Was Macdonald's Shinnecock any good?

[Sven Nilsen]

Do we know where the bastion bunker was located, and if it was the CBM version of the course that removed it?


I agree with Steven, that bunker would be akin to Oakmonts church pews had it survived. Think about the $$$ from custom headcovers!

It was on the 5th hole of the course (which was called the Bastion Hole) in the 1900 and earlier version (as seen in the second photo in the 1900 article below).  Based on the 1915 map below, that area of the course seems about the same as that described in 1900, with the main alterations made in the length of many of the holes.  What I don't know is if the nature of the Bastion bunker was changed in the years leading up to CBM's work.


June 10, 1900 Brooklyn Daily Eagle -





April 8, 1915 Evening Telegram -

[John Connolly]

Sven,


I think the 5th hole is correct and I'm glad to see this in print. I saw a post on X that said it was on the 4th hole but the orientation of the bunker didn't make sense in that instance. The long axis of the Bastion bunker clearly points back up to the clubhouse which would mean is should sit as crossing hazard on the 5th hole, as your routing shows. And the horses are sitting on the road that runs through the 1st. Nice sleuthing.


https://x.com/tonyjdear/status/989568907609452545?mx=2

[Sven Nilsen]

John:


It may have been the 4th hole at some point.


Sven

[Bret Lawrence]

Circumstantial evidence might suggest that Macdonald didn't want serious competition with his beloved NGLA next door.   

I think this is a reasonable assumption, but we have to remember that Macdonald did all of this free of charge.  He gave his neighbors a better golf course than the course that preceded it.  A good analogy may be If you worked on your property for the better part of a decade and put your heart and soul into it to make it beautiful. Then, a decade later your neighbor says I want to improve my property like yours, but I only have two years and half the money you had.  Do you try to make it better than your property? 


Circumstances suggest Macdonald was a good neighbor at the end of the day.  I get the feeling that Macdonald worked on the courses he was going to play regularly.  Places like the Creek, Links, Deepdale, Mid-Ocean and Shinnecock got Macdonald’s attention because he played these courses often.  I don’t think anyone (including Macdonald) was upset about Flynn coming to town and delivering a better golf course.  Flynn was working at the Creek when Macdonald was still alive.  It’s part of the evolution of a championship course and as a researcher I enjoy seeing how these courses grew and evolved throughout the years.

[Cal Seifert]

Thank you everyone for the interesting replies and photos. Seems like the Bastian bunker was located on what is presently the short course. I did not realize it was on a par 3.

[Sven Nilsen]

Adding in a quick summary of the evolution of the course up until CBM came in.  If anyone has any additions, or corrections, please let me know.

1891 - Willie Davis lays out a 9 hole course.  9 hole women's course also built at this time.

1st - 238 yards
2nd - 187 yards
3rd - 395 yards
4th - 275 yards
5th - 412 yards
6th - 297 yards
7th - 265 yards
8th - 225 yards
9th - 242 yards



1893 - Course had been expanded to 12 holes by Willie Dunn.  There is little similarity to the holes of the 9 hole version.



1895 - Course increased to 18 holes.  Holes 9 to 15 are the new holes incorporating the high ground called "Ben Nevis", added to the 12 hole course between the previous 8th and 9th holes.

1st – 275 yards - Mews
2nd – 263 yards - Belfry
3rd – 226 yards – Crater
4th – 220 yards– Plateau
5th – 161 yards – Bastion
6th – 256 yards – Cloister
7th – 356 yards – Long Acre
8th – 165 yards – Sandy Mount
9th – 204 yards - Windmill
10th – 226 yards - Brae
11th – 266 yards - Ben Nevis
12th – 287 yards - Knoll
13th – 200 yards – Round Top
14th – 317 yards - Lowlands
15th – 333 yards - Eastward Ho
16th – 250 yards - Peconic
17th – 258 yards - Dell
18th - 178 yards – Home



1900 - Course has been improved and lengthened since 1896.

1st – 291 yards - Mews
2nd – 277 yards - Belfry
3rd – 248 yards - Crater
4th – 228 yards - Plateau
5th –162 yards - Bastion
6th – 308 yards - Cloister
7th – 357 yards – Long Acre
8th – 354 yards – Sandy Mount
9th – 489 yards – Ben-Nevis
1st Nine Holes – 2,714 yards
10th – 413 yards – Valley
11th – 231 yards – Sebozac
12th – 203 yards - Cross-roads
13th – 368 yards – Knoll
14th – 384 yards – Lowlands
15th – 370 yards – Eastward Ho
16th – 260 yards - Peconic
17th- 214 yards - Dell
18th- 212 yards - Home
2nd Nine Holes – 2,655 yards
Total – 5,369 yards

1901 - Women's course to be abolished and 5,389 yard regular course to be extended to over 6,000 yards.

1909 - New bunkers added.

1913 - Course resurveyed and relocated a few years ago.

1915 - Drive on the 8th hole no longer over the railroad tracks and 9th hole shortened.

1st – 291 yards - The Mews
2nd – 305 yards - Belfry
3rd – 248 yards - Crater
4th – 266 yards - Plateau
5th –162 yards - Bastion
6th – 343 yards – Cloister
7th – 375 yards – Long Acre
8th – 535 yards – Embankment
9th – 485 yards – Ben-Nevis
1st Nine Holes – 3,010 yards
10th – 200 yards – Bowl
11th – 307 yards – Knoll
12th – 408 yards - Lowlands
13th – 385 yards – Eastward Ho
14th – 436 yards – Plains
15th – 464 yards – Peconic
16th – 343 yards – Cross Roads
17th- 367 yards - Sebonac
18th- 160 yards - Home
2nd Nine Holes – 3.070 yards
Total – 6,080 yards

[Sven Nilsen]

Do we know where the bastion bunker was located, and if it was the CBM version of the course that removed it?

Looking at the aerial posted by Bret in reply 14, it appears that the Bastion bunker may have been incorporated in CBM's course as a fairway bunker on the 5th hole.


The bunker also appears in the 1938 aerial posted earlier, but that hole was no longer part of the course as configured by Flynn.


In modern aerials, the Bastion bunker is gone, suggesting it was removed when the short course was built.  Interestingly enough there is a bunker nearby on the short course which can be made out in both the CBM aerial and the 1938 aerial.

[MCirba]

Awesome stuff, Sven.  Thanks.

[Steven Wade]

Sven,


What an incredible post. Thank you for that.

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