Thanks for the comments gentlemen, this is what I was hoping for with this post. Although the materials are all available, we haven't copied them and gathered everything together in one spot so we really haven't begun the process yet. But we have done a pretty good job of researching the materials available to us. I have the Flynn plan but don't have a copy of the Ross plan as yet, I do have a modern (1994) aerial and our favorite aerial sleuth got me a copy of the 1938 aerial from the NARA. I'm sure by the Baltusrol gathering we'll have all the plans and photos and we will be well into the analysis so we should have something to share. The architect that is helping me with this will be there (Ron Forse) as will Tom Paul. So we should be able to make a short presentation if people want or chat on the sidelines during a break in the action.
If people want to look up the site on Mapquest, the address for the CC of York is:
1400 Country Club Road
York, PA 17403
The site has about 200 feet of elevation change with a meandering stream in the SE part of the course and a spring on the NE end. Flynn indicated a driving range on his plan but there was none on the Ross plan as far as I know. The clubhouse was indicated in the same spot on both plans. I'm not yet sure if this was a coincidence, necessary, or a demand by the club. This club is situated on some beautiful property with nice estate homes on the eastern edge of the property and a very sharp drop off on the western side. This is where Scott Nye, the former head pro put in a driving range maybe 10 years or so ago. I think Flynn intended to do a bit more engineering involving the moving of the stream around the 12th and 13th greens on his plan. Typical of Flynn, he was routing all over the place, up and down slopes, along slopes which canted the fairways in different directions, from high tees to high greens, there's a little bit of everything going on there.
Please keep up with the questions, I just won't have many answers for a while but they will help us plan the analysis and execute it thoroughly.
RJ,
If I knew how to post the plans, I would although I'm not certain we can. The Flynn map is quite large, about 4 feet by 6 feet so the file is quite big, even as a jpeg. That's the limit of my techincal skill I'm afraid and it ain't much, although significantly more than Mr. Paul
. Sorry to leave you hanging on this. I think our book will really be comprehensive and an analysis like this will really make an interesting story.
My guess as of now is that the two men didn't have too many limitations (I'll have to find out about the clubhouse issue). The property lines seems to be established as they are identical in the Flynn plan and what was built according to Ross' plan. The golf course is not really constrained by any streets or quarries or the like. I think this was very rural for quite a time, after all there isn't urban sprawl out there even today.
Tom MacWood and Mike Sweeney
I understand the point that you are trying to make. That is to somehow factor in the site limitations that impinged both plans when considering the differences in the creative efforts by both master architects. Good point and one we will certainly address. Thanks!