there is a well manicured green which sits right in front of the practice tee (a bit out of place) which seems to be the site for the original 5th green.  I’m guessing it is now either used for short game practice at off peak times or for sod.

[Mike_Cirba]

Dean,

The Gibraltar Hole looks tremendous.   Is there any remnant of it on today's course?

[Dean DiBerardino]

Mike:

I’ve only had an opportunity to play the Field Club a handful of times.  Consequently, I don’t know the answer to that question even though I’m just as curious as you.  I drove down to play Fox Chapel a few years ago and, since I was early, drove past the Field Club entrance and hung a right on to Squaw Run Road E to see if there were any visible remnants of old #12 or #13.  The area is now very heavily wooded and one would need to walk through there with a machete to find anything worthwhile.  It sure makes one wonder though!

[TEPaul]

Dean:

What interesting info you put on here. I knew the design evolution of PFC was complicated and I guess I wasn't kidding. It would be most interesting if the club has (or will) put together the reasons why all those plans and changes were made over time. I guess for that though they would have to have all their board or meeting minutes going all the way back.

I have no idea why so many hole and sequencing changes were made over the years but if someone asked me to guess it would be that they were trying every way possible to work out a sequence to minimize "hill-climbing" on individual holes.

That kind of thing was one of the reasons my own course was changed so much in some sections and they felt like they solved the problem by bringing some greens down off really high hills. But after looking things over a few years ago I reminded them that they may've prevented the climbs up to those greens but in the end they didn't solve anything because they put the next tees up where some of the old greens once were and so they were going to have to go up those hills anyway to get to the next tee!  The only possible solution to the "hill-climbing" at my course I can see is instead of having to hoof it up a hill after your approach shot the later "green to next tee" situation we have now at least has stairs where the old "hill-climbing" on the individual holes used to be.

Wouldn't surprise me given PFC's topography which is quite similar to GMGC in that both have their clubhouses on very high hills, that PFC was trying to resolve the same thing we were----eg "hill-climbing" on particular holes themselves. Plus if the elevation change from approach to green is high enough (as it was on my course and may've been at PFC on some holes) it must have been pretty hard for some players back then to hit a ball up a hill that steep to a green.

[PThomas]

Dean,

That is simply an awesome post.

THAT is the exact kind of thing that is the too often unrealized potential of this site.

Thank you!!

i hadn't looked into this thread for a few days until now...and Mike is absolutely right about your info Dean, thanks so much!

when i get to Pittsburgh someday i will certinaly try and get to PFC!

[George Pazin]

Dean,

That is simply an awesome post.

THAT is the exact kind of thing that is the too often unrealized potential of this site.

Thank you!!

I'll second this, an extremely thoughtful post, thanks.

[Ronald Montesano]

Why isn't Cirba calling for a chainsaw on this course?  That first hole looks like it has a tree infestation today!!!

Hypocrites, all.

It would take a lot from PFC to overtake Fox Chapel as #2, since Oakie is a given as #1, in the area.

[Mike_Cirba]

Ronald,

I didn't call for a chainsaw because I didn't think I needed to state the obvious, particularly with the before/after photos Dean was kind enough to portray for us.

But yes, it looks like a team of lumberjacks would be kept busy for awhile.

[Ronald Montesano]

My bulb is a 20 watt, so the obvious is always necessary with me.

[Mike_Cirba]

Like Columbo

[George Pazin]

I'm as big a tree hater as there is on this site and I can honestly say they didn't seem that bad during the 03 Am. Would I prefer it without? Almost certainly, but it didn't strike me as particularly claustrophobic (and I should probably reiterate here that I haven't played PFC, I just walked it a few days).

[Anthony Gray]

  Paul,

  Don't you know how to spell Pixburgh?

  Anthony

[PThomas]

  Paul,

  Don't you know how to spell Pixburgh?

  Anthony

i didnt even notice til now   ...fixed!

[Joe Bausch]

I was made aware of an April 1917 article from the Pittsburgh Press was seems to indicate what Tillinghast did for the Field Club.  If you go back and look at the info Dean provided earlier in the thread, then compare to the info provided in the article below, it seems the work from 1917 was likely that of AWT.   

[George Pazin]

Thanks for that, Joe. I look forward to re-reading and digesting it over the weekend.

  Paul,

  Don't you know how to spell Pixburgh?

  Anthony

Actually, it's Picksburgh. Common mistake.

[Joe Bausch]

Thanks for that, Joe. I look forward to re-reading and digesting it over the weekend.

  Paul,

  Don't you know how to spell Pixburgh?

  Anthony

Actually, it's Picksburgh. Common mistake.

Talk about burying the lead, George!   

[BCowan]

“The Olde History of the Pittsburg Field Club” by James C. Hayes has a fairly detailed history of the changes to the PFC containing a drawing of the original course along with the hole descriptions by Findlay.  Also contained are some really cool fold-out panoramic pictures of the golf course in its infancy.  I’ll try and summarize some of the info below with a few images:

August, 1914:  Alex Findlay spent several days visiting the property and laid out the course.

June, 1915:  The golf course opens.

The original Findlay layout:


Later in 1915:  Donald Ross (most likely one of his associates) creates plans to change holes #2 through #6, submits the plans to the membership in 1916 and the changes are implemented in the spring of 1917.

Concerning Tillinghast:  “Alfred(?) Tillinghast’s reference listings include The Pittsburgh Field Club, but there is no record of what he did.”

October of 1922:  After the club purchased and additional 23 acres of land, Willie Park, Jr. was called in to oversee a “major restructuring” of the back nine.  Park drew up plans that were submitted to the club in September of 1923 which included the abandonment of holes #12, #13 & #14.  #12 was a downhill, 600 yard, par 6 to an island green.  #13, named “Gibraltar”, was a 165 yard par three going back up the hill/ridge.  The membership rejected the plan.

The rejected Park plan:


Spring of 1925:  Emil Loeffler was hired to prepare a report and recommendations for changes to the golf course.  In July of 1925 Loeffler submitted two plans to the membership for changes.  Plan A provided for the retention of hole #12 and #13 while Plan B provided for the elimination of holes #12, #13 & #14.  The club voted to go forward with Plan B and the changes were completed by spring of 1928.

Plan A by Loeffler:


Plan B by Loeffler:


A current aerial of PFC:


1938:  Hole #18 is changed from a short par four to a par three along with the construction of the industrial elevator.

1960’s:  “Xenophen Hassenplug, a member of the Club, created Field Club Lake as a water storage site and designed the new road. “

Also: “Robert Trent Jones in 1952 and Arthur Hills in 1985 made course recommendations.”  There are no other explanations in the book of what actual changes were implemented by the recommendations of Jones and Hills.

Concerning the most recent history of the 18th hole, a friend of mine was an assistant professional there and passed the following information along to me.

In 2000, the 18th hole was changed again.  The site for the green was lowered by about 15 feet so the hole would not play as uphill.  A wildly undulating and challenging green was built with very little cupable space on it.

This past winter the 18th hole at PFC was changed again because the most recent #18 was not well liked by the members.  This time, the hole was rebuilt and reportedly plays a bit downhill.  This was done by moving the tee a bit up the hill to the west and moving the green in the opposite direction downhill to the east.  The hole is due to open on April 18.

A few other images…..

From the first tee in 1937:


From the first tee 70 years later:


Old holes #12 & #13…..

This image of the original #12 was taken from a position near the current 13th green looking SW.  #12 tee is at about 4 o'clock and #12 green is at about 8 o'clock:


Standing in the old 12th fairway looking down to the island green.


Near old #13 tee looking back up the hill/ridge towards #12 fairway to the left and #13 green to the right:


Again, most of the info above came directly from the PFC book.  Hopefully, I have not done it any injustice.

Dean did nice research here.  It looks as though it is a  Emil Loeffler course and not a WPJ course.  The course looks great, especially the 1937 photos with hardly any trees.  Should we remove it from the WPJ list? 

[Sven Nilsen]

Ben:


The extent of Park's involvement at PFC is properly described in the other thread.  I'd leave it as is.


Sven

[Joe Bausch]

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/PittsburghFieldClub/index.html

[Pete Blaisdell]

The elevator incident took place at the 2003 US Amateur. PFC was the second course that was used during the stroke play qualifying for match play. It happened on the first day of play, Monday. I was assigned as a rules official that day to PFC and I monitored play on 16 green and the 17th and 18th hole.The players did get a free pass on the elevator issue . If I recall correctly, it was 3 or 4 groups that were shuttled by cart to the bridge coming from 18 tee from the clubhouse side.


Having finished an early match at Oakmont on the first day of match play , Clyde Luther (Virginia) and I went over and played PFC in the afternoon . I loved the layout and actually played well. The 3 Pars were strong. Interesting holes .Conditioning was a ten . Liked the elevation changes. That opening tee shot as TE noted was pretty neat (reminded me of the opening tee balls at Latrobe and Aronomink}. I would recommend PFC as a must play for anyone. Pitt has so many great tracks. One personal  note. I've been blessed to have played Oakmont on 3 occasions and I have never 3 putted. I can imagine some of you raising an eyebrow and thinking, not possible . I've never been afraid to say " I am a great putter because I am but the rest of my game is another story" .HA-HA!!!


I have two stories on very strange incidents that happened at Oakmont that week but I will have to save them for another time as I gotta get my ass to Boston for the Bruins-Islanders game at 1PM. Taking my grandson Frankie ,he's 7 and plays Peewee hockey , to his first NHL game. He's all exited.

[Tim Martin]

PFC has a fun set of holes despite some severe terrain and elevation change. I loved the opening tee shot knowing that just getting it semi airborne would provide a good result. There is no lack of variety with an interesting finish consisting of three par threes coming in the final five holes. There is an fun mix of par threes with two of the five playing north of 220 yards. A great clubhouse with plenty of history just adds to the charm of PFC.

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