Robert Trent Jones' eclectic 18

[Tom MacWood]

RTJ's eclectic 18 from LIFE magazine July 20, 1942:

1. 13th-Pine Valley par-4
2. 11th-Merion par-4
3. 10th-Greenbriar(Old White) par-4
4. 18th-Pinehurst #2 par-4
5. 13th-Augusta Nat'l. par-5
6. 13th-Belleview Biltmore par-4
7. 6th-Dallas par-3
8. 18th-Pebble Beach par-5
9. 16th-Cypress Point par-3

10. 18th-Cherry Hills par-4
11. 11th-Interlachen par-4
12. 14th-Olympia Fields par-4
13. 17th-Oakland Hills par-3
14. 17th-The Country Club(Oh) par-4
15. 4th-Lido par-5
16. 10th-Winged Foot par-3
17. 13th-The Country Club(Mass) par-4
18. 7th-Ekwanok par-5

[Mac Plumart]

Great list...thanks for sharing Tom.  I will be taking a hard look at all of these holes.  Thanks again!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Would their be any correlation between the direct carry on PV 13 and his penchant for forced carries?  (without the side bank option that hole offers)  Actually, quite a few of those holes feature a forced carry on either tee or approach shot.

I am going to have to Google Dallas 6.  Are we sure that isn't a Cowboys football play over left tackle?

[Tom_Doak]

There are two holes on that list [Belleview Biltmore and Dallas CC] which I've never seen and know nothing about.  Someone please describe them.

There's another hole, the 10th at The Greenbriar, which I've seen, but can't remember at all.

Most interestingly, though, is that Trent Jones and Bob Jones each saw fit to include a different hole from The Country Club (Cleveland), which has never hosted big events, and is largely unknown today.  Both of them are excellent golf holes, although I'm not sure either would make my best-of-America list.

[PCCraig]

It's interesting that he picked the 13th at TCC (Mass.). As far as I know the hole plays almost the same length today from the Member's tees that Jones would of played it. Back then it would of been a bear of a hole, today it's more like a driver-5-iron for most decent golfers (but the green is very difficult with today's green speeds).

[Kevin Pallier]

Tom

Thanks for that - interesting that he has none from GB&I ? Is it meant to be a USA based list ?

[Tom MacWood]

I think it was meant to be an American list. I also wonder if RTJ, English born, had ever played golf overseas by 1942.

[JNC Lyon]

Tom MacWood,

Trent Jones may have been English-born, but he grew up in Rochester, New York.  Therefore, I do not know how much experience he had with international courses before 1952.  However, he certainly had experience with the great Canadian courses from his work with Stanley Thompson.  Additionally, it appears that RTJ built a course at Chamonix, France as early as 1935. It must be a US-only list.

[Tom MacWood]

JNC
I assumed most everyone on this site knew RTJ's background, but for the one or two who didn't I thank you for your input. RTJ's involvement at Chamonix was much later, the 1980s I believe.

[Phil McDade]

Most interestingly, though, is that Trent Jones and Bob Jones each saw fit to include a different hole from The Country Club (Cleveland), which has never hosted big events, and is largely unknown today.  Both of them are excellent golf holes, although I'm not sure either would make my best-of-America list.

Tom:

The Country Club did host the 1935 U.S. Amateur, won by Lawson Little; I wonder if Bobby Jones, recently retired from golf but still taking an active interest in the game, traveled to Cleveland to watch a fellow great amateur golfer (and presumably had some thoughts about the course, as well.)

[John Moore II]

So do we say its normal to have a great number of "better" holes on the back 9? All but 3 holes on this list are on the back nine of these courses. Just wondering.

[Patrick Hodgdon]

RTJ's eclectic 18 from LIFE magazine July 20, 1942:

1. 13th-Pine Valley par-4
2. 11th-Merion par-4
3. 10th-Greenbriar(Old White) par-4
4. 18th-Pinehurst #2 par-4
5. 13th-Augusta Nat'l. par-5
6. 13th-Belleview Biltmore par-4
7. 6th-Dallas par-3
8. 18th-Pebble Beach par-5
9. 16th-Cypress Point par-3

10. 18th-Cherry Hills par-4
11. 11th-Interlachen par-4
12. 14th-Olympia Fields par-4
13. 17th-Oakland Hills par-3
14. 17th-The Country Club(Oh) par-4
15. 4th-Lido par-5
16. 10th-Winged Foot par-3
17. 13th-The Country Club(Mass) par-4
18. 7th-Ekwanok par-5

Very interesting to see the 11th at Interlachen on this list... as a par 4. JC has my ICC history book but I understood the 11th to always have been a par-5 but now it is under discussion to be turned into a par-4 with a few trees removed at the corner of the dog-leg.

Tom MacWood do you have any more info on it?

Also interesting that Interlachen was scheduled to have the '42 Open I believe that was canceled due to the war.