Alister Mackenzie in New Zealand — Ireland's C.H. Redhead?

[Mark_Guiniven]

Neil Crafter has suggested I take a closer look at Dr. AM's activities in New Zealand following some interesting finds of late. I thought I would start with the course Mackenzie visited in Rotorua that he mentions in the Spirit of St. Andrews:

"Golf in New Zealand, unlike Australia, is dead. In fact, it has never been alive. Green committees there do not seem to realize that the game is played for pleasure; they utilize long grass as a penal hazard, and the consequence is that golfers will not put up with the annoyance of losing balls.

While in New Zealand, I designed a golf course at Maungakiki, Auckland (Titirangi). The construction of the holes appeared to be good, judging from the photographs they sent me.

They have a course in Rotorua, in the middle of the volcanic region, where the turf is as good as on any golf course. Its excellence seems to indicate that an excess of sulphur is favourable to the development of the finest of the dwarf golfing grasses.

The founder of the club was a cockney, and in addressing the preliminary meeting, said, "We will 'ave the only course in the world that 'as 'ot 'oles, for 'azards." The course is indeed full of'ot 'ales where balls frizzle up and explode. At intervals there were geysers spouting 100 feet or more, natives cooking and doing their washing in the adjoining hot springs, sulphur fumes everywhere, and many places where a stick is charred if it is pushed through the turf."

This can only be Arikikapakapa, home of the Rotorua Golf Club. G.M. Kelly, NZ's most noted golf historian, writes about C.H. Redhead in his centenary history book 'Golf in New Zealand', crediting him with the introduction of the strategic school here and naming 'Ariki' as its seminal work in NZ:

"Cross bunkering, penal bunkering for the bad shot, reverence for rough – all this was characteristic of their early work. Despite their qualities, they were not golf architects. The term itself was brand new, and new modes demanded new men. Precisely at this moment, providence gave New Zealand a man whose sporting and professional background made him the ideal catalyst of modernisation. Stamping New Zealand courses with the new learning and a sure instinct, C. H. Redhead led the revolution.

Redhead had begun life and golf in Ireland. As an engineer in government service, he had shown great ability; during World War I the installation of underground telephone cables in Ireland was entrusted to his direction. At golf, he had won some distinction; he was also a keen student of the game, knew the latest trends and authorities, and had done some advisory planning. In 1924, on reaching fifty, Redhead retired from professional life and came to New Zealand, where he made his home in Rotorua. Over the next two decades the country of his adoption gave him a splendid second career; he gave in return a wonderful and lasting stimulus.

C.H. Redhead.

By 1927 Redhead had won his decisive battle. Against stubborn local opposition, Arikikapakapa had been remodelled and fully bunkered to his plans. At once, all other courses seemed outmoded; other clubs jostled to try his skills. Auckland and Napier were among the first, but Redhead soon travelled widely to courses great and small. His standing grew rapidly. By 1934 he had completely planned Chamberlain Park, Feilding, Northern Wairoa, Opotiki, Pukekohe, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Thames, two courses at Whakatane and perhaps others. For remodelling and bunkering, he had been called on at Middlemore, Akarana, Avondale, Cambridge, Glendowie, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt, Manawatu, Maungakiekie, New Plymouth, Poverty Bay, Pupuke, Rotorua, St Clair, Balmacewan, Wanganui and certainly elsewhere. By that time, the main force of his impact was spent. But golf in New Zealand had a new look for all time.

Arikikapakapa today.

During 1927 Redhead elaborated his ideas in Golf Illustrated. 1t was not his aim to make courses unduly difficult. “A hole,” he declaimed, “should be reasonable but interesting, not for the benefit of the scratch man or the long handicap man, but for all.” His strategy gave particular attention to short holes – four of varying length and direction being recommended. “Much is forgiven a course,” he said, “where the one-shot holes are good, and most of the best known holes of the world are of this variety.” For the rest, parallel holes were to be avoided, and bent holes with sweeping curves should be frequent. Wide belts of rough also attracted him, but “not so severe as to cause lost balls, the grass only a shade longer than the fairways”.

The layout of greens was given close attention. Size should vary, especially for the one-shot holes – “the shorter the shot the smaller the green”. Undulations, provided they were gentle, found favour, and much stress was placed on mounds or trees as background to the pin. Straight lines and all mathematical regularity should be avoided – the shape of a green should be decided by bunkers planned for the total strategy of the hole. Greens, Redhead concluded, needed much higher standards of expert care. “No course can be considered anything like first class unless it has well laid-out greens with perfect putting surfaces.” Bunkers were a prominent feature of the Redhead legacy, and his clearest local innovation. Traditionally, most had been placed to catch the indifferent shot. In the new school of strategic planning, this was not the main consideration; the principal purpose of fairway bunkers was to force the line of play. At best, a dilemma should be involved – with an advantage for the difficult carry and a subsequent problem for the easier route. Except for very short holes, which Redhead bunkered heavily to the green’s verge, green bunkers had a similar role. Peril from a bad fairway position was the proper objective.

With the hindsight of forty years, it is still not easy to assess Redhead’s real impact. Some of his ideas were familiar to other local men already at work. Redhead, however, was every inch the professional of a new type – the man whose business was course design. He represented also, first and most prominently, those strategic concepts which were profoundly marking the game elsewhere. Even where his own efforts did not stretch, his influence was deep and permanent. In less than one decade, C. H. Redhead yanked New Zealand courses from the horse and buggy age to modern times."

Has anyone on golfclubatlas ever heard of this guy C.H. Redhead or come across anything that links him with Alister Mackenzie? The 1927 date would seem to fit. I know Mackenzie built courses in Ireland and had Jack Fleming and other Irishmen on his construction teams at various points working on courses in England, and eventually brought them over to the States to build Pasa, Cypress Point and the Valley Club etc.

[Neil_Crafter]

Nice post Mark

The other thing worth mentioning is that we know Mackenzie stayed in New Zealand for around 3 weeks. In his articles on his Round the World Tour in 1927 Golf Illustrated he says that he spent two weeks of this time having a holiday (obviously his hectic 6 weeks in Australia took its toll!) which he spent trout fishing. He said that he had been trout fishing since he was 6 years old and it would seem to have been one of his lifelong pursuits. Mark beieves he most likely did this at Lake Taupo, widely renowned for its trout fishing.

Any other guys with a Dr Mac interest heard of this as one of the Dr's favourite pastimes?

cheers Neil

[Mark_Guiniven]

Thanks Neil. Here are those holes from Yarra Yarra 1945. Russell liked narrow fairways as you can see. We want to know when the trees(?) on 14 were removed, and whether flax as a hazard should make a comeback. I say yes.

[Tom_Doak]

I have heard Redhead's name because Ron Whitten correctly identified him as the designer of Rotorua Golf Club, which I saw in 1988 and included in The Confidential Guide.  It was a good course with one terrific short hole, the ninth.

As a boy, Alister MacKenzie spent his summers in the west of Scotland doing outdoor pursuits like stalking deer and fishing, so I'm not surprised if trout fishing was on his list of hobbies, although I don't remember seeing any mention of it in his globetrotting years.

[T_MacWood]

Mark
Interesting information. I've seen Redhead's name, but only as being credited for the design of a course or two in NZ. Your info on him is all new to me.

I think it was widely reported that MacKenzie was going to be in Australia and was available for hire by any club, I suppose clubs in NZ would be equally interested. I don't think he neccessarily had a personal contact in NZ.

[Tom_Doak]

I somehow missed the suggestion that Redhead was affiliated with MacKenzie.  I don't believe that was the case, at least I've never seen another mention of it.  And that would be surprising, since MacKenzie was very quick to take on new "partners" and tout their abilities.

Redhead's ideas sound very similar to the classic books of the era, particularly MacKenzie's and Colt's.  It's possible that he was just a good golfer who read their philosophies and adopted them as his own.  There are a lot of architects today who go around quoting MacKenzie and Thomas and Colt, too -- although today they are more likely to include their names for effect, since they know they won't have to compete with any of those writers.

[Mark_Guiniven]

Tom,
John Scarth has written something:

"Early in that year the noted Dr. Alister MacKenzie, who was holidaying at Taupo, visited Rotorua Golf Club and met with Charles Redhead. One can only wonder what was said."

Maybe Neil knows how John knows that. I can't find it in Kelly's book under either the Titirangi or Arikikapakapa sections.

I remember well you saying "one great hole" that time and then Brian Schneider adding "that par 3?" like he'd seen it too or at least knew the book well enough to make that comment. Pretty impressive that you would even know to go there way back then.

I don't know if Redhead was anything particularly special; in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. But it's interesting to note there was a strategic revolution here. The next generation certainly did a pretty good job snuffing it out. Maybe there are some decent courses here under all those trees and all that rough.

Tom MacWood,
Neil showed me a British Golf Illustrated article from Oct 1 1926 that mentions AM had been getting requests from other countries for some time, you're right. Have you seen other sources reporting he was going to Australia? Naturally we would love to see them.

Neil,
A historian from the Wellington Racing Club got back to me today and told me the 1927 Wellington Cup carnival started on Thursday 20th January. I sense that's just a shade too early for AM, unless he spent almost as much time in Wellington as he did in Auckland, which seems unlikely.

[Bob_Huntley]

Did Redhead ever touch Titirangi? I last played there in 1971 and had a delightful time. I understand that in winter, wet conditions turn the clay undersoil to a bit of a mess.

Bob

[Mark_Guiniven]

Certainly possible Bob, but I haven't read anywhere that he did. At Titirangi all the work was supervised by a H.W. Cooke who, it seems, played 'Alex Russell' during Mackenzie's NZ visit. It would seem likely Cooke made any alterations necessary in later years like AR did at Royal Melbourne.

Mike Clayton,
How many times did you play the Air New Zealand-Shell event in Auckland? You've always said Titirangi was great fun. They always used to pay a top American to come down as I remember.

[Mike_Clayton]

Mark

I played Titirangi every tournament that was there from 1981 except 1984.
I'm not sure how many but I would guess five to six.
There were lots of fun shots to hit there - we played an odd order of holes but the best holes in the tournament were 3,4,5,6,7,11,13,14 and 15.
Frank Nobilo caddied there for Al Geiberger there and he said it was 'the longest short course he ahd ever played'.
I can't beleive they don't play all of Auckland's tournament golf there.  
Actually I can beleive it.Money is the answer