Mackenzie in Mexico?

[Neil_Crafter]

Off the net:
Smack dab in the middle of it sits something of an oasis. Tijuana Country Club, or Club Campestre de Tijuana, is a semi-private club and the only game in town. And how about this: The course architect is none other than Alister MacKenzie. That's right, the same guy who cranked out Cypress Point and Augusta, though comparisons to those world-class tracks are not encouraged.

Originally laid out in 1927, Tijuana Country Club got a facelift in 1947 but more or less exists today as MacKenzie first intended. It is a traditional, country-club-style, tree-lined layout, a nice mix of longer and shorter holes, with the front nine offering straightforward shots with parallel fairways and the back nine featuring some more interesting doglegs and generally narrower fairways.

Ernesto Perez Acosta, the club's director of golf, says the vast majority of Tijuana C.C.'s members are, not surprisingly, residents of Tijuana, though a handful come from San Diego. The club offers caddies in addition to electric and hand carts and hosts youth clinics for the Mexican golfers of tomorrow. He adds the back nine is undergoing some upgrades and a recent visit confirmed progress in several areas, particularly the bunkers, is well underway.

"We're reworking the bunkers all throughout the back nine," said Acosta. "We want to bring them back to that MacKenzie style of bunkering."


Can this be for real? I knew he went to South America but is it possible he popped down to Mexico on one of his trips through San Diego? Anyone with any info, I'd love to hear about it, as would Sean Tully and Mark Bourgeois who I am collaborating with on an updated list of Mackenzie's courses (with Nick Leefe of the Alister Mackenzie Society UK).
cheers Neil

[Neil_Crafter]

Some more stuff I have found:

All of these courses are great, but my favorite 18 holes of golf in northern Baja are found at Club Campestre in Tijuana, with its long and interesting history. The story is a fascinating one and I have found that many, even some members of the club itself are not aware of how rich a history Campestre owns claim to. Many think that the course was built back in 1948, which was when Campestre, the Country Club was originally founded.

The truth is that the golf course dates back to 1927 and was originally part of the Agua Caliente Club complex that became popular for Gringos traveling south across the border during prohibition. What may be even more surprising (I have won a few bets on this one) is that the original course design of William Bell from 1927 was redesigned by the legendary golf course designer Dr. Alister Mackenzie in 1932.

Club Campestre - Tijuana Country Club
Yes, you read that right. The same Alister Mackenzie who one year later would meet with Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts in Augusta, Georgia and where 18 of the most sacred holes in golf would be created. Nearly eighty years later and not a single Masters tournament is played each spring without mentioning Dr. Mackenzie’s name and his relationship to the Augusta course and history. I smile each year as I hear Alister’s name be remembered and take pride in that we have our own Baja connection with that special place in golf history.


This guy is suggesting Mackenzie redesigned Billy Bell's 1927 Agua Caliente course in 1932. Does that seem likely?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Neil

Tommy Naccarato has, if not discredited, severely damaged the claim.

Here's the link to an old GCA.com thread:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,16450.0.html

Mark

[Neil_Crafter]

Mark
Thanks for the link to the old thread, I should have known that this topic had been covered before. certainly looks like Tommy put the claim in its place by asking to see some evidence which either could not or would not be provided. This claim seemed a bit 'smelly' to me so it can go to the Incorrectly Attributed file pending any supporting evidnce that may one day appear.
cheers Neil

[Mark Bourgeois]

Neil

I probably should have added the link to the delicious folder. Sloppy...

Its odd the club would spring this in 1993, out of the blue. Giving them the benefit of a doubt, meaning there must have been some kind of precipitating event circa 1993, what could that be?

Mark

[Greg Tallman]

While not related to the architecture Señor Acosta is a true legend in Mexican golf and he has passed along his great human qualities to his son Ernest Jr. who I had the great fortune to employ for a couple of years here in Cabo. 

Jr. is now at the Fairmont Mayakoba resort that hosts the PGA Tour event near Cancun.

A great golf family and those playing TCC should take the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Señor Perez Acosta.

And perhaps enjoy the architecture 

[Joe Bentham]

Neil--
It might be helpful if you posted the source of the article in question (or better yet, instead of copy and paste just provide a link to the story in the first place).....

[David Stamm]

There is iron clad proof that AM did make it as far south as Dana Point, however, there hasn't been any evidence presented that he made it to Agua Caliente. The old photo's I've seen of the course have the unmistakable look of Bell to the bunkers. Considering Bell was working on San Diego Country Club, Balboa Park, La Jolla CC and Bayside during this time, it's only logical to assume that the evidence we do have makes sense.

[Neil_Crafter]

Mark
Yes, wonder what happened in 1993 to cause the Club to start up with this Mackenzie stuff - a new marketing manager perhaps? Do you think we should ask again if they have any evidence?

Joe
Apologies for not putting in the links, I just did a simple Google search for Tijuana Golf + Mackenzie and they came up.

David
Yes, aware of the Dana Point project and I believe Mackenzie may have stopped through San Diego when travelling by ship to the West Coast via Panama Canal. Sounds like Bell was very active in San Diego around this time.

cheers Neil

[Bill_McBride]

If Dr MacKenzie could have such a huge impact on Australian golf in a couple of months, he could probably have made a big impact on Tiajuana golf in an afternoon.  Maybe he slipped down there for an afternoon walking around will Billy Bell.....