[Jason Way]

Word is also that one Dan Moore may very well be sharing some of his findings from research into the history of the Jans.  Who designed the course?  Was it Peter Jans?  And if so, who was this man anyway?  Was he the love child of CB Macdonald and Mrs. O'Leary?  Was he the ousted third member of the powerhouse design team of Langford & Moreau & Jans? 


These questions, and many more, might (or might not) be answered.  This Gathering is not to be missed.

[Sven Nilsen]

Word is also that one Dan Moore may very well be sharing some of his findings from research into the history of the Jans.  Who designed the course?  Was it Peter Jans?  And if so, who was this man anyway?  Was he the love child of CB Macdonald and Mrs. O'Leary?  Was he the ousted third member of the powerhouse design team of Langford & Moreau & Jans? 


These questions, and many more, might (or might not) be answered.  This Gathering is not to be missed.

Jason:


I think some of the names that have been involved might surprise you.


Good luck with the entire project.  Golf needs more community based work like this.


Sven

[Jason Way]

Great tease, Sven.  Can't wait to hear.


And thanks for the support.  Onward we go...

[Jud_T]

This was a great presentation and one of the more inspiring grass roots projects I've seen.  In it's own way this is as exciting as any of the new big name openings.  Hats off to Jason, whose passion for this is infectious.  Also great to hear Dave Zinkand and see his clever ideas for the project as well as Dan Moore's usual extensive historical research.  This is something that all GCAers can get behind, particularly those in the metro Chicagoland area.

[CJames]

Many thanks to Jason and Pat for hosting a fun and very informative gathering last night.  Inspiring presentations by Messers Rogers and Zinkand, and an impressive historical narrative of Jans by Dan Moore.  As always, it was fun to meet and spend time with fellow golf architecture fans.  It will be fun to watch this important project unfold. 

[JJShanley]

I'm gracing the Chicagoland area next Saturday for an evening party.  Will you be doing any work on the course during the day?  I can offer my tender hands, softened by years of graduate school, and an appalling sense of humor.

[Jason Way]

I'm gracing the Chicagoland area next Saturday for an evening party.  Will you be doing any work on the course during the day?  I can offer my tender hands, softened by years of graduate school, and an appalling sense of humor.

Thanks for the offer JJ.  I am trying to get a volunteer day or two organized before the end of December because the weather looks like it is going to remain favorable.  I will get dates posted up here as soon as possible.

[Jason Way]

Many thanks to all those who came out yesterday for the outing, and the gathering.  And thank you for your kind words and encouragement. 


For those who couldn't make it, a recap:


The Honourable Company of Reverse Jans Golfers convened for its (hopefully) annual meeting and outing.  Thanks to Dave Schmidt for nudging Pat and me to make this happen.  It was easily one of the best times I have ever had playing golf.


A few photos...





Peter K. giving right of way to a dog walker before playing his tunnel shot.





A group preparing on the tee in the shadow of the Baha'i Temple.





A celebration by OG Schmidt after pulling off the over-train-bridge-and-canal-while-train-passes shot to cap off the day.


Team Zinkand was victorious in both categories of competition. 


Inquiries for this prestigious society, and next year's outing, are now being taken.  Please bear in mind that gaining entrance into this exclusive Company is an arduous process that may include written and oral examinations on GCA history, a buckthorn cutting aptitude test, feats of strength, and/or the ability to show up on the day that the event takes place.

[Phil McDade]

A celebration by OG Schmidt after pulling off the over-train-bridge-and-canal-while-train-passes shot to cap off the day.

Oh good lord, we're never going to hear the end of this on GCA. I'm sure it will be compared to Sarazen's double-eagle at the Masters, Jack's 1-iron at Pebble's 17th, Seve's parking lot shot at Lytham et al.


I just have one question -- will future Reverse Jans National outings be held on the old Reverse Course, or a new Reverse Course?Because based on yesterday's presentation, the actual Jans is being reversed. The mind reels...just as long as the Reverse Jans National Alps with tunnel option is not bastardized in the name of progress.

[Jason Way]

We then had a larger gathering of GCAers and other locals for drinks, food, and presentations by Drew Rogers, Dan Moore, and Dave Zinkand.


Dan Moore, thank you for compiling and sharing the information on the early days of Canal Shores.  It was very cool to learn of Tom Bendelow's involvement in laying out the course, and learn more about its evolution.  There seem to be quite a few aspects of community golf in these parts that are coming full circle as we approach our 100th anniversary.





Dave Zinkand then made a neat presentation taking us through his background, his travels to Britain and back, and how he is drawing on inspirations to create the Jans Course at the new Canal Shores.


For those of you who would like to see his slides, they are in a PDF here:


https://geekedongolf.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/davidzinkand-canalshoresinspirationspresentation_120615.pdf


One point that Dave did not stress in his presentation, that I would like to make clear: He does not intend to do replica holes or templates.  Even on the holes he mentioned that are based on templates, he is going to be doing his own thing.  I'm certain that someone here can correct me if I am getting this wrong, but Dave likes to say, "Amateurs copy, professionals steal."


That is why he keeps asking me (and I keep asking you) for our Chicagoland favorite holes, greens, features, etc.  He is going to put it all in his creative blender with other pieces from his experience and see what comes out. 


The prospect of seeing where that process will end is extremely exciting to me.


2 other components that are worth highlighting:


Dave shared a picture from a burn at Oakmont.  Because we are not permitted to a) do subsurface drainage, or b) route water to the canal, we have to get creative about how we capture and move storm water.  This challenge will ultimately result in cool new features to the property with burns that connect to catch basins planted with water absorbing plants scattered throughout the property. 


He also shared a picture of Ryebrows.  On the Jans Course and Kids Links, we are going to have as few bunkers as possible.  That creates a challenge and opportunity for creative features tee to green and in the green surrounds.  Dave is considering every possibility, including those that might be quirky, to lend variety and fun challenge to the design. 


Again, exciting stuff for me, and for our players.  Now that the layout is essentially finalized, Dave is going into full creative mode on the details.  Fun stuff!


* * * * * * * * *


For those of you who donated yesterday to our Master Planning fund, thank you very much for your support.  If anyone would like to donate, the event page is still up on my blog, and we are grateful for every dollar:


http://geekedongolf.com/golf-geeks-gathering/


Please note that Canal Shores is operated by a non-profit 501(c)(3), and so all contributions are tax deductible.  I can provide letter receipts for anyone who needs one.

[Jason Way]

I just have one question -- will future Reverse Jans National outings be held on the old Reverse Course, or a new Reverse Course?Because based on yesterday's presentation, the actual Jans is being reversed. The mind reels...just as long as the Reverse Jans National Alps with tunnel option is not bastardized in the name of progress.

Fear not sir, that hole will always be a part of the routing.  Seriously though, the tree clearing that we are undertaking right now throughout the property opens up a near-infinite number of opportunities for routings.  They might not all be technically be in reverse, but you can rest assured that fun jackassery factor will be maxed out. 


Talk about the mind reeling, we might have a different routing every year...

[Jud_T]

Jason,

I recall that there were some dry burns for moving storm water at Bay of Dreams which is unfortunately NLE.  They could be incorporated to provide hazard-like properties and/or ground game options.  There may still be pictures up on my thread on Bahia de los Suenos.

[Mark Smolens]

Could be the first time that Nicklaus and "hurrying" (at least on the golf course) have ever been used in the same sentence.

Jason, sorry I had to cut out before the event finished (especially since the Xmas party I went to sucked!). I look forward to donating some sweat equity as the project proceeds.

[Paul OConnor]

Regarding the newest proposal and the name "The Back Lot" for the short six hole course.  That particular name has some special significance in North Evanston that I think this project should be sensitive to.

 It happens to be the name of a park in the center of a block surrounded by the backs of the houses on all four sides.  Imagine as a kid just rolling out your backdoor and there is a sweet park right there with all your friends hanging out, there is room for baseball, a basketball court, lots of trees, really a shangri-la kind of place.  Has quite the mystique in North Evanston. 

The park and the families that live around it are famous for their 4th of July floats, they usually win the "Neighborhood Award" every year.  Many years ago there were a lot more entries in this category, but "The Backlot Kids" float is still something pretty cool. 

It is a bit of an institution in the area, and is only a few blocks from Jans.  Wouldn't want to have this project inadvertently step on any toes in the neighborhood. 

[Jason Way]

Thanks for chiming in Paul.  I actually live a block away from the Back Lot, and my kids play over there, which is how the name was chosen.


I was discussing the practice/short course idea with my oldest son Jack and his friends.  I told them that the University of Washington has a cool practice facility called The Playground, and I was trying (but failing) to come up with a similarly cool name.  They all said in unison, "Call it The Back Lot." 


Because after all, it's an Evanston thing.

[Jason Way]

For those of you following along with our mildly insane old-timey bunker work, we knocked the finishing touches out on another one today.


Dug out and shaped the bottom of the bunker and started to lay the sod.  If you look closely, you can see the sand that I hit when I dug deep enough.  More confirmation that there is sand throughout the property, which is good news for the future renovation.





And the finished product, which much help from my homies Axel and John:








We also got the rest of the other left bunker sodded, and so you can now see the before and after.  Back bunkers set to be removed next (with an excavator, praise be).


Before:





After:

[Jason Way]

We are still tinkering away with our Eden inspired green complex.  I posted photos of the completed Hill bunker previously.  Our guy Axel Ochoa asked if he could go ahead and take a crack at the Strath bunker by himself.  Fine by me, I had tree and brush clearing to do left of the green so I let him have at it. 


I gave him two photos to use as inspiration.  The first is from Garden City, and I believe that Tom's crew did it:





The second was from Boston Golf Club.  I think Jon Cavalier snapped this photo:





He knocked it out by himself with a shovel, a rake and a healthy dose of Canal Shores inspired insanity.














Not too shabby by the kid.  In the spring, we will tie the tall grass line down the right on the hole into the slope right of and behind the bunker.  Should look sharp.


The bunkers in the front are now done.  The position of our Strath bunker is farther right than it would be on a real Eden template - a choice we made because of the small green size and caliber of our players.  If we do anything to represent the Shelley bunker, it would likely only be a grassy mound.


Regardless, the approach to the green is certainly more interesting than it ever has been.

[Bill_McBride]

Jason, can you add a few degrees, maybe five, to that Eden green?  😀

[Jason Way]

On to the Eden bunker.  This is where it gets a little interesting.  If you have been following along, you know that we were fortunate to have some help from Brian Palmer (Superintendent at Shoreacres).  We needed sod to cover a bunker we filled in, which we took from the back of the green.  That was when Brian suggested we create an Eden bunker.


He sent me this picture of the version at Shoreacres for reference:





And I previously posted this picture of the start I made on it.





The plan has been to cave in the awful saucer bunkers and berm behind the green and create a native area behind the Eden bunker.  We had a crew of volunteers and an excavator lined up to knock the whole deal out, and we got snowed out.


While trying to get another work session with the excavator lined up, we decided to go in a bit of a different direction with it.  We thought it might look cool if the tall grass behind the bunker was made to look like it was pouring into the back of the bunker.  I kind of like the juxtaposition of a clean edge with a rugged one, so we went with it.


Axel defined a new back edge and he, Peter Korbakes and I started digging the bunker out by hand.  The dirt is being thrown behind the bunker as we go along.





Then a little inspiration hit and we realized that we could use the funky rugged edge from the old bunkers to create the new edge, along with some fescue and other grasses that we found on the back side of the berm.














Quite a bit of digging and sod work left to do, but I have a feeling that this one is going to look really cool come spring. 


We are going to try and put together one more volunteer session before the weather goes completely south.  Thanks to those who have reached out to me about pitching in.  I will get an email out as soon as possible with the proposed date/time.


Onward we go...

[Jason Way]

Jason, can you add a few degrees, maybe five, to that Eden green?  😀

That's the kind of thing we hired Zinkand for.   

[Jason Way]

We are zeroing in on completing our preliminary design.  Thanks to the generosity of GCAer Aaron Marks, that design is being converted into an interactive digital tool that allows our stakeholders to a) explore the details of the design that interest them most, and b) see how all of the pieces work together.  I will share a link to that tool when it goes live. 


In the meantime (while the weather sucks too hard for bunker or tree work), following are a few nuggets from behind the scenes of the process for you.  For those of you who are in the business, or veterans of multiple large projects at your clubs, this probably won't interest you.  For me though, I find watching Dave and Todd work to be fascinating.  Dave agreed to let me share some of his sketches, to which I have added a bit of Todd's work.


In this version of the Kids Links, we were considering putting the Rolling Green putting course in the same section so that kids would have easy access to it.  Dave also had a practice green across the canal.





After further discussion with our friends from The First Tee and The Golf Practice, and another site visit, Dave moved the Rolling Green out of that section of the property.  The Kids Links is now a self-contained area.  The space across the canal from the Kids Links will be a pocket park.




We went around and around trying to figure out how to make the Back Lot work as both a dynamic practice facility and a short course.  Dave's completed design concept is really cool.  I suspect that it will be difficult to comprehend just how great it will be until it gets built (much like The Loop).

You can see in this sketch that the Rolling Green has also been moved into this section.  That spot is closest to an existing park and playground that have nighttime recreation activities.  We hope that putting the Rolling Green adjacent to that park will both increase its exposure to kids and families and allow us to keep the putting course open at night during the summer.

It is going to be very interesting to be a fly on the wall for conversations among Dave, Pat Goss Luke Donald on the green and surrounds shaping and details of this section.  No shortage of strong opinions in that trio.




I mentioned in a previous post that we were wrestling with water management.  We are not allowed to drain water into the canal or use subsurface drainage.  The site is mostly sandy, but it has some trouble spots.  We will be using a combination of grading, dry burns, dry basins, and planted wet basins to manage water.

Dave provided his thoughts on locations to Todd.




After a site visit with our Superintendent Tom Tully, Todd put together a much more comprehensive drainage layout.







I enjoy the bandying about of opinions and comparisons and theories that we do here.  I have to say though, it is a tremendous privilege to be inside the process of the creation of these golf courses.  I am in full geek overdrive on this, and with every conversation and iteration, I am gaining a deeper appreciation for what these talented people do.

More to come... 

[Phil McDade]

We gotta get this guy out for the next Reverse Jans National outing; he clearly gets renegade urban golf:


http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/419895/a-makeshift-golf-course-on-the-brooklyn-queens-expressway/

[Jason Way]

I love this guy.  Thanks for sharing, Phil. 


We are currently tinkering with a plan to do a Kids Links Field Day in the spring at Canal Shores.  An event where we create a temporary mini course for kids (and childish adults like me) to come play and connect with the same joy described in that video.  The joy of navigating obstacles and getting the ball in the hole.  The joy of golf.


Stay tuned for details on that, and other happenings along The Shores...

[Jason Way]

Checking in and giving thanks to GCAer Jim Nugent for including an article about the Canal Shores project in this week's Global Golf Post.  If you missed it, here is the link:


http://bit.ly/022216CanalShores


We have continued to get quite a bit of support for the project, for which I am grateful.  I must admit though, I have been a bit surprised at how much positive response Jim's article is getting.  From watching the developments at places like Goat Hill, Winter Park, and others, I have felt that there is a little movement afoot, but I have been struggling to put my finger on what that movement is.  Jim and I discussed this very subject after sneaking in a few holes at WPCC with Rees Milikin, and he seems to be in the same spot I am. 


Jim's article clearly struck a chord with a wide audience, and so it's not just the golf/GCA geeks who are feeling it. 


So, I ask you - what is going on here?  If the Canal Shores project resonates with you, why?  And what do you see as the common theme(s) among these projects that are unfolding around the country, if any?  I'm immersed so deeply in it that it's hard for me to step back and see the bigger picture (if there is one).

[Jason Way]

Check my previous post for a question I have for y'all and your big brains.

And just to keep the streak alive, a few bunker pics for you:

Yes, I am still digging out and grassing the back of this Eden bunker by hand.  I've been chipping away at it every time the ground thaws.  Our Super Tom has also started to cave in the old bunker berm, and we are planning to install the native area between the tree and the sidewalk come spring.











I'll have better pics in a month or so when the earth moving is finished. 


We are also starting to get organized for spring project work.  I will post dates here, and email those of you who have reached out previously. 

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