The Golf Club - Changes

[Matt Kardash]

I was looking at some historical images of The Golf Club on Google Earth and it seems there have been some big changes. From what i can gather from the new aerial from June 2014 the following has been changed

Hole 1: Bunkers seem to have been rebuilt but look basically the same.
Hole 2: Bunkers right of green rebuilt. Look basically the same.
Hole 3: Bunker complex rebuilt and it seems to have been expanded left of the green. Green seems a little smaller and less round in shape.
Hole 4: Bunkers rebuilt, look basically the same
Hole 5: Green complex moved 40 or 50 yards short-right of original location. 5 little bunkers surround an L-shaped green. This is a HUGE change.
Hole 6: Green now seems narrower. Bunker on left reduced in size dramatically.
Hole 7: Green now is more diagonal favouring a right to left shot. New bunkers. There is now a bunker short-right, and 3 guarding the left.
Hole 8: 3 Greenside bunkers added. Short-right, right and long-left
Hole 9: Green is now narrower and favours a left to right shot. Bunkers now totally different. 2 right, one left.

Hole 10: Green looks a little bigger
Hole 11: New green, totally new bunker scheme. Big-long bunker short that wraps around to right side of green. Two small bunkers left.
Hole 12: Re-built bunkers. Bunker left of green much smaller now.
Hole 13: Greenside bunker rebuilt. Looks the same.
Hole 14: Greenside bunkers rebuilt. Bunker left of green expanded.
Hole 15: Greenside bunkers rebuilt. Looks the same.
Hole 16: Bunkers rebuilt. Back-right bunker is now smaller.
Hole 17: Greenside bunker rebuilt. Looks the same.
Hole 18: Left side of green now follows more the shape of the pond a little more.

Anyways, looks like a lot of work has been done. I wonder how some of these major changes will be received!?

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Thanks for bringing that to our attention, very interesting.  I had heard some work was being done, but didn't realize the extent of it.  The current imagery on Google Earth actually documents some of the work in progress - below is a screen grab of #2 and #3.

I don't have my Confidential Guide with me, but I believe Tom Doak said something to the effect of "the biggest compliment that the Golf Club can get is that Pete Dye hasn't been back to tinker with it" - that is crudely paraphrased from memory, but I believe the sentiment is accurate.  Clearly, that is no longer the case.

I was fortunate to play there several times when I lived in Columbus, a really great experience all around.

[Matt Kardash]

Chris, if you are feeling so inclined you should post a before and after aerial of the 5th green. It's like a new hole.

[BHoover]

Wow, I just looked at TGC for the first time on Google Earth this morning. I had heard that the 5th green was going to be relocated, but I didn't realize the extent of the change until actually seeing it. Pretty dramatic change.

[David Whitmer]

I have not played it since the changes were made, so this observation is based strictly on the new aerial I see. I don't get the change to the fifth hole. It looks like the two big trees in the left part of the fairway are gone, and it looks like the fairway has been expanded. With the shape of the new green, it appears the best angle to attack it, especially to a back-right hole location, will be from the left side of the fairway, or away from the creek. So you may be awarded with the best angle when you choose not to negotiate the hazard.

I also see the stone wall around the eighteenth green was not re-shaped. Cosmetic to be sure, but it looked weird when I was standing in the fairway playing to the green. I wish that had been altered. Hopefully my next round there will allow me to better understand the change to the fifth.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Is Pete Dye involved in the changes and if so what does that imply about his opinion of the original design?

[Chris_Hufnagel]

#5 - The Golf Club

BEFORE


AFTER

[Mark Bourgeois]

A lot to chew on there. So when they lost that big tree down the left they built an entirely new green and redefined the fairway (losing that tree on the right). I'm assuming that lightly shaded right-hand strip of grass is now fairway?

What's the play off the tee? (And is that new tee intended for shorter hitters or is there a hope of driving the green from there?) Do you want to challenge the right rough / stream? What's the involvement in the new hole of the fairway bunker? Looks like a forced carry; is there any kind of risk-reward involved viz the bunker?

[Howard Riefs]

A related thread from last year...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,55796.0.html

[Ronald Montesano]

#wewantabigtournament
#driveableparfour

[Mac Plumart]

Ron,

Are you suggesting The Golf Club made these changes to get a big tournament?  If so, you don't understand what The Golf Club is all about or it's core founding principles.

[Ronald Montesano]

I would say "guessing at" rather than "suggesting." Suggesting would intimate that I have inside information. Looking at the two pictures, it seems to me that the new 5th hole might now be driveable (we have no yardage information, so again, just guessing). It's quite a change from the old one, both in yardage (appearance) and feel (straight rather than movement leftward.)

I imagine that TGC is a conservative, insular club that wishes to avoid limelight. If it is so, then we understand why no articles or press releases have made their way to the major magazines. Aficionados like us certainly do like to know why changes are made, especially to the one recognized as an architect's finest effort.

[Mac Plumart]

Ron...

The green was moved for maintenance issues. The old hole/green was really cool. But it was tucked in among trees and just beyond a marshy area. Sunlight, airflow, and drainage issues were present. The new green eliminates those issues. It is a shorter par 4 now, but I wouldn't call it drivable (At least for players of my caliber). The hole requires a lot of precision on the approach due to the "quadrants" of the green, the creek, and the bunkers.

And you are correct about the club avoiding the limelight. It is very much a club for members. There is zero desire to host outside tournaments.

[Ronald Montesano]

Taking down trees around the old green was not an option, I presume?

[Dean DiBerardino]

Taking down trees around the old green was not an option, I presume?

Ron:

I guessing that taking down trees was not the reason since they actually took out quite a few trees in this area. Standing on #11 green, there is now a vista past #7 green and #5 green all the way up to #4 green.

[Ronald Montesano]

If you look at left and rear of old green, no trees were removed from top to bottom. The few that were taken down right seem to have been eliminated to make room for a cart path.

I'm curious who did the work. I'm curious as the choice of a totally new green shape, based on the photos above.