I loved Cavendish and enjoyed Reddish Vale, but unlike the Leeds area where I’ve seen some of the lesser-known MacKenzie designs, I’m completely unfamiliar with the rest of these. When were they built?
Tom,
They cover the whole period of Dr MacKenzie's work in England.
Reddish Vale (1912) was his first full professional commission after completing Alwoodley and Moortown as a founder member.
Hazel Grove came the following year but unfortunately half the original course was lost to an aborted road development in the 1990s. In building nine new holes the club butchered much of the remaining course, adding mediocre USGA greens throughout and all but eliminating anything recognizably McKenzie.
Sitwell Park is famous for the dramatic wild greens MacKenzie provided. Within a couple of years they were flattened out by the club, who by all accounts were not entirely enamoured by MacKenzie's work. It remains a perfectly acceptable but not particularly memorable hilly parkland course with too many trees.
Nelson is another of MacKenzie's pre WW1 courses and one well worth a visit. Originally nine holes MacKenzie returned after the war to add a second nine.
Bramall Park is a well to do club in the leafy suburbs of South Manchester. MacKenzie did some work there in the 20s but it can hardly be called a MacKenzie course. The centenary book published a few years ago makes no mention whatsoever of him. It would appear that Braid was brought in during the 30s to revamp the course.
Bolton Old Links is another that MacKenzie consulted on and made some changes to in the early 20s. Again the club do not make a big thing of any MacKenzie connection.
Which brings us to Cavendish. I love this course more every time I play it. I know you were impressed on your visit - you really need to come back and play it again.