Artifacts

[Joe Hellrung]

Reading about the Fones Cliffs project got me wondering - have you ever uncovered an artifact or object of historical significance while constructing or updating a golf course? 

When I worked in the construction field, many states would require that the state preservation authority sign off on the construction activity in advance.  Have these requirements ever been a major impediment to a job you have worked on? 

[David_Tepper]

The ill-fated Lyle Anderson Hokulia development on the Big Island of Hawaii had serious environmental issues regarding native burial grounds on the property. There were serious financial issues as well.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704912004575252713409264610

[Tom_Doak]

When I built the Riverfront G.C. in Virginia many years ago, there was a remnant of a 1609 fort on the site - across a small inlet from the 8th fairway.  I was excited to see it, but there was really nothing to see; it was a wooden fort, and everything but some traces of wood where the post holes were had rotted away centuries ago.

There is some 800-year-old archaeology underneath the 17th hole at The Renaissance Club in Scotland ... they had to excavate enough to explore what it was.  We were allowed to build over the top of it, as long as everything was covered by a meter of fill, but for a while it looked like it was going to hold up the hole long enough that it wasn't finished with the other 17.

In Australia and New Zealand, working on coastal land, we often work in areas where there are shell middens [remnants of nomadic tribes' gathering and eating], which must be preserved and routed around.

[Bill_McBride]

One of my favorite holes is the 7th at Pennard, where Braid had room to route the fairway between an ancient castle ruin to the right and an ancient cathedral ruin on the left.  With an incredible view of the ocean ahead and a wild fall away green below, it's an amazing hole. 

[Jon Cavalier]

They uncovered a moonshine still at Secession - probably not exactly the kind of artifact you were thinking of, but I always liked how the club adopted it as a badge of honor.

[Ian Andrew]

On the right of the 4th landing at Highlands Links (on top of the knoll) is a Portuguese Sailors grave.

[Mike_Young]

slave graves, musket balls, indian pottery and arrowheads, civil war buttons etc

[JNagle]

While working on the reconstruction of the Fredericksburg C.C. artifacts were found almost daily.  The clubhouse building (still there today) exchanged hands 7 times during two campaigns.  Portions of charges and retreats were carried out on the property as a pontoon bridge crossing the Rappohannok for the Union army was just 1/4 mile from the property.  A member of the club was allowed to be on site daily during the course reconstruction and was gathering artifacts for the club and local historical museums.  The 3rd green abutted what was a main road from DC to Richmond with rail lines to the South East.  The famous Slaughter Pen Farm site sits diagonally across the street from the course.  In the late 1880's a mass grave was opened and the bodies of 80+ Union soldiers was moved to a Federal Graveyard.  The site of the burial area was directly adjacent to the road where the Club's 3rd green sits.  Digging the well for the green uncovered many interesting artifacts to say the least.  The lead shaper on the project found many Indian artifacts while working along the Rappohannok and the 10th hole. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

Like Mike, my Atlanta area courses had all sorts of relics.  We had all the old civil war maps and overlaid them on current maps.  It looked like the entire Army of the Ohio crossed Pumpkinvine Creek right at the 14th green at Brookstone.  When we cleared the area, there was a natural rock bridge right where the maps showed they crossed, so it had to be the place.

We moved the green right over to the natural waterfall, but a few years later, when building a sewer line for development, they blasted it out of there, losing both natural beauty and history.  Of course, we found lots of other battle relics.

For many years on other sites, it was typical to find old coke bottles or pottery, etc.  We have found underground forts to hide from Indian attacks and other things as well.

[Thomas Dai]

Bronze/iron age hill forts going back to around 3,000 BC at Painswick, Minchinhampton Old etc.
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[John McCarthy]

Like Mike, my Atlanta area courses had all sorts of relics.  We had all the old civil war maps and overlaid them on current maps.  It looked like the entire Army of the Ohio crossed Pumpkinvine Creek right at the 14th green at Brookstone.  When we cleared the area, there was a natural rock bridge right where the maps showed they crossed, so it had to be the place.

We moved the green right over to the natural waterfall, but a few years later, when building a sewer line for development, they blasted it out of there, losing both natural beauty and history.  Of course, we found lots of other battle relics.

For many years on other sites, it was typical to find old coke bottles or pottery, etc.  We have found underground forts to hide from Indian attacks and other things as well.

Jeff:  The Chick Evans tree is kinda historical for an Evans Scholar like myself, yes?