Saint Louis CC profile is updated

[Jim Nugent]

Hunt, did championship courses of the early 1920's have 180 yard par 4's?  I didn't think so, but maybe I'm wrong. 

As for the distance, I think it's around 220 or 225 to the back tier, and about 40 yards shorter to the front.  In the late 1960's, longish hitters could hit the front pin with a 4-iron or so.  Sometimes less.   

I didn't pick up that Mark said #2 has always been called "Double Plateau."  I thought he said as far as historians can tell the green always included the swale. 

These are real interesting questions to me, both for this specific hole, and also the overall history of the Biarritz, which doesn't seem anywhere near as clear as I have often heard on this site. 

[MBL]

Jim,

#2 has always been named "Double Plateau" back to original 1914 'card'.  In an article leading up to the 1921 Amateur held at SLCC, the hole was described as a one-shot hole that could be played as a 'drive and chip'.  In the Golf Illustrated preview of the Amateur by Clarence Wolff, the hole description is thus: "The second is one of the most difficult single-shot holes in the country.  One has no alternative; the ball must carry all the way and that carry must be at least two hundred yards onto a narrow undulating green-thirty yards farther on - surrounded on three sides with trouble. It is a very hard three." Note that the swale has always been maintained as green-space. 

Presently, the furthest tee to a back pin position exceeds 225 on an uphill hole, playing more like 240.  From my perspective, and particularly in comparison to Yale, Piping Rock or that of The Creek, the biggest criticism to level at SLCC's biarritz is the uphill nature does not allow the golfer to see the tee ball traverse this 55+ yard green.

Unfortunately, as Hunt referenced, a fire and an overzealous housekeeping campaign resulted in the club losing many early records - much to the dismay of many today.

[Jim Nugent]

Mark, thanks for the info.  If I read that passage correctly, #2 was a par 3 for the 1921 Amateur.  They call it a single-shot hole, and say it is a very hard three.  Isn't that a par 3? 

I now agree with you about the swale.  Well, all you Biarritz historians.  This puts the Biarritz in a different light: at least one of the early Biarritz holes DID have the swale in the green.