Josh, quite a few architects used plasticene models in the early days, including Mackenzie, Simpson and Fowler. There have been threads on this topic.
Had a look at this Kinetic Sand on a YouTube video, looks interesting, wonder if it would hold its shape for bunkers and mounds etc?
Neil,
I hate to disgree with you but MacKenzie was death on plasticine models.
I posted this some years ago but cannot find it on the GCA Search function. Joe Moro and Mac were at loggerheads most of the time.
Tom MacWood:
This is from American Golfer February 1934.
Bob_Huntley:
Quote from: TEPaul on September 03, 2009, 12:42:08 PM
I thought that letter (or letters) where AM sort of goes ballistic to Morse over Mayo had more to do with whether or not AM was going to do Monterrey Peninsula. (At the date of that letter (letters?) PB was already redone, right?).
I have that letter (letters?) around here somewhere but it seems like Hunter (or maybe Egan and Lapham too) were the ones who sort of smoothed things over with Morse when AM went ballistic to him about Mayo. It sounds to me like Mayo didn't want to be responsible for maintaining such elaborate bunkering.
Quote from: TEPaul on September 03, 2009, 12:42:08 PM
I thought that letter (or letters) where AM sort of goes ballistic to Morse over Mayo had more to do with whether or not AM was going to do Monterrey Peninsula. (At the date of that letter (letters?) PB was already redone, right?).
I have that letter (letters?) around here somewhere but it seems like Hunter (or maybe Egan and Lapham too) were the ones who sort of smoothed things over with Morse when AM went ballistic to him about Mayo. It sounds to me like Mayo didn't want to be responsible for maintaining such elaborate bunkering.
Tom,
Here is the letter to which you refer,
Santa Cruz, California
January 26th, 1932
Mr.S.F.B. Morse
Del Monte Properties Company
Del Monte, California.
My dear Morse,
In view of the understanding that has arisen between myself and Joe Mayo, I should like to know what my position is in regard to the Shore Course of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
As you know, I did the designing and plans for the Shore Course some years ago and since then I have made many inspections of the ground with the view of obtaining ideas for the lessening of the cost of construction of the Course and increasing its popularity.
I have made further inquiries and there can be little doubt of Joe Mayo's opposition to working with me. I was informed not only by one, but several people both before and after the selection of an architect that Joe Mayo's opposition to working with me had considerable influence on the views of the Committee. They felt that the Del Monte Properties Company had done so much for Pacific Grove that they must have an architect who would work in harmony with the Del Monte employees. I heard this several days before the election so I telephoned Joe Mayo to ask him if this were true; he said it was and that he refused to work with me. I asked him why hw was opposed to me and he said that I had criticised his work
He also expressed his disinclination to meet me and discuss the matter. It is quite true that I have criticised the work he has dione for me, not only at the Monterey Peninsula Course but at Pebble Beach, and that I shall continue to criticise any work he does under my supervision until his work compares favorably with the other Courses we have done in California.
-2-
On the other hand, I have no objection to working with Joe Mayo. I like him. He is an enthusiast, a hard worker and an excellent superintendent of labor and euipment. If he could only once get it into his head that goulf course constuction work is an artist's and not an engineer's job and would not resent constructive criticism. I believe he could do as god work as anyone
The trouble with Joe is that he thinks he knows. He also likes to work from plasticene models. I am opposed to plasticene models for the reasons expressed in my book and in articles written over twenty years ago-greens constructed from plasticene models lool like plasticene models dumped on the ground, and have no artistic relationship to the suroundings.
Tom Simpson, at one time Herbert Fowler's partner, has become one of the best golf architects in Europe since he gave up plasticene models and used artistic drawings.When he relied on plasticene models his work was most unsatisfacory.I want to make it quite clear that I have had no difference of opinion with Mora and that as afar as I know he has shown no opposition to me. I never met him until recently--his consultations regarding the irrigation at Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula and the Meadow Course were entirly with Robert Hunter.
You have raised the point that all golf courses show a tendency to become weedier year by year.This is an opinion held by many prominent people in the golf world and it is true that most of the best known courses in Europe and America have deteriorated year by year. On the other hand I do not know of a single course where our advice has been taken in regard to seeding, fertilizing and upkeep which has not improved every year.
Most green Committees and green-keepers make the mistake of overfeeding their Courses with the wring kind of fertilizers. The more money thay spend, the worse their Course become. This is largely owing to the fact they feed courses similarly to agricultural land and the result is their fairways become a mass of weeds, daisies, clover and worms.
I have witten you at considerable length, but feel that the success of Del Monte depends to no small degree on its Golf Courses.
The solid test of a Golf Course is its poularity with all classes of players. Nearly thirty years of experience of constructing and reconstructing Golf Courses has enabled me to speak with considerable confidence on the subject. I know that every Golf Course we have reconstructed has increased in popularity as evidenced by the large increase of members and green fees I see, for example, that according to the San Francisco Examiner even in these hard times, Lake Merced has forty new members, notwithstanding the fact that we only spent $12,000 in reconstructing it and most of the money was expended in filling up over one hundred unnecessary bunkers.
In conclusion, I wish to thank you personally for all you have done for me not only lately but iin the past.
Very sincerely yours.
AM/CM