Short Course Saucon Valley CC

[Tim Martin]

The Grace course at SVCC was finished by William and David Gordon in 1957. They also built the six hole short course for juniors and beginners at the same time. With all the different configurations now being built other than nine or eighteen holes were the Gordon’s way ahead of the curve? Anyone know of other hybrid lineups built between 1955 and 2005?

[Pierre_C]

Tim,
    I heard the club may modify the short hole course to extend the driving range. Nothing definite, but talks of a possible change in order to improve the practice area.

The Grace course at SVCC was finished by William and David Gordon in 1957. They also built the six hole short course for juniors and beginners at the same time. With all the different configurations now being built other than nine or eighteen holes were the Gordon’s way ahead of the curve? Anyone know of other hybrid lineups built between 1955 and 2005?

[Tim Martin]

Tim,
    I heard the club may modify the short hole course to extend the driving range. Nothing definite, but talks of a possible change in order to improve the practice area.

The Grace course at SVCC was finished by William and David Gordon in 1957. They also built the six hole short course for juniors and beginners at the same time. With all the different configurations now being built other than nine or eighteen holes were the Gordon’s way ahead of the curve? Anyone know of other hybrid lineups built between 1955 and 2005?

Pierre-That’s what I was told also and sounds like that’s the plan. The scale of the property at 850 affords them plenty of options.

[archie_struthers]

 




Anytime we talk about Saucon it gets my pulse racing. One of the best golf venues you will ever find. The fabulous
Weyhill being the crown jewel in the facility.

[Tim Martin]

Anytime we talk about Saucon it gets my pulse racing. One of the best golf venues you will ever find.

Archie-I agree and wonder if there is another private that offers sixty holes to it’s members?

[peter_mcknight]

If the club extends the rock pile, then it necessarily compromises holes nos. 1 and 6 on the Short Course.
There's not enough land remaining on the other side of the club's Saucon Valley Road entrance road to accommodate two new holes to complete the Short Course without compromising the original intent of what the Gordons' constructed in 1957-58. Besides, one can't take from the Old Course (especially on the back nine, specifically holes 11 and 12) to make any of this work.
Perhaps, if they extended the rock pile, one would have to believe the remainder would become two par fours and four par threes rather than the current configuration of two par threes, three par fours and one par five.
While the club has 850 acres, there's nowhere else to place a six hole short course where it would make any sense.  Nothing will be disturbed at the Old, Grace and Weyhill courses.  They're not going to disturb anything around Saucon Creek, as that's a sanctuary, a prized asset at that.
As to other comments, the following:a.  The Short Course was essentially a fill in project and to offer the membership an option for their children.  I don't believe they were ahead of their time.  Given the location of the Short Course, it kept members' children relatively confined to a very specific part of the property.
b.  As to Weyhill, it's largely what could have been.  It's too bad SVCC and the Gordons' didn't have the same kind of discussion the Gordons' had with The Stanwich Club and bought the man-sized course.  I happen to believe it's the best property of the three courses; it just didn't use the land in the best manner possible.  There have been some improvements over the last two decades and that's all nice, but the original bones of the course remain largely intact.
c.  At the summer solstice when select members play all sixty holes, the day starts on The Short Course.

[Pierre_C]

Hi Peter,


     Saucon purchased the property adjacent the driving range & short course. The home was on the market last year. At the moment, there are no plans on changes till the club finish the build out of new cottages - located at Weyhill. There is a 'small' minority of the membership who would like to see the Old Course "blow-up" and redone - quote from a friend who is a member.
I think the Old Course has good bones, but I'm not a fan of the work done by Morzolf & Fazio at Saucon - e.g., bunkers.


Weyhill: 1st hole is being modified from my understanding. The pond is being enlarged, but I'm not sure what is the impact to the hole. The enlargement of the pond is to retain more water for irrigation - the club relies on the municipal for water and is working on being self sustaining.


regards
Pierre

If the club extends the rock pile, then it necessarily compromises holes nos. 1 and 6 on the Short Course.
There's not enough land remaining on the other side of the club's Saucon Valley Road entrance road to accommodate two new holes to complete the Short Course without compromising the original intent of what the Gordons' constructed in 1957-58. Besides, one can't take from the Old Course (especially on the back nine, specifically holes 11 and 12) to make any of this work.
Perhaps, if they extended the rock pile, one would have to believe the remainder would become two par fours and four par threes rather than the current configuration of two par threes, three par fours and one par five.
While the club has 850 acres, there's nowhere else to place a six hole short course where it would make any sense.  Nothing will be disturbed at the Old, Grace and Weyhill courses.  They're not going to disturb anything around Saucon Creek, as that's a sanctuary, a prized asset at that.
As to other comments, the following:


a.  The Short Course was essentially a fill in project and to offer the membership an option for their children.  I don't believe they were ahead of their time.  Given the location of the Short Course, it kept members' children relatively confined to a very specific part of the property.


b.  As to Weyhill, it's largely what could have been.  It's too bad SVCC and the Gordons' didn't have the same kind of discussion the Gordons' had with The Stanwich Club and bought the man-sized course.  I happen to believe it's the best property of the three courses; it just didn't use the land in the best manner possible.  There have been some improvements over the last two decades and that's all nice, but the original bones of the course remain largely intact.


c.  At the summer solstice when select members play all sixty holes, the day starts on The Short Course.

[peter_mcknight]

Thanks for the information, Pierre, regarding the purchase of the property to the east of the rock pile.  I suppose what they could do is build a brand new holes one and six using that property and retain holes two through five on the other side of the entrance road.  SVCC's practice facilities, while decent, wouldn't rate more than a B- at best.  This move would improve that grade by at least two degrees over current.

I'm not surprised to hear about SVCC pursuing further sustainability, especially as it relates to water.  One should applaud their decision on this matter.  I had to remember Weyhill current no.1 is the original no.11, which is how I know it.  Not necessarily a fan of that particular hole--in the summer, nothing like teeing off directly into the eastern rising sun.  I have always wondered whether there could be viability of shifting the fairway harder to the left away from the pond to the area that was a skeet shooting area back in the day.  I think that would make that hole better than it is today.  Then, they could extend and deepen the pond in both directions to expand it for sustainability purposes.
If they want to capture rain water when Saucon Creek fills up during storms, I wonder whether it's possible for the club to (a) capture it, then redirect it to the forest/wetland between holes no.2 and 4 on The Grace Course in some sort of underground aquifer and/or (b) redirect some of the flow of Saucon Creek where it enters SVCC at The Grace Course no.4 and store it in the forest area to the right of the fairway, again with some sort of aquifer component.

I have written about The Old Course and believe some aspects should return to their original and wouldn't have a problem if that were done.  With that said, however, The Grace Course could use a nip and tuck to improve it.
Lastly, I grew up in the shadow of SVCC, so I consider myself one of the luckiest people having that facility in my hometown.  There's virtually nothing like it anywhere else in the nation.  It's one of only two things I miss in the Lehigh Valley; the other being Linderman Library.