Lahinch in "Links"

[RJ_Daley]

An interesting article on Martin Hawtree's project as a described "restoration" of MacKenzie's work there at Lahinch.  But, upon reading the "Links" article and comparing comments by Tom Doak in his book, it is rather doubtfull this is "restoration".  In fact, Hawtree admits there may be a good bit of Hawtree in the work.  TD refers to the short par3 11th as a pure Mac.  Yet, Hawtree has added an additional green to the hole?  I wonder if TD would characterize the work as anything approximating a "restoration" as compared with an impression or interpretation of MacKenzian style.  As the book and magazine article note, Fleming seems to have done a MacKenzian impression in the first place following a routing plan and sketches and instructions left for his actual construction  of the design.  I hope TD will comment on the article and scope of the work if he knows what the current condition is there in County Clare.

[Ran Morrissett]

Dick,

I just read Dermot Gilleece's very good article and am amazed.

Exhibit A: Hawtree won the work at Lahinch because he responded to the board’s question of “ If we decide to go with you, what will you leave us with when you are finished?” with “ A restored MacKenzie course.”

Ok, sounds great so far.  

Exhibit B: Later in the article, Hawtree says that "The club has given me a free hand that has allowed me to use my imigination to recreate what I believe was once there. We don’t know precisely what was there but I have drawn on my knowledge of other MacKenzie courses and his writings about golf. I have tried to be true to him while delivering MacKenzie greens for the demands of the modern world.”

Uh-ho...  

Exhibit C: Hawtree wraps it up by saying, “ But I suspect I’ve gone beyond that. There’s probably a fair bit of Hawtree there, too.”

Party's over  

I can imagine (but I have no interest in understanding) how a board gets suckered into accepting Exhibit A and then being delighted with the end result as expressed in Exhibit C.

Royal Melbourne, beware - the precedent has been set by your newly selected consulting architect.

[RJ_Daley]

Ran, the way you lay it out, you should get out of the financial pits and into the court room.  Has the jury reached a verdict?  

Seriously, I can see a pattern that makes my stomach very squeezy.  The "Reestoriazation" of the MacKenzie body of work through the same old sales pitch by an archie looking to inject himself into golden age masterpieces.  The next thing you know, they will be saying the McDonald Company are the second comings of Russell, Fleming and Maxwell... :-/

PS:   I hate to ask TD to get into the middle of the issue (like he don't have enough to do right now) but someone of competent and authoritative voice needs to jump on this issue soon, and TD would fit that bill.  It didn't seem to make him shy to say what was on his mind years ago in writing the "Confidential Guide" and other critical comments of certain design work.  I would think this slippery slope of taking design license with Mac's work would really trip his trigger.

[Mike_Cirba]

Yikes!

Hawtree is going near Melbourne??

I read the article as well and was struck by the same inconsistent incongruities.  He hardly seems like a guy who tries to make it appear as if he hasn't been there during "restoration" work.  The couple of greens he changed at Birkdale seem rather simplistic in concept, as well.

Although, I do know a couple of people who would probably pay air fare and lodging to send a particular American construction company over for an extended stay on your continent to work with Hawtree.  They specialize in "restorations", as well, and I'm sure the Melbourne bunkers could be just dug up and rebuilt from scratch with the latest machinery.  If they don't look quite right at first, just wait another 100 years and I'm sure they'll "evolve", good as new.  

Isn't it funny how the first thing to go is the truth of the meaning of words?

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

I think young Martin sold Lahinch a bill of goods. He talks of his grandfather's knowledge of MacKenzie and that he got MacK to lecture to the greenkeepers association in 1913. He did lecture to the assocation, hard to say who invited him. "My grandfather, Fred Hawtree, knew MacKenzie and there has always been talk of him in our family." Yah, right. I'm sure he played that up to the Lahinch committee. I wonder if he told them MacKenzie was an outspoken critic of Taylor and Hawtree.

[Rich Goodale (Guest)]

Interesting to hear that the ex-pro father of the current pro complained that "MacKenzie left him no pin placements."  Hmmmmm.  Sounds a bit like a course in Santa Cruz that I know....

Of course, maybe MacKenzie was n outspoken critic of the old pro, too......

Has anybody actually seen Hawtree's changes?

[Paul Turner]

There are few photos of some of the new/restored holes with description, here's the 13th:

http://www.lahinchgolf.com/images/13th.gif

[Paul Turner]

Obviously the website is:

www.lahinchgolf.com

[Paul Turner]

A quick look through the photos of some of the new greens and I think some them look somewhat precarious and small for a windy course.

I had no idea that the 12th green was being changed so radically!