I’m glad most of you liked the course and I hope others will get there one day, even to see the greens.
Some background and observations:
History:
The course was originally built for 30, old-man (older gents like me), millionaires (not me) who kept their memberships at Montclair GC, Essex County CC and Baltusrol including Thomas Watson, founder of IBM, J R Monroe, Monroe Business Machines along with the wealth of North Jersey. Also Investment Banker, Jansen Noyes, also a driving force behind Fishers Island Club
They asked Banks to find a suitable relatively flat property - did not want to do hill-climbing - that was close to their homes.
Cliff Wedehack was hired to build their clubhouse with the best of all amenities and by the time they were done, they had spent an astronomical 2 million dollars on the project (no rock blasting and such - an easy site to build on).
Built in 1928, opening in 1929, most of these men were broke by the time the course opened but they held on for about ten years before selling to one of their food and beverage vendor, who paid pennies on the dollar for the club.
The next 20+ years were the hey-day of the club - celebs as members and guests, including Gleason, Dorsey Bros, ballplayers from the three NY major league teams (DiMaggio, Ford, Duke Snyder). It was a second home for the great Gene Sarazen and his buds.
It became sort of the Italian Golf Club of the area and the ownership kept course conditions among the best in NJ.
It was sold to a college in the 70s and went public - this is when I joined (itz 5 minutes from my house !!)
Next the entire complex was purchased under the Green Acres program by the Town of Parsippany.
The Course:
The heart of the Knoll is the long par-4s and the green surfaces.
The undulations are such that greens speeds over 10.5 render the greens near un-puttable. Because the course is open to the public (sort of) and there are outings (lots of) and there have been problems losing greens (even fairway) in the past thru questionable practices. The green usually putt at about 7 to 8 feet - a crime if there we was one - itz like putting on green pudding, but I’m biased.
Understand my personal position, if you will. The course is owned by the town whose administration has few golfers and are not the least interested the restorations or adding money to the course.
Although there is sort of a inner club within the club there are no committees and I have never had any power. It is a near miracle we got done what we did. Money came in drips and drabs over an 8-year period and since it was a township facility, every year the contractor had to out to bid and I had a different contractor every year (most were local landscapers) ..... but in the end it got done.
Only 5 inconsequential bunkers were covered over and those were those that were 180-yds off the tee at the right corner of a fairway. And two fairway “framing” bunkers on the Redan down where the cart path turn to the left.
Everything else on the course is as Charles Banks built it except (wisely) when the Aiello family owned the course, they added back tees (perfectly).
The course is difficult to score on. Even the sticks usually play matches from the white tees. The blues are tough.
There was not a lot of room for adding back tees but most of my tee plan was carried out, lengthening tees on 2 - 11 - 14 - 15 - 16 .... Pat Mucci, for year we played the 15th par-5 from directly behind 14-green, adding some 40-yards to the hole.
I planned new tees on the 8th and 9th as well as a tiger tee on 18 - that would have made that hole about 475-par-4 - but ran into the usual BS from the town concerning money and the maintenance bunch saying these changes were not necessary.
Again I have NO POWER (except to go public occasionally) I did my thing and now am a member at Sleepy Hollow but visit the Knoll a lot.
Architecture, Trees and Condition:
Yes the trees have certainly grown over the years and there are drives on a number of holes that are really tight. It was worse. Lots of trees have been taken down and a lot more should be. Again resistance from the town and the maintenance dept.
We take them down and the town’s arborist comes in and plants new ones in every open space.
If I had the power and the magic wand, I’m sure you know how the course would be today, opening up fairways and proper green speeds would be first on my agenda.
Mike H - firming up the front section of the Biarritz would be in order but it has come a long way - from a tight circle of a “rear” green and a 5 foot-wide walkway thru 5-inch rough in the front section to the present green (as such) and approach expansion has made a big difference.
Holes:
The second green is Banks’ version of Double Plateau where he connects the two plateaus in the rear - this is a really great green. The original green used to extend about 20-feet more back down the fairway - it was 20,000 sq ft .... you can see the rise to the green back in the fairway.
One of my peeves about double plateau greens built by CBM and SR is that each plateau, although they look fearsome, are really easy to read on the plateaus and between plateaus, because each plateau is relatively flat. Not so on the second at the Knoll. Fun putting on this green.
There are relatively few (what some call) template holes at the Knoll.
#1, a Road hole green complex - #2 the DP - #3 Redan - #4 Hog’s Back w/Lion’s Month approach (although off centerline) - #5 some version of the Long with no Hell’s Bunker - #6, a Short - #8, some moderate version of a Bottle, with only a pinched in area up the fairway. #9 was once a true Punchowl but the Aiello’s took about 30-feet off the left “bowl” - no one could get out of the 30-ft bunker (you still have a lot of trouble there). #13, the Biarritz, #14 is sort of a flopped over Road hole green complex and #17 is vague Eden (although you have a lot of trouble getting close to most pins.
The front fairway section of the Eden, #17, was never green - never meant to be (although I thought about it occasionally)
I was originally on what was called the “Mayor’s Advisory Committee” a way he had to let us vent and have his informants hear what we were thinking. Again we had no power. When I began the restoration process I had to get off the “committee” - conflict of interet6,you know - hah.
By the way, the condition (to me) still sucks) but in all fairness, itz the best itz been in many a year.
Anyhow - they all said it couldn’t be done.