An amazing picture.
Note a couple of things:
- an open creek on 1 and 17 and maybe 7;
- only a creek, not a pond, fronting 15;
- strange shape of the 15th green and the NLE tee for 16 just to the right;
- the old NLE centerline bunker on 2, now shifted (unaccountably) to the right side of fairway and farher down the hill;
- the big, long NLE fairway bunkers on 1 and 14 (both in MacK's drawings);
- there should be a large, weird fronting bunker on 2. I don't see it. Was the course still under construction? Is it hidden by a slope? Was it added later?
- the NLE practice area targets in the valley between 18 and 8 fairways. The current practice green was used as a 19th hole to resolve bets. It only existed for one year. The tee was between the 9th and 18th greens. Essentially where the orginal practice tee was.
From the look of the grass, things were still growing in. I wonder if this pic was taken before opening day (1/13/33). Accounts at the time said the course was not completely finished.
You might add the orig MacK bunker on 10 as another centerline feature. You can't see it in this picture.
The lack of bunkers never ceases to amaze. Which means, of course, that MacK and Jones were relying on contour, contour and contour (and a bit of Rae's Creek) to present challenges to good golfers.
Great picture. I could swear I've seen this in a book, but can't recall where.
Thanks for posting this John.
Bob