[Bill_McBride]

I was thinking about Herbert Fowler courses in general, and one public course I played years ago in Northern California, and the impact of Interstate 280 on golf courses in that area came to mind.

For full credit in this examination, please take out your blue books and answer the following question(s):

1.  Name the courses affected by Interstate 280 construction over the years;

2.  List the holes affected by that construction, by course.  Describe the holes lost and the new holes that replaced those holes.

3.  Describe subsequent revisions over the years that have once again changed those courses, with examples by course.

4.  For extra credit, post photographs.  For extra, extra credit, post before and after photos.

[This is an open book exam, research is encouraged!   ]

The San Francisco Bay Area guys are obviously favored, and Tully is a prohibitive favorite in the early line.  

[Mike Benham]

Bill - homesick?


There is another Bay Area challenge that Huckaby and I have been debating to post or not ...

[Bill_McBride]

Bill - homesick?


There is another Bay Area challenge that Huckaby and I have been debating to post or not ...

Actually no!  Before I moved away from Northern California I couldn't afford a pot to pee in, much less to belong to a high end private club.  But the little I have played of those great clubs in San Francisco, the more impressed I have been, and also the more interested I've become in the major upheaval caused by that highway!

Hopefully some of you local experts will fill in the details.  I'm still thinking of a suitable prize for this "contest."  A case of Belhaven's Best after my March trip to Belhaven-land?  

[Marty Bonnar]

Hopefully some of you local experts will fill in the details.  I'm still thinking of a suitable prize for this "contest."  A case of Belhaven's Best after my March trip to Belhaven-land?  

Uncle Bill,
that Belhaven is a bugger to lug halfway across the planet, although The Cal contingent were most grateful of the arrival of the fine libation.
I myself had a fine pint of it only yesterday after 18 at Balbirnie in glorious 8 or 9 degree sunny january weather. At this rate it will be mid-70s for you boys in March. Bring the sunscreen...

your affectionate nephew,
M.

PS Apologies for the mixed celsius/fahrenheit scales! (British TV and German Car with temperature displays... )

[AndrewB]

I wasn't aware that Crystal Springs was affected by 280, but as a relative newcomer to the area I'll give myself a pass on that.  The course's website only says "Most of [Fowler's] basic design remains, although some holes were rerouted in the 80 years since the course was built.", so further research will be necessary.

Daniel Wexler's The Missing Links briefly mentions both Lake Merced and San Francisco.  Here are the quotes:

#18 Lake Merced G&CC - Daly City, CA, 425 yds, Par-4 (MacKenzie) - A slight dogleg left played to a green perched above a small ravine, with two bunkers guarding the favored right side of the fairway.  Replaced when construction of the 280 Freeway mandated a major redesign in 1960.

"Major redesign".  Sounds like there's more to hear about this too ...

#13 San Francisco GC - San Francisco, CA, 118 yds, Par-3 (Tillinghast) - "Little Tilly" was a heavily bunkered hole and the perfect complement lengthwise to San Francisco's varied other par-3s.  Lost to freeway construction (see #18, Lake Merced).

There was at least one thread in this DG last year about restoring the three original holes at SFGC that were changed because of the 280 expansion (that ended up not needing to have affected the course, as I recall). Perhaps Tom Doak will comment on this.

[peter_p]

Crystal Springs. Is that where the bottled water is produced?
http://www.playcrystalsprings.com/page/327-16008.htm

[AndrewB]

Crystal Springs. Is that where the bottled water is produced?
http://www.playcrystalsprings.com/page/327-16008.htm

Umm, no: http://www.finewaters.com/Bottled_Water/USA/Crystal_Springs.asp

There's a Crystal Springs golf course in New Jersey too, and apparently another in Wisconsin.

[AndrewB]

I just took a look at the map and other courses (besides the three mentioned above) that could have been affected are California Golf Club, Sharon Heights G&CC (10 and 11 run right along 280N), and there's (what looks like) a three hole loop of Los Altos G&CC that comes close too.

Not what you asked, but Sand Hill Rd. got Stanford's golf course and Highway 1 looks suspiciously close to Sharp Park.

[Mike Benham]

Without much research, and I have only lived on the Peninsula for 48 years now, Lake Merced and Cal Club were rerouted for 280.

As a technicality, SFGC rerouting might be more associated with the Hwy 1 / Junipero Serra Blvd. section of the roadway - I think the fine Canadian Alex Trebek is awaiting the judges ruling.

As Andrew states, Sharon Heights and Los Altos CC are also candidates for rerouting, Los Altos' is the most obvioust to me as the current design is somewhat cramped bording the freeway.  If Sharon Heights was rerouted, the current config blends in nicely.

As for Crystal Springs, I did not know it was a Herbert Fowler design, and if it was rerouted, it also was done in a farely favorable manner.

Also, let's not forget a few missing links that could be pointed to the evolution of I280, Cypress Golf Course in Colma does not border I280, however, the expansion of the cemeteries (and the continuiing phenomenom of humans dying), has caused portions of the course to be sold off and the remaining 9 holes rerouted numerous times.  If 280 was never built, then the cemeteries could have expanded away from the existing golf course.

Finally, don't forget the south bay, where 280 winds through Silicon Valley ?

Photos may be hard to come by ....

[Bill_McBride]

bump.........paging Sean Tully, white courtesy phone please!  

[Steve Pieracci]

Finally, don't forget the south bay, where 280 winds through Silicon Valley ?

Photos may be hard to come by ....

I don't think there were any courses on the 280 route south of Los Altos.  

I know that extensions off 280 (Hwy 87 and Hwy 85) took out 2 courses.  Alma Golf coures, a 9 holer where I learned to play as a kid, and Oak Ridge GC, the site of several SCU fund raisers.  

[Gerry B]

i just recently played sfgc-and was told that the rerouting was due to  hwy 1  / juniper serra not hwy 280.

the restored holes were enjoyable - the 13th little tillie which plays approx 130 yds`was a nice short well bunkered one shotter. i still like the front 9 better even with the recent rstoration work on the back 9.

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