[Mark Bourgeois]

The par 4 382-yard 11th at Asheville Municipal Golf Course (nee Buncombe): did Donald Ross invent the half-pipe!?

This is one of the most-amazing holes I ever have seen.  You play up a half-pipe to a green tucked in an amphitheater.  The hole looks a million miles long; I'm beginning to see that one aspect of Ross's mastery was the ability to make holes appear much longer than they actually are.  I think he mastered this for mountainous and relatively flat terrain alike.

(I can imagine him walking this property, sussing out the contours of the pipe and finding a ledge that in his mind's eye transformed to an amphitheater.  His choices of green sites, on both this hole and the entire back nine, was inspired!)

As far as I know, this hole is untouched from Ross's day. Can you imagine playing this hole with old equipment?  And by untouched, I mean to include little for preservation of fairway and green lines, etc.  Would love to know others' thoughts on how the hole might have played originally, plus on how the hole / conditions should be changed to be brought back to the original. (I should note, the actual course is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it is the oldest municipal course in NC.)

From the tee -- should there be rough up the sides of the half-pipe? I fully understand the maintenance challenge of shorter grass up there, but I can't help thinking the hole would be more fun, if easier, to play, watching shots bounce all over the place:


The green -- as you can see by looking at the photo from the tee, almost certainly this green originally extended to or over the precipice, creating a false front. What about sides and back? Where would you extend the green?  And would you cut down the amphitheater grass, graduate the rough, or leave as is?




Here's another look at the hole from behind (some distance) and left. I love how Ross stuck that bunker right where the typical right-hander's miss lands -- and not to make things easier!  (Ever notice how many times Ross put bunkers in that location for the purpose of adding challenge, whereas many modern architects will usually make that area easier, sometimes using bunkers to "save" shots?):


Mark

[michael j fay]

Mark:

I played this course with the original drawings in hand. The moving of the tenth tee (originally the first tee) to accommodate the maintenence shed is the only substantive change I could see on the course.

This is a marvelous little layout with interest on all holes including those on the flat. The current back side is as challenging as one could ask for.

The course at $ 20.00 greens fee ranks as one of the great bargaims in golf.

The City of Asheville has recently gained control of the course (taken from the Buncombe County), I hope they will realize their asset and act appropriately.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Michael,

Thanks.

I am heading out of town but when I get back I will post a hole-by-hole. Yes, 10 tee felt odd to me -- that "bunker in the sky" is unique!

Those raised greens on the alluvial plain told me something about his design of Pinehurst #2. (And per my earlier comment regarding Ross's ability to make short holes look long, he somehow accomplished this on one of those flat holes: the 269-yard 3rd, which to my eye looked much longer! Must be the fronting bunkers combined with the lack of anything defining the end of the hole.)

And those greens on the back told me something about the difference between slope and contour!

The back has so many good holes, but 15-17 really stand out for me. If all they did was cut back the trees on the right side of 16 and 17, those holes would improve immeasurably. And if they restored the bunker front right of 16 green (it must be shallower today than originally, yes?), then that would be one cool short 4.

[Jon Spaulding]

Thanks for the photos; what a great looking and well located par 4. The green looks a bit bland but the view from the tee suits my eye quite well. I imagine that the calm offered by the tee shot is distupted by the stress of the second shot on this hole; especially if there were a false front. Look forward to seeing more of this course.

On similar topic....here's an image of #5 @ Palos Verdes GC (1924). I doubt the trees on the right and the cartpath were in play when constructed. The upper slope on the right was surely not mowed, but I would presume that the wooded area on the right played as fairway as the greensite is open on the right.

[David Stamm]

Thanks for the photos; what a great looking and well located par 4. The green looks a bit bland but the view from the tee suits my eye quite well. I imagine that the calm offered by the tee shot is distupted by the stress of the second shot on this hole; especially if there were a false front. Look forward to seeing more of this course.

On similar topic....here's an image of #5 @ Palos Verdes GC (1924). I doubt the trees on the right and the cartpath were in play when constructed. The upper slope on the right was surely not mowed, but I would presume that the wooded area on the right played as fairway as the greensite is open on the right.

I remember the hole well Jon. One of my favs there when we played.

[Garland Bayley]

Hate to burst you bubble Mark, but Astoria Country Club opened in 1923 (4 years earlier) with no less than 4 half pipes.

For example:



Astoria Country Club Tread

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