Does anybody know anything about the Irish architect Tom Macauley?

[Jim McCann]

I understand that Tom Macauley was a member of the British Institute of Golf Course Architects back in the 1980s and 1990s.

Indeed, I believe he was Chairman from 1988 to 1991 and then President from 1991 until 1994. Apparently, he retired before BIGCA merged with the French Association of Golf Architects (AFAG) and the European Society of Golf Architects (ESGA) to form the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA) in 2000.

I know of several Continental European projects that he was involved in - Montecchia in Italy, Mont-Garni in Begium and Cromstrijen in the Netherlands - along with Windsor in Kenya, Cally Palace in Scotland and a couple of courses in Northern Ireland (Allen Park and Dunmurry).

Does anybody know of any other courses that Tom Macaulay designed or renovated/restored?

[Duncan Cheslett]

He designed nine new holes at Hazel Grove near Stockport in the early 90s after a compulsory purchase order for a new road decimated their MacKenzie course.

His work there is best decribed as 'adequate'.

The very sad thing is that the road was never built and the original very fine holes lie abandoned.

[Frank Pont]

Jim, Twentsche in Holland

Duncan, could the holes be brought back to life easily?

[Ulrich Mayring]

I have played Montecchia and would agree with "adequate".

Ulrich

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan, could the holes be brought back to life easily?

It depends what you mean by 'easily'!

Several of the old fairways are maintained by the club as practice areas, but the holes that everyone remembers most fondly have been subsumed by woodland.

The most famous hole was the short 17th which played across the entrance road, over a stream, and up to a tiny green almost invisible in a clearing in the trees high above one's head. The tee remains, but all other vestiges of this fine hole have gone. Nearly 40 years after playing it regularly as a kid, I can still remember that shot and the aprehension one felt addressing the ball. You either hit the green or re-loaded. I never played the course competitively but can only imagine the psychological effect of such a hole so late in the round!

There seems little will within the club to reclaim or even acknowledge the old holes. The land is now owned by the government and the membership appears perfectly happy and very proud of their mis-mash course which now features multiple water hazards complete with fountains.

It doesn't stop them setting great store by their 'MacKenzie heritage' though...


... Dr Mac is the only architect mentioned in the club history on their website.

http://www.hazelgrovegolfclub.com/our-course/club-history/

Interestingly though, it says that the course was constructed by Mackenzie & Nicholson Contractors in the early 1920s. My suspicions are aroused. Could it be that the course was actually the work of MacKenzie's brother and that the good doctor had no involvement at all?

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Jim,

There's a mention of him in Mark Rowlinson's IMO piece:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/mark-rowlinson-golf-courses-of-cheshire/

[Neil_Crafter]

Duncan
Mackenzie and Nicholson were the precursor to the British Golf Course Construction Co with its two shareholders Charles and Alister. Nicholson left the business. My understanding is that Charles did no design work of his own until the early 2930s when Alister was ensconced in the US and the two brothers were estranged after Slister's divorce of his first wife Edith caused an irreparable rift between them. Alister certainly worked at Hazel Grove.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I've been back to Hazel Grove in 2012 playing a match for Wilmslow Seniors against their seniors. If anything it is worse than it was just after it re-opened. Admittedly it was a very wet summer, but the place was waterlogged. The grass was overlong, especially the rough. The greens were soggy, almost un-puttable. We lost quite early, say, after 14 holes. We were not inclined to play the remaining holes.

I haven't been to Birchwood for quite some time. It was fine, if a bit bleak.I believe they are having financial problems, but many clubs in this area are struggling. It's a good test of golf on a boring site made more interesting by the lakes, ponds and ditches incorporated into the architecture. I took my sons there when they were in their teens and they enjoyed the temptations of long water carries and other dares such as trying to reach impossibly long par fives in two shots. But its environment is not very happy.

That's my sole experience of Macauley.