I am so glad everyone had a great time at the Am qualifier at Camargo. I worked in the bag shop there for about 6 years, during HS and college. At first I didnt realize how spoiled I was to work there, since they get so little play meaning we could basically play anytime we wanted after 2 or 3 any day of the week. But eventually I wisened up and began to truly appreciate the impressive features of the course.
Most are aware of the world class collection of par three's(Eden, Biarritz, Short, Redan), but there is also an incredible collection of par four's. 3 is a wonderful hole that measures only 320 from the tips, but the drive is no cake walk, as you have to traverse a large gully, and the faiway slopes to the right and back at you, making holding a firm fairway very tricky. Also, the green is incredibly difficult, the a large elevated horse-shoe tier around the back half edge, and then a lower portion in the middle, making getting at the back pins very difficult, especially on the 60-80 yard pitch shot most people face. 6 and 7 are great, and 12 is one of the hardest holes I have ever played. The drive is incredibly intimidating visually, even though there is a fair amount of room out there. Then the approach shot plays anywhere from 180-200, into the wind, uphill, to a green divided into 4 quadrants by two perpendicular spines, and putting from one to another is a very difficult feat. Par here is a great score.
In reference to the story about the "lost" tee on 12, the hole was actually originally designed to play as a par 5, with the cross bunkers on the hole playing a much bigger role than they do currently. There was a fairway out to the left of the current fairway, by where the front ladies tee is, for people who have played there. The current fairway was used for people trying to cut off distance from the hole. I used to have a picture of the original routing map, but I cant seem to find it on my old computer. When the club was slow(which was usually the case with only 250 or so golfing members and about 13k round a year, if that) I used to pour over it to see how the course used to play.
In terms of the recent restoration and renovations, they have been slow to take place. There used to be a bunker on the inside of the dogleg on four that was added in the 60's I believe, but that was taken out about 10 years ago. The real change for that hole came when the tree on the inside of the dogleg there was knocked down in a storm 3 years ago. Completely changed the hole, as there now was much less penalty for hitting it left off the tee. Other than that, changes have been more subtle. Bringing back greens to their full size, flattening and reshaping bunkers, redoing tees. The club is not one that likes to make drastic changes, and Tom Doak, whose firm is the consultant on the restoration, echoed this when I was talking to him, saying that he has been consulting for them for 25 years, and they have done very little of what he has told them to do. Also, the front portion of 8 has never been green according to the old pro who started there in the late 40s. Additionally, the slope on the right side of 14 wasnt as steep as it is currently. It used to be a lot gentler, and played as fairway, which i think would be a very interesting way to play it.
If anyone else has any questions about the club, feel free to ask. I truly love the place and treasure the opportunities when I get an invite to play. If anyone else has the opportunity, you must take the offer. They are hard to come by. We wouldnt see that many guests, so if you do get an invite, it is a real treat.