Ron Prichard Restoration work

« **on:** July 13, 2004, 09:46:56 PM »

Matt_Ward's thread got me thinking. Ron Prichard is "restoring" my old home course from when I lived in Michigan. It is an old 1927 all original Donald Ross course. It is a great classic old Ross course. When I first heard about the redo I was very worried about it. Many a great old course has been ruined by making too many changes. When I saw the blueprints for the changes I was very impressed. He is not changing much of the course, mainly redoing all the old bunkers as well as adding quite a few new ones and adding some length where it is needed. The new bunkering is pretty severe with steep grass faces and that has some members complaining but I think it is going to be great. It looks very natural. The course needs some teeth and the redo IMO will provide exactly that.

Up untill this I had never heard of Mr. Prichard. I would like to know what you guys know about him and your impression of his work. I am impressed with what I have seen so far. The course is scheduled to open again soon I am excited to make the trip back and play it for the first time again.

« **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2004, 10:00:23 PM »

Dear Ari:

I assume you are referring to Franklin Hills.

It is a wonderful course - underneath all of those trees. Somewhere underneath is an excellent Ross course.

The experience we had at Beverly CC is a wonderful one. Ron Prichard ( no T !!) did an excellent job and I highly recommend him. Not only did a do a great job at Beverly, but I've played Skokie - which was great - and Aronimink - which was awesome.

I would be happy to give you any more information concerning Ron and his Master Plan if you wish.

« **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2004, 12:24:22 AM »

Quote from: Paul Richards on July 13, 2004, 10:00:23 PM

Dear Ari:

I assume you are referring to Franklin Hills.

It is a wonderful course - underneath all of those trees. Somewhere underneath is an excellent Ross course.

The experience we had at Beverly CC is a wonderful one. Ron Prichard ( no T !!) did an excellent job and I highly recommend him. Not only did a do a great job at Beverly, but I've played Skokie - which was great - and Aronimink - which was awesome.

I would be happy to give you any more information concerning Ron and his Master Plan if you wish.

Paul,

Franklin Hills is correct!

Along with the changes in the bunkering they are removing alot of trees. The end result should be great. I would love any and all information that you can give me. My email address is ari@sgolfclubs.com

THANK YOU!

« **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2004, 06:57:17 AM »

Ari;

please check your emails. i sent you a couple of items.

yours,
Paul

« **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2004, 10:40:22 AM »

Ari

Ron Prichard did a great job at Jeffersonville G.C., a "Donald Ross" design outside of Philadelphia. The new bunkering looks great and is basically how you explained it, severe looking with steep grass faces. The greens he redid are wonderful and alot fun to putt on and chip to.

Of course you also have Aronimink which Prichard restored.

« **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2004, 12:11:40 PM »

Ari,

You're in good hands, maybe the best at Ross restorations.

Relax, and let Ron do his work.

« **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2004, 12:15:58 PM »

Ron's work at Hanover Country Club (Dartmouth's course) is exceptional. I think it was probably a difficult site to work on with some really quirky routing, but the greens are the best they have ever been. He did more than a restoration—he added a bunch of new holes that in several cases are better than the old ones. Although Hanover will never make it onto a Top Courses list, it has always been one of my favorites simply because it is so funky. While Ron made significant improvements, he also managed to keep the character of the place intact—no small accomplishment.

« **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2004, 12:27:43 PM »

Ari

Prichard, at Hanover Country Club, combined some of an old original nine laid out by Ralph Barton, then a professor at the College - who later became associated with Seth Raynor, I think.

Everyone who has played the new layout has good things to say about a difficult piece of ground to work with.

Willie

« **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2004, 01:13:03 PM »

He also did a wonderful job at the Orchards.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2004, 01:20:26 PM »

Mention of Dartmouth brings back memories.

What did Prichard do with the ski ramp that used to run down the 18th fairway? Is it still in play? One of the quirkiest things I've ever seen.

Bob

« **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2004, 01:36:24 PM »

Quote from: BCrosby on July 14, 2004, 01:20:26 PM

What did Prichard do with the ski ramp that used to run down the 18th fairway?

There was one on 18? Was it in the gorge that you drive over? I remember the old ski jump above 13 (I didn't notice if it was still there last time I played). I also heard there was a rope tow on the hill to the right of the second hole (long since removed).

« **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2004, 01:42:59 PM »

Ari;

To me this work sounds more like remodeling due to the adding of bunkers and new tees/added length than a true restoration. It may just be nomenclature but a true restoration would strictly be a return to the original features/design.

We ran into this last year when working with a local club to restore/remodel a Donald Ross green that had been redesigned in the 80's.

Regardless, from your description it sounds like the project is a success and it is always difficult to assess a project without knowing the architect's mandate from the club.

Cheers,

Bruce

« **Reply #12 on:** July 14, 2004, 02:05:35 PM »

Dan -

Sounds like things have changed. The last time I played Dartmouth was in a match in 1970. The 18th was a wild downhill par 5 that came back to the campus. All along the right side of the fairway was a ski jump. I remember having to punch a recovery shot out from between some girders. I hated it at the time. Now I think of it the kind of quirk that is all too rare these days.

Bob

« **Reply #13 on:** July 14, 2004, 03:56:01 PM »

Ari,
If you will look up Wilmington G.C. in the Courses by Country section of GCA, there are some great photos of some of Prichard's work in Ross restorations. Great, great work there.

« **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2004, 05:09:41 PM »

Ari,

I had the pleasure of working with Ron on the restoration at Charles River. I couldn't endorse the man and his work more highly. He was a pleasure to work with and the results are exceptional. The Master Plan continues to guide us today 7 years later. Not to worry, Mr. Prichard is, in my opinion, the best.

« **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2004, 05:18:00 PM »

Bob

Not having played Hanover since my senior year, 1951, my recollection of #18 was across the gorge and back to the clubhouse bungalow.

Could it be that you lost your match 3-2? I think the ski jump was next to 16.

Willie

« **Reply #16 on:** July 14, 2004, 05:41:42 PM »

Willie -

It is quite possible. (Though I think I won that match.) But I am struggling with more than distant memories here. Certain foreign substances sometimes clouded my vision back then. As I recall, even very large structures like ski jumps and par 5's could be hard to positively indentify.

Bob

« **Reply #17 on:** September 03, 2004, 07:52:57 PM »

The ski jump (taken down several years ago) was to the right of the 15th, a staightaway par 5. 16 and 17 were changed dramatically, but 18 remains a dogleg left par 5 over a gully. I played the course literally hundreds of times growing up (the junior rate was $250 for the season!) but haven't played the restored version.

« **Reply #18 on:** September 03, 2004, 08:16:14 PM »

Ari:

The work Ron has done with a number of courses throughout the USA is well done. I echo what Pat has already said.

The finished products at Skokie (IL) and Mountain Ridge (NJ) are testaments to what can be done with the right person at the helm.

Best of luck ...

« **Reply #19 on:** September 03, 2004, 10:38:43 PM »

Prichard does the prototypical Ross aesthetic as well as anyone...that ability most likely translates well to Raynor and Langford as well.

« **Reply #20 on:** September 04, 2004, 01:47:56 PM »

Of the so-called "restoration" architects I know it's always seemed to me Ron Prichard is the one who has the most interest of all of them in actually dredging up old plans and such and trying to stick as close as possible to the style and features of the architect being restored. Prichard seems to me to have the most true interest of any of them in the way things once were. If I had a question on any aspect of Ross from the old days the first one I'd call for info is Ron Prichard.

« **Reply #21 on:** September 04, 2004, 02:10:07 PM »

Ron is a great guy with a strong passion for, and knowledge of the works of Donald Ross. For sure.

As more photos of Prichard's work at Ross courses become available though, I consistently notice that most bunkers have been reconstructed with grass faces and flat sand bottoms.

This makes me wonder if Prichard's work, particularly on bunkers, is always true restoration, or more an interpretation of the a "Ross style" Prichard has become fond of, and familiar with. Because Ross didn't always design grass face/flat bottom bunkers. The bunkers at my home club, Essex (Ross, 1929), have always featured flashed sand with a "turf ribbon" lip, as per the architect's intructions.

I should just ask Ron next time I speak to him. I'm simply thinking "aloud" I guess, for the sake of the discussion.

« **Reply #22 on:** September 04, 2004, 02:25:30 PM »

Jeff:

I'm going to call him up anyway, to ask him what he knows about the entire architectural evolution of Minnikahda, so I'll ask him that question about various types and style of Ross bunkers.

Some courses, like mine, may just want to go to the grass-down face style of Ross because it's more maintenance friendly, particularly following problem rains.

« **Reply #23 on:** September 04, 2004, 03:04:52 PM »

I just got back from Minneapolis. I played Minikahda, White Bear Yacht Club, Woodhill Country Club and Interlachen. I also gave the Minneapolis Golf Club a pretty thorough looking at.

Prichards work as Minikahda is truly spectacular. Doaks work at White Bear Yacht Club is also exceptional. Either course would be suitable for play for the rest of your life.

John Fought is doing the Master Plan for Woodhill and has done his homework. He is just about finished at Pine Needles and a lot of people are patiently awaiting the grow in. I rode Pine Needles earlier this year with John, Kelly Miller and Ran and I was quite impressed with the plans for Pine Needles. It is a restoration coupled with a stretching. When finished the new back tees will require a 285 hit to reach the crown in the fairway on six of the par four holes. On those six holes he has made long holes longer. Par will switch from 5 to 4 on the 14th and from 4 to 5 on number 15. The 14th tee will be reoriented creating more of an offset hole than a dogleg. The tenth green(which is not original) is going to be moved back and to the left by some 60 yards.

Back to Ron Prichard. Longmeadow, Mountain Ridge, Aronimink, the Orchards, Beverly, Minikahda and the list continues to grow. He also did some very nice work at Charles River, Metacomet and Wannamoisett. Ron is an artist.

« **Reply #24 on:** September 04, 2004, 03:14:11 PM »

Interesting point about the maintenance of grass face bunkers, Tom - in regard to rain and wash outs. But aren't those steep, "bumpy" grass faces a challenge to mow in some cases? That might be a maintenance issue itself.

Ask Ron. I'll be interested to hear his response.

I plan to cross the river at some time during the next few weeks to see his work at Franklin Hills, which is nearing completion. Come to think of it, Ron Prichard might be busiest golf architect working today - without a single new course project on the go! Interesting, eh.

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