The Links CC, Marlton, NJ(Hawtree)

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I heard a radio commercial for membership in this private club in South Jersey. I've never played there. Any one here have any comments?

www.thelinkscc.com

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Bump

Who is Hawtree, the architect? What are his other courses?

[Mike_Cirba]

Steve,

I've never been there, but I am certainly curious to hear others impressions, as well.   The course certainly flies below the radar and I don't even think I've ever heard Jerseyite Matt Ward mention it!    

Let's talk this week and I'll fill you in on the other...

[Carl Johnson]

Bump

Who is Hawtree, the architect? What are his other courses?

Steve, the only Hawtree I'm familiar with is Hawtree Limited, which claims to be oldest continuously operating golf architecture firm in the world.  Link: http://www.hawtree.co.uk/

My understanding was that the late Frederic W. Hawtree designed only one U.S. course, the Mount Mitchell Golf Club(http://www.mountmitchellgolfresort.com/) in western North Carolina (opened 1975).  The firm subsequently designed the Reems Creek Golf Club ( http://www.reemscreekgolf.com/) just outside Asheville.  However, the Reems Creek website attributes their course to Frederic W. as well.  (My sources tell me that Martin, Frederic W.'s son, did most of the work, but that Frederic W. made constributions, and thought that the credited architect should be the firm.)  Worldwide projects of Hawtree are listed on their website, above.  The Links CC does not seem to be on their list, however.  The 1974 date for the Links CC course suggests to me Hawtree did not do it originally.  Where did you see the Hawtree connection with the Links CC?  Was it a renovation or restoration?  They do a lot of that sort of work, I believe.

[Ray Cross]

As far as I know, the info on GAP's website of ownership is still correct. I've playred there a few time over the years...course tends to get very wet.....and stay wet on several holes.

Tony DeSimmone was a member of both Pine Valley and Tavistock when he bought the course from the develpoer of the King's Grant housing project as it was going under at that time.

He was the founder of DeSimmone Cadillac and BMW now owned and operated by Holman Ford/Lincoln.

Can't remember too much about any of the holes which I guess tells you about the architectural strength...or my declining memory???

Ray

[Joe Bausch]

Their web page would suggest the owner (or owners) also own Centerton and Patriots Glen.

http://www.thelinkscc.com/Coursenews.htm#2009%20Membership%20Drive

[Matt_Ward]

Steve:

I was there ONCE -- you can only imagine why there isn't a return visit.

The course is especially narrow and tight in plenty of spots but the terrain is more towards the yawn dimension (typical for south Jersey) than anything else.

In terms of what South Jersey provided for golf -- prior to the explosion seen in the late 80's and '90's -- Links CC is typical for what came on board back then.

In sum -- I didn't see any reason to return and since the coming on board of other top tier layouts in the general vicinity (e.g. Scotland Run, Pine Hill, etc, etc) I don't see a reason to go out of my way to return.

[archie_struthers]

 

Know it very well. built in Marlton as an adjunct to a housing development and the name of the club was Kings Grant , it matched that of the subdivisions built around . It was heralded as a new, environmentally responsible community , which it had to be as it is  built in the Pinelands and required lots of state approvals.

 The original development company sold it in the late the late 70's ( a guess) to  local amateur golfer Tony DeSimone , a Cadillac dealer and successful local amateur golfer in Philadelphia and South Jersey Tournament play.  Tony was a great competitor who really thought his way around the golf course.  Have to check on his playing record but suffice it to say his tenacity made him an overachiever.  he and his wife loved golf and the club they bought and renamed it the Links at Kings Grant.  Mrs. DeSimone operated the club for a number of years after here husband died and eventually sold to a local operator who run Centerton CC and one other.

The Links is a fun, sporty course where accuracy is more important than length.  A few quirky doglegs and some short par fives make it playable for the average golfer yet the small greens really require some good iron play.

The golf course rewards local knowledge , and they are going to play a local qualifier for the Philly Am there in May. My guess is that some locals will shoot the majority of low rounds at same.

The Links is a fun golf course , relatively short by today's standards. However most golfers will enjoy the walkability of the layout and will make a few pars no matter their handicap.  All in all , not a bad spot !

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The head pro claims it's a "Hawtree Design" and there's a plaque in the clubhouse to prove it.  Perhaps it's not listed on the Hawtree website because of non-payment of the design fee.

[JeffTodd]

Ron Whitten attributed The Links to Hawtree in a Golf Digest story last summer.

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2008/07/britishopen_birkdale?currentPage=3

The relevant information is in the third to last paragraph on page three:

In the '60s and '70s, Fred Hawtree was the premier architect in Europe, handling such highly regarded projects as Royal Waterloo in Belgium, the reworking of Killarney in Ireland and the expansion of Hillside Golf Club next to Royal Birkdale. He also did two courses in the United States, King's Grant (now The Links) in New Jersey and Mount Mitchell in North Carolina.

The Links is course that presents some good and bad holes where the quality of the hole is often dictated by the proximity of houses to the line of play. It is at times too short (the opening par 4 is best played by laying up with a long iron...and then hitting a wedge to the green), and too narrow (trying to drive the opener could land you on the green, or in someone's backyard, or in the front yard of the house across the street from someone's backyard).

There are many short two-shot holes where the only thing holding you back from trying to overpower the course is the fear of breaking windows (and white stakes), particularly on the front nine.

The back is a bit more pleasant than the front and many of the holes are isolated from the surrounding neighborhood. Still, even on the back, the playing corridors are excessively narrow on many holes. As Archie mentioned, it is a course that unquestionably rewards accuracy over length.

Personally, I find the course to be short and awkwardly quirky, with too few good holes to offest the negatives.