Deal Golf Club

[Patrick Hitt]

I had the pleasure of seeing Deal GC on the way to the Open this month. The head pro mentioned Travis as doing some work on the course but was unfamiliar with Laurence Van Etten, the original architect. The course has recently completed a restoration / revision by Kelly Moran that included bunker work and a few reconfigured holes.The collection of holes included fun short par 4s, a diagonal barritz green, and geometric bunker shapes. Cornish and Whitten list Wykagil as the only other course that has remained semi intact. Mabye someone else here can shed some more light on the course and it's evolution. The course was a joy to play. I don't remember ever playing a course with so many greens divided by spiny ridges. Just a short drive from the Stone Pony too.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Patrick
Was there any mention of Ross. He has been credited with redesigning the course in the past. I've never heard of Travis being involved there, but your description of the greens sounds like him, especially the diagonal Biarritz. It makes sense since he was working next door at Hollywood.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Patrick,

What is also interesting is that Deal sold three holes to Hollywood, # 14, 15 and 16.

I've always wondered how that deal was brokered and how it affected both courses, and what both courses looked like pre-sale, and how Hollywood dismantled three existing holes, and how Deal replaced the three sold holes.

Deal is a sporty, fun course to play, with the ocean breeze to boot.

[Patrick Hitt]

Tom,
Donald Ross was mentioned as one of the architects that had worked on the course. I couldn't tell where. I'm hoping Kelly Blake Moram can give us more detail. Much of the bunkering that was restored included shapes that I normally wouldn't attribute to him. I didn't find any old aerials in the clubhouse, but based on the mapquest aerial (taken mid-restoration) the shapes were reintroduced, as were some of the bunkering.  I'm not familiar enough with Travis to say they were his or not.  
The course has loads of character and plays longer than the card.

[John_Lovito]

Patrick,

I played Deal for the first time this past Monday, and I was very pleasantly surprised.  It was fun to play a course with small greens that have interesting features to them.  I also found a few holes that were quite deceptive to the eye.  Particularly one par 5 on the front nine that appeared to contain cross bunkers in the lay-up landing area.  Upon closer inspection however, these bunkers were actually about 50 diagonal yards away form each other.

[Kelly_Blake_Moran]

Patrick,

I was unaware of Ross being there, and frankly couldn't tell you who designed the course, I have forgotten.  Three greens were totally redone, #12, #13, #15.  #17 was modified all around the green but not he putting surface.  Bunkers were added, bunkers were taken away.  There are some very interesting greens that have not been touched, and will not be even if the sub structures are modified.  Hole #8 green and #18 greens surrounds will be modified this winter.

[Patrick Hitt]

Not much detail here Pat but here it is