Golf as Protectorate of Cultural Heritage

[Steve Burrows]

Typically, a golf course is conceived and built for its own sake: to allow people to play the game of golf.  However, a by-product of the creation of golf on certain sites is the conservation of the grounds or of on-site architectural features that might otherwise be derelict or unmaintained (often these features are used as clubhouses, or as "follies" in the landscape which may be seen from the various golf holes).  In each of the examples listed below, without the integration of a golf course into the landscape, it is possible that these subsidiary elements might have been erased by way of less sensitive development, taking with them part of the history of the given region.

   Bro Hof Slott - Sweden - The development of a golf course provided incentive to restore the 19th century Baroque style castle that now serves as a clubhouse
   Stoke Poges - Buckinghamshire, England - The golf course now highlights a rolling landscape once maintained by two legends, Capability Brown and Humphry Repton
   Moundbuilders - Newark, OH - The golf course goes over and through the 2000 year-old earthworks of the Hopewell Indians

Does anyone know of any other notable examples where a golf course served to protect cultural heritage?

[BCrosby]

East Lake claims that mounds constructed by the Confederates during the Battle of Atlanta are still in place next to the 8th fw.

Royston GC outside of Cambridge, England apparently has a number of Roman "tumuli", to use Darwin's term. Read: Roman mounds that guard entrances to a couple of greens.

Bob

[John Chilver-Stainer]

One that springs to mind is the new Archerfield Golf Course (not Renaissance)

I believe (that’s a caveat) part of the permit for the 36 Hole Links Golf Complex and Housing Estate was the restoration of the then “falling apart” Archerfield House.

The restored house is not used as the club house but for Corporate Events and is by recent accounts very popular.

In Switzerland I have 2 projects where Iron Age Sites on former farmland have been “frozen” by the Archeologists.

[Mike Hamilton]

Kingsmill Resort in Virginia is on the North Shore of the James River about 2 miles east of the site of the original Jamestown fort, the first permanent English Settlement in North America, and has a number of historical remains scattered amongst the golf courses.

http://www.kingsmill.com/about/history/

[David_Tepper]

Holes 10 thru 14 of the main St. Endoc course in England surround the historic St. Endoc Church (500+ years old) and its graveyard. Poet laureate John Betjeman is buried there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Enodoc%27s_Church,_Trebetherick

[Steve Burrows]

Thanks a lot for the responses so far.  Good stuff!!!

Does anyone know anything about the brick tower behind the 3rd green at Woodhall Spa, or perhaps the stone wall at North Berwick?

[Phil_the_Author]

At Kingsbarns the bridge that spans the burn in front of the green was discovered when they were excavating to buld a bridge on that exact spot! It turns out the Romans, during their habitation there many hundreds of years ago had built the bridge. It was carefully studied and rebuilt with the existing stones. The Copher through which the burn flows down to the sea was also built by the Romans and was discovered when they were excavating to put one in at that exact spot.

I'm wondering if maybe, since they did such a good job anticipating the needs of the golf course so many years ago, they are the ones responsible for the "Old Course"...  

[John Moore II]

Isn't the clubhouse at Loch Lomond an old Scottish castle/manor home of some kind?

Nansemond River GC in Suffolk has the remains of a U.S. Civil War fort behind the 13th tee.

And some quickly done, and less than thorough (as of now), research seems to indicate that one of the main land defense forts in Wilmington, NC was located on the land presently occupied by Cape Fear Country Club.

[RJ_Daley]

Steve, very interesting thread.  I also like the term I've never heard of before, "follies" in the landscape.  Sorry I can't think of any examples in my immediate area, but I'll keep pondering it.  On the larger stage of made for TV golf, isn't that Hawaian course used in the skins game, with the native graveyards beside an 18th hole, a prominent cultural feature? 

Oh yes, and the distillery prominent in the scene at Carnoustie! 

[PThomas]

not exactly what you want, but at least somewhat related:  Fossil Trace in CO has preserved Triceratops footprints within the course...when i played they even had an expert on them there to talk to you about it!

[David_Tepper]

The Lincoln Park golf course in San Francisco (built roughly 80 years ago) contains a memorial from the Chinese cemetery that was once on the property. It is located between the 1st & 13th holes.    

[Ulrich Mayring]

I think they have an ancient bridge in St Andrews somewhere... saw it on TV recently, if only I could remember ...

Ulrich

[RJ_Daley]

Paul, I think that is a perfect example.

[Steve Burrows]

not exactly what you want, but at least somewhat related:  Fossil Trace in CO has preserved Triceratops footprints within the course...when i played they even had an expert on them there to talk to you about it!

Paul,

YES, this is a great example.  I had forgotten all about this one.  Thanks!  They found a fossil on site (clearly part of some level of cultural past that further serves as an identity for the region) and owners are now getting at least two sets of interested guests to show up.  One need not be a golfer to enjoy the dinosaur remains, and one need not be a paleontologist to enjoy the golf course.  Bringing people to see both is a bonus.

Ulrich,

More than just the bridge, the actual town of St. Andrews as a steward of the Old Course is certainly a worthy example, particularly the first and last holes which are almost a part of the town as the pubs and shops themselves.  The preservation of the golf course serves, in a sense, to help sustain the heritage of the town itself, and vice-versa.   
 

[David_Tepper]

During the week of the Open, there was some talk in the press about the Old Course itself being named a world cultural/heritage site.

[Carl Rogers]

Adjacent to Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's second home and part of the original property, in Lynchburg, VA is a modest shortish cost effective nine holer named Poplar Forest Golf Course.  With some remodeling and bit more maintenance resources, it could a modestly interesting little course.

It exists keep the property as open as it could be and not have development all the way to Poplar Forest's front door.

Jeff B, did you say you did this course?

[Brian Ross]

Steve, very interesting thread.  I also like the term I've never heard of before, "follies" in the landscape.  Sorry I can't think of any examples in my immediate area, but I'll keep pondering it.  On the larger stage of made for TV golf, isn't that Hawaian course used in the skins game, with the native graveyards beside an 18th hole, a prominent cultural feature? 

Oh yes, and the distillery prominent in the scene at Carnoustie! 

"Follies" are typically man-made, false buildings or monuments in the landscape, as opposed to something that actually served a useful purpose in its history.  They are typically used to build intrigue or to serve as the end to an axis.  When in Europe earlier this summer, I noticed that many of the larger parks and palaces use them frequently (Potsdam near Berlin and the Englischer Garten in Munich come to mind).  A good example of one on a golf course in the US is the Love Course at Barefoot Resort in N. Myrtle, where they incorporated some fake ruins into the course around holes 3-7, that look natural to the eye, but aren't.