Golf in San Francisco, 1923

[DMoriarty]

Here are a few of the photos from the above referenced San Francisco Water magazine.  (As the article is 17 pages long, I don't think I'll try to post it all.  It can be found by searching google books for "San Francisco Water" golf 1923.)

[Kevin_Reilly]

Kevin,

I don't know if you recall, but quite some ago we were discussing whether or not the sketch below by AWT in his February 1920 article in Golf Illustrated was meant to be the 16th hole at SFGC.   Looking at the plan above and comparing it to the sketch in the article, they seem to be very similar holes, but not exact.   In the article AWT did mention that the hole actually being built "differed in minor details" from the sketch in the article.

Yes, I remember that discussion.  It seemed to me that the differences, at least looking at the hole in 1938, weren't minor.  But I don't know what changes were made up to that point.

[DMoriarty]

Kevin,  I agree with you regarding a comparison of the 1938 aerial to the sketch, but there are more similarities between the 1920 routing and the magazine sketch.  Still not a great match, but definitely better than any of the other holes out there.  What strikes me is that the 16th hole (marked 7th) on the routing looks to allow for the three options AWT drawn on the sketch and described in the article.   In other words, the drawings match better than the arial, which raises the question as to whether the idea was ever actually incorporated into the course.  Were all of AWT's suggested changes actually implemented?  It could be that the change was made and then the short left option was cut out sometime before 1938.  I don't know.  

[David_Tepper]

"The Presidio looks amazing without the trees."

Andy Stamm -

A copy of that aerial photo of the Presidio, which I believe was taken in 1932, hangs in the public Presidio clubhouse right next to an aerial photo that was taken in 1995. The change from a wide open playing field with no trees whatsoever to the tree-choked course it is today is astonishing.

DT 

   

[Andy Stamm]

"The Presidio looks amazing without the trees."

Andy Stamm -

A copy of that aerial photo of the Presidio, which I believe was taken in 1932, hangs in the public Presidio clubhouse right next to an aerial photo that was taken in 1995. The change from a wide open playing field with no trees whatsoever to the tree-choked course it is today is astonishing.

DT

Now that you mention it, I think I ran into that photo one day in the shop. I really like the course and while I realize that it won't be denuded, it could really be improved by removing not that many trees. I don't know how you're going to grow good grass on 4 with no sunlight and a par three (13) blinded by a tree in the valley? It's really a shame.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the photos, and thanks for the info.