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Ian Andrew

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The Original Swinging Bridge


I have the construction drawings for this in my drawing files (don't worry I don't have or keep originals).

I remember walking over the bridge and getting it to bounce enough to make my Dad yell at me in frustration.
My Dad was unflappable so I enjoyed the moment. :)
It had a tremendous amount of bounce.

Geoff Cornish on the Bridge
« Last Edit: October 21, 2012, 11:11:01 AM by Ian Andrew »
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Ian Andrew

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More 6th Hole Images

The Construction of the 6th Hole


The Fairway Construction on the 6th Hole


The current fairway varies from 1' to 18" above (normal) high tide.
We know Thompson got almost all the soil from the Clyburn valley and 6th Hole.
It appears "he" lowered the fairway dramatically "for topsoil"
There is no other source than the 11th fairway
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Matt Kardash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Very cool photos, Ian. Really enjoying it!

P.S. Ian, at some point you should post the work you have done at Laval. As a Montrealer I'd love to see it. I think I saw you post a pic on another thread and it looked very nice!
the interviewer asked beck how he felt "being the bob dylan of the 90's" and beck quitely responded "i actually feel more like the bon jovi of the 60's"

Ian Andrew

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Matt,

I have lots of images from Cape Breton Highlands and will share as Mark progresses with the tour.
Being home makes it easier to keep up with his posts.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2012, 02:35:55 PM by Ian Andrew »
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Hole 7: Par 5, 570 Yards -- The 7th is the hole on the course and it is an exceptional three-shotter.

The 7th is the first of the inland holes and the transition pictured below takes the golfer away from the Gulf.




The presence of trees down both sides of the fairway give this tee shot a very narrow feeling, but at 570 yards few golfers will opt for less than driver.




The driving zone contains two landforms, the first of which will shove balls to the right, the second will kick balls to the left.  Bold tee shots along the tree line may be afforded a clear look at the remainder of the hole.




While safe tee shots down the right will be blind, played over the second landform.




Once over the landform, the snaking hole moves back to the left, making the angle from a tee shot down the right that much more difficult.  Staggered bunkers left and right, as well as a tilted fairway, protect the area 80-150 yards short of the green.




Playing to high side (left) of the lay-up area will give golfers a glimpse of the flag,




While playing to the right will leave a blind approach over this bunker of massive scale.






The green is fascinating, with a spine that winds through its centre, creating small bowls left and right.






Matt Kardash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Ian, your facebook link doesn't work, says "content unavailable"  :(

It looks like the bunkers on 7 have been worked on since I was there 10 years ago. Amazing hole.
the interviewer asked beck how he felt "being the bob dylan of the 90's" and beck quitely responded "i actually feel more like the bon jovi of the 60's"

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
« Last Edit: October 21, 2012, 04:34:55 PM by Ian Andrew »
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
7th Hole Images

7th in Construction


7th Tee - full view out to ocean!


7th from landing - left fairway bunker in view


7th from tee - thought to be about 1950
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Colin Macqueen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Mark,
Good to see this tour continuing and being enhanced by Ian's commentary and historical photos. Thanks.

It may be just me but there are more women playing golf in these older pictures than I have ever seen! It looks to me that Canada has women's equality squared away when you look at these and particularly that fine photo of the old dear raking the 6th. hole. She may have been the inspiration for Mucklemouth Meg!

Ian you say "I remember walking over the bridge and getting it to bounce enough to make my Dad yell at me in frustration."
500 metres from our family cottage in the Scottish Highlands there is the same sort of swing bridge and exactly the same admonitions were ricocheting down the Avon valley when we as kids did as you did. My Aussie kids then repeated the "game" and I look forward to my Aussie grandkids doing the same. The thrill has gone (as someone sang) as the Royal Engineers have restored the bridge to a vastly safer construction than that of the 1950s!

Cheers Colin
"Golf, thou art a gentle sprite, I owe thee much"
The Hielander

Don Hyslop

  • Karma: +0/-0
The historical photos are amazing, they give the impression to me that the whole community was involved in creating this masterpiece. All the more reason to me that this course should remain public.
Thompson golf holes were created to look as if they had always been there and were always meant to be there.

Greg McMullin

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Ian, would love to see the birch trees removed from the mound on the left side about 200 yds. out. Here is another photo circa 1950.


Greg McMullin

  • Karma: +0/-0
The historical photos are amazing, they give the impression to me that the whole community was involved in creating this masterpiece. All the more reason to me that this course should remain public.

Don, a picture of a good part of the construction crew taken in either 38 or 39 on the sixth fairway. It has been reported that only two pieces of heavy equipment were used to build the course. Amazing! Geoff Cornish is the gentleman in the white shirt and tie standing second from the right.


Emil Weber

  • Karma: +0/-0
The place just looks outstanding, a real adventure. Thanks for the tour!

Mark Saltzman

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Hole 8: Par 4, 319 Yards -- A completely blind tee shot at the 8th, where the golfer must carry his drive 170 yards to crest a hill.  Bunkers set into the side of the hill may intimidate some, but reasonably well-struck tee shots will carry them without a problem.




While the view from the tee suggests that the land tilts right, golfers that play up the left side of the fairway will be disappointed to see that over the hill the slope of the terrain shifts leftward.  Tee shots down the left could be lost and even tee shots down the centre can find trouble in a hidden left side fairway bunker.  Tee shots down the right could find the 'speed-slot' and run all the way to the green.




A flat spot 50 yards short of the green is a popular collection spot for well-struck tee balls.




This sunken green begs for a running approach from the right.




Jeff_Mingay

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Ian,

I'm probably beating you to the punch (re posting historic photos), but wasn't there a much larger bunker (or two) right off the tee at #8?
jeffmingay.com

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Ian, do you have historic pictures of 8 or should I move on?

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
The 8th



The restored back right bunker




Mark,

The paying gig is getting in the way.
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
Ian,

I'm probably beating you to the punch (re posting historic photos), but wasn't there a much larger bunker (or two) right off the tee at #8?

For Mr. Mingay:

George Knudson on the 8th tee - it's all I could find for the bunkers

With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Don Hyslop

  • Karma: +0/-0
Wow, George Knudson vs Al Balding, Shell's Wonderful World of Golf. I remember that event well.
Thompson golf holes were created to look as if they had always been there and were always meant to be there.

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Hole 9: Par 4, 336 Yards -- The Alps at Highlands Links.  A very clever par-4 where golfers must choose whether to (a) play short of the plateau in the fairway, leaving a blind approach, (b) play well left in the fairway from where a glimpse of the flag is possible, or (c) play to the narrow neck of fairway near the 100 yard marker.




Playing to the right portion of the fairway leaves a blind approach:








Ian Andrew

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I liked this shot from an evening round with friends



My picture of the green taken in 2008 has almost no grass (and no sunlight)
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
Off the tee - thought to be 1946



Around the green - about 1950

With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Greg McMullin

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First picture 1965 with Knudson hitting tee shot on number 9. Second picture number 9 in 1938.




Mark Saltzman

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Hole 10: Par 3, 145 Yards -- The 10th is the shortest hole on the golf course, but it is often subject to a vicious crosswind and the added airtime because it plays downhill makes the green a difficult target to find.  As noted by Ian Andrew, the green was initially drawn by Thompson to be located across the Clyburn, making the hole play some 230 yards.







« Last Edit: October 31, 2012, 10:27:12 PM by Mark Saltzman »

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re the 9th.

One of the most enjoyable holes to play. Don't they use an over sized flagstick?

 Graham told a great story about some tree removal on 9 and how one of their regular players was all against it, before hand. After the removal the regular realized how much improved everything was, and the error of their ways.

Truthfully I expected more tree removal. The long views would be sick, if they would just do it.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle