Favorite ghost feratures?

[Scott Sander]

If this topic has been asked and answered, please accept my apologies and please point the way.

Before I opened the "Mysterious Courses" thread, I thought/hoped it would be about something different, namely still-extant courses that have changed over the years but have clear evidence of past versions.

I doubt I can explain why, but I get a deep thrill out of spotting old tee pads, abandoned fairways, fallen bridges, etc. 

An example from my neck of the woods might be an old Langford fairway corridor to the right of what's now #13 at Harrison Hills.  The expansion to 18 holes left the original course mostly intact, but if you look back and to the right 2/3 down the fairway, you can see the old version still sitting there, just waiting for a bushhog or a machete.

For me, the key to that spot, and others like it, is that there's little attempt to deeply camoflauge the past.  It's still there, hiding in plain sight.

Interested in other examples, if anyone has a mind to share.

Thanks. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Modify your original post's title to "features" and you might get more interest.

[Carl Johnson]

Well, I'm not sure how favorite, but on the right side of my home club's 14th (Carolina GC, Ross, 1929, originally 18th) there are remnants of fairway bunkers, sans sand.  The fairway used to be wider.  Part of the right side was lost to a public road re-routing.  The fence that now borders the right side of the fairway cuts right through the old bunkers.  We had a course re-do in 2008 and new fairway bunkers were built further down the right side of the fairway (duh!).  The remnants of the old 1/2 bunkers were left.  I have no idea how or why or if there was a decision made not to level the old land where the old bunkers were, but in any event I'm glad they were retained as an homage to the past. 

[Sean_A]

One of the saddest things I caome across is abandoned bunkers in trees.  Sutton Coldfield has a handful of these remnants which reminds me of how much wider golf courses were back when Dr Mac designed them.  I think he would be astonished at how narrow golf has become since his death.

Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

Today I drove past a sad, ghost like sight, a decent golf course that has been closed for four years.  The Moors was a decent faux links on the east side of Pensacola.  Home to the Emerald Coast Classic on the senior tour, it was the last place I saw Arnie, Gary and Trevino play.  It appeared the fairways are being mowed a couple of inches high, rough about the same.  The saddest sight is the homes surrounding the course that were sold as golf course lots.  "Ghost course."

[Mark Bourgeois]

I believe the term you're looking for palimpsest. h/t Rich Goodale, who has a number of interesting posts / threads on the topic (IIRC). But let's keep this thread going.

How about Royal Melbourne East's 1st hole recently being converted into a lacrosse field?





Tragic, huh?

[Bill Brightly]

When you play Deepdale you get a glimpse of an adjacent field that used to be a Macdonald hole. I wanted to jump the fence and have a look around!

[Sean_A]

I believe the term you're looking for palimpsest. h/t Rich Goodale, who has a number of interesting posts / threads on the topic (IIRC). But let's keep this thread going.

How about Royal Melbourne East's 1st hole recently being converted into a lacrosse field?





Tragic, huh?

I don't know, what I see today looks pretty darn good.

Ciao

[Joey Chase]

When you play Deepdale you get a glimpse of an adjacent field that used to be a Macdonald hole. I wanted to jump the fence and have a look around!

Where on Deepdale do you see that?  The only field I can think of adjacent t the course is to the right of the 8th hole and the MacDonald course was not near that side of the course.  Are you thinking of the old Deepdale course now known as Lake Success?

[Adam Clayman]

Wakonda club in Des Moines is a great example. Maybe it's because L&M features are so bold, that the attempt to improve, only highlights their ignorance to improve on greatness.

A CC in Albuquerque, Four Hills (?) also has features deep in the trees.

[Kyle Casella]

The old part of the fairway near the cliff on #9 at Pebble Beach. Now that they are restoring the old tee on 10, maybe they will think about 9 as well...