Omaha CC

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Starting tomorrow Omaha CC will host The US Senior Open for the 2nd time in less than 10 years. I've been lucky enough to play this course a number of times, and think it is a terrific example of classic, parkland design. It's been a few years since my last visit, and it looks like some work has been done since the 2013 US Senior Open. Keith Foster did the renovation work before then, and does anyone know who has been in charge of the renovations/restoration since?


Here's a video of the 2013 course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv8R8A5G9Ko
Here's a video showcasing the course currently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4NtWIXSCS8




Thanks

[Phil Burr]

I found a reference to LaBar Golf out of NJ doing the work for the 2020 Senior Open.  Their website claims to have worked on a lot of high-profile courses (Winged Foot, Baltusrol, PH4, etc.).  The only person whose bio mentions Omaha CC has architectural ties to Roger Rulewich, who if I remember correctly was an RTJ Sr. disciple.  Another associate at LABar worked for Keith Foster until recently so I wouldn’t be surprised if Foster’s vision still helps guide the club even if his legal troubles limit his direct connection with the club.

[Tommy Williamsen]

It is a wonderful course and club. I played immediately after it held the last open. Story is that before the Open, Stadler played nine holes and jumped on a plane because he didn’t want to walk such a hilly course. It is a great venue for the championship.

[JohnVDB]

It is a wonderful course and club. I played immediately after it held the last open. Story is that before the Open, Stadler played nine holes and jumped on a plane because he didn’t want to walk such a hilly course. It is a great venue for the championship.

A number of our Rules officials complained about how hilly it was also.  I’m sure the ones who are there this time are glad the USGA changed its policy a few years ago and just assign officials to holes rather than walking with groups.

[Peter Flory]

I'm very excited to watch this week and it's 99% because of the course. 

[Ken Fry]

I have a friend of mine from OCC that wanted me to pass on the following information:



OCC did a renovation in August 2018 and reopened in June 2019.  The architect was Keith Foster and the construction company was LaBar.

Built 4 new championship tees, reduced the number of bunkers, and rebuilt all bunkers,  rebuilt and grassed all greens with pure distinction, added native areas, redesigned two holes on the back nine, and strategically removed numerous trees. The work has been well received by the members and the players.


As the course continues to improve in the future the club has engaged the architect Andrew Green to assist with all  areas of continuous  improvement.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I may have suffered more heartbreak at OCC than any golfer, LOL.  I did a 9 hole routing expansion plan, that was never implemented, and some various one day consulting gigs.  When it came time for the big renovation, in the early 1990s, they called me and Ben Crenshaw, who of course had the advantage. 


I didn't help myself - Arriving on site, one of the green committee pulled me aside and said that the one thing everyone was in agreement on was to keep the tree near the 4th green, so I should propose to save it.  Seemed easy enough.  Then I got there, and it was a Cottonwood with its attendant debris on the green, on the east side causing shade problems, and even a few roots showing under the green, which had to be an incredible hazard to lining up putts.  It also blocked circulation from cart path to green.  In short, it may have been the worst located tree I have ever seen on a golf course. 


Then the expected question came up, "Mr. Brauer, do you think we can save that tree?" My answer was, "Sure, just tell me where to stack the logs."  I lost the job at that moment, at least from the looks on their faces.


I also interviewed when Keith Foster got the job, also a tough sell for me because Keith was at his height.  He interviewed one day in April and I was scheduled the next.  It snowed overnight, and he had walked them around the course, pointing real details.  My site walk in the snow was much less enthusiastically received, and in the post interview recap, they mentioned that I just didn't have the intimate knowledge of the course that Keith did.   I have been a victim of a few snow jobs before, but that was the only time I was a victim of a real snowstorm, LOL. 

[Kurt Everett]

https://twitter.com/kurteverett/status/1412809048643280908?s=20
[/size]
[/size]Here's a post I made yesterday.  I got to play OCC last fall and was really impressed.  Not sure how much Maxwell there really is, but the club touts it as so.  Course was in pristine condition and I loved the routing.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I think the bigger debate is whether the original was by Langford and Moreau or Stiles and Van Kleek.  The latter did list the course in some, but not all of their brochures.  Maxwell came in 1951 to do about 3 holes (3-5 from memory) and 5 greens, which was actually his very last project, and I think that is the reason they favored to play up their Maxwell pedigree.

[Sven Nilsen]

I think the bigger debate is whether the original was by Langford and Moreau or Stiles and Van Kleek.  The latter did list the course in some, but not all of their brochures.  Maxwell came in 1951 to do about 3 holes (3-5 from memory) and 5 greens, which was actually his very last project, and I think that is the reason they favored to play up their Maxwell pedigree.

Omaha CC was S&VK.


To call it a Maxwell course is a disservice to the original designers.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sven,


I refrained from any editorial comment.


As to the original, I recall discussions here, with most thinking it was LM, but Whitten finding a brochure from SVK claiming it, and thus calling it that in his book.  Most of the historic sleuths here seemed to challenge that, or am I misremembering?

[Sven Nilsen]

Sven,


I refrained from any editorial comment.


As to the original, I recall discussions here, with most thinking it was LM, but Whitten finding a brochure from SVK claiming it, and thus calling it that in his book.  Most of the historic sleuths here seemed to challenge that, or am I misremembering?

Jeff:


C&W did have it as a S&VK, as does the Labbance and Mendik book.  I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure it was Whitten who had all the L&M plans that were found in Chicago, so he would have known best if had actually been an L&M design.  L&M did work in Omaha (at Highland (aka Ironwood) around 1921 and Happy Hollow around 1926), just not at OCC.


Here's one copy of the 1924 Ad from S&VK that mentioned OCC (from Fraser's International Golf Year Book).





In addition, there was a Feb. 16, 1928 Atlanta Constitution article that noted a good bit of work by S&VK and mentioned OCC.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sven,

Since only 18 of 27 proposed holes were built, it gives new meaning to "partial list of courses designed and constructed."

Thank God it's not Merion!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sven,


Just corresponded with Ron W, and you had the story exactly right.  Langford's son gave Ron the plan collection.  One tube was labeled "Omaha CC" but it was the Happy Hollow file, casually named only after the city the project was in.  Ron said he presented those plans to the club, but they seem to still prefer the Maxwell designation, over both L and M and S&VK. 


Their club history may overstate how many greens Maxwell redid there, claiming he did most of them, plus a few hole relocations.  Maybe they just prefer the better known name associated with their course, or maybe they prefer to have the "Midwest associate" type connection over some New England firm.  Maybe SVK never got that far west to really oversee construction and so they downplay their original contributions, or figure re-routing a few holes made the SVK routing null and void as far as credit.  All speculation on my part.


I suspect it is vaguely unsatisfactory to someone like yourself who spends a lot of time digging up the history of golf course architects.

[Terry Lavin]

Looks spectacular on television. What a rollicking piece of property!  I look forward to the next three days of coverage.

[Dave Duevel]

I went to school and residency in Nebraska, and was fortunate to play all of the great courses in the state. OCC is spectacular and easily one of the most underrated courses in the entire Midwest. It has great variety of holes and is very playable for all skill sets.


Sand Hills is the only course in the state I would rank above it. OCC and Dismal Red are a toss up for #2.

[Tom_Doak]

Sand Hills is the only course in the state I would rank above it. OCC and Dismal Red are a toss up for #2.

It must be pretty good then 😀


I was discussing Maxwell’s oeuvre yesterday with someone and after the top 100 entries he mentioned Omaha, which neither of us had seen.  I had not ever thought of it as Maxwell’s work, so I am pleased to see from this thread that is an exaggeration.  It’s poor form of the club to claim it as such, if they know better, but that’s the nature of this business.


Just the other day I heard from someone on Instagram that “the rumor is” that I had a lot to do with the greens shaping at Stoatin Brae, even though I had nothing to do with it, I have tried to give my associates all the credit, and the design contract forbids them from using my name.  Yet I often see the course written up as being “designed by Tom Doak’s associates” using my name and not theirs, and apparently someone is just making shit up to invoke my name.

[Kurt Everett]

Sand Hills is the only course in the state I would rank above it. OCC and Dismal Red are a toss up for #2.

I was discussing Maxwell’s oeuvre yesterday with someone and after the top 100 entries he mentioned Omaha, which neither of us had seen.  I had not ever thought of it as Maxwell’s work, so I am pleased to see from this thread that is an exaggeration.  It’s poor form of the club to claim it as such, if they know better, but that’s the nature of this business.

Agree.  When I played there last Fall, Maxwell's picture is all over and that's definitely the architect they are promoting.  It's a wonderful golf course but I feel like it's a little disingenuous.  There were at least a couple architects that help build it long before him.

[Sven Nilsen]

Maybe SVK never got that far west to really oversee construction and so they downplay their original contributions, or figure re-routing a few holes made the SVK routing null and void as far as credit.  All speculation on my part.

There is a 1927 article that notes William Tucker had charge of the course plans that were completed last year.  Tucker did design his own courses, but was better known for building courses designed by others, something he did quite a bit of around this point in his career. 


Makes total sense that S&VK did the design as reported and Tucker built the course as Omaha was a bit out of their range for a paper to grass project.


July 17, 1927 Nebraska State Journal -

[JC Urbina]

Sven,


Can you send me a personal message, I have a few questions about William Tucker?




Thanks in advance.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Place looks awesome. Looks very dramatic on TV which means it's gotta be crazy hilly. The land movement reminds me of how dramatic Portrush looked on TV.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sven,


I'm surprised one of my hunches about the state of early and Golden Age golf design and construction is actually true!  That said, I think a few of my Merion hunches way back in the day were also true, but certain participants refused to believe so, LOL>


In one of those weird coincidences, I renovated the greens on the course Tucker designed for the City of Lincoln back in 1989, one of the early projects of my solo career.  It was 18 holes then, and I think it got to 27, but not sure it ever made 36 holes.  The 18 holes left are the ones south and west of the clubhouse, suggesting they kept the second 18.  The earliest aerial photo I see is 1955, and it was 18 holes then, but it makes sense if it was reduced during the depression perhaps.


I found the routing to be quite good.  I recall especially the 7th, where the fw was placed just inside the top of a ridge, basically, it was the hazard and if you missed left, the slope caused you to really miss left.  But, you hit the top edge of the fairway, and you bound nicely down to the right and middle.


Looking at the old aerials, I see the combo of slope and clay soils caused some drainage problems.  If I had enough budget to do more than greens, I am pretty sure I would have done some work to eliminate those long, long flows of water over 5-15% slopes.

[Sven Nilsen]

Jeff:


Is the Lincoln course you're talking about now known as Hillcrest CC?  Or Pioneer Park?


Sven

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sven,


Need to edit.  From the description of the nines and the clubhouse, I thought it was Pioneer Park.  But, PP is on Van Dorn, and Hillcrest is on O.


More info from Ron Whitten on Pioneer Park...somehow, Willie Dunn had the original job, and did a routing.  Ron doesn't know it was drinking or lack of tact, but it was one of many he found where Dunn had been announced in the papers, but it later went to someone else.  There are Tucker and Dunn routings.  The corridors were very similar, and Tucker reversed a few holes.  The article mentioning Dunn also mentions that the site contained natural bluegrass that would minimize construction to just greens and tees.  The Tucker plans is labled "designed and constructed by WH Tucker.


Of interest to me in the article you posted are the comments by Tucker about Hillcrest about a "new style of green" with 6 to 8 foot mounds surrounding.  Might be interesting to see the originals.

[Mike Hendren]

Has the creek been piped under the 10th fairway?  It's not shown on aerials and I recall it forced a bit of a layup from the tee for the bigger hitters.


Mike