NGLA's Engineered, Manufactured Look?

[Jim Thompson]

In looking at the photos of the good ole days, I'm left with two questions.

1. Does the manufactured look seem more honest, open, and frank?  Like the features don't have to look like they're hiding the fact that man made them?

2.  Why did the undulating bunker die or fall from grace?  Rolling bunker bottoms are very attractive to me.  A sixty yard downhill shot out of a bunker gives me goosebumps just hinking about it.

Cheers!

JT

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Jim,
From man's desire (American man) to have everything neat and organized, hence he is THE MAN® for getting the job done.

Like the story of the guy who was told to clean-up some of those trees and then chopped down and hauled-away the whole forest.

[George_Bahto]

The 1910 pictures were taken during the NGLA unoffical opening day - CB had a few of his cose friends there to test how the course palyed.

At that time the 9th and 18th greens were in the process of being enlarged to the rear(s) and many of the holes had temp greens. Both those greens were moved back the length of an entire green. The bunkering well short of the present 18th was the greenside bunkering of the original green.

The pictures appeared in Golf Illustrated article. The article also posted the scores of the players.

I think it was a year later that Charlie M had the pros there for a similar event. You should see the scores on the back nine as opposed to the front. I guess the wind was really howling because, if I remember correctly with looking it up, there was not a hole on the back nine that an average of par.

[DMoriarty]

I was hoping you'd chime in George.   While the 1910 photos may be the same as in the Golf Illustrated, I found them in the August 1910 edition of American Golfer.  Perhaps this was the second tournament to which you refer?  Looks like the format was medal play then match play.  Pretty impressive field and amazing scores:



Im sure you have the article, but if not IM me and I will email it to you.  

[George_Bahto]

DM: you're right - it was American Golfer

good story here:  Max Behr wins the medal for low qualifying round: 38 - 42: 82

In the first round of match play, Behr is playing one John Ward (they were playing the course in the original routing starting on present hole 10).

"They were even at the turn, both going out in 42"

Ward holes out a mashie approach on the 10 (325 yards), now the 1st, for an eagle 2.

Ward at the next hole (Sahara) drives the green and makes the putt ..........  another eagle 2!

.... he came in on the back:

2  2  4  2  5  3  5  4  5:  32  winning 3 & 2

some strange yardages at the time:

Alps only playing 376 - present 18 was played at 440 but the "new" green was already laid out from about "500 to 520 yards"

The only "complaint" the players had was about the Road hole, then #16. They thought it didn't play as anticipated.

 

[George_Bahto]

Shiv: I love it!!

more about the pro tournament:

Some info from an article written by Grantland Rice 2 years after the first professional tournament was held at National:

some of the players: Tommy Armour, Hagen, Cruickshank (or ..... Quick-Shank - hah). Bill Melhorn, Gene Sarazen - they were all there.

Armour won the tournament with 302 for 72 holes about 75 per round

Melhorn was the only player to get make a 72 for the 4 rounds and Armour, Cruickshank and Farrell were the 73's.

Hole #10 435 yards (the course was now in the present routing), the highest stroke average.

Alps a close second in difficulty.

The present 8th was next most difficult and at that time was only at it’s 386-yard length (!) G Rice: “This hole offers more trouble off the tee than any other on the course”  ................  “deep trap (it’s a bunker Grantland) guarding a plateau green doesn’t help lessen the trouble”             ...... it appears, on average, these holes played a full stroke over par.

Gene Sarazen started out 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 “and then after a fine drive on the long 7th woke up with an 8 of a 9 before he knew what had taken place”