Meadow Club Restoration

[johnk]

Does anyone know who is doing the Meadow Club
restoration in Marin County.  I just heard from a member
who was very happy with the progress.  Any details?

[Jeff_Mingay]

Mike DeVries. Geoff Shackelford documented the progress to-date in a relatively recent issue of GOLFDOM.

[Gyrogolf]

A few of us are going over there on Tueday. If I can get my digital camera to sooperate, I'll send some stuff to Tommy N to post.

[ed_getka]

John,
 Try to come out and meet Mike D. He is a great guy and we usually try to have dinner when he is in town and talk architecture into the wee hours. Mike is in and out all summer working his way through the project a few days at a time. The membership has been delighted with the work Mike is doing.

[Michael Dugger]

Mingay?

Can you post a copy of the article in GOLFDOM?  

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

[Gyrogolf]

Gentlemen,

We ventured to Fairfax yesterday, navigating through the plume of dope smoke, spun out, jay walking acid-casualties and Barbara Boxer re-election bumper stickers, into the upper reaches of Marin County for a visit with Mr. DeVries.

Eleven of the holes have been completed, with #4 under construction. Frankly, having played the course off and on over the last 20 years, I was moved to say that when completed, it will be one of the most visually stunning golf courses in California.

The look of the bunkers blend in perfectly with their surrounds and not a single one of them is out of proportion in any way. To my understanding, there was not much in the way of historical documentation of the original design, but DeVries and his gang have identified where most of the original bunkers were placed and managed to restore the MacKenzie look and feel.

If pressed to identify the biggest improvement though, it is the expansion of the putting surfaces. #1 is one of the best greens I have ever seen, a maddeningly complex collage of rolls, folds, falloffs and mini-bowls.

The front of #17 (I believe it was #8 years ago) has been expanded with a tongue down the front between the bunkers, including another trap to the left front, withdrawn from the green by approx 20 yards. The rough could use some cutting on the right side further up the hill and more tree removal, but it is no longer necessary to hit a snap-slice off the tee to get it into the fairway.

#5 - a long par-3 - sports shaggy bunkering and a wicked basin in the front of the putting surface that bears a similarity to the first green.

The 9th hole is the biggest improvement. The shoulder on the left now includes a sexy bunker cut in to the hillside, which plays off the hazard on the right perfectly. The left side of the putting surface has been closely shaved to encourage a bump-cut from the fairway around the bunkering - especially one placed in front of the green jutting out from the putting surface.

The creek has been moved back into play on #18, snaking out from the right side, with a vicious bunker on the left of the green complex guarding against the chicken-hearted tee shot.

In general, the geometry of every hole Mike has worked on is immeasurably improved, elevating Meadow Club from an also-ran with numerous flaws to a bonafide hidden gem.

Todd Eckenrode was quite impressed and effusive with his praise - snapping endless pictures. Coming from the guy who designed Barona, that ought to say a lot.  

   

[Kevin_Reilly]

Sounds great.  I played there a bunch 20+ years ago, and would love to see the changes now.  How long until the project is 100% complete?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Well said Gyrogolf aka maybe Gib. I loved the work that was completed when i played there. It is without question one of the most serene walks in golf that does not have the ocean involved. I saw wild turkeys on two holes. oddly I saw them at Corde valle too.

[Bill_McBride]

John, I caddied there as a high school kid in the mid 50's.  Very remote feeling, very woodsy.  The 9th hole referred to above, is it the 430+ par 4 with the hillside on the left?  I can't imagine a major bunker on that slope, most decent tee shots were played off the slope over the hill down into the valley, leaving mid irons.  Of course this was in the day of 250 yd drivers and 180 yd 3 irons!

Honest to god, what I remember most about caddying at the Meadow Club was picking up all the tees the members didn't pick up on the front of every tee!  I had to pay for tees in those days.........................

[johnk]

Hmmmm. Yes, that opening paragraph *is* very gibpap-ian.  

[Gyrogolf]

I think Mike is sort of doing three holes at a time, so the answer might be the course will be done in a couple years. There are still issues about tree removal to be tackled, but what has been cut so far has great improved the views of the golf course.

They have not worked on #7 yet, a longish dogleg left par-4 into a corner of the property, but the three enormous trees behind the green fell over, opening up the entire hillside. It does not have that *intimate hollow* visual sensation anymore, but the expansive mixture of all sorts of grasses, rocks and scattered pines more than make up for loss.

Bill,
Yes, but the hole is about 445 yards from the back tee, built to the left and further back from the original tee. It looks superb. Oddly enough, I like the visual balance from the regular white tee right now a bit better than from the back because the relationship between the line of play and the orientation of the bunkers works better both visually and strategically. I do not know that there is much of a choice from the new back tee for the majority of the golfers who are not inordinately long hitters.

Dr. Bernhardt,

Guilty as charged.

[RJ_Daley]

Did your digital camera sooperate?  Or, was Todd's more sooperative.  We are anxiously waiting for the pix...

[ed_getka]

I think a couple of years is right for completion. Right now Mike is working on #4 green and surrounds to improve drainage and put bunkers back in the proper places. Next year they are taking the fairway out farther to the left, like it originally was, and putting back in the original fairway bunkers.

Also, check out marquettegolf.org to see construction pix of Mike's next course Grey Walls. And if you do a google search for marquette golf club you will find a hole by hole description by Mike.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

GyroGib, It is good to see you again my friend. I hope all is well. I am sure the Gib world is spinning, hopefully under control. I hope you still make a trip or two each month to Vegas. A lovely Lassie was she. Bill, you are a lucky man to have spent a part of your life walking such beautiful grounds as the Meadow Club. I am still flying over you most weekends. I do hope to get to Pensacola soon for a game. Please, give my best to the Mays and your lovely wife.

[Michael Dugger]

I'd like to 2nd what Dick said.......bring on the pictures.

[Gyrogolf]

Of course, the idiot with the degree in Cinematography is the same one who forgets the digital camera on his desk. . . . . I'll see if Tommy N. can post some of Todd Eckenrode's pictures.

 

[Todd_Eckenrode]

I was quite impressed.  First of all, it's an absolutely beautiful setting, that will continue to get better as they hack away at a few more trees and expose it's perimeter.  I don't think they'll ever be able to get back to the vast openness of the course as it was conceived, but certainly are moving in the right direction.  Mike and his team's work is very respective of the setting, as well, and it all is starting to just "feel right".  The architecture of the course is starting to tie into it's surrounds.  Bunker lines of holes are working with distant ridgelines in a way I'm sure was originally intended, but had been lost with bunker changes, and trees blocking views off the course.  It was really intriguing.  

Some of the greens are really interesting and wonderful, as mentioned.  #16 was wild!  #1, #5and #17 as good as discussed.  I loved a couple of the par 3's as well...#8 and #11 specifically. Looking forward tremendously to work on #7.

Big kudos to Mike, his team, and the club.  Very special work indeed.  This is a place I'll continue to want to return to as often as I can.

Will try to have Tommy post, but can't get to until next week.

[David Kelly]

Ed Getka and I  played the Meadow Club and talked to Mike for a little bit on Monday and I was very impressed with the work he has done on reclaiming the size of the greens.  Especially impressive is how he has reclaimed many of the sloping green fronts which now cause the golfer to really think about how he will approach the green.  

#16 is my favorite hole - a short drivable par 4, only 330 yds or so from the back, with a huge rolling green which allows for many difficult pin positions to defend itself against the PW and SW's that will be coming in.  Those who manage to drive the green can end up with some crazy putts.

If it was me I would cut down 2 of every 3 trees on the course but I know that is impossible.  I found the many different tree varieties throughout the course (willow, oak, pine, etc...) to be a little busy to the eye in addition to limiting some of the angles that can be plyed off the tee and into the greens.  

[brad_miller]

Played the Meadow Club this past Sunday, what a job MD is doing, the greens and bunker work is wonderful. Most of the greens taken out to their oringinal margins are 50% larger with many interesting false fronts and movement. It's been years since I played CPC, Valley and Pasa but this could be one of the Doc's finest sets. Numbers 1, 5, 7 to be, 16 and 17 are just fantastic. This is one of golf's great little known settings, stunning.