Road Hole was par 5? Road hole bunker not revetted

[mike_malone]

 Golf Channel ran Shell Wonderful World of Golf match with Sarazen vs.Cotton on Sun. They cut the show off just before the end so i could not see the year done.
 However.there were some interesting things shown.First of all they both made 4 on #17 and the announcer said they birdied the hole.This adds to the discussion that  PAR is not a   important thing to know about a hole.
 Also from a side angle the road hole bunker lip appeared to curve like a wave .I tried to to see the sod layers .I could not see them.
  Overall the course looked rougher and more attractive than now.There was a small piece of rough just before a green that Cotton hit into.It was no bigger than 10 feet .
  There was also a clinic once they had finished.They WERE SHOWING THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON GOLF.Sarazen used his wedge  and C otton his 6 or 7 iron to chip.
 The feel of the photography was marvelous.These old shows on classic courses are priceless

[TEPaul]

The Road Hole was once a par 5--but then bogie was once considered the expected score of excellence as we consider par today. Bogie golf was today's par golf and called that--bogie golf.

The Road Hole bunker is considered by some to be the first or one of the first features of golf architecture--apparently created by Alan Robertson--the man many consider the world's first actual architect--the man who made the first man-made golf feature.

[Brad Klein]

Actually, the Road Hole bunker was not riveted. Rivets couldn't hold that edge. It was revetted, which means built with stacked sod.

[mike_malone]

Brad
  I knew i spelled that wrong.It would be neat to see rivets in that trap .
 I was struck by how these old courses have evolved

[Bob_Farrell]

I guess the only thing better than seeing it on tv is playing it. It is definitely NOT the place to be!!! I've been lucky. In 9 trips around the Old Course I have never had the pleasure of being in it. But then, the primary thought on the hole is....... BAIL OUT RIGHT!!!!

[CHrisB]

About the only thing I've ever done well at TOC is get up and down from the Road Bunker (2 for 2)--once for bogey because I putted into the bunker first!

That Shell match was played in 1961 I believe (it aired in Jan '62), so when was the 17th converted to a par 4?  I thought I've read that it was in the late 1950's and that the British Opens starting in 1960 played it as a par 4, but I'm not sure.

[hmmmm]

hmmmm!