Northwood CC and a bonus aerial

[Kalen Braley]

Mike Beene asked me to post an aerial of Lakewood CC in Dallas TX, site of a PGA tour event in the 50s if I remember correctly.  For those who have never been there or played it, he thought it would be a fun exercise to see if you can figure out the routing:




Here is my stab at it.  I found one other option that seemed more conventional, but he say it was an odd one so I went with this:  




As a bonus, here is an aerial of Whispering Pines CC in Trinity, TX

[Sam Morrow]

Are you sure that's Lakewood? Lakewood is off Gaston and I don't think Alpha and Hillcrest get over there. Hillcrest and Alpha is North Dallas I think.

[Bill_McBride]

Are you sure that's Lakewood? Lakewood is off Gaston and I don't think Alpha and Hillcrest get over there. Hillcrest and Alpha is North Dallas I think.

According to Google Maps, this is the "Northwood Club" - http://tinyurl.com/24fub5

Never heard of it although I lived not too far from there in the late 70's.

[Sam Morrow]

Are you sure that's Lakewood? Lakewood is off Gaston and I don't think Alpha and Hillcrest get over there. Hillcrest and Alpha is North Dallas I think.

According to Google Maps, this is the "Northwood Club" - http://tinyurl.com/24fub5

Never heard of it although I lived not too far from there in the late 70's.

I thought Northwood or Preston Trail maybe as they almost border each other.

[Evan Fleisher]

I don't think this is Lakewood...I played there earlier this year and there are waaayyyy more houses around the fringes of the course than what is depicted here.

BTW...the routing is...well...unusual.  The road crossings and switch-backs are a bit confusing at times.

[Bill_McBride]

Are you sure that's Lakewood? Lakewood is off Gaston and I don't think Alpha and Hillcrest get over there. Hillcrest and Alpha is North Dallas I think.

According to Google Maps, this is the "Northwood Club" - http://tinyurl.com/24fub5

Never heard of it although I lived not too far from there in the late 70's.

I thought Northwood or Preston Trail maybe as they almost border each other.

Northwood is at Hillcrest and Alpha which is just north of LBJ Freeway 635.  Preston Trail is north a few miles and a little bit west of Hillcrest and Campbell.  

[mike_beene]

This is Northwood which is the one I asked Kalen to post.Julus Boros won the 52ish US Open here.This I believe broke up Hogans string,and I believe Hogan may have been second.The layout is similar to Lakewood,but Northwood has more space.I wanted Kalen to post it because Northwood has a jumbled routing. Bonus points if you can figure it out.William Diddel(sp) from midwest was original architect.

[mike_beene]

Kalen,pretty good.!2 through 18 are correct.Hint:your 4 is really #1.

[Kalen Braley]

Mike,

Sorry for the confusion, I meant to label this Northwood, not Lakewood.  

I wouldn't have guessed #1 would be on the other side of that pond, but now that I look at it, makes sense because they get to have returning 9s.

Looks like an interesting course even if a few holes are a bit tight here and there.

[mike_beene]

1 is just south of Alpha and goes east.Then go through the tunnel and 2 thru 6 play on north side,then back across 7 thru 11,then cross 12 thru 15,then cross 16 thru 18. I wonder if the holes have always been played in this order?

[Greg Clark]

Northwood is an outstanding classic member's course.  I actually like it just a bit better than Brook Hollow.  Sam, the course that borders Preston Trail is Bent Tree.  Keith Foster recently did a revamp of that course and did a wonderful job, particularly with the bunkering.  

[Sam Morrow]

Northwood is an outstanding classic member's course.  I actually like it just a bit better than Brook Hollow.  Sam, the course that borders Preston Trail is Bent Tree.  Keith Foster recently did a revamp of that course and did a wonderful job, particularly with the bunkering.  

Thanks, I meant Bent Tree. I know a family who were members at Northwood for the Open and remember dirt roads were the only way to get there. Bob Elliot is the longtime pro there and a great guy.

[Michael Christensen]

all three are good courses...Northwood, Bent Tree and Preston Trail.....hopefully will get in a round next week during my cowboy playoff trip

[Kyle Henderson]

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q234/kbjames_70/golf/NorthWood.jpg[/img]

As a bonus, here is an aerial of Whispering Pines CC in Trinity, TX

Interesting course from this perspective. But I have to ask, what in the hell are those bukers for above the "ies" in "technologies" at the bottom of the shot? Is that a green between two bunkers or just three funtionless sandscapes?

[Kalen Braley]

Kyle,

It looks like a green in between a front bunker and long/right bunker.  I'm guessing its a shortish par 3 that you have to walk all the way around to the back to get on the green.

[mike_beene]

Greg,agree Northwood is nice but several things make me disagree that it is better than Brook Hollow:Brook Hollow's sandy soil vs the black dirt of Northwood,Preston Trail Lakewood,etc.;The tunnels really break up the routing and there are usually carts for the 6 to 7 and 11 to 12 walks;18 is a layup finishing hole except for Henry K.;and the green complexes are good but not real memorable.Nothing wrong with it but it blows my mind an Open was here,especially when the course was only 6 years old. Michael hopefully the weather will hold.Today its 75 sunny and still and the courses are firm and fast. Wispering Pines gets high marks and is set up as a nonprofit. A friend just joined so I will play it this spring.I think they close in the summer.

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle,

It looks like a green in between a front bunker and long/right bunker.  I'm guessing its a shortish par 3 that you have to walk all the way around to the back to get on the green.

There's got to be a small bridge there. I'll bet ya.

[Jeff_Brauer]

It looks like the greens are being topdressed the day the photo was taken, thus the whitish tinge.

Could this be a semi circle par 3 that plays from almost 180 degree different angles?  Maybe I am just thinking that because of the Muirhead photos shown just the other day.

[Greg Clark]

Mike, there is indeed no question that Brook Hollow's sandy soil is by far the best surface in the area.  I've always favored Brook Hollow, but when I played them both again this summer, Northwood tickled my fancy a bit more.

I don't disagree that the routing, walkability and green complexes are better at Brook Hollow, but I think Northwood has a bit more diversity to it.  I guess I need to go play them again.  

[mike_beene]

Greg,I like Northwood a lot.I was just comparing it to Brook Hollow which I like a little better.You can make a good arguement that Northwood has stood up to technology better.For some reason it seems the new distances and air game has diminished the need to work the ball at Brook Hollow since you can hit it over some corners.Northwood still goes in my top five in the area.

[Kalen Braley]

It looks like the greens are being topdressed the day the photo was taken, thus the whitish tinge.

Could this be a semi circle par 3 that plays from almost 180 degree different angles?  Maybe I am just thinking that because of the Muirhead photos shown just the other day.

Jeff,

After zooming in further on Google Maps, I beleive this could be a 180 degree area of teeing area.  However it could also be that the lighter green blob which is on the far side of the green, may have actually been the green itself at one point and then abandonded for the existing current green.

Either way it would be interesting if someone in the know would chime in on this.