Two weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of joining host Jim Keever for a round at his home course: Woodway Country Club.
Woodway is a course of which Willie Park seemed quite fond, as his and other testimonials of the design would pop up in Park's later advertising. Through there years (and a clubhouse relocation) numerous changes have taken hold, but the existing Willie Park, Jr. holes are remarkably well-preserved and some of his best I've seen to date.
We'll start at the 4th hole, with the tee shot needing to carry the ridge line to offer both a sight and good lie for the approach into the green. The futher right, the longer the carry and the more likelihood of a ball being rejected short and right by the ridge. Notice how the flag peeks just over the ridge, tempting the golf to take the shot too far right off the tee.
The 4th green is a prototypical Willie Park green with many quadrants and ridges confounding long lag putts. Hole locations and angles abound! The movement in this green in particular indicates the amount of priority that Park places on defending par around the green and any criticism of Park's lack of variety from tee to green is more than made up in his interesting angles and contour near the greensite.
The very-Flynn like reverse camber 6th hole stands out on the first nine. The bunker is carryable, however, the fairway will still funnel the ball to the bottom of the hill.
Carrying the bunker will leave this look at the flag/green. The plight of tree overhanging is seen and some selective limbing and tree removal is in order.
Another stand out hole follows at the 7th. The pictures really speak for themselves.
The tee shot:
The green:
The landing area, looking back from the green (any criticism of Park's tee to green banality ends with this picture):
The short par 4 13th is a prime example of the confluence of angles Park presents in his par 4s. The monster bunker tends to push play out to the left, but the thick rough and confounding fairway bunkers hamper this tee shot. A textbook strategic/penal short par 4 example.
I am beginning to think that par 5s on par 70 layouts contain much more interest than trying to force an extra shot or two our of an otherwise fine layout. The 5th and 14th at Woodway are two items on an ever-growing list of evidence to this effect.
The 14th, in particular, demonstrates Park's innate ability to us natural land movement to add interest to the second shot of a three-shot par 5. With the exception of Huntingdon Valley CC's 7th and 15th, I've yet to really see two three-shot par 5s truly demand execution on all three shots as those at Woodway.
From about 260 out on 14 at Woodway.
Before the relocation of the clubhouse in the mid-90s, the current 16th served as the opener. One of the wider holes at Woodway that narrows significantly around the green. For a long par 4, this hole was one heckuva opener.
