Ekwanok(Travis) or Camargo(Raynor)

[Tim Rooney]

Interested to hear comments regarding above courses.
Played,ever unique,Camargo weeks ago,however,Ekwanok echoes resonated constantly during the round.Both courses exhibited their wonderful old "Retro" designs in obvious meticulous condition,and similar distances,Ekwanok(6,566)/Camargo(6,659).Visually the courses displayed a Big (Championship) Course Feel/Perception with large,expansive fairways and over-sized greens.Camargo featured more elevation variety and marginally better flow;however,Ekwanok possessed more sculptured and better balanced green side bunkering.Clapboard edifices served as clubhouses,with Camargo providing an adequate range and Ekwanok pie shaped,limited to utility clubs.Ekwanok back tees exhibited additional(+30yd)tee space,testament to the forward thinking of the architect,whereas,Camargo was landlocked in many cases.
I believe Doak has softly consulted and visited both courses.    

[John Blain]

Tim-

I have played Ekwanok only a couple of times and have only seen pictures of Camargo. I enjoyed both of my rounds at Ekwanok but always felt that Ekwanok was more about the setting than the golf course. That is in no way a knock on the course but I just feel as though Ekwanok has more than a few nondescript holes: #1,2,3,8 and 11 come to mind. I believe when Ekwanok was built in 1899 it was one of the longest, toughest courses in the country. I have seen pictures of the par three eleventh with ladders coming out of the bunkers. Great setting, though. On a nice fall day it doesn't get much better, I just think it would get boring on a daily basis.

Camargo - at least in the photos I have seen - looks a bit more interesting. Would love to play it sometime.

-John

[Tim Rooney]

John,agree more about the setting,whereas,Vt. mountain views but basically a flat golf course.Hole#7(597),probably their best w/semi-mtn.tee shot landing, elevating interestingly up a mountain hillside.Felt the Retro/Travis character quite refreshing!Camargo definitely provided more elevation variety,however,both courses provided oversized greens.The question I've been pondering,with these oversized green design,did these architects attempt to render their style,basically a "Pool" game?    

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