Aerial of the Day #68 - 9 Apr 2002

[Scott_Burroughs]

Here's another course I wouldn't have heard of if it weren't for this site.  Notice the compact routing (and it's not Ross!):

[Chris_Clouser]

Now this is good course!!!  I have no clue as to what it is, but I love some of those holes.  The short par 4 to the right with the 3 bunkers directly in front of the green and the openings that can be played through on either side just create so many options on that one hole.  I hope we get a lot of good info on this course.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I don't know the course at all, but I will post a great link with plenty of info at revelation time.

This is yet another course that is the first in it's state to be "aerialized" here.

[Scott_Burroughs]

This course had something in common with the recently deceased Queen Mum, age.  They were born less than a year apart.

Also, the "battle" for being the most expensive college to go to in the U.S. probably changes from year-to-year with each tuition hike, but at one point in the mid-to-late eighties, a college not far from this course was said to be the most expensive then, and was even mentioned as so on an episode of The Cosby Show when Theo was thinking about college (YAPCR clue).

[SPDB]

I think i know this course from the clues, but 'nok being able to see the picture, i can't be entirely sure.

[RJ_Daley]

Looks like most of us will need some clues.  By being born around the time of the Queen Mum, do you mean first laid out around the turn of century?  Was it perhaps born as a rudimentary Bendelow lay-out, and then remodelled perhaps by Raynor-Banks?  It appears to be generally singular teeing grounds, and is that a knoll hole in upper rt corner?  It seems like there may be a number of those knoll or butte like table top plateau greens.  Am I in the ball park?  

[Scott_Burroughs]

Not Bendelow.  This is this architect's first design, but is the second aerial shown of his work.

Turn of the century is correct.  By true century definitions, a la millenium, this would be the 19th century, not 20th, but few else think so nor care.  1900.

The hole forming the far right border is more Alps-like and is considered the most famous in the region.
Back at 1-1:30 EDT for an OBVIOUS clue if it hasn't been figured out already.

[AndyI]

Hmmmm.  Based on that YAPCR clue, I have an idea but I'm not sure.  Would I be able to fish for some clues near this course?

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Vermont?

[RJ_Daley]

Tom, your clue is determinative.  After all, not many were laying out anything at the turn of the century.  So they buried "the grand old man" with his putter there...hey?  

I suspect that the aerial is taken prior to Bruce H., getting his talents into it.  

[RJ_Daley]

Tom, your clue is determinative.  After all, not many were laying out anything at the turn of the century.  So they buried "the grand old man" with his putter there...hey?  

I suspect that the aerial is taken prior to Bruce H., getting his talents into it.  

[Scott_Burroughs]

I think you guys got it, but for everyone:  Did this "Vernal" Native American tribe invent maple syrup?

 I think you're right about a restoration, because there are bunkers in more modern photos that aren't in this aerial.

[Allan Long]

This course wouldn't have a namesake across the pond, would it?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Allan,

We posted at about the same time, but it would seem odd to have a club in the U.K. with the same name as one named after a Native American tribe.  But it still could be true.

[SPDB]

Allan - you're close. this course is just down the road from the one you have in mind. This course is also private, while the one you are thinking of is a resort.

[SPDB]

i'll also add that the this course and the one you are thinking of share the same (original) architect.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I get it now.  The one Allan was thinking of was cut out of the original aerial in that notch in the upper right corner.  They are that close, like NGLA/Shinnecock.  I took it out so as not to confuse anyone with routing.

[Allan Long]

Thanks, guys. Got in now. The sad thing is that I have played Gleneagles and didn't remember it looking that way, but couldn't recall anything else in the area. Score that a double.

[Scott_Burroughs]

The course is Walter Travis' Ekwanok CC in Manchester, VT.  I honestly didn't know there was a GCA write-up before I chose it.  I discovered the write-up this morning, but had heard others mention it before.  The neighboring course to the north is the Gleneagles course (originally designed by Travis) at the Equinox (sound familiar?) resort.

clue alert:

The Native American tribe, the Ekwanoks, is pronounced just like Equinox, as in "vernal".

"Maple syrup" in Vermont (duh).

The expensive college nearby is Bennington College, mentioned in the Cosby episode.

The other Travis course that has been aerialized is Hollywood, though it looks nothing like the original (and Hollywood WAS an original!) today.

Much more information can be found, including quite a few excellent pictures and the Alps-like par 5 7th on the far right, here at the GCA write-up.  Notice the bunkering is different on several holes than in the aerial:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/ekwanok1.html

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

If you want to see the 'Old Man' spin in his grave take a look at the neighboring course. I'm convinced if he knew what would befall Equinox he would have been buried elsewhere - perhaps Hollywood, on second thought.

[BV]

That aerial wasn't taken in the last 5 years, Scott.  Wjere did you find it?

p.s.I didn't get back in time to post my clue: This course is where with a par you can eek-one-out?  Oh, that's bad.

BV

[Dan Kelly]

Ekwanok -- pronounced just like Equinox, you say?

You mean: EEK-wi-nox?

Or: ECK-wi-nox.

My dictionary endorses both pronunciations, without preference.

ECK, isn't it?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Bill,
 
I got this aerial on Terraserver (same as The Golf Club, TPC@ Sawgrass, Broadmoor, and Samoset).  Suposedly taken on May 7, 1992.

Dan,

"ECK" was my original thought until I did a web search and someone said that the neighboring Equinox was taken from Ekwanok.  Didn't know that they changed it a little.  "EEK"!  Since when is something on the internet not entirely true?
I personally say "EEK"uinox as in Vernal.

Either equinox harrasses tomatoes.  16 ways of saying that sentence.

[Chris_Clouser]

What is the routing of this course?

[Scott_Burroughs]

9 doesn't come back to clubhouse.

1 is longish hole in middle with diagonal creek hazard
2 back to clubhouse below 1
3 back right below 2
4 par 3
5 goes south along left side
6 par 3 along bottom
7 long par 5 hugs right side with "Alps" hill halfway to green
8 and 9 back down parallel to 7
10 is long par 5 back up
11 well-bunkered par 3 headed SE
12 dogleg par 4 heading N
13 long par 3 headed SW
14 headed south across X-roads
15 back up to top
16-18 parallel each other back and forth from clubhouse.