[Malcolm Mckinnon]

John,

I'll admit I am not a scholar on the full history at Baltusrol.

Did Louis Keller fashion the original layout himself or did he have assistance? I would love to see pictures of the original design pre-Tillie.

I hope I didn't sound critical of the endless revisions there. My point was that they never stop. Every year there is something new to contemplate. When I played the lower last fall they were just laying the sod on the new deepened Bunkers on 14 and 15 and to be honest I couldn't tell what to think. I did like the changes to how the 18th fairway incorporate the creek.

[John Kavanaugh]

My history of Baltusrol is on loan so I can not speak to specifics.

[John Foley]

How much better is Oakmont now vs when Fazio renovated it before the 2007 Open?

I heard complaints about the FW bunker depth but the rest of he course looked solid.

BTW - the tree's came out waay before that.

[Michael Moore]

Pete Dye's 1985 recontouring of some of the Crooked Stick greens in preparation for the 1991 PGA Championship was a subtle and sensitive improvement.

[Phil_the_Author]

Malcolm,

Louis Keller didn't play golf and didn't design the original 9-hole course. He hired George Hunter to do this. He would later become a member and served on the Board of Governors.

The routing below is taken from the June 16, 1895 issue of The Sun:

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat, how has Mountain Ridge been affected architecturally by next year's US Senior Am?

It hasn't been affected "architecturally"

It may have been affected, in terms of accelerating work already planned.

[Richard Choi]

Perhaps one of the members can speak better about this, but wasn't the recent renovation of Plainfield motivated by the desire to host a PGA Tour event (a WGC event). Based on the photos of before and after, I would say the course has been improved greatly.

[JESII]

Malcolm & Jim,

Was Ron Prichard's work for the club in general or specifically for preparation for an event ?
I always thought it was independent of any event, but, I'm not that familiar with the club/work.

Not 100% sure, but they hosted a US Junior in about 1998 and a Senior PGA Championship in about '03 and now the AT&T event in '10 and '11 due to a partnership of sorts with Congressional. I think the work was planned and completed in the late 90's early 2000's.

I think the ultimate goal is likely a major but I can't be sure.

[Anton]

I think Plainfield would make a great course for the PGA or a Ryder Cup

[Phil Benedict]

getting the us open might have promoted the interest in pinehurst no 2, leading to Coore Crenshaw recent work

The US Open may have contribnuted to the degradation of #2, particularly the narrowing of fairways and elimination of angles.

Where did the impetus for restoring #2 come from, since it sounds like some of the US Open style features - i.e. rough lines - are being removed?  The course was commercially very successful even as the architecture deteriorated - $400 a pop and pretty much full all the time. 

A US Open sans rough - which the USGA appears to have embraced - is an exciting prospect.

[JESII]

I'll admit to only paying a little attention to the Pinehurst evolution so this is a sincere comment...if the USGA is embracing a roughless US Open (or even close to it) the world of golf will be turned on its ear...especially at a place like Pinehurst. Could be the most important positive impact a televised event will ever have on the perception of how the game should be played.

[Patrick_Mucci]

getting the us open might have promoted the interest in pinehurst no 2, leading to Coore Crenshaw recent work

The US Open may have contribnuted to the degradation of #2, particularly the narrowing of fairways and elimination of angles.

Phil,

I couldn't agree more.

Bringing the Open to Pinehurst # 2 ruined that golf course.
But, I've only been playing it for 50 years.[/b]

Where did the impetus for restoring #2 come from, since it sounds like some of the US Open style features - i.e. rough lines - are being removed?  The course was commercially very successful even as the architecture deteriorated - $400 a pop and pretty much full all the time. 

A US Open sans rough - which the USGA appears to have embraced - is an exciting prospect.

[Dean DiBerardino]

How about Donald Ross’ changes to Pinehurst No. 2 before the 1936 PGA?

[Tom MacWood]

Bethpage Black.

It has turned into a Mecca now for the almost 2 handicap and may be the hardest course to get on in New York if you are 6'6" and don't want to sleep in a SUV but there is no question it is an amazing course due to the US Open. Could it be better? Yes.

There is a part of me that misses the days when you could walk up because it was "walking only" and the bunkers has wet concrete in them, but again it is now a better course.

What changes were made to the original design that improved the course architecturally?

[Tom MacWood]

Egan & Co.'s redesign of Pebble Beach prior to the 1929 US Am and Colt's redesign of Muirfield prior to the 1926 British Am.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Malcolm & Jim,

Was Ron Prichard's work for the club in general or specifically for preparation for an event ?
I always thought it was independent of any event, but, I'm not that familiar with the club/work.

Not 100% sure, but they hosted a US Junior in about 1998 and a Senior PGA Championship in about '03 and now the AT&T event in '10 and '11     due to a partnership of sorts with Congressional. I think the work was planned and completed in the late 90's early 2000's.           





I wasn't involved in the actual discussions of undoing the RTJ and Fazio features to the course, but I think it was a mix of wanting to bring the original Donald Ross design intent back with an eye to a hosting future USGA and PGA events... and the AT&T is definitely seen as a springboard to major.

I think the ultimate goal is likely a major but I can't be sure.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I would turn it around:  has any classic course ever been improved by changes made to host a USGA or PGA event?

Bill, please read the second sentence in my original post.

That's what I asked.

So, to those of you who responded,

HOW have those courses been improved "architecturally"

What specific changes improved those courses ?

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