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Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
'Saucon Old" dates back to 1922, a Herbert Strong layout.  Over the years others have had a hand in tweaking it, starting with Gordon, and also including Maxwell in 1941, and most recently Fazio/Marzolf in 2008.

All photos below are "clickable" to a larger size.

Here is the hole-sequencing:



The front nine starts out gently with a par 5.

#1.  Par 5



White tee view:



Second shot view:



From about 100 yards out:



From short and right of the green:



#2.  Uphill par 4.



White tee view:



Approach shot view:



I've always been a fan of having a center pin position be interesting:



#3.  Dogleg-left par 4 with a creek fronting the green.



White tee view:



Play it conservatively off the tee to leave a longer shot in:



Or take a more aggressive shot to leave a short iron in where the green in 2008 was changed, I believe, to basically roll off the front into the creek:



Which this picture better illustrates:



View of the 3rd green from the 5th fairway:



#4.  Par 3.



White tee view:



From the back of the green:



#5.  Par 4.



White tee view:



Approach shot view:



From just short of the green:



From just right of the green (where I wish I would have taken a pic from behind the green, as it is a really long, skinny green with lots of undulations):



#6.  Dogleg-right par 5, the No. 1 stroke hole.



White tee view:



Second shot view:



From 100 yards out:



From just short of the green:



From just over the green:



#7.  Par 4.



White tee view:



Approach shot view:



From short of the green:



From just over the green:



#8.  Dogleg-left par 4.



White tee view:



Approach shot view:



From just over the green:



#9.  A par 3 brings you back to the clubhouse.



White tee view:



From just short of the creek:



From long and left of the green:



Tomorrow the back nine where some of the lighting late is just wonderful.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2019, 03:37:41 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Brad Fleischer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Old Course at Saucon Valley: a photo tour (front nine up)
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2011, 03:51:51 PM »
As always Joe nice tour . Looking forward to the back 9

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Old Course at Saucon Valley: a photo tour (front nine up)
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2011, 04:35:30 PM »
Joe,

The first photo you included seems to show the hole prior to any work being done. The green on hole 3 sits just past a bend in the Saucon Creek, and the front bunkers used to wash out after very heavy rains.  



#3.  Dogleg left par 4 with a creek fronting the green.




Or take a more aggressive shot to leave a short iron in where the green in 2008 was changed, I believe, to basically roll off the front into the creek:




I thought a really clever fix was implemented: Fazio/Marzholf eliminated the bunkers, raised the bank and brought the putting surface
closer to the stream.

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Old Course at Saucon Valley: a photo tour (front nine up)
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2011, 10:56:47 AM »
Okay, on to the back nine (which gets routed a little differently for tournaments).

#10.  Slightly uphill par 4.



White tees view:



Approach shot view:



From short of the green:



From left of green:



#11.  Downhill par 3.



White tees view:



From short and right of the green:



#12.  Dogleg-left par 4 (those hole served as the 18th hole at the 2009 US Women's Open).



White tees view:



I flared my drive a bit right, leaving a long shot in:



It is better to take on the bunkers left to leave a look like this in:



The look from behind shows a mini-Biarritz green:



#13.  A par 4 called Buttonwood, but could also be called Creamer's Waterloo.   ;D



White tees view:



Approach shot view:



From short of the green:



From just over the green:



#14.  Uphill par 3.



White tees view:



From long and right of the green:



#15.  Dogleg0left par 5.



White tees view, where you can chop a big part of the hole off with a high drive over the trees:



As you approach the dogleg:



Jerry found the deep bunker at the inside of the dogleg:



Second shot view:



From short of the green:



From over the green:



#16.  Only bunkerless hole on the course, a straightaway par 4.



White tees view:



Approach shot view (hard to detect a deep grass bunker short and left of the green:



From over the green:

[

From the bridge on the way to the next hole, this lateral is closer than you think!



#17.  Dogleg-left par 4 with the approach shot over the ever present creek.



White tees view:



Approach shot view:



From short of the green:



From over the green:



#18.  A dogleg-left par 4.



White tees view:



Approach shot view:



From short and right of the green, looking back down the fairway:



From just behind the green:



I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Old Course at Saucon.  Big thanks to Bill for the invite and Jerry and Mike for making for a wonderful two rounds of golf and banter.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2019, 03:35:43 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
I look forward to the day this site allows pictures bigger than 800 px w/o the dreaded blue bar.  This course really shines with much larger pics, which are available in my typical photo album style here:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/SauconOld/index.html
« Last Edit: December 19, 2019, 03:36:22 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Joe,

We played the White tees because I am convinced that it is the best way to show the course for the first time and it is a lot of fun from there! Unlike some courses, I never feel like I am "cheating" when I move up. Not sure why, maybe because it has such interesting green complexes?

You and I are long enough off the tee to play the blues (not the blacks) and if we did, we could not cut the corner on Hole 15. We could challenge the inside bunker, but not play way left inside it. The problem is that you have to really know how far your driver carries, and then hit that length :) Too short and you are in the bunker and will have to play well to make par, too long and you go through the dogleg.


Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Ive just gotten used to hitting a three wood at the right bunker and taking one extra club into that green.  Great golf course overall!


Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Alex Lagowitz

11 post tree removal looks fantastic...the trees really choked the hole and now you can see way out in the distance...
looks really nice

Bill Brightly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Alex,

You might find it interesting that Hole 11 used to be a straightaway par 4, and Hole 12 was a par 3 with the "mini-biarritz" built by Strong. My understanding is that Perry Maxwell created the current par 3 and the dogleg left par 4, maintaining the biarritz green.


Rory Connaughton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Joe

  Great photo tour.  I really enjoy Saucon Old.  The land is not severe but there is ample elevation change and pitch and roll to allow for a lot of topographical interest.  In my limited experience there is a big feel to the course without the golfer ever feeling like the round is a slog.  Great variety. I am particularly fond of 10. A great club and amazing golf facility.

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Old Course at Saucon Valley: a photo tour (all 18 up; discuss!)
« Reply #10 on: December 19, 2019, 03:37:04 PM »
Take a spin to see the Old Course at Saucon Valley where I've repaired all the broken URLs.
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

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