Brooklawn

[RSantangelo]

I had the pleasure to play Brooklawn today in Fairfield CT.  I have never really seen it discussed on this forum.

It's a tillinghast design from 1929 although the club dates back til the late 1800s.  The course hosted the 1987 senior open and a variety of other tournaments. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the course - I thought it was a real treat. Lots of fun and interesting holes. Surprised there is not more discussion and awareness of this course.

Have others played it?  Thoughts?

[Curtis Loop]

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[RSantangelo]

I really liked both holes

On 4, I played the ball to release per the advice of my buddy (the member) but it got held up due to recent rain leaving me a tough 2 putt

I liked 8 but was left with a very short lay up...I am not super long but absent being blocked by a tree, felt the likely play was up into the green complex...we lost the hole to a 4 made from the green side bunker

Overall, I really enjoyed the course, including #1 which I thought enabled a key decision between carrying the bunker and hitting a short to mid iron or playing right safely and playing a long iron or hybrid

[Bret Lawrence]

I have also played Brooklawn a handful of times and really enjoyed it.  The course is a true championship test.  The greens are all well protected with high shouldered bunkers making recoveries very difficult.  The course rewards very accurate iron play and punishes shots that are less than perfect.  Its the kind of course you can appreciate even after it eats you up and spits you out!


Brooklawn is loaded with history dating back to 1895.  The club was a charter member of the CSGA and one of the first clubs to join the USGA.  Brooklawn was also Gene Sarazens first job as an assistant professional to George Sparling.


The club has done a good job with tree removal in recent years, opening up some of the playing corridors and allowing for more open vistas throughout the course.  The most obvious removal on my last visit were the two huge sycamore trees fronting the 15th green.   You no longer have to worry about an eighty foot tree grabbing your shot in mid air and disposing of it in the green side bunker!


It's a worthy course, especially for CT.  If you ever have a chance to play it,  I highly recommend it.

[V. Kmetz]

Hi guys,


I lived 600 yards from the 18th green for four years in the 90s...played and caddied on it a bit in 94-96. Seen it once since then (2-3 years ago?).


I was never really a fan, but it had some virtues...old-style neighborhood course...usually well presented/maintained...tricky classic greens, liked 16-18 close, but I have had more critiques than praises...


1. Too confined, trees make for bowling alleys, especially on 3, 4,where the combo of OB on left is like Calvin Peete's dream and my nightmare, but 6 - 9, 11, 12, 14 are just kind of unpleasant golf reminiscent of the 70s and 80's.


2. Topography is too extreme...not only hilly for a taxing walk, but sidehill and downhill lies and shots get to be too much after a time, feels like you're always hitting 2 extra clubs up and one less down...there's barely a standard 140-60 yard shot out there until you get to the end...


3. Ground game doesn't really exist either. there's places here and there, but not very available.


4. 7 and 8 may be fun for tobaggoners, but those parallel holes are a slog and no real fun to play, especially when you've already scrawled up and across the top of the hill from 3-6...


4a. too many up and back paralell sequences...7, 8...12-14...even 17 and 18.


the fairway bunkering is meh...just sidewalls to trap an unstraight shot...no derring-do carries, or diagonal angles to add zest.


It's a nice old, genteel club and its topographical difficulties combined with set-up and classic greens make it a cruncher of a medal test...but if I was a golfer of means it would be way down my list for a place I'd play 60-75 times a year for about $350 a round after initiation...


In the Fairfield County private rota, I'd rank it 10th behind... CC of Fairfield, Stanwich, Tamarack, Rockrimmon, Woodway, Shorehaven, Wee Burn, the 9 hole Millwood, Round Hill... but definitely ahead of some others, like Fairview, Silver Spring, Greenwich CC, Innis Arden, Burning Tree, Patterson, CC of Darien, CC of New Canaan...or Rolling Hills.


There's two Fairfield Co. publics...Richter Park in Danbury and Longshore in Westport that are better experiences in my mind.


cheers
vk

[Jeff Loh]

Millbrook is the 9 holer Victor

[Rick Lane]

Hi guys, I thought you would enjoy a 1931 composite aerial of Brooklawn in the middle of Tillinghasts reconstruction.  There was an 18 hole course designed by the members (we assume Archer Wheeler and George Sparling among others) and built in 1911, replacing the original 1895 nine hole course.  Tillinghast was hired in Sept 1929 to rework the course.  In this picture, which was found in a dusty box in the basement of Fairfield town hall, you can see many of the old simple convex greens, as well as the well bunkered and contoured new greens by Tillinghast.  This is one of the pictures we use in our long range planning for Brooklawn.

[Bret Lawrence]

Rick,


Very cool aerial.  Thanks for sharing!  George Sparling also designed the Newtown Country Club in Newtown, CT in 1915.  Gene Sarazen was an honorary member of Newtown CC and used the course quite often to practice. 


Bret

[Tim Martin]

Rick-It's a fun old course and the tree removal has been great with more to come if I'm not mistaken. Although the sycamores were taken down what do you think of the tree up off the right on the par 3 15th hole? I couldn't locate a picture but it would seem to be a cleaner look from the tee if removed with no real significance to strategy other than an internal musing of "that tree is not in play".   I liked the hole but came away with that thought. Thank you.

[Rick Lane]

That tree is staying.  As you are aware, any tree taken down expends political capital!   There are other trees more worth it for now.  The two we took down on 15 took an 8 year conversation! 


I hope that we go in the direction of Philly Cricket Club, leaving individual strategic and beautiful trees, instead of groves of trees.   Leaving my open sight lines, grassy areas, better airflow and sunlight. 


Did you play that new back right tee on 15?  Great angle that mimics the angle on the photo I posted.  Tillie designed that angle, we put it back....hoping to expand that tee by moving the cart path.....


The other items on our plan involve fairway bunkers that were on Tillies original plan but never executed, likely because it was 1929.   One by one we are adding, such as on 12 and 14.  More to come....

[Tim Martin]

That tree is staying.  As you are aware, any tree taken down expends political capital!   There are other trees more worth it for now.  The two we took down on 15 took an 8 year conversation! 


I hope that we go in the direction of Philly Cricket Club, leaving individual strategic and beautiful trees, instead of groves of trees.   Leaving my open sight lines, grassy areas, better airflow and sunlight. 


Did you play that new back right tee on 15?  Great angle that mimics the angle on the photo I posted.  Tillie designed that angle, we put it back....hoping to expand that tee by moving the cart path.....


The other items on our plan involve fairway bunkers that were on Tillies original plan but never executed, likely because it was 1929.   One by one we are adding, such as on 12 and 14.  More to come....

Rick-I did play the new tee and it enhances the hole. As far as the tree in question it surely wasn't there when the course opened and though I appreciate your answer I can't see how its strategic? Thanks.

[Rick Lane]

That tree is staying.  As you are aware, any tree taken down expends political capital!   There are other trees more worth it for now.  The two we took down on 15 took an 8 year conversation! 


I hope that we go in the direction of Philly Cricket Club, leaving individual strategic and beautiful trees, instead of groves of trees.   Leaving my open sight lines, grassy areas, better airflow and sunlight. 


Did you play that new back right tee on 15?  Great angle that mimics the angle on the photo I posted.  Tillie designed that angle, we put it back....hoping to expand that tee by moving the cart path.....


The other items on our plan involve fairway bunkers that were on Tillies original plan but never executed, likely because it was 1929.   One by one we are adding, such as on 12 and 14.  More to come....

Rick-I did play the new tee and it enhances the hole. As far as the tree in question it surely wasn't there when the course opened and though I appreciate your answer I can't see how its strategic? Thanks.

For sure almost none of the trees on the property were there in 1895 or 1911.   All planted in the 40's and 50's, the "dark" ages.   I'm just saying that it takes political and financial capital to take down any tree, and there are others on the course that interfere with play, overhang fairways, etc, that we will do before we get to that tree.  There is also the grove of oaks that sit inside the dogleg of 16.....hmmm....blocks view of our beautiful clubhouse......that would be a battle!

[Tim Martin]

That tree is staying.  As you are aware, any tree taken down expends political capital!   There are other trees more worth it for now.  The two we took down on 15 took an 8 year conversation! 


I hope that we go in the direction of Philly Cricket Club, leaving individual strategic and beautiful trees, instead of groves of trees.   Leaving my open sight lines, grassy areas, better airflow and sunlight. 


Did you play that new back right tee on 15?  Great angle that mimics the angle on the photo I posted.  Tillie designed that angle, we put it back....hoping to expand that tee by moving the cart path.....


The other items on our plan involve fairway bunkers that were on Tillies original plan but never executed, likely because it was 1929.   One by one we are adding, such as on 12 and 14.  More to come....

Rick-I did play the new tee and it enhances the hole. As far as the tree in question it surely wasn't there when the course opened and though I appreciate your answer I can't see how its strategic? Thanks.

For sure almost none of the trees on the property were there in 1895 or 1911.   All planted in the 40's and 50's, the "dark" ages.   I'm just saying that it takes political and financial capital to take down any tree, and there are others on the course that interfere with play, overhang fairways, etc, that we will do before we get to that tree.  There is also the grove of oaks that sit inside the dogleg of 16.....hmmm....blocks view of our beautiful clubhouse......that would be a battle!

Rick-I understand where you are coming from. Thanks. I like the idea of thinning out 16. That's a cool short par four.

[Rick Lane]

Update on Brooklawn.   Many more trees out, specifically right side of 14, opening view down to 15 green. (and from 15 up the hill to clubhouse)  Others here and there creating air and sunlight.   Big change behind 9 green, took down the fence and path behind green, as well as garage (they own the house there), opening up 30 yards or so  behind the green, looks great, creates depth perception issues on approach, which is cool.

[Jon Claydon]

I met Arnie and Chi-Chi there during the 1987 US Sr. Open when my grandfather was alive and a member.  Good memory.

Thanks 

[Rick Lane]

Brooklawn was just awarded the 2020 US  Senior Women’s Open, the third one after Chicago Golf and Pine Needles.   Three Tillinghast courses that summer will have USGA Opens.   Winged Foot has the US Open, Newport has the Sr. Open.