Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course) profile is posted ...

[Ran Morrissett]

... under Courses by Country and Architecture Timeline.


Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner.
 
A pithy quote to be sure and one that reminds me of the governance at private golf clubs. The lambs, weaker players are underrepresented because the better players are presumably more knowledgeable about golf architecture and sit on the greens committees that direct the evolution (devolution) of Golden Age courses. This too often results in tough, hard courses at country clubs that then want for members.
 
Olympia Fields is in the midst of demonstrating how a club with championship courses can - and should - proceed. The club hosted the US Amateur three months ago - and enjoys robust membership numbers. The successful melding of championship and member golf makes the club broadly appealing, despite an inconvenient location.
 
The North Course is materially different than the one I saw in 2002. I liked it then but today's course is a clear notch better. It is more open, enjoys healthier grass, firmer conditions, less water, more diverse short game interest, a new set of tees at the 5,950 yard mark (which I didn't play before someone cruelly suggests otherwise  ), and more ground game options thanks to the (daring/revolutionary/startling) removal of some fronting bunkers.
 

This 2015 aerial of the 5th shows the return of Park's short bunker. Previously, a bunker built around ~1959 sealed off the front of the green.



As seen from behind the 8th, the right front bunker was reduced, creating a bigger gap so that players can once again scoot the ball onto the putting surface of this long par 3.
 
I am not readily aware of other examples where fronting bunkers at big time courses have been removed/reduced.
In my eyes, architect Mark Mungeam, ace Green Keeper Sam MacKenzie and an astute board have propelled Olympia Fields into the top echelon of parkland courses ahead of those with less natural interest (Baltusrol Lower) and those that have snubbed their Golden Age heritage (Oak Hill).

OFCC's tradition of testing the best happily exists with Willie Park's design intent, which is a win for all class golfers.
See if you concur!

Best,

[Matt_Cohn]

Purposeful omission of #18 from the profile?

[Paul OConnor]

Ran,

Thanks for a such a thoughtful profile.  You confirm what many OFCC Members already know, that the North Course is one of the truly great parkland courses. 

Paul O'Connor

[Niall C]

Ran


Many thanks for profiling yet another fantastic looking course. I was particularly struck by your comments on the bunkering at the 5th hole and in particular your comment that Park's use of the fronting bunker was primarily to obscure the view of the green. I can't recall Park mentioning that kind of idea in his 1896 book, and given he was at Olympia Fields in the early 1920's when blind shots were certainly going out of fashion, I wondered where you got that idea from. Was that something that was in a Park report to the club or from writings elsewhere ?


Niall

[JWinick]

As one of our most active members with over 70 posted rounds per year, I appreciate your comments!    The only controversy is that the 18th hole is now a Par 4 for everyone (instead of a Par 5 from the white's), which hurts scotch games.   

[Terry Lavin]

As one of our most active members with over 70 posted rounds per year, I appreciate your comments!    The only controversy is that the 18th hole is now a Par 4 for everyone (instead of a Par 5 from the white's), which hurts scotch games.

That's funny.  When I was on the Board at OFCC, we changed it to a par-4 and within a week there were 200 signatures on a petition demanding that we change it back, principally because of the  scotch game/betting complaint, so we demurred and changed it.  Our logic was simple: the North course is best known because of its brawn and to finish the course with a 490 yard par-5 that was commonly played as driver, seven-iron, nine-iron didn't reflect the real nature of the course.  The scaling back of the pond that effectively removed the running shot is another terrific (and simple) change to this hole.  It's much better and much more in character with the rest of this terrific golf course.

Now, if they would only get an architect in to re-do the out-of-place sixth hole...

[JWinick]

I think the sixth hole is an underrated par-3, the only issue is the walk to the tee on 7.    I've wondered why we just don't leave a golf cart there for people who find that walk to be too much.  The other option is to hit your tee shot on 6 then 7, which a lot of members do, and then hit your shots around the green on six.   


The 18th is a better hole as a Par 4.   I do not deny that I may have been a beneficiary or a victim in an expensive umbrella on 18 when it was a par 5, so I can see both sides!   Nothing stops people from playing the blues and playing it as a Par 5.

[Dan Moore]

I'm looking forward to Tim Cronin's Centennial History on Olympia Fields due any day now.  I assume Tim's research will settle some nagging questions about the origin of the Club and its early architecture.

My research shows Harry Collis from nearby Flossmoor CC laid out the first course at OFCC that the members played in 1916 and probably 1917. Then William Watson and Tom Bendelow submitted drawings in November 1916 for two additional courses.  Subsequently they co-redesigned the Collis course which generally has been assumed to be Course #3.  However an early 1917 article states Watson and Bendelow were redesigning Course #1 and Watson was designing Course #2 and Bendelow Course #3.  I've always assumed this article got the course numbers wrong and that Bendelow's course was #1 Watson's #2 and the co-redesign of the original course was #3 so it will be interesting to see what Tim comes up with.  This course numbering is somewhat supported by the 1928 US Open program Book  which states 1^st course opened July 10, 1916 designed by Tom Bendelow, 2^nd Course Opened May 15, 1918 Watson, 3^rd Course opened June 15, 1920 Watson and Bendelow revised by Park, 4^th course opened July 4, 1923. However the 1916 opening date of Course #1 pre-dates the submission of Bendelow's plan in November 1916. 

While Watson and Bendelow submitted plans/drawings in November 1916 the Club hired James Foulis as their greenskeeper and he was largely responsible for building and bring those courses to life between 1916 and 1920. In April 1919 Willie Park Jr was on site for a week and made numerous suggestions for the improvement of courses 1-2 and submitted plans for the completion of Course 3.  Foulis was on hand to implement Parks changes.  Course 4 was finally built in 1922 after a return visit from Park who also made further changes to Course #3 at that time. 

I'm sure Tim with full access to early Club records will be able too fill in many of the details and give all of us a better idea who did what in the early days of OFCC. 

Kudos to Andy Revell, Brian Morrison and Sam McKenzie for a great job with the North course renovations and the Amateur Championship!!

[MCirba]

I really do need to get to Chicago this coming year.   It's by far the biggest omission on my US resume and based on this profile Olympia Fields North is right at the top of my must see list.

Thanks for the tour, Ran.

[Terry Lavin]

Playing both courses at OFCC, followed the next day by Flossmoor and Beverly is what I call the King of Western Avenue tour. Great stuff indeed. It's also cool to stay overnight on property at Olympia.

[Tim_Cronin]

Playing both courses at OFCC, followed the next day by Flossmoor and Beverly is what I call the King of Western Avenue tour. Great stuff indeed. It's also cool to stay overnight on property at Olympia.

And back in the day, Evergreen! (Kidding, though there were a couple interesting holes.)

[Ben Wolfe]

Great topic, playability and teeing options go a long way towards improving the game. It helps keep the interest of a wider variety of golfers and also helps with pace of play. Other courses need to take notice of these great changes!

[Sven Nilsen]

Olympia Fields flies below the radar of the great American courses, perhaps due to the dominance of one player during the 2003 US Open played there or the intrusion of the "Chicago Way" that seemingly was the root of the USGA's reticence for a return engagement.

From a historical perspective, it is of interest to note how the course was perceived after its opening.

The following article (May 16, 1926 Brooklyn Daily Eagle) contains the rankings of the 15 finest courses in the country by a number of big golf names.  Olympia Fields made a number of these lists.

[Mike Sweeney]

We have a number of former posters from OFCC and I am currently watching the LPGA.


There are always nitpicks, but the course looks great.

• true greens - check
• reasonable rough - check
• interesting mowing lines - check

I really like watching the women play classic courses.

[Tim_Cronin]

PGA set-up guru Kerry Haigh seems to have gotten it right this week. The scoring average through three rounds on the par-71 alignment is 72.383.


The scoring average for the four rounds of the 2003 U.S. Open: 72.38.

[Terry Lavin]

This tournament is a great opportunity to see a perfect setup by one of the best superintendents in the business, Sam MacKenzie, on an American parkland classic. You'll get panoramic and unobstructed views of 16 of the holes as there are very few spectators until the last two where there are some bodies. It's amazing the time energy and effort put into staging this major and they only draw minor galleries.

[Tom_Doak]

Apologies for the thread jack, but I just noticed that Leo Diegel rated Laurel CC in Mississippi as the #1 course in America!  That was a cool place ... I wish I'd had time to play it.

[Sean_A]

PGA set-up guru Kerry Haigh seems to have gotten it right this week. The scoring average through three rounds on the par-71 alignment is 72.383.


The scoring average for the four rounds of the 2003 U.S. Open: 72.38.

I have no idea what info the scoring ave is meant to convey.  Please explain.

Ciao

[Peter Pallotta]

Apologies for the thread jack, but I just noticed that Leo Diegel rated Laurel CC in Mississippi as the #1 course in America!  That was a cool place ... I wish I'd had time to play it.

I guess I've been wrong about the consensus opinion being more dominant today than it's ever been. Mr. Diegel had the freedom of mind not to list Pine Valley as No. 1 or to include Oakmont at all, and he got hammered for it, e.g.

"If Diegel sought to make himself ridiculous he couldn't have chosen a better way..." and
"Diegel's ideas of what constitutes a great golf course don't coincide very closely with Bernard Darwin's. The eminent nephew of the gent who proved to the satisfaction of everyone but Bill Bryan's Fundamentalists that men sprang from monkeys selected Pine Valley, Lido and the National as America's three greatest golf links..."

Wow, not only a dominant/consensus opinion way back in 1926, but one that was defended by no less a hammer than a reference to the Scopes Trial and an open mocking of 3-time Democratic Party Presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan (who had died less than a year earlier!)

Geez - tough crowd back then; our group think is positively mild in comparison! I mean, sure I might get criticized for complaining about what Sand Valley looks to be, but at least no one's going to throw my Creationist beliefs back in my face...! 


   

[Garland Bayley]

I think the sixth hole is an underrated par-3, the only issue is the walk to the tee on 7.    I've wondered why we just don't leave a golf cart there for people who find that walk to be too much.  The other option is to hit your tee shot on 6 then 7, which a lot of members do, and then hit your shots around the green on six.   

...

If the USGA is interested in speeding up play, then why don't they allow hitting two tee shots like this in configurations like this on six and seven. it couldn't possibly change the scoring results.

[Paul OConnor]

o

[V_Halyard]

Outstanding. Thanks Ran!
"5,950 yard mark (which I didn't play before someone cruelly suggests otherwise..)"
Ran, so sensitive. Bill Morrisett's brother is proud to play from any tee.
Peter, Jeff, my clubs are in the car. What's our tee time?

[Jeff Schley]

Outstanding. Thanks Ran!
"5,950 yard mark (which I didn't play before someone cruelly suggests otherwise..)"
Ran, so sensitive. Bill Morrisett's brother is proud to play from any tee.
Peter, Jeff, my clubs are in the car. What's our tee time?

I'm off tomorrow at 740 then onto O'Hare for my flight back to Saudi.  Catch you next time for sure.  Btw I doubt I can keep up the hot play I had at the Riv!