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Ran Morrissett

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 https://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/gholz-anthony-colt-alison-in-north-america-bowness-golf-club-1913/

Anthony Gholz, our Feature Interviewee in December 2018, is here again to unfold more exploits of the great Harry Colt. This time, the subject matter is about the 27 holes that Colt designed along the Bow River (fans of Banff Springs know the river well).

John Hextall, a 20th Century visionary, purchased nearly 2,500 acres outside of Calgary on open, rolling land above the river, where he was determined to build the 'suburb perfect’. Wealthy folks would insist on living out there, in part because they could play 27 holes designed by Colt for free. Additionally, the expansive Bowness Park would be created on two islands in the river so that life could be celebrated in the great outdoors.

Anthony's meticulously researched and artfully presented piece captures the grandeur of Hextall's dream. Unfortunately, Hextall never enjoyed good health and passed away in April, 1914 without ever seeing the golf. Additionally, several months prior, the real estate boom went bust and this one-two punch of events meant that the project wallowed for several years. Fortunately, some of the other founders rallied and Anthony paints the picture of the 27 holes that opened in 1917:

In addition to an eighteen hole “championship” Colt designed a 9-hole Ladies course on the Bowness property, . The Ladies course was a figure 8 loop with five holes playing along the bluff overlooking the Bow River valley nearest the residential development. The big course lay further south and meandered back and forth along the ridge with forays up and down the drainage valleys that were both perpendicular and parallel to the ridge line. It was a spacious layout with grand views for miles in all directions. Unfortunately, after the loss of their wealthiest and most influential member several amenities were cut from the program, including the promised "special construction" of the greens. All 27 holes of the Bowness Golf Club had sand greens all the way through the Great Depression and WWII. Praise was quickly heaped on Bowness Golf Club, despite its primitive putting surfaces. In 1922, the club summoned Willie Park who set about improving the design. As Anthony explains, Park,  among other things, planned to move three Colt holes from the rugged east end of the property. The work wasn't carried out until 1926 and by then, Park had died. Still, in 1926, the 27 holes must have been something special as some of the objections to Colt's work like the steep uphill 18th had been replaced.

The Great Depression arrives and takes the Bowness Golf Club story downhill. It had financial struggles almost yearly and ultimately, goes into bankruptcy. In the late 1950s, some of its property was taken away for the Trans-Canada highway. The Ladies Course was the last bit of golf but it too succumbed in the 1960s. Today there is only the park, which is still the largest in Calgary according to Anthony.

Yuck. Here was a special piece of property that received the direct, hands-on attention from two of the all-time great architects, Colt and Park but is gone. Reading the piece you appreciate Anthony's dogged determination in following lead after lead to piece the facts together. One is surely moved by Hextall's vision and what was created but sadly resigned to what our game lost.

Congrats to Anthony for furthering our education and expanding our knowledge on Colt and Park - and on what surely must have been a special 27 holes in an invigorating environment.

Best,
« Last Edit: June 24, 2020, 09:13:42 AM by Ran Morrissett »

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Anthony Gholz's piece on Bowness GC published under IMO
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2020, 01:10:50 PM »
I imagine you undertook a great deal time and effort on research for this piece Anthony so well done.
Sand greens inception inception until the 1960’s if I read correctly.
I wonder how sand greens were looked after during the cold winters what with thawing etc afterwards? Covered with straw/tarpaulins maybe etc?
Arb

Anthony Gholz

  • Karma: +0/-0
DT


You got it right: sand for 1916-17 through 1963.  This is the only C&A in NA course(s) that I've known with sand greens.  I'd be interested in whether there were any in Europe, or maybe SA.  As shown in one of the at grade photos the greens were fully formed undulating putting surfaces.  Colt had so much land to select his greens sites that they all had special undulations ready made.  These were not the round 16' circles of sand I played one summer in northern Minnesota mining country, where we dragged a rug on the surface to smooth it out afterward. 


The greens were re-sanded in either spring or fall and sometimes both.  They were also oiled each year with much consternation in Meeting Minutes as to the price of oil and availability (in oil-rich Alberta?) in down times.  Maybe the oil needed to be refined elsewhere?  Rolled with water drum rollers.  They were smooth enough surfaces to be commented on by players in City and Alberta Opens and Amateurs as wonderful to putt.  Sand greens were not maintenance free or no maintenance.  No green coverings that I read about, but that makes sense.


Is there someone (Pinehurst maybe) who knows about sand greens today, maintenance and locating pins.  I can't imagine cutting new holes in greens weekly(?).


Anthony


JC Jones

  • Karma: +0/-0
I drove the trans-Canada highway between Moosejaw and Banff last year and it was interesting to see many 9 hole courses along the way with sand greens.  First time seeing them, I regret not jumping out for a quick play.
I get it, you are mad at the world because you are an adult caddie and few people take you seriously.

Excellent spellers usually lack any vision or common sense.

I know plenty of courses that are in the red, and they are killing it.

Niall C

  • Karma: +0/-0
Anthony

Well done on your piece, an interesting read. In terms of sand greens, I think maybe some of the early courses in southern Europe had them. Maybe Colt experienced them there also ?

Niall

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