[Alister_Mackenzie]

A friend from overseas has just sent a clipping that the green committee at Lahinch has approved major changes to the course.The two goals of the project are said to be rekindling the "MacKenzie spirit", and improving safety.  But the plans include eliminating the present third hole, and the potential "solutions" for safety problems like the proximity of #10 and 13 greens and the blind tee shots make me shudder.The committee has been sold on this reconstruction plan by the esteemed Martin Hawtree.  His qualifications as a MacKenzie expert seem to consist of building a couple of new two-tiered greens at Royal Birkdale -- the very antithesis of Lahinch.As a professional architect I cannot contact the committee directly without major backlash, but it's frightening that they plan to proceed without having a second opinion from someone who values the course.  It may well be too late, and we'll have to hold our breath, but if anybody knows anybody there I think they should look into it at once.

[Ran Morrissett]

A friend was just there and got a similar story. Apparently they are going behind the 8th green into the wild dune country to carve out three to five more holes. Part of what they hope to do is to get rid of the flat-ish finishing holes.After playing Ballybunion Old with Greg Norman, my friend asked a committeeman at Lahinch, given that they already had the best course in Ireland, why were they making any changes at all? He didn't wait for the answer.The Irish eyes definitely aren't smiling now.

[JohnV]

Dr. MacKenzie, as you know from the other Architecture group, the changes that are being made are likely to come closer to restoring the course to what you had pictured than they are to ruining the course.  The 3rd hole was not in your original plans.  There are some changes which don't sound as good such as making #12 a par 5, but some others may be good.  See the website below for the preliminary drawings. http://www.mit.edu/~crcraig/lahinch.html

[Gary Slatter]

Did the changes occur at Lahinch?  It has been some time since we played there and I feel Lahinch getting better in my memory banks, want to go back.  Another Pro and I had played 11 courses match play and decided for our last round we would play medal. I left it in the front bunker on the first hole several times.  That's why match play is so much fun.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Gary,

I'm pretty sure some major stuff has been completed at Lahinch. I recall it being labeled a restoration of sorts. Then Tom Doak describing the work as: "what Alister Mackenzie would have done at Lahinch if he had a D-8".

I have no idea what occured at Lahinch, but that line still makes me chuckle  

[Bill_McBride]

Gary,

I'm pretty sure some major stuff has been completed at Lahinch. I recall it being labeled a restoration of sorts. Then Tom Doak describing the work as: "what Alister Mackenzie would have done at Lahinch if he had a D-8".

I have no idea what occured at Lahinch, but that line still makes me chuckle  

Or maybe a REALLY BIG excavator to dig a few lakes!  

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Wow...

[Jason Topp]

Based on the drawings, these changes have been completed for some time.  Although I did not see the course prior to the changes, when I played there in 2004 the course seems to follow the plan.  I thought the course was wonderful. The website has very detailed computer enhanced aerials of each hole.

http://www.lahinchgolf.com/holetour.html

[Jonathan Cummings]

I've played the old and new Lahinch a number of times.  I think the changes they made are marvelous.  The Mac hole has a devilish green with a benign side and a catastrophic side.

JC

[Tony_Muldoon]

I've played the old and new Lahinch a number of times.  I think the changes they made are marvelous.  The Mac hole has a devilish green with a benign side and a catastrophic side.

JC

Let it be noted Change is not always appalling

[Padraig Dooley]

I know Lahinch pretty well. The greens were flattened shortly after MacKenzie did them. I much prefer the new contouring.

I'm not sure if all the changes were benefical though. I thought the par 3's that were replaced were much better. Although the option to go back to the old 11th still remains. The approach to the 10th was better before.

I really like the new green sites at the 6th and 7th.

A friend of mine, who is a member at Lahinch, thinks the course was completely ruined.

The main question when making course changes is, how much better will the changes make the course? If there are strong arguments both for or against change, are they worth doing?

[Tom_Doak]

Actually, my line about "what Alister MacKenzie would have done if he'd had a D-8" was originally about Titirangi in New Zealand, not Lahinch.  I can't remember if I used it again or not.

I have played Lahinch once since the latest round of changes, and have mixed feelings.  Generally, I thought the work to the greens was very good.  But the par-3 eleventh was one of only two original MacKenzie greens left on the course, and it's a great golf hole, so to build an alternate hole for safety concerns is a crime in my opinion.

For anyone who's been there lately, was the old 11th still in play, or do they use the new one most of the time?

[Richard Pennell]

I was there about a year ago and the alternate green was in play. However, I went over to have a nerdy look at the MacKenzie green and it looked as if it were being managed identically to the others, so maybe they use it for club comps or something. I meant to ask the manager after the game but then the heavens opened and by the time we'd finished the only option was a pint of the dark stuff in O'Looneys

[Andy Doyle]

I was there almost exactly 2 years ago, and the alternate 11th was in play then as well.

Andy

[Jack_Marr]

I played there last month. There is only one weak hole on the course, and that's not that weak at all. It's just superb.

Played well and didn't score at all, as the wind was high.

[Pete Lavallee]

Richard,

Is that the new 11th green you posted?
I for one would feel somewhat cheated not to have another
crack at the original 11th green, truely one of the best at Lahinch.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom,

Trust me, you used that line in reference to Lahinch too  

[Jack_Marr]

Richard,

Is that the new 11th green you posted?
I for one would feel somewhat cheated not to have another
crack at the original 11th green, truely one of the best at Lahinch.

That is a new greeen in the picture. The old green is still there, though.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()