[Peter Zarlengo]

I've seen quite a few more golf courses embracing architectural ruins and pre-existing structures in golf design.

Is this a new concept?

What are some of the best examples of doing this?

But most importantly, is the idea of incorporating ruins into golf courses lost because of the increasing number of courses doing so now? I would think that the novelty has worn away on many regular golfers.

Thoughts?

[Bill_McBride]

Pennard in South Wales - ruins of a castle and a church wall.

Sean Arble will be along to post photos tomorrow!  

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Old Tabby Links on Spring Island here in South Carolina.

A great golf course overall, but the ruins hole is one you will never forget.  With the "Old Tabby" ruins along the right hand side of the hole, and a georgeous "low country" views all down the left it is a striking hole.

[Phil McDade]

You can hit into a graveyard at the 1st or 18th at Stonehaven in Scotland. I think it predates the course.

[Jeff_Brauer]

They have been used where found starting with some old stone walls even on Scottish courses. Isn't the wall at Berwick from the 1200's or something?

Hurdzan used one at Devil's Pulpit as another example.

Sure sign its a trend?  If ya don't got em, ya build em!

A few gca's including Davis Love in MB and Tripp Davis at the Tribute in the Colony have built faux ruins, although Tripp's was to recreate the Road Hole.

[Peter Zarlengo]

Trends may come and go, but the course will stay and people will experience it. I think that most people will be happy to play these type of holes. So is this trend one that promotes good golf design? Or is the repetitive nature of this trend hurting authentic and creative design?

[PThomas]

there's ruins of something on 18 at Whiskey Creek in Md

[paul cowley]

"So is this trend one that promotes good golf design? Or is the repetitive nature of this trend hurting authentic and creative design?"

Peter.....not only does this trend promote good golf design, it is a good example of "authentic and creative design".

 
 
 

[Sébastien Dhaussy]

You can hit into a graveyard at the 1st or 18th at Stonehaven in Scotland. I think it predates the course.

I think it's the 18th hole :

[Sean_A]

You can hit into a graveyard at the 1st or 18th at Stonehaven in Scotland. I think it predates the course.

I think it's the 18th hole :

Seb

That is the 18th at Stonehaven as seen from near the clubhouse.  Play is from the left kicking pulled/hooked balls toward the graveyard.  

Ciao

[Jim Sweeney]

Sea Island Ocean and PLantation courses have the remains of slave quareters and the plantation's slave hospital on the grounds, with descriptive plaques.

THe Pete Dye Club in West Virginia has old coal mining equipment strewn about as well as the famous cart path through the mine shaft. While not ruins per say, these aspects of past use of the land are integral to the experience.

[Brad Tufts]

How about Robert the Bruce's castle to the left of the fairway on #9 at Turnberry?

There are also ruins on a hole at Devil's Pulpit or Paintbrush...

Several native Hawaiian "Heiau" at Poipu Bay.

[Bob_Huntley]

The Martello Towers on Royal Guernsey, built as a defense against a possible Napoleonic invasion. Not as old as some of the stuff before but they do come into play.

Bob

[Jerry Kluger]

My recollection of French Creek was that an old stone wall was restored and is in play on a par 5 on the back, and an old barn was restored and used as the backdrop of a short par 3 on the front - Dan Hermann can better elaborate.

[Wayne_Kozun]

There are also ruins on a hole at Devil's Pulpit or Paintbrush...

Devil's Pulpit has a small graveyard in the fairway on one hole and there are stone wall ruins on some of the other holes - I believe those are of an old barn on the 8th on the Paintbrush.

[Jeremy_Glenn.]

Ruins, or even "faux ruins", are nothing new.  Given that the golf course is a garden (as the other post discusses), and basically everything in traditional parkland golf courses (as opposed to the more rugged, minimalistic courses now in vogue) is essentially a not-too-subtle ripoff of the romantic english garden, the use of ruins in just another use of the same palette.  

[Mark Pearce]

A number of British seaside courses have Second World War fortifications on or very close to them.  A friend of mine bounced a ball off the top of what looked like a gun emplacement on his way to a front nine of 63 at Burnham & Berrow (his back nine of 37 led to perhaps the most bizarre round of 100 I'll ever see) and there's one just to the right of the 4th green at Bamburgh Castle.

It probably doesn't count as a ruin but there's an old stone well in the fairway on the 9th at Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Ruins are not entirely uncommon on British courses.  In addition to the ones already mentioned there's a ruined cattle shed near to the green at the par three 10th at Dunbar ready to collect a hooked tee shot.

[Gary Slatter]

At the Tryall GC in Jamaica your tee shot goes under a part of an old sugar mill.  Down the way at Cinnamon Hill many of the holes are surrounded by ruins of old plantations (1630s) and several tees are constructed on the stonework, preserving it for future generations.  More than 600 graves were also found during Cinnamon Hill's reconstruction, one was moved a few feet until Johnny Cash (the real one) came down from his home (1740) and asked that "Mr. Tinkler's grave be restored".
This grave is besdie the 17th green.   Of course these ruins are all young compared to what you find in Scotland.

[Jason McNamara]

The Martello Towers on Royal Guernsey, built as a defense against a possible Napoleonic invasion. Not as old as some of the stuff before but they do come into play.

Doesn't Felixstowe have them as well?

[Doug Ralston]

You can hit into a graveyard at the 1st or 18th at Stonehaven in Scotland. I think it predates the course.

I think it's the 18th hole :

Hmm, looks like where all of Tony Soprano's golf partners went after their victories.  Lends a whole new meaning to the comment 'left is dead'.

Wonderful picture of how sad it is when the round is over.

For that matter, just a peaceful picture.

Doug

[Marty Bonnar]

Peter,
there's a delightfully picturesque red sandstone Romanesque temple on the hole called, rather oddly, 'Temple', #15 I think at Haddington. East Lothian visitors should be sure to see it when not golfing their ball at Gullane, N Berwick or the Field of the Muir.
Quite charming.
I can't find any pics on the web unfort and I didn't have my camera with me the time I played there. (Boys weekend away - not interested in GCA, only golfing and drinking mostly).

FBD.

[Bill_McBride]

Peter,
there's a delightfully picturesque red sandstone Romanesque temple on the hole called, rather oddly, 'Temple', #15 I think at Haddington. East Lothian visitors should be sure to see it when not golfing their ball at Gullane, N Berwick or the Field of the Muir.
Quite charming.
I can't find any pics on the web unfort and I didn't have my camera with me the time I played there. (Boys weekend away - not interested in GCA, only golfing and drinking mostly).

FBD.

Martin, where is Haddington?  Sounds interesting.

[Marty Bonnar]

Mon Oncle,
hard by the A1, due south of Gullane. Maybe 10 or 12 miles away.
Course mostly parklandy, but a couple of cracking holes.
Worth a visit if in the area and looking for something different after the glories of the links.
FBD

[Bill_McBride]

Hell, I haven't even played Kilspindie yet!

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