[Robert Kimball]

My favorite week of the year! In honor of that little Toon-a-mint that is going on down the road, I thought I would post one of my favorite pictures of all time from GCA. Have a good week everyone, and let's hope for a great Sunday!




P.S. This picture was taken before the Hootie/Ridley changes were made!! 

Thank you, John Stiles for the great pic.

Rob

[Mike Hendren]

Thanks for posting this Rob - an absolutely fascinating picture that perhaps  supports the following contentions:

1.  Trees were an integral architectural element from day one (just not as prolific)
2.  Tree planting has a long, if not distinguished history there
3.  15 as depicted would remain a fabulous half par hole to this day - a solid 3.5
4.  Mackenzie's original bunker style and today's clean lines are equal assaults on the senses
5.  Jones and Roberts are more to blame than "Hootie," the official straw man the architectural cognoscenti.

Bogey

[Thomas McQuillan]

My favorite week of the year! In honor of that little Toon-a-mint that is going on down the road, I thought I would post one of my favorite pictures of all time from GCA. Have a good week everyone, and let's hope for a great Sunday!




P.S. This picture was taken before the Hootie/Ridley changes were made!! 

Thank you, John Stiles for the great pic.

Rob

Now I know where they added the trees recently

[Richard Choi]

I don't know, looks like there are a lot more trees now than back then...

[Jim Nugent]

Thanks for posting this Rob - an absolutely fascinating picture that perhaps  supports the following contentions:

1.  Trees were an integral architectural element from day one (just not as prolific)

I don't see this one so much.  Can you elaborate? 

[JESII]

Richard & Jim,

It seems reasonable to think the guy that planted all those saplings spread around the property thought/knew they might grow up one day...don't you think?

[Richard Choi]

I see a lot more new trees than the saplings from the earlier picture.

[JESII]

How many exactly?


Seriously though, there's no question it's a different course than the day it opened and there's also no question that hosting a major championship every single year is the reason behind 99% of the changes made. Is it still the best televeision of the year? Absolutely! No matter how many times Matt Ward says the 7th hole stinks now...

[Robert Kimball]

Secretly, I was hoping Matt would see this and chime in!

The title of the thread is tounge in cheek, of course, and Jim I agree it is the best tournament on TV. The debate on the course development over time is always a debate, but Sunday at The Masters (usually) doesn't dissapoint.

[Anthony Gray]

  Can someone super impose the hole #s on the black and white photo?

  Thanks AG

[Richard Choi]

Let me know if I got this right...

[Michael Whitaker]

Richard,

I came up with the same routing. Like you, I can't figure out 16.

Mike

[Chip Gaskins]

16 was a very different hole back then.  It played across a stream.  RTJ changed it to the pond we know today in the 60s. 

It used to play across a stream similar to 13.  Evidently flooding was an issue and it was changed.

[Mike Hendren]

I believe 12 flooded more frequently than the original 16th.  My understanding was that the change to the 16th was driven primarily by the fact that its distance and orientation to the creek too closely mirrored the 12th. 

If judging solely by this photo, I believe today's golf course is superior. 

I highly recommend Stan Byrdy's excellent book.  I doubt Mackenzie's estate cleared probate before Roberts and Jones started changing his original design.  Hopefully somebody can post the "temporary" 8th green that was in play during one of the invitationals. 

Mike

[Bill_McBride]

If judging solely by this photo, I believe today's golf course is superior. 
 

Why? 

What I like:  little to no rough, width to play to those big contoured greens, limited but influential bunkers....

Me likey!      But I can't say anything because I haven't been there.

[Chip Gaskins]

There are several things in this picture that are interesting. 

- What is the purpose of the long left side bunker 100 yards out from the green on #1
- The fairway bunker on #2 looks easily drivable
- Though I am not a fan of the current #7, the old #7 looks pretty banal
- The #9 greenside bunker looks really cool!
- The fairway bunker on #14 looks easily drivable and the preferred line into the green is actually down the left
- Whats up with the trees dead center of the fairway on #15 about 200 yards out, really?  TOC?  Mackenzie?
- What is that little fairway space in front of the creek on #17 fairway?
- The fairway bunker on #18 was actually a center bunker, look at the other half of the fairway LEFT of the bunker.

Chip

[Jim Nugent]

Richard & Jim,

It seems reasonable to think the guy that planted all those saplings spread around the property thought/knew they might grow up one day...don't you think?

Sully, I may well be confused.  Looks to me like most of the saplings are on the fringes, and wouldn't impact play much.  Not like, e.g., the trees they added more recently to 11, 17 (and 7?) 

[jeffwarne]

There are several things in this picture that are interesting. 

- What is the purpose of the long left side bunker 100 yards out from the green on #1
- The fairway bunker on #2 looks easily drivable
- Though I am not a fan of the current #7, the old #7 looks pretty banal
- The #9 greenside bunker looks really cool!
- The fairway bunker on #14 looks easily drivable and the preferred line into the green is actually down the left
- Whats up with the trees dead center of the fairway on #15 about 200 yards out, really?  TOC?  Mackenzie?
- What is that little fairway space in front of the creek on #17 fairway?
- The fairway bunker on #18 was actually a center bunker, look at the other half of the fairway LEFT of the bunker.

Chip

Chip,
Easy now-
Don't you know that a course when built is exactly how an architect wanted it to be forever, and any changes,adjustments,tree growth are unacceptable.(and no allowances for maturity or growth of pine trees)

I would venture that ANGC in the form depicted in that picture wouldn't crack the top 100 if opened today.
Unless of course they threw some trendy fescue and bluestem  in and around the bunkers and "out of play areas" (whatever those are)

[Adam Clayman]

Boys, your back lash is BEEYOUTEEful. I disagree that one of those elements (frilly bunkers Trees planted in or nearer lines of charm) make or break the GC. I also disagree that its the best viewed major. Give me the Open Championship everytime. Why? Because the course set up in Georgia is too easily manipiulated with their ability to dial in exactly how firm the greens will play and how easy or hard pin positions will be placed. Opposed to the relatively uncontrolable conditions that occur in August. This ability to control the excitment limits the definition of exciting tournament golf pandering to the unsophisticated viewer the only appreciates the obvious. 16 at ANGC is forefront in my thinking ever since we saw 2 aces there on Sunday just a few years ago.     

[Mike Hendren]

I don't know, looks like there are a lot more trees now than back then...

Richard, it could be worse:



Mike

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