The Eden's Original Routing

[Mike Hendren]

Am I correct in assuming the present 1st hole was Colt's 3rd and the present 18th was his 16th with the four holes lost to the practice facility?  Any description of the lost holes and other NLE features would be appreciated.  

Fie upon Donald Steele.  I unclog my nose in his general direction!

MIke  

[Paul_Turner]

Yes Mike the driving range destroyed the old 1,2,17,18.  None of which were over outstanding terrain...more field like than lumpy links.  So the current 1st was the 3rd and it was then a par 3.  The big loss apparently was the original 16th, which got lost in the redo.  It was a brilliant par 3 to another one of those crazy greens.

[Mike Hendren]

Paul,

While the one-shot 10th fits in the current routing, it stuck out like a sore thumb.  Is it also a Steele hole, perhaps somehow replacing the lost 16th you alluded to?

Mike

[Paul_Turner]

Yes the 10th with that push up green is Steel's.  

Would love to see an old pic of the original 16th if anyone has one.

[Tom_Doak]

I think I still have a picture of the old 16th in my files, although I'm in Australia this week so it will have to wait a bit.  Someone remind me about this after February 18th!

The hole was not as wild as the three other par-3's on the course, but it was still a good one.  The land had a kind of washboard roll to it and the green, as best I can remember, was low in the center and laid over low ridges at the front and back.

[T_MacWood]

Ironic the Eden would come up on a thread, I've just stumbled across an interesting article. In May of 1938 it was announced Colt, Alison and Morrison would be undertaking drastic changes to the Eden. The plan was approved by the St.Andrews Town Council, evidently Mr. Morrison had presented the proposal.

"The alterations will include the merging of the 12th and 13th holes, which lie along the bank of the River Eden, into one hole: the construction of a new short 17th hole between the present 17th and the 18th, and putting back of the of the present short 16th hole tee a distance of 35 yards. The present long 15th thus will become the 14th hole and the present short 16th will become the 15th, allowing for the introduction of the new short 17th hole. The present 17th hole will then become the 16th. The existing tee for the ninth hole will be constructed 35 yards farther back and 15 yards to the right of the present back tee. The length of the new 17th short hole will 160 yards, which with the alterations to the tees extend the Eden Course by 260 yards to approximately 6410 yards. The length of the course is given at 6150."

I'm not familar with the Eden layout, but I suspect the changes were never carried out due to the war.

[ForkaB]

Interesting stuff, Tom

I  have played the Eden several times, and have a routing of it in front of me.  The routing is of photographic quality and shows the following.

Currently, there are only two holes which lie along the bank of the Eden, 4 and 7 (not counting 5 and 8, whose tees lie on the bank, heading inland, between 4 and 7 greens--it is a very unusual routing!).  4 is a driveable "par" 4 of 273 and 7 is another shortish hole (313), so it is hard to see what your article meant by "merging...the 12th and 13th holes."  However, my routing clearly shows an NLE hole, whose tee would have between the current 13th green and the Eden, and would play to a green on the Eden, behind the current 7th tee.  This makes sense, as the current 13th is clearly a better (Colt?) hole than the Steele holes which follow it.  Also, it keeps the entire course to the TOC side of the railway line.

All that being said, I've spent a few minutes trying to imagine how any of these holes, under any possible old routing (including the NLE holes at the beginning and end of Colt's course) and still can't find those old 12th and 13th holes that Morrison talks about.

Any help out there?

[Mike Hendren]

Rich,

Not until your post did I realize the 4th was listed at 273.  The tee must have been up last fall as I distinctly recall hitting a 3-iron, thinking it was one of the most difficult par three's I'd seen!

I do so hope someone can shed light on the original routing as I too am confused.

Upon further reflection, I believe the 5th/8th tee is my favorite spot in golf - looking beyond the broadway fairway to the two wonderfully different greens and the town beyond.  

This view does not include the 8th green just out of the picture to the left:



Mike

[ForkaB]

Mike

The tee is 62 yards long.  No wonder you hit 3-iron if you were playing from the front!

Great pic of the 5th/8th tee.  For those who haven't been there, although the 8th green is to the left, the 8th tee is to the right (the holes crisscross!).  Also, on the hole shown (5th) some dude putted it in from the tee (about 160) last year for the world's longest ever putt!

PS--agree that it is one of the very special places in golfdom.