News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


mark chalfant

  • Karma: +0/-0
Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« on: October 02, 2013, 05:03:01 PM »
Is anyone familiar with  either  of these upstate New York  layouts ?  Green Lake is very early RTJ.  Calvary  is a well preserved  Wilson/Lee that features good bunkering and a stream.


Thanks

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2013, 10:12:49 AM »
Hi Mark,

I played Green Lakes back in 04 during my cousin's SYR geauation weekend.  It was pretty good.  Not the greatest overall conditions, but the greens were in good shape.  Definitely a good value with some nice undulation.  Generally similar to Cornell and Seven Oaks without the budget.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Joe Jemsek

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2013, 11:00:23 AM »
I was at Calvary last Autumn doing some planning work for the club. The course is either one of Dick Wilsons last or Joe Lee’s first solo. Dick spent some time on-site during construction, but got into a heated argument with several members of the golf committee after a long night at a local watering hole. Joe Lee did the remained of the work, but the design and routing follow the Dick Wilson “Championship” design methodology.

The course remains mostly unchanged from the originally design except for a few bunker and tee additions. Long, narrow runway tees, frontal bunkering, and built up greens that generally fall back to front. The bunkers have transitioned away from the Dick Wilson free formed shapes with rustic edges and now have clean lines with slopes almost entirely kept in flashed sand.

The course is always in great shape and is generally welcoming of out-of-town guests with proper introduction and notice. I have a couple of photos  from 1966 and then 2012 in my Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jemsekgolf/
Have clubs, will travel

Dan Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2013, 05:22:26 PM »
Joe,  interesting photos of the original bunkers.

Also nice photos of Kankakee Elks.  Are you doing some work with them too? 
"Is there any other game which produces in the human mind such enviable insanity."  Bernard Darwin

Bill Shotzbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2013, 10:06:53 PM »
Green Lakes is incredibly hilly. I generally agree with Brad's comments, but "nice undulation" is an understatement!

I played it last fall and really enjoyed my round. It has some great views and is kept in good shape, but the course will be very damp this time of year. I make note of the moisture because the entire round I thought how fun this course would be if it were firm and fast.

View of one of the lakes - there's 2 - from 9th Green





14 or 15 on the back 9




Joe Jemsek

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Calvary (Wilson) Green Lake ( RTJ sr)
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2013, 09:06:43 PM »
Dan - Sadly no. I was on my way to French Lick and made a quick stop to ride Kankakee Elks and its neighbor the Willie Watson designed South Shore. Both have tremendous potential, but not much demand. Players from Chicago used to drive out for the day to play these tracks because they were cheap and you could fly around in sub 4 hrs. Now everywhere is cheap and not very busy, so no reason to drive Kankakee.

South Shore is flat but located on an old river bed so it’s all sand. It's an excellent opportunity for ground golf in the midwest. I've done some planning for them, but no revenue to support improvements. I think it's currently for sale a 1.25 million.

Interestingly enough at Calvary the old photos showed not only the change in bunkers but short grass collars surrounding the green. Not sure if it was design strategy as much the 16 gang mower circling the green to minimize turning in the front.
Have clubs, will travel

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back