Some years ago, late one night, I was perusing the LA Times archives and came across a story that more or less blew me away. It told of the story of how W.H. Woodruff, the founder of a development called Dana Point, had been talking with one A. MacKenzie about building a golf course on his land. Further research showed that earlier, both Billy Bell and Max Behr had walked the property also.
While not only Tom Doak, but many others have doubted MacKenzie's path into Los Angeles, as brief as it was as nothing more then a trip to TJ for some booze and broads, and despite the naysayers that Redlands CC wasn't one of his, I can only say bullocks! But further, more articles stating that MacKenzie intended to make SoCal his home were actually found. Given the Good Doctors pension for exaggeration in the name of securing a job, any job--I don't doubt for a second he had the Monterey Bay as his final destination to find a suitable place called home. But if any of yo have ever been to the Land of Cougar's/the Big Orange/Orange County, more specifically Dana Point and Laguna, you have to look past the ill planning of highways and hotels and look at the real meat and potatoes, the land itself.
For the most part, and as much as I loath what has become of my home county, it was at one time a very beautiful, serene place. Even better, the weather is usually always outstanding.
There is little doubt in my mind the great effort and time line that Sean Tully, Bob Beck, Neil Crafter and many others have started will be one of the great pieces of Golf Course history which can be further added upon, hi-lighting the important moments in Golf Course history. I feel fortunate that I've been allowed to contribute some of my findings too, and here is one of them, along with the story of how it was found.
Enjoy!
So, I'm at Barnes and Noble one night, I'm perusing the aisles and acres of books and suddenly I come across a Dana Point history book, small in form but these types of books for me have never failed to entertain.
Suddenly, I call one Mr. David Stamm and I'm chatting with him while sipping on a very expensive cup of black coffee at the B&N Coffee Bar, while strumming through the pile of books I've pulled from the shelves, just killing time. It's what I did after I left this website.
HOLY SHIT! DAVID, YOUR NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!!!!!And there it was, a picture of W.H. Woodruff and his nameless, but titled, engineers, posing for a camera shot with plans in hand and the most definitive proof behind them. And yes, that is a very dapper Robert Hunter and some obscure looking doctor from Headingly, Leeds holding the opposite side of the plan.
No, this isn't some elaborate Photoshop hoax I'm trying to pull on some of you, as I have in the past but it is for the most part proof that Dana Point for all over-zealous development, at one time had bigger and better things in mind.
