News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Frank Pont

  • Karma: +0/-0
Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« on: October 12, 2003, 04:02:43 AM »
I'm a golf course architect working in the Netherlands. Frank Pennink designed quite a lot of golf courses in the Netherlands, and although his work is probably the best that has been built in the Netherlands in the last 40 years, most of the courses are now at an age where they start needing restoring.

Does anybody know if Pennink ever wrote a book or articles on his golf course design principles?

Brian Phillips

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2003, 04:17:53 AM »
Frank,

Good to see you posting here. We need more Europeans on this site.

I do not know of any books by him.  Maybe TEPaul could help you or even Rich Goodale.

Brian

ps check your internal messages
Bunkers, if they be good bunkers, and bunkers of strong character, refuse to be disregarded, and insist on asserting themselves; they do not mind being avoided, but they decline to be ignored - John Low Concerning Golf

Tim_Weiman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2003, 11:12:06 AM »
Frank,

Let me second Brian's comments and welcome you on board. As Brian suggested, encouraging Europeans to participate is one of the greatest needs Golfclubatlas has. So, again, welcome.

I am not aware of Frank Pennick's work as an architect much less any books he has written. But, this does bring up another point: here in the States we hear very little about golf course or new projects on the Continent. I know from my friend Russell Talley of European Golf Design that actually much has been happening in recent years, e.g., in Spain, Portugal, France and elsewhere. but, it never get reported here - even on Golfclubatlas.

Feel free to bring interesting courses and news from the Continent to our attention.
Tim Weiman

Jeroen_Pit

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2003, 04:49:39 PM »
Frank, I did a search on Amazon.co.uk and it seems he wrote a few books. I am not sure if any are about architecture though.

1.     Golfer's companion
~Frank Pennink
2.     Golf (Homes of sport series)
~Frank Pennink
3.     Choice of Golf Courses
~Frank Pennink
   
Which Dutch Pennink courses would you suggest renovating?  

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2003, 05:01:14 PM »
I'll second those books that Jeroen mentions.  Not aware of any architecture books, but his guide books are top notch.  His golf courses are underappreciated.  I've played a few, of which ,the first two courses at Woburn are the best:  really good woodland courses with several standout holes.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Frank Pont

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2003, 03:37:45 AM »
Jeroen,

thanks for your reply. I had seen those titles on amazon, but wasn't sure if these titles had any golf course architecture elements in them. Judging from Paul's answer they probably do not have anything on that subject. Paul do you know if Penninck ever wrote articles in British Golf Magazine's?

The courses that Penninck did in NL are: Broekpolder, Edese, Geijsteren, Gelpenberg, de Haar, Kleiburg, de Koepel, Lauswolt, Noord Nederlandse, Noordwijk, Oude Maas, Sallandsche, Wouwse Plantage en Zeegersloot.

I've played only three of Penninck's courses sofar: Edese, Hooge Kleij and Noordwijk (although it seems from the Noordwijk's history book De Geschiedenis van de Nieuwe Baan (The History of the new Course) by Paul de Jong, that Penninck did not play a real meaningful role. The real design seems to have been done by de Jongh, a member of the club, aided by an inexperienced shaper. The book is a very interesting read on how the course was routed and designed, unfortunately it's in Dutch).

Of these both Edese and Hooge Kleij need work, be it on different areas. Edese was pieced together over time (Dudok van Heel designed the new holes) and therefore lacks consistency in style (the big give away on that point are the bunkers). De Hooge Kleij was built on a very low budget, which is visible by the fact that the green complexes are rather simple. The course needs some more interesting shaping around the green complexes and some better bunkering.

Noordwijk is a good course, but has two problems. First it is totally overwatered, so it's too green and too soft. Second problem is harder to change, and that is that it only has one good links par 3 (hole 17). This is a shame since the course lies in virtually perfect links land....

In the near future I will visit/ play Broekpolder (I played it 20 years ago, did not like it very much, very much Polder golf, but seems to have grown in/ improved a lot) de Koepel and Wouwse Plantage.

Jonathan Davison

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink? New
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2003, 01:42:57 PM »
It's interesting to hear someone interested in Mr Pennink, he was also designed numerous golf courses in the northeast of England. People speak of the great British architects, and I feel Pennink was certainly up there. :)
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 01:44:30 PM by Jonathan Davison »

NAF

Re:Golf course design books by Frank Pennink?
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2003, 07:07:20 AM »
I have 2 of the Frank Pennick books and would recommend the Homes of Sport Edition from the 1950s.. I think that one is best and much more informative than Frank Pennick's Choice of Golf Courses from the 1970s which is short on info and his views.  I got my books from Grant Books and would recommend them in procuring them.