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Joe Bausch

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Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Willie Park, Jr design
« on: May 26, 2015, 08:02:02 PM »
I had as much fun playing Berkshire last weekend as I've had in years.  Some will dismiss the course since it is well less than 6500 yards. Their loss.

The terrain is excellent, and there are so many fantastic half-par holes.  And the greens:  oh my!

Ron Forse and Jim Nagle have been working with the club over the last 15 years to bring back lost features.  In recent years green space is being recaptured slowly but surely.  

Other than very clear high skies, the photos I think capture the place pretty well:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/Berkshire/

For those of you that typically refuse to visit a URL with pictures, I suggest you do so.  This album is pretty darn good if I say so myself.

Please, enjoy.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2015, 07:03:16 AM by Joe Bausch »
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Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Steve_ Shaffer

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2015, 08:39:30 PM »
Joe,

Great photo tour. I haven't played Berkshire yet so I can't compare it to LuLu, another fun shorter course. How would you rate the fun quotient at Berkshire as compared to LuLu?

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Joe Bausch

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2015, 08:53:33 PM »
Quote from: Steve_ Shaffer on May 26, 2015, 08:39:30 PM
Joe,

Great photo tour. I haven't played Berkshire yet so I can't compare it to LuLu, another fun shorter course. How would you rate the fun quotient at Berkshire as compared to LuLu?


Wow, good question, Steve.

They are tremendously similar.  I'll lean toward whichever course I'm playing next!

I believe greens at both courses were built by Frank James.  Totally a blast to play.
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The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

BCowan

Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2015, 10:19:57 PM »
Joe,

    Excellent photo tour.  All i can say is wow!  Green contours look bold in the photos, they must be impressive in person.  You have such great land in PA.  Going to have to fire up the diesel next summer.  Your photo tours are a treasure to this site!  

PS- A few chainsaws are much needed!  
« Last Edit: May 26, 2015, 10:30:51 PM by Ben Cowan (Michigan) »
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James Brown

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2015, 10:41:26 PM »
Looks really great.  Willie Park, Jr. seems to have like Pennsylvania.  .  He designed the original Penn State course, which has many similar features to Berkshire in its original holes that remain.  How many of the Berkshire holes are originals?

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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2015, 07:28:33 AM »
May be the biggest surprise and most underrated course in the Philly region.  After a second play I'd rate it a Doak Scale 6 with potential to go higher with further tree removal and the return of some of the wild original bunker schemes seen in the early aerials.  Great fun!
« Last Edit: May 27, 2015, 07:33:23 AM by MCirba »
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Michael Marzec

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2015, 07:49:35 AM »
Looks like great fun. Love the greens. Thanks for posting the pics, Joe!
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2015, 08:06:51 AM »
I'll say it.  I love Lulu but this is slightly better.
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Jim Sherma

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2015, 09:53:15 AM »
Joe and Mike - when are we setting up York and Hanover? I need a day off.
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2015, 09:56:13 AM »
Quote from: Jim Sherma on May 27, 2015, 09:53:15 AM
Joe and Mike - when are we setting up York and Hanover? I need a day off.

Jim,

Let's pick a day in June.   Generally Fridays are really good for me but with a bit of planning can do others.  I need one, as well, just to recover from my return to GCA and will look forward to it.  ;) :)
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2015, 09:58:59 AM »
I'm not nearly the photographer that Joe is but will add a few of my own to this thread as time permits.

Here's the par three 6th at just over 200 yards uphill over a quarry wall to a great, expansive green.

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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2015, 12:56:20 PM »
From behind the Alps-ian 8th green

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Ed Brzezowski

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2015, 01:20:17 PM »
Very solid course with some great work being done. The hole that Mike posted is a little gem, what does not really show is the severity of the ground surrounding the green. There are some very nasty rocks around this green, also you have to pick a good yardage to lay up too.

Hit your approach shot a little fat and that hill will bounce it almost anywhere. Any ball a little short will either hang up in some fairly dense rough or hit one of those rocks and bounce away. If I recall it is also a runaway green.

Neat course, good job guys.
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2015, 04:32:40 PM »
Berkshire Country Club was originally a 9 hole course laid out by Philadelphia area pro John Reid in 1902 (no, not the John Reid from St. Andrews but a guy who did a lot of early work near the city).  

The following link describes that those nine holes included most of today's 1 thru 6 routing, a 7th hole that ran to the practice area, and today's 17 and 18.

We strongly believe that Park rebuilt all the greens when he arrived in 1916 and did the bunkering schemes.   Like a number of courses he designed in his 1916 US tour, the course didn't open until after WWI with Frank James doing the construction.  

Besides the loss of some really cool bunkering and the planting of trees, only today's 17th hole differs considerably from what Park built, as it seems to have been shortened from either a long four or a short five when the driving range was created and the hole considerably shortened.

http://berkshire.memberstatements.com/tour/tours.cfm?tourid=23898
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Mark McKeever

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2015, 09:08:52 AM »
Wow, I need to get out there...
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BCowan

Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2015, 11:38:23 AM »
Quote from: MCirba on May 27, 2015, 07:28:33 AM
May be the biggest surprise and most underrated course in the Philly region.  After a second play I'd rate it a Doak Scale 6 with potential to go higher with further tree removal and the return of some of the wild original bunker schemes seen in the early aerials.  Great fun!

Mike,

    Is more tree removal in the plans?  Has the membership embraced tree removal?  Is cost of tree removal the big roadblock?  The bunkers look better or less messed with than other Park Jr courses i've played.  
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Dan Herrmann

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2015, 12:43:43 PM »
Our member-guest is the first weekend of June.  I don't play (pretty expensive), and I'm hoping I can get on Berkshire.  It looks fantastic!
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2015, 12:54:05 PM »
Ben,

Honestly I don't know but the Superintendent definitely seems to get it.
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Alan FitzGerald CGCS MG

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #18 on: May 29, 2015, 06:27:33 AM »
Quote from: Ben Cowan (Michigan) on May 28, 2015, 11:38:23 AM
Quote from: MCirba on May 27, 2015, 07:28:33 AM
May be the biggest surprise and most underrated course in the Philly region.  After a second play I'd rate it a Doak Scale 6 with potential to go higher with further tree removal and the return of some of the wild original bunker schemes seen in the early aerials.  Great fun!

Mike,

    Is more tree removal in the plans?  Has the membership embraced tree removal?  Is cost of tree removal the big roadblock?  The bunkers look better or less messed with than other Park Jr courses i've played.  

They hired a new Superintendent 2-3 years ago and he has been busy improving the conditions. Andrew has taken down a lot of trees and is continuing to do so. They've also been working on items on the course like restoring greens to original sizes etc. He already has done a great job and it will only get better over the next few years.
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Chris Roselle

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2015, 03:18:22 PM »
The best Senior players (Chip Lutz and company) in the Golf Association of Philadelphia are headed to Berkshire next Wednesday for our Frank H. Chapman Cup.  Course setup was completed today and the place is in phenomenal shape.  This will be the first time Berkshire has hosted a GAP event in many years and we are very excited to be headed to the Reading area.
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MCirba

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2015, 03:50:50 PM »
Chris,

That's great news.   The place is in tip-top shape and as much as we might need some rain I hope you guys get some nice crunchy conditions like we had because the place is a blast at that speed.

Although...I suspect some of the better players might complain about the slope/speed/countours of the greens as they can be torturous if you're in the wrong position and if there's a Medal play component things can add up quickly.
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JNagle

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Willie Park, Jr design
« Reply #21 on: June 01, 2015, 09:04:32 AM »
As for the tree management on the course, we have been working with Andrew and the club to develop a Tree Management plan for the purposes of removing many dying Ash trees and other areas that have been over planted.  The plan also calls for some replacement, where necessary.  Andrew is chipping away at the green expansions in-house and is doing a great job.  We will pop in during the season and paint a couple of lines for him to follow prior to expanding the greens.  Over the years (prior to Andrew's arrival), the club would address the bunkers either as an in-house project without our oversight or with a contractor (again in most instances, without our oversight).  Since Andrew has arrived he has requested our presence when doing work on the course. 

As Andrew and his staff continue you implement portions of the Master Plan and Tree Management Plan, Berkshire will continue to get better.
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Michael Blake

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Wille Park, Jr design
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2015, 09:11:58 PM »
Quote from: Chris Roselle on May 29, 2015, 03:18:22 PM
The best Senior players (Chip Lutz and company) in the Golf Association of Philadelphia are headed to Berkshire next Wednesday for our Frank H. Chapman Cup.  Course setup was completed today and the place is in phenomenal shape.  This will be the first time Berkshire has hosted a GAP event in many years and we are very excited to be headed to the Reading area.

Chris,

What did the players think of the course today?
LOTS of low single-digit players shot mid-eighties and worse.  There's a 96 there!

If anyone is interested in the results:
http://www.ghintpp.com/gap/TPPOnlineScoring/ResultsStroke.aspx?id=537&fid=1096&fgid=345

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BCowan

Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Willie Park, Jr design
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2015, 10:00:58 PM »
I've viewed the photo tour now for a 2nd or 3rd time now.  Looking at some of the old aerials you posted, were there shared fairways at Berkshire?  The course looks awesome.  
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 10:04:10 PM by Ben Cowan (Michigan) »
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JNagle

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Re: Berkshire CC (Reading, PA): a super fun Willie Park, Jr design
« Reply #24 on: June 04, 2015, 08:55:56 AM »
Ben -

It certainly does look like the 17th and 18th fairways are shared.  However, on close examination, it appears as though the original 17th fairway was as wide a two fairways.  There seems to be a small section of rough between the two holes as #18 swings out to the left.
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It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; .....  "The Critic"
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