Dave Cornish & Watertown Golf Club

[Ronald Montesano]

I'm in the process of playing and shooting Watertown Golf Club in Watertown, CT. Let me elaborate...on the 11th tee, my blessed Digital Rebel decided that enough was enough and retired for the day. I've uploaded the first ten holes here (http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/Watertown%20Golf%20Club-June%202011/) although the thing pooped out half-way through, so a lot of the images duplicated (rough day for technology in central-west CT!)

I hope to get back this Wed or Thurs if the camera cooperates. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out who the architect of this course is...the only lead from the web suggests Dave Cornish. Given its placement in New England and the name Cornish, I presume he is the son or nephew of Geoffrey Cornish. If anyone can shed light on the course or this Cornish fellow, accept my appreciation.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Watertown GC seems to have had a few fathers, and in 1970 Geoffrey Cornish was one of them, adding nine holes.

I don't know who Dave Cornish is, but the references to him appear to be from the original 1915 (when Geoffrey Cornish was a baby) course.

[Ronald Montesano]

Better day today...thanks to isopropyl alcohol and q-tips, I got the camera working again. I returned to Watertown to shoot the remaining 8 holes and to solve the mystery of the redesign.

In order, the entire photo album is here:

http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/buffalogolfer/Watertown%20Golf%20Club-June%202011/

And the answer to the mystery of the redesign/addition is here:



Cornish and Robinson in the 1960s

[Tim Martin]

Ron- Great pictures. The Connecticut State Golf Association has their Junior Championship at Watertown every year. Its always in great shape with a fun set of greens and plenty of elevation change. Although the 2nd hole is one of the standouts it`s an awkward walk backwards from 1 green to 2 tee. I like the par 5 7th hole but the power lines buzzing overhead in the landing area sound very unnatural. Don`t get me wrong because there is plenty to like about Watertown including a great membership. I`m hoping my son Jack makes it to the matchplay at the Junior so that I can spend a few days there in July. The long time pro Mike Carney is one of the best in the biz.

[Ronald Montesano]

Tim,

It will be an interesting thread that I eventually run, later this summer or fall, on Watertown. I played the first ten holes on Tuesday as I was shooting, then quit when the camera quit. When I came back out on Thursday with Lazarus, I was pressed for time and could only shoot. The one thing I noticed was an absolute discrepancy between what I thought green speeds should/would be and what they were...SLOW! True but slow. For a mountain-region course, they were quite deceptive. My putts consistently came up 10% short, which drove me batty.

I can only imagine how they felt when they acquired the piece of land across West Road, that incredibly-diverse tract, heaving and rising and falling. It has some absolutely jaw dropping shots off tees and into greens, about which I will speak at length when the thread is born.

[Tim Martin]

Tim,

It will be an interesting thread that I eventually run, later this summer or fall, on Watertown. I played the first ten holes on Tuesday as I was shooting, then quit when the camera quit. When I came back out on Thursday with Lazarus, I was pressed for time and could only shoot. The one thing I noticed was an absolute discrepancy between what I thought green speeds should/would be and what they were...SLOW! True but slow. For a mountain-region course, they were quite deceptive. My putts consistently came up 10% short, which drove me batty.

I can only imagine how they felt when they acquired the piece of land across West Road, that incredibly-diverse tract, heaving and rising and falling. It has some absolutely jaw dropping shots off tees and into greens, about which I will speak at length when the thread is born.

Ron-I have played Watertown quite a bit over the years and can`t say I remember the pace of the greens being too slow. There has been a ton of rain as you know which make account for it. Hopefully when you get back out there they will be running better.

[Carl Nichols]

Ron- Great pictures. The Connecticut State Golf Association has their Junior Championship at Watertown every year. Its always in great shape with a fun set of greens and plenty of elevation change. Although the 2nd hole is one of the standouts it`s an awkward walk backwards from 1 green to 2 tee. I like the par 5 7th hole but the power lines buzzing overhead in the landing area sound very unnatural. Don`t get me wrong because there is plenty to like about Watertown including a great membership. I`m hoping my son Jack makes it to the matchplay at the Junior so that I can spend a few days there in July. The long time pro Mike Carney is one of the best in the biz.

I know Watertown from my days playing in the CSGA Junior Championship.  Always seemed like a solid course and club.  Unfortunately I never got to play many matches there!