The original Saucon Valley - Old (Strong)

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

The Canterbury review made me curious about the original Old Course at Saucon Valley.  A few questions:

How much of Strong's work remains?
How was the course received after it was built?
Does anyone know the original rouing? I took a look at the PennPilot aerial from 1937 and at first glance it appears that #11 used to be a Par 4 and #12 was a Par 3 (the current holes are different and in the reverse par order).  Any other major differences?

Finally, why doesn't the creek come even more into play?  Even the original Strong routing did not place greens or fairways hard against the creek.  Building off my experience with Cobb's (where Wilson & Co. placed 5 greens on the hazard), I would have thought Strong would have done something similar.

[TEPaul]

Geoffrey:

There was a certain amount of discussion about Strong's original Saucon course about a month or six weeks ago when we held the Pennsylvania State Amateur on that course in August. If you really want to know the Strong history of that course the superintendent of Saucon is probably the best one to contact.

The bunkering on the course was recently redone by Fazio probably in preparation for the US Women's Open on that course.

[Thomas MacWood]

Geoffrey
The two holes you mentioned are the only major changes in the routing (assuming Fazio didn't change the routing recently).

The bunkering scheme was completely different; Strong's bunkering was unique. Quite a few internal fairway bunkers, a few crossing and diagonal bunkers, a sprinkling of very large bunkers. Generally speaking the bunkers are placed in a variety of positions--short off the tee; in or near the driving zone; several 50 to 100 yards from the greens; and liberally placed around many of the greens. The 16th was bunkerless, the 9th only had one bunker and the 2nd only three, all greenside. A very interesting use of bunkers, with a lot of variety.

The 3rd and 9th greens were fronted by the stream. At the 5th and 16th the stream is just left of the green. The 17th and 18th had the stream in play off the tee. One third of the holes make use of the stream, it does not come heavily into play, but that seems like a pretty good ballance to me.

I'm not sure how the course was recieved.

[Michael Blake]

Bumb... as US Womens Opens begins there today.