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Tom MacWood

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Sandy Herd's architecture
« on: May 25, 2012, 06:38:10 AM »
I've been looking into Herd's architectural activities and I have uncovered a number of designs and redesigns. Here is a list of some of his courses:

1902- Halifax, Howley Hall
1903- Rotherham
1904- Keighly, Stand
1905- Huddersfield
1906- Rotherham-new 9, Pannal, Halifax Bradley Hall
1907- Hornsea, Stamford, Huddersfield
1908- Kingsknowe, Portrush, Bramhall, Chester-le-Street, Turton, Meltham, Werneth
1909- Stockport, St. Annes Old Links, Pleasington
1910- Wilmslow, Ulvertson, Wakefield, Heysham, Lees Hall

There are few of his early courses not on this list, like Abbeydale, Peel and Harrogate, and few of his later courses are not on here either, when he relocated to Coombe Hill.

My question is does anyone have any idea about his architectural style? I know these courses are not exactly household names, and no doubt many have changed, but perhaps someone familiar with the courses of Yorkshire would know.

Are his courses well laid out? Natural? Are they old-fashion in style? Are they penal? Strategic?

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2012, 07:17:22 AM »
This is very timely because only today I received an e-mail from Paul Turner with an article from the Manchester Courier of 1913 (originating with Neil Crafter) detailing the alterations made to Torkington (as Stockport is usually known) by Colt. The article implied that Colt had completely changed some holes, but also that he had rebunkered it for the wound ball. Remember that Herd was the first to win the Open using the wound ball. I wrote the Stockport Centenary Book and their records are full and complete. Nowhere is there mention of Colt in any of the minutes or accounts books.

Wilmslow, of which I am a member, certainly had alterations by Herd, but they have been overtaken by later developments. One of our members has undertaken to go into the attic to look through the old material - the centenary book was written for 1989, so there may be other relevant material. Would you like me to get him to see if there's any correspondence with him?

From my limited knowledge of Herd courses I cannot detect any obvious stylistic common ground. That's probably because very little, except parts of the routing, is likely to remain unaltered. I would have said that Stockport was reasonably unaltered until I received Paul's e-mail. Halifax, Stand and Bramhall all had input from MacKenzie later in life. I am currently trying to get MacKenzie information out of Stand and Bramhall to no avail. What I would say is that St Anne's Old Links is flat, Wilmslow quite flat and most of the rest are quite hilly, Halifax and Huddersfield both quite cleverly routed to make use of the natural features. I've done a photo tour of Halifax on GCA. ditto Stockport and Wilmslow.

Tom MacWood

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2012, 03:10:33 PM »
I was looking at come vintage photos on Halifax Bradley Hall's website, and the bunkering looks pretty sophisticated, Mackenzie-like. In fact one of the greens is called McKenzie. Does anyone know if Mackenzie worked on Halifax Bradley Hall?


Neil_Crafter

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2012, 08:38:05 PM »
Tom
Looked at these photos too, and like you say, they are certainly Mackenzie-like. A good reason for that is that the course was designed and built by George Franks who had worked on a couple of Mackenzie courses and was I think greenkeeper at Moortown at one stage.

Here's what I found from a website, which looks like it is quoting from the club history. So although not directly Mac, certainly from the Mackenzie school.

Bradley Hall was the dream of a handful of men living in the Holywell Green & Stainland area. The dream became reality in July 1906 when they started playing on a piece of land near to the present course.
This soon proved inadequate and, on 1st Feb 1907 a lease on 43 acres adjoining the present course became effective and the club was born. Alex Herd, the Huddersfield professional and former Open champion, advised on the layout of the new nine hole course. By 1909 a wooden clubhouse had been built on the hillside overlooking the course.
In 1922 an opportunity presented itself to acquire, from Lord Mexborough, the lease on the run-down Bradley Hall together with over 100 acres of land. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Four thousand pounds was spent converting the old house into a magnificent clubhouse and laying out a new 18 hole course.
George Franks, foreman for many years to the great golf course architect, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, was appointed to design and build the new course and after completion in 1924 he remained at Bradley Hall for another two years acting as professional/greenkeeper, although he was never registered with the PGA. The new club was first opened with a grand dinner and smoking concert in January, 1924 and was officially opened by Lord Mexborough in July, the same year.

Tom MacWood

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2012, 09:05:59 PM »
Neil
That is interesting. I'm familiar with GA Franks of Franks Harris Brothers, who built the majority of Colt's & Co's courses, but I'm not sure if his first name was George. I will see if I can find out. I'm not aware of that firm ever being involved in the design.

Neil_Crafter

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2012, 11:16:28 PM »
Tom
I believe they are different Franks. Moortown history book says that Franks was originally at Alwoodley and came to Moortown in November 1908 and stayed there until 1920. Franks built the 18 holes there for Mackenzie and was also allowed to sell clubs and balls and give lessons. In 1911 he was given permission to advise other clubs on course construction.

Adam Lawrence

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2012, 05:07:26 AM »
Bradley Hall was my Dad's home club for several years, and I played there a lot with him in my late teens. Some interesting holes on a severe piece of moorland terrain, with some very large and quite steeply pitched greens.

Holes I remember particularly the second, a steeply uphill par three of about  120 yards to a two tiered green, bunkered deeply in front. It was at this hole I first realised the reality of golf for senior women, when I saw an elderly lady hitting two five woods to reach the green. The fourth was a medium par par three with a very long green that sloped severely from front to back: you always tried not to go past the hole on this one.

The fifth is deeply embedded in my memory since it was at that hole I put myself in hospital! To reach the fairway you had to carry the corner of a farmer's field which, like most in the area, was surrounded by dry stone walls. The local rule was that the field was in bounds if there were no cattle in it that day, and if you finished close to the wall you could drop three club lengths back. Playing a typically competitive match against my Dad, I nobbed my drive into the field. He was down the fairway with an iron to the green, sure to make five at worst, so I figured I needed to advance the ball at least a hundred yards, to leave a good chance of saving a half. I caught the ball well, but fractionally thin; it hit the top stone of the wall and ricocheted into my face, just above the left eye. Half an inch lower and I would have lost the eye.

The tenth hole is a par five at the very top of the course. The white tee was highly elevated, and the hole was much more fun from there. The challenge was to drive the ball well enough to get over the edge of a huge slope; if you did this, your ball would run left and forward, leaving a good chance to reach the green, which is set in a dell, in two.

The thirteenth would be considered by the club as its signature hole, a fairly long but straight, and slightly downhill par four with a wide ravine in front of the green. The holes below the ravine were on farmland and always heavier than those on the moor. The course finishes with a par three, back across the ravine, to another large two tiered green. There are at least three greens on the course with big steps - one should note that in Yorkshire, these are known as 'MacKenzie greens' whether or not the Doctor had any involvement with the course, which can cause confusion.

Meltham was my Dad's home club for the last twenty years of his life, and where I played as a junior - I will write more about it later.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Tom MacWood

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2012, 08:24:38 AM »
GA Franks', of Franks Harris Bros, name was George A. Franks, but he definitely was not from Yorkshire. Franks Harris was originally based in Guildford, which I believe is south of London. By 1920 they had been building golf courses for about a decade.

Perhaps there were two George Franks, but those pictures sure look like that firm's excellent work. On the other hand, unless the course went by another name, I'm not aware of Colt or Mackenzie ever listing Bradley Hall as a design or redesign.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2012, 08:27:16 AM by Tom MacWood »

Neil_Crafter

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2012, 01:39:55 PM »
Tom
Two more courses with an involvement by Herd - also ones where Mackenzie was involved too - Lytham Green Drive (1913) and Pannal (1908 extension to 18 holes).

I'm pretty confident that this Franks was different from the Franks Harris Brothers one.

Neil_Crafter

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2012, 09:21:11 PM »
Tom, confirmation re Franks in the book Some Yorkshire Golf Courses by Kolin Robertson !935). Re Bradley Hall he writes:

" This is a tribute to the architecture of George Franks, who, I am told, planned the course as to the bulk of it. No doubt Franks will be remembered as the greenkeeper at Moor Allerton...."

Seems Franks went to Moor Allerton after it opened in 1923.

Tom MacWood

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2012, 10:25:51 AM »
The one blurb said Franks had been foreman to Mackenzie for a good number of years. With 18th green being called McKenzie do you think that was a tribute to his former employer, and I wonder if it was/is a wild roller coaster type? Have you run into Franks name on some of his AM's early designs....I'm curious what years he assisted AM.

Adam Lawrence

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2012, 11:13:48 AM »
Tom, as I said, the green is _a_ Mackenzie - this just means it is two-tiered. This is common terminology in the north of England. If you look on the club website, the second green is described the same way.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Niall C

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2012, 01:42:15 PM »
I'm pretty sure that Herd laid out the first nine at Powfoot although the club website says Braid designed the course in 1903. I dare say that Braid had an involvement at a later date which would make it difficult to tell who did what if that was the case, especially if various committees and greenkeepers have added their touches over the years. FWIW, there is some nice golf at Powfoot but no more than good holiday golf from what I can remember.

Niall

Tom MacWood

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2012, 06:45:48 AM »
Here is a list of courses, designs and redesigns I've come up with for Herd - I've just added Powfoot. Preston claims he redesigned their course, but I'm not sure what year.

1895- Abbeydale, Peel
1896-
1897- Harrogate
1898-
1899-
1900-
1901-
1902- Halifax, Howley Hall
1903- Rotherham, Powfoot
1904- Keighly, Stand
1905- Huddersfield
1906- Rotherham-new 9, Pannal, Halifax Bradley Hall
1907- Hornsea, Stamford, Huddersfield
1908- Kingsknowe, Portrush, Bramhall, Chester-le-Street, Turton, Meltham, Werneth
1909- Stockport, St. Annes Old Links, Pleasington
1910- Wilmslow, Ulvertson, Wakefield, Heysham, Lees Hall
1911-
1912-
1913- Lytham Green Drive
1914- Asple Guise & Woburn Sands

1926- Malden

1936- Ruislip

1940- Westerhope

Melvyn Morrow

Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2012, 08:10:18 AM »
Powfoot original 9 Hole course plan


Niall C

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Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2012, 02:30:54 PM »
Nice post Melvyn. Can't be sure as its been a while since I played the course but those holes are the more linksy ones with the other new holes which I think are located in the fields to the north east. Also looks like the existng routing from what I can remember.

Niall

Melvyn Morrow

Re: Sandy Herd's architecture
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2012, 05:34:03 PM »

Niall

The copy came from the Club records, but did you not have a copy of the Evening Times report with attached map? Did that not state the name of the original designer.

The opening 36 Hole Match was between Fernie and Herd with Herd being the final victor.


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