Wentworth East-then and now

[Paul_Turner]

I thought this comparison was interesting.  It's of the 2nd hole on the first course at Wentworth-the East course which is overshadowed by the West (Burma Road) and all the pro tournaments.  Quality isn't great-scans of a photocopy.  The original print is wonderful.

I've included an additonal old photo of the same hole which shows the  huge cross/diagonal bunker on the 3rd-it's in the distance-which has now been divided into 2/3 bunkers (see the final photo).  

Also, I have no idea what the hole to right of the 2nd is (See the photo with the crowd).  Is it the 1st East green?  It can't be any hole from the West, and neither can it be a hole from the now defunct short course.   Wentworth has a few mysteries-remember that green I posted which was built in the shape of Great Britain- I still can't work out where and when that was built.


2nd


2nd with 3rd in distance/right.  Green in foreground=?


2nd as it is now.  Can see the outline of one filled in bunker.


3rd showing cross bunkers broken up and shrunk.

[John_Lovito]

Paul,

I played the East course three weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  Many of the holes have cross bunkers which required strategic and accurate execution of shots.

As you photos suggest, many of the holes have lost bunkers and heather.  According to my host, this was done to speed up play as Wentworth has a very large membership, much of it corporate related.

[Ran Morrissett]

My brother really, really liked the East Course as well (I think slightly more than the West when he played them both this spring) but seeing those photos makes me all the more appeciative of Walton Heath and the work that has transpired in the past few years with the brush clearing and in fostering a true heath environment.

Walton Heath almost seem alone in this endeavor - Paul, are you aware of other English clubs that are doing any significant brush/tree clearing? The Addington for one but where else?

Wonder what Colt would think of the photos above?  

Cheers,

[Paul_Turner]

Ran

I noticed that both Wentworths had made it into you Next 50 list.  In fact, you have the East listed twice!

I think there has been some tree clearing at Sunningdale, mainly on the New.

[bodgeblack]

as usual Paul - great photos.

I wonder whether the existing 1st hole of the east course is actually a new hole in comparison to the rest of the course.

I think Wentworth had to re jig the start of the east when they installed their driving range, hence the strange walk half way up the 1st of the West course to the east no. 1 tee. Could it have been the position of the old first green?

I have never been the biggest fan of the east and John's point about lack of heather speeding up play is spot on unfortunately, I believe, to the detriment of both courses.

The best example of large scale scrub clearance on a heathland course in England was at Hankley Common. Somthing like 50,000 trees removed. It really is a sensational experience.

cheers
jamie

[Ran Morrissett]

Amazing how the 2nd fairway is HALF AS WIDE as it once was  

Jamie, When did the tree clearing occur at Hankley Common - I assume within the past five years? I had arranged a game there in the last week of March, 1999 but the snow was so bad   that I  headed down to Isle of Purbeck at the spur of the moment. Still from HC's parking lot, I seem to recall seeing a decent # of trees.

[Paul_Turner]

Ran

I'd forgotten that Notts has done a lot of work removing trees.  They're even introducing sheep, to keep back the bracken and tree saplings.

Hankley Common has trees on the front 9, but gets onto a fully open heath on the back.  It's very beuatiful, but the design isn't all that special from what I recall.