[Bryan Izatt]

Came across this Golf Illustrated article written by Herbert Fowler and found it interesting re the early history of the Open rota and Fowler's frank comments (e.g. Prestwick's 10th and 11th are "stupid holes") on the three iconic links .  Also interesting is his take on the impact of the Haskell ball on TOC in particular.  Seems that lengthening courses at the tee end and still having players with short clubs into par 4's was a problem even back then.  History repeats itself it seems.

Some scrolling to the right is required as I tried to make the article of a size to be easily readable.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thank you Bryan a good read.  He seems to be in favour of a very demanding game with severe punishments, i.e. narrowness and whins.  Not what we think of as Golden Age at all.


He's not shy of promoting his own work at Walton Heath and I believe he'd re worked Westward Ho by then.


Have you got part 2?  I have it, or at least something very similar.


There was once a golden age of gca.com, where history was much to the fore.

[Thomas Dai]

Bryan, thanks for sharing this. Most interesting.

If available, could someone please post his follow-up article.

All the best.

[Bryan Izatt]

The second part of the article for those who want to read it.  

Westward Ho! is the greatest of the lot.  They all have crappy par 3's.  And, they need to be more punitive for championship golf.

[Thomas Dai]

Bryan,

Thanks for posting part II. Fascinating. One of the nicest aspects of GCA is being presented with historical information such as this. Love the windbreaks in the photo of the bunkers at RCP/Deal.

By the way, anyone know why The Open never went to Westward Ho!? In yee olde times I wouldn't have thought 'lack of infrastructure' could have been the reasoning and presumably travel, what with greater coverage by rail than these days and with few non-local spectators, shouldn't have been an issue back then either. Although given the reference to 'wire pulling' in the first Fowler article, perhaps some degree of behind the scenes golf politics was in operation (a not unusual happening!).

All the best.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thakns Bryan.

 I just wondered if anyone on the board has ever played Deal?  After westward Ho it must be the least changed course discussed in the article.  I wonder if it's still so poor.


In oreder to bring these others upto scratch I wonder if he had any particular architect in mind?


(The outlines of the bunkers shown at Deal can still be made out at the start of the fairway on 5. Particularly narsty top shot variety.)

[Tony_Muldoon]

Bryan when was this published?

In 1909 Fowler did a hole by hole analysis of Deal for Country Life.

"5th hole full of incident...
6th ...is one of the best to be found on any links...
10th a very good hole
13th a fine two shot hole
the next four holes (15-18) ...form a fine test and are equalled on very few courses...
16th...with a helping wind there is no finer hole to be found anywhere
17th another fine hole of a different character
18th a splendid one on which to finish a tight match
the whole course is of the best seaside variety."

[Bryan Izatt]

The articles were published in Golf Illustrated in March and April 1920.

I guess Deal went downhill between 1909 and 1920, or Fowler's expectations of great holes and courses changed, or he was just being argumentative in 1920, or (as he states in the last paragraph) he was trying to light a fire under the powers that be to make sure that the championship courses provide the very best possible test, or ..................

He does seem to be very harsh and forthright - a sort of 1920's Mucci.

[Rich Goodale]

Thakns Bryan.

 I just wondered if anyone on the board has ever played Deal?  After westward Ho it must be the least changed course discussed in the article.  I wonder if it's still so poor.


In oreder to bring these others upto scratch I wonder if he had any particular architect in mind?


(The outlines of the bunkers shown at Deal can still be made out at the start of the fairway on 5. Particularly narsty top shot variety.)

Antoine

Ou est les Sandy Parlours d/antan?

Reesharrr(d)

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thakns Bryan.

 I just wondered if anyone on the board has ever played Deal?  After westward Ho it must be the least changed course discussed in the article.  I wonder if it's still so poor.


In oreder to bring these others upto scratch I wonder if he had any particular architect in mind?


(The outlines of the bunkers shown at Deal can still be made out at the start of the fairway on 5. Particularly narsty top shot variety.)

Antoine

Ou est les Sandy Parlours d/antan?

Reesharrr(d)

M. Reesharrd,

bien sûr, vous êtes correcect. Braid a fourni la configuration actuelle en 1919, mais la mort de Sandy salon n'était pas jusqu'en 1937.

Votre amis

Antoine.

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