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.


Dan Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Lawsonia Exciting News
« on: May 22, 2014, 05:23:10 PM »
Lawsonia News

Lawsonia is on the rebound from some difficult weather in 2012. For the last three years, the maintenance of the courses has been sub-contracted to the Oliphant Golf Management of Madison, Wisconsin who are also involved with Mike Keiser's Sand Valley project. Lawsonia’s course superintendent is Mike Lyons of Oliphant, past president of the Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal recently visited and had this to say:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/259065491.html

Oliphant has just announced the Inaugural Langford Shield Competition on Saturday July 19th.  It is a two-person team competition play with a Prime Rib Dinner, Awards Ceremony and dedication of “Langford’s Pub.”  The renovated and expanded Pub is being dedicated to William Langford and will feature photos and historic items highlighting Lawsonia and the prolific career of Langford and Moreau. Its sure to be a fun and entertaining day and a great way to support Lawsonia.  

Anyone who is interested in participating can email me or call the proshop for information.  

As D'Amato reports the course is undergoing some changes as well.  Over the winter numerous tress have been taken out around 13 and 14th greens.  Here is before and after look at some photos I took yesterday afternoon compared to a few years ago.  The change is dramatic opening up grand views across the back nine.  

13 Tee before


After


13 From Fairway Before


After


Between 13 and 14 Before


14 Before


14 After



14 Before


14 After


14 Before


14 After


For Good Measure they have taken some trees down on the front nine as well.

6 Before With Trees By #9 Tee Blocking View of 8th Green


6 After



« Last Edit: May 22, 2014, 08:26:13 PM by Dan Moore »
"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

BCowan

Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2014, 05:27:00 PM »
Great post, course looks amazing!!!

Frank Pont

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2014, 05:36:12 PM »
Super example of tree removal dramatically improving a golf course. (although it looks like they stopped halfway on some of the pics)

Played it 15 years ago after my 10 year reunion in Chicago, and remember there were too many trees then.
Now I need to go back....

Dan Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2014, 06:05:41 PM »
Note.  The 11th Tee is immediately behind the batch of trees that remain right of the 13th Green.  I suspect there will be more tree removal as they see how this round looks. 
"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

Rees Milikin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2014, 06:17:14 PM »
Great pictures and the views that were opened up look amazing.  Really looking forward to playing there in July, and hope some GCA guys can meet up and play.

Bill Seitz

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2014, 06:17:42 PM »
Looks terrific.  Unfortunately, that tournament falls on the weekend of the Pitchfork Festival, so I'm a no go.  Surprised they're expanding the pub since a reliable source tells me that they're all just a bunch of religious moralizers up there.  ::)

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2014, 06:23:39 PM »
Dan,

Thanks for posting.  14 in particular looks amazing.  Can't wait to get back up, but unfortunately that weekend doesn't work.  I'd highly recommend this to anyone though.
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2014, 07:58:01 PM »
Wow!  Peter Pittock, Phil Mcdade and I played it last sept, and they had taken out a goodly amount between 13 and 14.  But now, it looks like a couple of totally different holes.  It is getting pretty linksi-like!   ;D

We have our Men's Club champ the weekend before and senior that wed thurs.  Don't know if I can physically hold up that much golf.  What is the deadline date?
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2014, 08:02:34 PM »
Looks great!!!  What's the format...6-6-6?

Terry Lavin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014, 08:18:23 PM »
Congrats. Let's meet at the Brat Stop on the way to Erin Hills to chat it up!   8)
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2014, 09:02:11 PM »
Stunning. Amazing.

Pete_Pittock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2014, 09:19:14 PM »
I thought the conditioning was superior last year just before the Midwest Mashie. Don't recognize 14 now

Phil McDade

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2014, 09:22:38 PM »
Wow -- they took out the "aiming tree" -- part of Lawsonia lore and tradition, that wonderfully canopied tree (oak? maybe maple...) that you could see on the 5th hole, and the 6th hole, and even the 8th hole (close by the 9th tee, actually) as something of an aiming point for each hole. The changes on 13 are pretty dramatic. Thanks for posting these, Dan.

I'll have to see about July 19th.....unsure as of right now.

William_G

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2014, 12:00:43 AM »
wow!!

love Lawsonia Links
It's all about the golf!

Patrick Kiser

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2014, 12:08:03 AM »
Outstanding!

Midwest Mashie Part Deux...  Now get to it George and Andrew!
“One natural hazard, however, which is more
or less of a nuisance, is water. Water hazards
absolutely prohibit the recovery shot, perhaps
the best shot in the game.” —William Flynn, golf
course architect

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2014, 09:06:21 AM »
When I was last down there this past Columbus Day for a couple of days of non-stop golf the golf course was in the best condition I had seen it. Firm, fast, and with quality turf. I though it was obvious they were putting more into the maintenance of the course and I thought it looked incredible. The greens were over-the-top fast.

Lawsonia is well worth a day (or two) trip once every couple of years if you're within a 6 hour drive. It should only gain more exposure once Sand Valley opens up nearby.
H.P.S.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2014, 10:55:00 AM »
As a point of conversation, I'd like to give some consideration to the idea of whether the proposition of 'detreeing' more of Lawsonia is the right thing to do.  I'm trying to interpret Dan's first two photos from the 13th tee.  The 'after' photo seems like it might be taken from just behind the forward tee.  I think I see a bit of a shadow of one of the maple trees that sat/sits along the left side of the tee box, next to the gravel cart path.  But, it seems the other maple trees on the right of the tee box, sort of between the positions of back and forward tee box, may have been taken out.  My point is;  do those tree removals go too far, since the trees next to that tee box do not effect play of the hole in any way, and only may slightly throw a bit of shade at certain day hours to restrict sunlight on the turf of the tee boxes.   (although I do not ever remember poor turf on those 13th tee boxes)

Similarly, taking the stately old tree out next to the 9th tee box might be a superfluous action.   I do not view that tree as an 'aiming tree', such as the two very well known red maples placed for aiming purposes behind the 6th back in late 50s, which were first to go under Forse and Nagle's late 1990s efforts to restore Lawsonia to a more original design concept.  I completely agree that those two red maples (pretty as they were) did not follow original design concepts, whereby the approach to the 6th perched on hillock two tiered green with false front was the essence of the vagueness of a skyline effect.  But, the oak next to 9tee, and well behind and off line of the line of play to 6 was not an aiming tree.   

The oak aside 9tee, and the maples aside 13 tee box added a splash of color as one looked across the linksy-like golf course, and provided a bit of shaded respite to the golfers as they waited to tee off.  I am not such a purist that I believe every tree must go.   I do completely agree with the removal of all the 100foot rough that lined the green sites of 13 and 14.  And, the two red maples behind 6 green were the right thing to do.  But, there is something to be said, and adds to the aesthetics of a crisp fall afternoon where one sees a bit of the splash of old Jack Frost, as one gazes across the Langford masterpiece links-like design in the middle of "Dairyland" Wisconsin.  If the deciduous hardwood trees have no influence on the design intent of creating a linksy environment, and may have a bit of shade function at teeboxes, and add to the color palatte, and don't effect turf quality; then I don't think it is necessarily the right thing to do to remove them.
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2014, 11:17:02 AM »
Wow!   :o

The tree removal looks outstanding! 
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

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

Brian Hilko

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2014, 03:48:50 PM »
Fantastic! I am so excited for my visit this year.
Down with the brown

Dan Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2014, 06:21:13 PM »
FYI. The tree on 9 was removed after being hit by lightening twice.
"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

Connor Dougherty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #20 on: May 23, 2014, 07:22:21 PM »
Wow! I saw the course over the summer and really felt like that 13th hole felt out of place situated around those trees and the lack of a bunker front and left of the green really hurt the quality of the hole. But the new work is absolutely outstanding.

It may be time to bus in the raters. Then again, do we really want the world figuring out about this place? Maybe we should just keep it to ourselves. ;D
"The website is just one great post away from changing the world of golf architecture.  Make it." --Bart Bradley

Brad Swanson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #21 on: May 24, 2014, 10:41:32 PM »
Similarly, taking the stately old tree out next to the 9th tee box might be a superfluous action.   I do not view that tree as an 'aiming tree', such as the two very well known red maples placed for aiming purposes behind the 6th back in late 50s, which were first to go under Forse and Nagle's late 1990s efforts to restore Lawsonia to a more original design concept.  I completely agree that those two red maples (pretty as they were) did not follow original design concepts, whereby the approach to the 6th perched on hillock two tiered green with false front was the essence of the vagueness of a skyline effect.  But, the oak next to 9tee, and well behind and off line of the line of play to 6 was not an aiming tree.   


Dick,
   I can quite assure you that I used that tree by 9 tee for aiming my tee shot on 5, 6, and 8.  I am only a lowly pop-gun hitter however, so maybe the bug guns like yourself use another target.

Brad

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #22 on: May 24, 2014, 11:59:30 PM »
Brad, I am basically constrained to picking out some foreign object laying on the ladies tees and attempt to sail my tee ball towards that aiming point. 

But honestly,  I assure you back that said tree next to 9 tee has never given me the slightest aiming aid for tee or LZ shot on 6 nor 8.  Yes, the old trick of the two red maples served as an effective aid, but maybe I've just been oblivious to it all these years.  I have always tried to aim those shots to sail over a given portion of the sweeping gull winged bunkers on both those holes.
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

JC Urbina

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #23 on: May 25, 2014, 12:43:20 PM »
Dan,

I just played Lawsonia a week ago and found the golf course to be in the same character as Harrison Hills, Culver Academy and Maxinkuckee.

The landforms were off the charts and the fairway bunkering jaw dropping.  The thinning of the trees has certainly helped but the star of the show was the greens surfaces in my opnion, they were inspiring.

My favorite holes, #5 and 6 on the front and #12 and 16 in combo. 


John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Lawsonia Exciting News
« Reply #24 on: May 25, 2014, 01:41:17 PM »
Dan,
Thanks for sharing the pictures.  The course features look far more intimidating without the trees, don't they?