[Neil_Crafter]

While in the UK these last three weeks I visited Cavendish GC in Buxton, played the course and met with the club's historian and Alister Mackenzie Society UK committee member Richard Atherton, a lovely gentleman. Over dinner than evening he came out with the story that the Bristol & Clifton GC has a Mackenzie plan for their course framed on their clubhouse wall that was never used. While this was quite exciting to hear he then proceeded to tell me that he had a copy of it and the very next morning gave it to me.

He is planning to enquire further as to whether the club has any further details and perhaps a report to accompany it, and as to the reason why they didn't proceed with his plan. The date suggested on the label affixed to the plan of 1905 is clearly in error - given the similarities to Mackenzie plans from his time in Australia and the fact that he shows fairway lines would date it in my mind to the period of 1925 - 28 or thereabouts. Hopefully if further information from the club is forthcoming we can get this date better pinned down.

As I know that quite a few on GCA are old plan afficianados I have included the plan, the left and right sections and a detail section that shows a number of greens. Enjoy!

[Sean_Tully]

Brilliant! So your trip was a success! Look forward to seeing your other findings.

Tully

need to get home for a closer look

[Neil_Crafter]

Sean
I guess you have to say the trip was a success just from the unearthing of this plan. I also found quite a bit of Mac material in some searches of the Yorkshire Post in Leeds, as well as Golfing in the British Library. Will report in due course.
Also found a brief mention in Golfing as to the winding up of Colt Mackenzie & Alison partnership. We can narrow this down to a particular month now.

[Joshua Pettit]

Brilliant indeed!  Thanks Neil, just made my day.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Neil - I am quite famiiar with Bristol and Clifton. I first played it in 1973. It used to be very open I would imagine in 1950 - 1960 there was a lot of tree planting, I remember some twigs from 73 that are now forest.

9 of those holes on that plan are real holes today. 3 other holes are no longer in play and are on land not owned by the club, I dont remember these holes but I vaguely remember Chris Mitchell (one of the scratch golfers there for years) telling me that the course used to go up into Failand village ( the three hole loop south west on the plan).

There is some degree of MacKenzie style bunkering loosely in existence on a number of holes notably the present 3rd hole, roughly the 10th on that plan although I had never peiced B&C and AM together until this mention. The 4th hole on the plan would have been controversial, there is a very steep drop at about the drives length. There is a 220 yard drop hole par 3 there where you play of a high plateau.

Perhaps some things were adapted.

B & C is a course on my stats as having an unknown designer. I have never been able to find anything out about it, I have consulted their on design issues in the 90s.

[David Stamm]

Wonderful, Neil! Good on ya!

[Neil_Crafter]

Adrian
That is very interesting. I took a look at the course layout on Google and there are more than a few similarities with today's holes, although as you say, it appears some of the land available to Mac when he drew that plan is not part of the course today. On their website, the club does not mention an architect. Also, as I understand it, the course is quite a bit older than the mid 1920s when Mackenzie would have drawn this plan, so I am sure this is a remodelling plan even though it does not necessarily look like it. Interesting you say you think there are some Mackenzie-esque bunkers present today. Hopefully we can unravel this mystery a bit as time goes on. Thanks for your input.
Josh and David - thanks!

[Tom MacWood]

Neil
Do you think this a new design plan or a redesign?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Neil

Great news, the importance of establishing a true history will allow future generation the pleasure of knowing their heritage without doubters.

The History of Golf in these islands has many gaps due to various reasons. One in particular is down to fire in the early club houses. Yet with people like Neil Crafter, steadily uncovering the true stories and lives of past generations, in time most of the lost information will be restored.

What’s even more special is that you have come away with drawings, which is rather rare.

There is no substitute to on site or regional research.

Congratulations

Melvyn 

[Mike Cirba]

Neil,

Brilliant.   Thanks for sharing.

[Tim Liddy]

Great find Neil. We all appreciate your great research work. Beautiful drawing and thanks for sharing. It is always good when a little golf course architecture can be discussed on this site.

[Neil_Crafter]

Tom
I believe this is a redesign. I don't think Mac was a big one to show the existing holes on his remodelling plans, Royal Adelaide is an example of this where there is no evidence on the plan that an existing course even existed.

Mike and Tim
Appreciate your kind comments.

Melvyn
I came away with a copy of the plan which is a lot better than no copy. Spending a few days in Leeds and london researching was great fun and I'd love to be able to spend more time there doing that. Hard to do remotely that's for sure. And you're right, clubhouse fires and cleanups have lost a lot of golf design history for sure. Thanks for your thoughts.

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