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Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Recently I played the CC of Scranton with McKeever and Cirba.  This was my first Travis course (at least that I can recall!) and it was memorable.

Much work has been done at Scranton over the past 8 years or so, with still more work planned.  Ian Andrew was involved from about 2003 to 2008 and (this from the supe Greg Boring) "he oversaw the expansion of the greens and helped with the tree management program."

Greg summarized in another e-mail to me more of what has and could happen at Scranton:

Approximately 8 years ago the club started a tree management program to begin opening up sight lines and restoring views on the golf course as well as opening up golf holes and allowing the course to be played the way Travis intended it.  At this time the club began expanding the greens back to their original shape and size. In 2010 the club hired Tom Marzolf of Fazio Design to complete a Master Plan.  Phase one of that Master Plan included a bunker renovation, adding low mow chipping area around the greens that Travis had on his original drawing and recountouring fairway lines.  Where we added the chipping areas around the greens we wrapped the greenside bunkers in bentgrass which is a look that is common in Australia.  (Travis's Birthplace.  Even though he didn't take up the game until he came to the States.) The bunker style is not the origninal style put on the ground in 1926.  The club officials felt the original bunkers were entirely too penal for our membership and there was major concern with maintaining them.  The project started in July of 2011 and was completed in July of 2012.  We started the contruction of a new Driving Range tee this week which should be completed in two weeks.  We hope to add a short game center in the next few years.  The Master Plan has the addition of some forward and new back tees as well as trying to recapture the original contours on the 4th, 5th, and 11th greens.  Those are the only greens that aren't original. That will be several years down the road though.  The Tree Management Program continues every year.  The Evergreen trees are slowly being removed from the property and Deciduous trees are being evaluated yearly.  The club will host the PA Senior Am in 2013 and the PA State Am in 2015.

Here is the hole sequencing at Scranton from an October, 2011 Google Earth aerial.  In it you can see where some recent tree removal has occurred.



Here is a camera phone picture of the original plans by Travis:



Greg points out that it is not known how much of those original plans ended up on the ground.

And here is an early oblique aerial of the course from the 30's I believe:



Those are some unusual fairway bunkers!

Enough of the intro, let's see the greens.   ;D

Edit:  all photos are now 'clickable' leading to a much larger size.

#1.  Slightly downhill par 4 (412 yards).

Tee view:



Approach view:



I believe a creek used to run in front of the green but that has been mostly piped under:



You get the feeling this will be an interesting day after this first green with lots of internal contours and running faster than anyplace I played all season (probably around a 12):



#2.  Par 4 (432 yards).

Tee view where you can detect some different looking bunker left:



Some church pew inspired bunker it is!



Approach shot where that bunker left is well short of the green:



From short of the green:



From over the green, where I've now taken 6 putts for the day!:



#3.  Par 3 (182 yards).

Unfortunately lighting was not so great here on this one-shotter with a devilish green.  This front pin was challenging, but there is a "Sunday pin" back right that I could not quite capture with the cam.

Tee view:



From the back of the green:



From long and left of the green:



That's it for today.  Grading of papers calls my name!
« Last Edit: December 14, 2019, 04:20:13 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Alex Lagowitz

Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2012, 08:58:27 PM »
i think Fazio and co. are currently doing the work at CC of Scranton.  Looks like a nice track

Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2012, 09:26:29 PM »
Joe -

Thanks for this tour, for which I have been waiting a very long time.

I don't know if Travis was the best or most artistic green builder, but I do think he was the most clever.
Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2012, 08:11:07 AM »
Joe

I can already see the course looks interesting, but if I see another blasted fairway narrow down to the green (making the green wider than the fairway) I will go spare.  I am so fed up with this sort of presentation.

On the other hand, except for the weird rough, this is quite interesting - its more than halfway to getting a good presentation.


I look forward to more pix.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Kyle Harris

Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2012, 08:24:24 AM »
Sean Arble,

I think I know about what you speak, but I don't see an example of that in any of Joe's photos so far.

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2012, 09:51:12 AM »
A lot of the bunkers are deceptive, in that there is space between them and the green front. This gives a pinched appearance, but not the reality.

The fellow that helped in the restoration was an interesting choice (not a Golden Age or Travis expert at first blush).

I have exchanged emails with the super. He seems a terrific guy and I cannot wait to see CCS. I believe that my astonishment will match the one that I felt in August and KLCPA felt in September, at CCTroy.

For anyone who wishes to unertake a 10-day Travis Tour across southern Ontario, NY and PA, I'd be happy to set up the party bus if we can get the border negotiations and accessibility issues resolved. We could hit Lookout Point, Cherry Hill, Stafford, Onondaga, Yahnundasis, Scranton, Troy, and three more down NYC way. Could be crazy fun!!!
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Patrick_Mucci

Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2012, 10:41:43 AM »
Joe,

The perimeter mini-mounds on # 1 green reminded me of the perimeter mounds on the old 12th at GCGC

The aerial photo, circa 1930, looks incredible, a restoration to that photo would be spectacular.

Alex,

I hope you're wrong about Fazio being the consulting architect.
He certainly doesn't have a history of being a restoration advocate

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2012, 10:46:32 AM »
Sean Arble,

I think I know about what you speak, but I don't see an example of that in any of Joe's photos so far.

Look again at the first hole. 

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2012, 11:27:43 AM »
As Pat notes, the 1930 photo is of an incredible golf course. Amazing potential. I hope the club pursues it.

Travis is vastly under appreciated, both for the work he did and the influence he had.

Bob

Ed Homsey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2012, 01:17:41 PM »
Thanks, Joe, for this terrific thread.  CC of Scranton is one of my favorite Travis courses--though I must add that I have similar feelings and opinions about most of the other 21 Travis courses I've played.  I believe that Scranton stands out because of it's terrific greens, interesting terrain and routing.  Their aggressive tree management program has created spectacular vistas across the property restoring the original views as seen in the early 1930s aerial. 

Regarding how much of Travis's original plan was actually "put on the ground", a comparison of his layout and the 1930s aerial reveals that most, if not all, of those interesting "sand pit" fairway bunkers in Travis's plan were constructed.  The type of bunkering seen in the early aerial was used frequently by Travis, from what I've seen.  We had them on my home course, Stafford CC, and you could see them in the early aerials provided in the photo tour thread about Cherry Hill Club.  This past Monday, I saw evidence of that type of bunkering at the Stamford Golf Club, in Stamford, NY.  In his original drawings, Travis referred to them as "sand pits".  Basically, they were clusters of "chocolate drops" with sand amongst them.  Did other early architects create that type of bunkering?

With Joe's permission, I would like to post some of his images on the Travis Society website.

Ed
www.travissociety.com

Kyle Harris

Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2012, 01:25:47 PM »
Sean,

Okay.

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment though as there seems to be a creek that interjects into the fairway and the fairway continues behind and left of the putting green. This does not seem arbitrary and the short grass frames the features on the left side of the putting green nicely. My eye is pulled across those hazards and the pinching to which you refer does not frame the view.

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2012, 01:32:36 PM »

With Joe's permission, I would like to post some of his images on the Travis Society website.

Ed
www.travissociety.com

Go for it Ed!
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour)
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2012, 05:24:38 PM »
As mentioned in the intro, the next two holes apparently had the greens softened in the 50s or 60s.  I guess they aren't quite as severe as others, but still quite challenging.

#4.  Par 5 (514 yards).

Cruddy lighting again and perhaps this will convince me to just shoot the hole in reverse and present in that fashion as the last two photos looking back are much better than the first three.   :)

Tee view:



The way the fairway wiggles and pinches and with the hazard short and left of the green, you have to play with care on this 'short' par 5.

2nd shot view:



From 100 yards out:



Two pics looking back from over the green:





#5.  Par 3 (205 yards).

Tee view:



From short of the green:



From long and left of the green, where I love the presentation of the short grass areas:



After that fairly challenging par 3, you get the No. 1 stroke hole par 4.

#6.  Dogleg-right par 4 (462 yards).

Tee view where a line off the TV antennas is pretty good:



The downhill approach shot here was really beautiful, but I struggled to get a real good pic of it (this one coming from Mark's cam):



From just long and left of the green, looking back up the fw:



And recent interviewee Tommy Naccarato keeps guiding me along in my picture taking world stating how much better this shot would be just raising the camera up a bit more (and he's of course right!):



Three more tomorrow, where perhaps my favorite green appears (the 7th).   ;D
« Last Edit: December 14, 2019, 04:04:18 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2012, 08:57:58 PM »
The photo of the downhill approach and the look back up the fwy. of hole #6 could pass as the twin of the 15th at Stamford GC.
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2012, 09:40:43 PM »
Great tour thus far Joe.  Some of these photos turned out fantastic!

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Gary Daughters

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #15 on: October 07, 2012, 10:04:00 PM »

Joe, this is a great presentation.  Thanks
THE NEXT SEVEN:  Alfred E. Tupp Holmes Municipal Golf Course, Willi Plett's Sportspark and Driving Range, Peachtree, Par 56, Browns Mill, Cross Creek, Piedmont Driving Club

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #16 on: October 08, 2012, 07:17:03 AM »
The photo of the downhill approach and the look back up the fwy. of hole #6 could pass as the twin of the 15th at Stamford GC.

SOOOO predictable, gosh Travis, get a new look!!!
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #17 on: October 08, 2012, 08:19:14 AM »
Post the next hole Joe!  I think it's an all world green complex.

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: holes 1-6 now up)
« Reply #18 on: October 08, 2012, 08:57:50 AM »
(still marking papers so I'll only put up the 7th this morning, but perhaps it deserves to go up by itself!)

#7.  Dogleg right par 4 (426 yards).

Tee view:



Approach view:



From 75 yards out:



Really tough pin this day:



Only from this view do you see how built up the green is in the back:



From the back edge of the green:

« Last Edit: December 14, 2019, 04:05:55 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Ed Homsey

  • Karma: +0/-0
I agree with Jim re the similarities between the CC of Scranton's 6th and Stamford's 15th.  A striking difference, however, is seen at the green where Stamford's 15th has very interesting and challenging internal contours and, originally, a massive bunker complex.  Nothing predictable about those differences, in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing Joe's shots of the 8th!

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
That 7th green is fantastic.  From the tee shot, it looks like the back edge just falls off the face of the earth. (which it sort of does)  Anything long could possibly never be found again as it can easily kick down into the trees.

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Robert Thompson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Ian Andrew has decided not to wade into this one, but I have played Scranton after the trees were removed and was quite impressed. That said, the club did not want to move forward with a bunker restoration in the style Travis had initially done for the club, despite being taken to a NY club that did restore to Travis' style. So they turfed Ian and hired Fazio, probably spending a fortune on another Master Plan (how stupid are most clubs) and getting an architect (Marzoff) who could likely care less about what Travis did on the site.

Shame clubs go this way, but it isn't surprising. I think the bunkering, for the most part, looks like standard Fazio. In other words, the work of a fine landscape architect.
Terrorizing Toronto Since 1997

Read me at Canadiangolfer.com

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Robert, Agreed.  I left thinking the course had standard Fazio bunkering.

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
#8.  Uphill par 4 (326 yards).

Tee view (choose your club to have a nice short iron in):



Approach shot view:



From long and left of the green:

« Last Edit: December 14, 2019, 04:07:12 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wicked Travis greens: CC of Scranton (a photo tour: 8th hole now up)
« Reply #24 on: October 09, 2012, 11:45:05 AM »
9 is a good hole because you are confronted with options off the tee.  A driver can creep up past the pinching bunkers, but the conservative play with a long iron to the fat part of the fairway leaves a shot of about 125 into the hole.  I recall good scores being made with driver, 3 wood, and 3 iron off the tee.

And yet again, another fantastic hole location.  The cup is pinned in an area that has much more break than it looks.  It's very easy to have a 6 foot par putt here without blinking.

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

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