1929 oblique aerials of Kooyonga GC, Adelaide, Australia

[Neil_Crafter]

Kooyonga is a 1923 design by Herbert "Cargie" Rymill who was also responsible for the initial layouts of Royal Adelaide, Glenelg and Grange here in Adelaide. Rymill was the Secretary at Royal Adelaide who left the club after a series of disputes and started up his own club a little further south of the Seaton course but still within Adelaide's sand belt, on a property called May's Paddocks at Lockleys.

When Mackenzie visited Adelaide in early November 1926 Rymill managed to get himself attached to the inspection party at Royal Adelaide, and at the end of Mac's visit, took him over his Kooyonga layout.

A photographer by the name of Darian Smith took a large number of aerial photographs from the 1920s through to the 1950s and his collection of negatives has been archived and gradually made available for purchase. This series of photographs date from 1929 and show the Kooyonga course a few years after its establishment, and quite a contrast to the parkland feel of the course today.

I caddied as a schoolboy there back in the late 1960s and joined the club as a 13 year old.

Par 5 1st fairway looking back towards the clubhouse with 13th hole at left


Par 5 2nd hole viewed looking up the fairway towards the green, in the distance is the par 3 3rd. the 13th tee at lower right


2nd hole looking back down the hole from behind the green


5th and 6th holes at the north-western corner of the course were cut through gum tree country.


13th tees at left and 1st green to the right


13th fairway in centre of shot, green at upper left


Looking from side of 13th green to par 3 14th hole beyond. 11th green at middle left and 18th fairway to right


Looking east up 16th fairway with 17th fairway at right. Henley Beach Road at the left.


18th fairway and clubhouse


18th green and clubhouse

[Andrew Summerell]

Thanks for that, Neil. I like the openness. It looks very different to now.

[Andrew Summerell]

Here's what it looks like now.

http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-34.879781,138.496391&z=19&t=k&nmd=20120706

[Tom MacWood]

It looks like a fun and interesting course. I like the reaction of some of the golfers to the plane, balloon or whatever he was taking the pictures from.

Did they plant a lot of trees or did they simply take over?

[Jeff_Lewis]

Neil, Thanks for posting.  I like Kooyanga very much.  Cut em all down! Those are amazing photos.

[Neil_Crafter]

Cheers Andrew, very different to today.

Tom, I believe it was a plane. The golfers looked surprised to see it, guess you didn't see too many planes in 1929. Today the course is right next to Adelaide Airport so the noise is pretty much constant :-(

Trees were planted, like at most clubs I expect.

[Mike_Clayton]

Neil,

Pity they planted the trees and lost what they had. And a pity by the looks that they knocked that clubhouse down.

[David_Elvins]

Thanks for posting the photos, Neil.  Fascinating stuff. 

Do you know what the history of the property was?  My recollection is that the course owned a lot more land at the start of construction and it was somewhat a golf/residential development.

I have always thought it a pity that so much golf was routed across swampland 1,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16.  Did they have the option of better land at one stage? 

[Neil_Crafter]

Clayts
Yes a shame, but typical of many clubs in Australia I would say. The clubhouse was never really demolished, rather built around. Until recently you could see old original walls in places but these are now all gone. It was an attractive clubhouse with a nice period feel. Can't say the same about it now though :-(

On the same website there are some shots by the same photographer of Royal Adelaide, especially the 18th green. Seems there was a lot more fairway extending between the right bunkering - amazing long bunker it was too - out towards the practice fairway, quite incredible. This is a low res image I grabbed off their website. You should make the club aware of the photos if they don't already have them.

http://duckpond.onpix.com/viewAlbumPro.asp?1342545024



David
The property was called May's Paddocks and I believe it was just grazing land, cows etc. No they didn't own that much land and the long strip of land that the 2nd and 3rd holes are on was bought a few years later from cattle baron Sir Sidney Kidman who became club president. Never any residential component considered. Those holes you mentioned are not exactly swampland, but did have low areas through it leading towards the main swampy ground between holes 9 and 10.

[Mike_Clayton]

Neil,

Thanks - I have seen that photo and it is a lot more interesting than it is now.

[Mike_Cocking]

Hi Neil,

They are amazing photos aren't they.  I've always loved those old obliques of kooyonga and RA - I assume you've seen the ones from Royal Adelaide which were taken around that time?

I've always loved that shot of 2 @ kooyonga - I actually did my piece for Darius on that very photo!  Pity there aren't more shots of the front nine too - especially #4, #7, #8 and #9 - they must have been remarkable also.


Mike.

[James Bennett]

Neil and David

how did the residential area between 6 and 15 come about?  Was it always there, or distinct from the May's Paddock package?

And David, the area on 5 and 6 near the shot point is pretty close to 'swamp' as well, especially in winter.  And, IIRC, the little hazard short of & green is the lowest point for a significant distance.  I expect with the recent few wet winter weather that the water table has again breached the surface after the extended drought.

James B

[Neil_Crafter]

Mike
I've only seen a few of the RA ones, so if you have any digitally I'd love if you could email them to me. Agree re 2, will be interested to see what you propose for Darius' thing.

James
My understanding is the cut-out for the land between 6 and 15 was always there, and the club's land went around it. In the 1929 shot of the 13th and 14th you can see the house that was on the site next to the 15th tee.