I understand this was Raynor's first solo effort. Never been there, and doesn't look like my cup of tea, but certainly interesting.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKhntjZWh4
Carl,
I have been fortunate to see Westhampton closely on an architecture level, first with a great tour with its former longtime superintendent and former contributor to this website in its early years, Mike Rewinski. Over a period of time the course had degenerated (softened) and being that this exquisite, high end club wanted to maintain the least amount of change possible, allowed Mike to make changes to the course that were either restorative or additions to battle the ever changing distance of the golf ball. Mike being Mike, he made a lot of changes that made little sense in a Raynor sense for many years.
In 2010, Rewinski more or less retired from the club and Gil Hanse was retained to do a master plan, and along with this websites now departed dear friend, Uncle George Bahto, restored in the proper sense, Westhampton's most important features. From the looks of it, Uncle George's swan song is a complete success and I wish he could have seen this flyover as proof of it--then again, maybe he is flying with the angels over it every day!
As Pat posts, the architecture is electric, and my favorites have been made better to some degree, as the bones for four great one-shot holes was there, the first being the Punchbowl, which is a punchbowl like no other! Seriously a type of architecture in an age that golf holes were designed for specific shot-making. The Redan 7th, which was hard to see from the tee, looks like its more hazardous features have been exposed and enlivened. The Short sits in a very windy area of the course, where the winds could spell death on a highly entertaining putting surface. The Biarritz 17th's bones were always so obvious, yet in my talks with Mr. Rewinski he didn't have much love for the idea of restoring the hole, more changing putting contours there over the years as he explained to me. From the looks of it, Gil and Uncle George took complete advantage of the corridor and created what looks like a respectable Biarritz of the Raynor fashion!
One of tmy favorite favorite features of Westhampton are the "hay stacks/chocolate drops and running ridges in various areas around the course, all depicting golf architecture in America from a "toddler-like" place in time. To jump on type of this dog pile, I cannot understand why something like that could not be someone's "cup of tea." regardless of your interpretation, you should be using it more as a positive to open your mind, tune in and turn on and most, check out the Westhampton Golf Club....