Vernon Macan's Alderwood, etc.

[Jeff_Mingay]

I'm privileged to be consulting on restorative-based improvements at six courses designed by A.V. Macan. At this moment, each of these projects are at different stages of research, planning, construction …

My point here is, the more I delve into Mr. Macan's original designs (which have been bastardized probably more than any other architects' work in history), the more I'm overwhelmingly impressed with him as a true contemporary of the great architects of the 1920s and '30s. His routings are excellent, almost with exception; and, he's designed some of the coolest, seemingly subtle greens I've ever seen. Recently I've discovered some really great and artistic bunker styles and schemes in old aerial photos of places like Inglewood and Broadmoor, for example. Mr. Macan's best work seems to have been done where an exceptional contractor was involved ... like at Fircrest, in Tacoma, Washington. William Tucker & Son, out of New York City, built that course for him. (Fircrest is an exceptional property, too.) Overall, Mr. Macan's work is very studied and classy, not pretentious, ever.

I ran across this today, doing some research … plans for expansion of Portland International Airport in the early 1950s that buried Mr. Macan's Alderwood course, on the banks for the Columbia River, in 1953. Alderwood opened in 1925, when Macan was incredibly busy … along with Fircrest, Glendale (Seattle), Langara (Vancouver) and California Golf Club, his Columbia-Edgewater course (which is still next door to where Alderwood was … !) had just opened; it looks like he may have had at least three courses under construction at the time, too, including Seattle's Broadmoor. (Amazing.)

Alderwood was the first course west of the Mississippi River to host the US Amateur, in 1937. Gone 16 years later.

[Pete_Pittock]

Macan plat, oriented with the clubhouse and Columbia River on top (north at top)


Course map in the June 26, 1932 issue of the Oregon Journal, preceding the PNGA Amateur Championship
oriented with the clubhouse and Columbia River on the bottom (north at bottom)

[Pete_Pittock]

From the Oregon Journal Aug 15, 1937

[Jeff_Mingay]

Thanks for posting this stuff (and sending additional info. about Alderwood to me in the past), Pete. Much appreciated,

[Dale Frischknecht]

I had heard of some other courses in the Portland area that were replaced with development but was unaware of this one.  Not to hijack, but I have always wanted to know more about Multnomah Golf Club, designed by Willie Locke in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland.  Here is some of what I have found, also sounds like after it closed the land was sold to the Catlin Gable School in 1936.  Do any of the Portland area guys have more history of the course?  This article is from the MAC (Multnomah Athletic Club) newsletter.


I have not posted images before, hope this works.

[Pete_Pittock]

Dale,
The MAC probably has a lot of archives on it.

[Garland Bayley]

Dale,

Your article mentions a street named Fairway in Raleigh Hills. You can see its location (SW Fairway Dr.) below between highway 8 and highway 10 in Raleigh Hills.
Notice also that there is a Parrway Drive nearby. It appears there is a pond just south of the west end of Fairway Dr. Zooming on Google Earth clearly shows water in the north end of it.

[Brett Wiesley]

He was definitely an understated designer.  I think part of this, and the boom of course production in a short time was due to the fact he spent only a few years designing courses in the USA, and almost all of them exclusively in the Pacific NW.  His story alone is impressive:  War vet, amputee, still great golfer.  I believe most of his designs were in British Columbia. 

I know it has been noted at Cal Club that initially there were no bunkers, only to be added 2 years later (MacKenzie in this case).  Was the delayed bunkering plan part of his usual routine?

[Jeff_Mingay]

You're right Brett, Macan's story is very impressive (and not so impressive, if you delve into his family life).

He actually designed golf courses from 1913 to his death in 1964, longer than any of the other "Golden Age" guys. And there are more Macan courses elsewhere - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California - than in British Columbia, I think. It's close anyway. I don't think delaying the bunkering was his usual routine, but it seems much of his work was done with limited money. A lot of his early courses were built on "shoestring budgets" with tweaks coming later … or not.

But he consistently nailed what needs to be nailed - routing and greens.