Adam C. -
I seem to be having a hard time making myself clear.
I have played the Cal Club twice, once 25+ years ago and once last summer. Clearly, it is a much different course now than it was circa 1986. There are at least 2 holes now that did not exist then.
My question is, did Kyle Phillips renovate the course "in the style of" Mackenzie or did he restore/recreate the course (routing, placement/shape of bunkers, size/contours of greens, etc.) using old plans, photos, etc.?
My impression (and please correct me if I am mistaken) is that the work Phillips did is very much the former than the latter. If that is the case, does any of Mackenzie's original work still exist there?
DT
David,
The course was restored based on aerial photograph largely. The course had to be redesigned by RTJ in the 1960s or 1970s due to the loss of land to Westborough Blvd expansion. There was a Spyglass Hill style par 3 as #3 that I know was one of the replacement holes.
The back 9 today is very close to the post-Mackenzie changes from the 1930s. Even on the front, holes 1, 5 (6 pre 2007), 6 (7 pre 2007) and 9 are restored Mackenzie holes. The renovation of all of these holes used old aerial photos to replicate Mackenzie bunkering.
From the Club History in the yardage book,
"The opening 5 holes of the original course were severely impacted by an eminent domain procedure in 1966 associated with the construction of the 280 freeway and the current Westborough Blvd, which now forms the boundary of the club. Alterations were made to the opening five holes by the firm of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and the course played to that configuration, save the 1991 addition of two lakes on holes 11 and 18, until 2007. In 2006 the club retained Kyle Phillips to draw a master plan which would restore the course to its original intent save accommodations to the modern game.
Phillips' initial impression was that the original scale of the front nine had been compromised by land lost to Westborough Blvd., but that, fortunately, the club had approximately 18 acres vacant in the middle of the property suitable for expansion. His routing plan proposed to restore 13 holes in close adherence to photographs from the 1930's, while creating 5 new holes consistent with the scale of the original classic golden age design. Making use of the previously unused 18 acres, where he created hole #7, Phillips' opening four holes occupy the same acreage that previously held five holes and a driving range. The course closed in April 2007 and reopened for member play in July 2008, concurrent with the club's 90th Anniversary."