Photos of the work on Olympia Fields South

[Jeff Goldman]

Dan,

I do not think the bunkering or the mounding on 14 was Bendelow's.  The pictures we have before 1920 show some very cone-like chocolate drops on a few holes, but not the type of mounding or bunkers you see in these pictures or the aerial.  Also, I have only the type of bunkering on 14 in one other historic picture of the club--that of the par 3 7th hole on course 3, built in 1920, which I'll try to post when I get home.  Leads me to think that it was put in later, but I don't know who did it.  Also leads to an interesting debate on restoration when you have many different bunker styles on the course.  

According to what I've seen in old articles etc., and as you can sort of see in the aerial, the area between 13 and 14 was low-lying and swampy before the irrigation pond was put in, and so it wasn't that far-fetched I guess to put in the area for runoff to drain into.

Also, I think the bunkers in front of 14 green were pretty far from the Green, and got wiped out when the pond went in.  That's one of the reasons it couldn't be put back.  You can also see 3 bunkers surrounding 13 green, and mounding as well.  They used that idea when doing the green site.

One other note.  The fourth hole, a par 5 of 500 yards (540 from the back) is at the bottom left and illustrates Patrick and Steve's idea of challenging better players while not murdering the regulars.  They dug out the bunker you see short of the green and made it hugely deep, with a big face (so you can see it from the tee shot landing area, which is lower).  It will give folks going for the green in two something to think about, but the rest of us will probably never get near it.

Jeff

[John_Cullum]

Jeff

I applaud your success. I anxiously await a return trip to completely digest your work.

The South Course at Olympia Fields is a very special place, a great compliment to the beast to the North

[Dan Moore]

Here are some shots of the mounds on the short 14th.  I can see them coming into play more with the new bunkers in front.  

[Evan Fleisher]

Jeff,

I still remember the evening we spent reviewing the plans for the South Course...you were so excited about the upcoming/impending work being done there you could hardly contain yourself (like a proud expectant parent).

Now that the work is completed, you should be very proud of the accomplishments and your part to bring them to fruition...everything looks fantastic!

I'm personally sorry that our one and only "tour" of the South course did not allow us to play all the holes...that will have to be rectified!  Maybe another golf/bbq combo day? (what all good Jewish boys should do...play 36 holes then go out and eat ribs!!!)  

[SL_Solow]

Having spent a fair amount of time with Jeff during the process and having toured the course 3 times during the construction I am pleased to add my congratulations.  Of course we are all a little premature.  it is hard to judge a course from pictures and even those of us who have seen the work have not had an opportunity to play since it will not open until late spring.  Nonetheless the course appears to be very good.

It starts with the "bones" of the course from before the changes.  A nice piece of ground which was well routed with good greens.  The decision to leave most of the greens alone was wise but the expansions helped bring numerous interesting contours and pin positions into play.

Selective tree removal and fairway expansion/repositioning also appears to be quite good.  The addition of back tees helps make the course more tournament worthy but the retention of most of the existing tees allows the average player to enjoy a manageable test.

As for the bunkering, the positioning appears very good; time and play will allow a true evaluation.  The style has been made consistent and is a significant change from before; it is quite dramatic.  I like it but it is a matter of taste.  I suspect they will soften somewhat with time.  The real proof will be in the playability and strategic worth.

Regarding the style questions vis a vis Bendelow, I would be interested to know how much time Bendelow spent on the design and ultimate construction.  Since many of his courses were "18 stakes on a Sunday afternoon" the idea of Bendelow style bunkers may be a myth.  Given Daray's tenure and architectural influence, he may have had a lot to say but that is speculation on my part.

All in all the work looks great and I look forward to playing next spring.  Kudos to Jeff and the club board along with the superintendent Sam Mackenzie (a very talented and nice guy)  Also we should note that Steve Smyers continues to build an interesting resume.  Is anyone familiar with other ssignificant work he has done on existing courses.  I know a lot about Wolf Run, Southern Dunes etc and I have talked to Steve but I am interested in learning more about this aspect of his work.

[Chris_Blakely]

SL_Solow,

The reason I asked if the bunkers were meant to be Bendelow is because of the number of Bendelow courses that I have played that now have had there sand bunkers grassed in.  The bunkers in the picture are about what the grassed in bunkers would look like if they were restored to sand.

I have always felt that "the 18 stakes on a Sunday afternoon" moniker attached by Whitten was unfair.  There are Bendelow courses that are / were almost drive / train / walk bys and do not have a lot of thought and then there are ones that I have played that are actually quite strategic and appear to have had a heavy hand in design / construction.

Having never played Olympia Fields South, I can not comment on this course at all or the history of Jack Darray's involvement; however, the finished bunker product resembles quite well a lot of the grassed in Bendelow bunkers that I have seen on many of his other designs.

Thanks,
Chris

[Adam Clayman]

Shel, Grande Pines in Orlando is another Smeyers fix of a Joe Lee. His bunker work there really shines. Too bad he couldn't do anything about the blind water hazards.

[Mark Smolens]

36 holes at Olympia Fields has always been one of my favorite days in golf.  In fact, the last time my father was in town the year he passed away (1990), we played in an outing that Monday.  1st group out on the North, with caddies, then lunch and a cart for Dad on the South. . .  Can't wait to reprise that event (and Mr. Lavin you can be sure that I will be taking you up on your kind offer!).

[SL_Solow]

Chris;  Don't take my inquiry as anything more than a question.  I understand that Bendelow's involvement varied from course to course.  While the 18 stakes method was used by him and others, he also spent more time and effort on courses.  I was trying to find out whether the club archives or other records could shed light on the question.

[Jeff Goldman]

As usual, Shelly is dead on in his evaluation.  There has been much talk at the club about how beautiful it looks, and everybody is speculating on how it's going to play.  We think it will be magnificent, but who knows till you play it?

Anyways, here are a couple more pics that illustrate the old and new:

The first hole started as a 465 yard par 5, dogleg left.  It was later turned into a very difficult 435 yard par 4, into the prevailing wind.  In 1921 the tee shot looked like this (the green is to the left of the bunker on the left):



Since then, the bunker on the right was removed, and the one on the left was turned into another flat sand circle out of play.  Playing off the pic, Patrick and Steve wanted to return the drama evident in the picture.  They built two big bunkers, one short left and another long right, and the tee shot now looks like this:



The picture is a little deceiving since the bunker on the right is way down the fairway, and the one on the left pretty close to the tee - about a 180 yard carry from the regular tees.  They also moved the regular tee up to 395, which I think adds interest to the hole for most of us - try to carry the bunker and get home in 2, or play safe right and have 225 left?  The green is to the left of the tree in the picture, and if the first five regular members who play hit it in the bunker and make 12, I'm going to put my scuba gear on.  

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Jeff:

What about Mark Mungeam's work on the other course was so bad that the the club did not bring him in to redo this course?

Anthony

[Jeff Goldman]

Anthony,

I thought Mark's work on the North course was outstanding - he brought back the rugged bunker style evident in the film of the 1928 Open and historic pictures, while prepping the course for a modern Open, not an easy task.  I have met him a couple times, and he knew his stuff cold, did a great job and is also a very good guy.  I have often said that this may have been one of the few times that holding a big tourney helped the golf course.  He visits the club periodically (3 or 4 times in the last couple years) to consult on issues on the North Course, and we still regard him very, very highly.

I think the deciding factor against Mark was simply a feeling of many on the committee that it would be better to have a different architect for each course.   For good or ill, that put Mark behind the 8-ball.

Jeff

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Jeff:

I'm a bit confused. Are not both courses Willie Park, Jr. designs? Would it not have made more sense to have the same architect redo both courses so that there was a continuity to the 36 holes, much like when they were built? I would think that if Mungeam did a great job - and from what I've seen he did - that you would want him to return.

Anthony

[SL_Solow]

Anthony;  I am a huge fan of Mark, we hired him to do the work at Briarwood and he did an outstanding job in every respect. He is a good friend. I think the work on OFCC North was great.  However the north and south courses have always been very different.  While the south may have some Willie Park elements, it is not his, probably more Bendelow and Daray than anyone else.  Finally, scuttlebutt has it that certain members had some dissatisfaction with the north's renovation for 2 entirely different reasons.  One small group thought that Mungeam's bunkers, built in large measure to help obtain an Open, were too difficult.  Another group was disappointed because the course was "too easy" for the Open.  Their outstanding greenkeeper at the time also took some heat at that time.  Finally I understand that there was some concern that using the same architect might make the courses too much alike.  Knowing Mark I think that view was dead wrong but it did exist.

Regardless, OFCC selected an outstanding architect and the work looks terrific.  I look forward to the spring thaw and a chance to play there.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

SL:

I like the work of Steve Smyers as well.

I figured the decision to not go with Mungeam again was internal politics. Mark is a talented enough architect to have altered the style for the second 18 if that is what the club wanted.

What a great story, one faction finds the course "too easy" and the other "too hard." Reminds me of when I worked at Hartford Golf Club and an outgoing green chairman complimented the superintendent for the great condition of the bunkers and incoming green chairman's first order of business to was change the lousy bunkers.

Anthony

[RJ_Daley]

Jeff, I'm very happy to see all the praise and recognition the others above have given you on your participation and stewardship of the project.  You hit a home run.  Since I can't really add more to what has been said, I will go a different direction.

I really sympathize with your kidney stones.   In the late 80s and early 90s I was kicking them out about one episode a year.  I had to have two of them removed the 'hard way'    (I think you know what I mean)

Well, google and read all you can on Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine hydrocloride).  Particularly pay attention to the research they did with the Indian (India) population, which had the highest incidents of the stones.  Calcium oxylate stones...  Then get on the B-6.   I haven't had one since '91, and only take the B-6 in hot weather when we tend to dehydrate, which is the most critical time to form them.  Oh, and stay away from rubarb, blueberries, brussell sprouts and google high oxylate foods to avoid.  

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Tom MacWood sent me this history of Olympia Fields.

The South course is an amalgamation of Course 1 and Course 2 of the original 4 course complex - mostly Course 1 (15 or 16 holes). Course 1 was originally laid out by Harry Collis the pro at nearby Flossmoor as a temporary golf course ~ 1916. Later in 1916 William Watson designed and built Course 2 and Tom Bendelow designed and built Course 3. That winter Watson & Bendelow - in collaboration - also remodeled the temporary Course 1. The three course complex was ready in 1917.

In 1919 Willie Park was brought in to inspect the three courses. He added a number of new hazards to Courses 1 & 2, as well as some changes to the greens. He also remodeled Course 3 - completely reversing the course, placing the 18th green where the 1st tee was located, and so on, and so on... The new Course 3 was ready in 1920. A couple of years later Park returned. Course 4 (the present North) was opened in 1923, designed and built by Willie.

It is a fairly convoluted history no doubt, but this information is easily accessible in old newspapers.

[Jeff Goldman]

Anthony,

Shel is not totally correct on this one. As with any large club, there are members who thought this and that, but they were not on the selection committee. Also, while one may thumb "club Politics" ad nauseum, the key point on the North is that NOTHING has been done on the North Course that wasn't directed by Mark, Mark has been at the club a number of times to advise on issues, and continues to consult.

I too have consulted Tom Macwood about the history of the course, and am grateful for his help, but news articles are not necessarily the most accurate sources. I have articles from the period that say that course 2 was a watson-bendelow, and other articles that say course 3 was. I think that the club's minutes and newsletters from the era might be a better, though not infallible, source. They indicate that 2 was Watson, 3 was watson-Bendelow, later modified, but it does not appear that Park was at the club enough to have extensively redone any of them. He may have been responsible for the sod bunkers on 14 that I posted and hole 7 of course 3, but we don't know for sure. He was not around in 1921 when very significant work was done on 1 (see the 1st hole pic I posted), nor in 1925 and 6, when more was done. Thus, my conclusion that it is hard to know who did what

Dick, thanks. I get them every 7 years, and this was it. Aiy.

[Dan Moore]

I don't recall hearing Harry Collis being mentioned as having a design role at Olympia Fields.  What is the source?  Is it corroborated?  Is it possible Collis routed the all world 6th hole instead of Bendelow?