Green Gables (more images added)

[Jeff_Mingay]

As mentioned in another thread on courses that have not been discussed here, I plan to post a profile on Green Gables in the near future. I'm on the road the next few weeks, and don't have the time or resources do put together this profile until I'm back home.

In the meantime, as a preview of sorts, here are some photos of the dunes at Green Gables, as they exist today. Though Thompson's original holes set in these beautiful dunes have been lost, these images (courtesy of Paul MacCormack, superintendent at Green Gables) certainly give you a sense of what he was dealing with while laying out Green Gables during the late 1930s.

General view of dunes, at Green Gables, today


Approx. view of Thompson's original third hole (NLE): a long par-3 playing toward the dunes and sea


Approx. view of Thompson's original fifth hole (NLE)

[Josh Smith]

WOW!   Any old photos?!!!!

[Chris_Blakely]

If there are any old photos of this course, I would love to see them.

[Ian Andrew]

Here is the old 4th green.



I have the 7th but it's not near the dunes.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Ian beat me to it. The photo he's posted is, unfortunately, the only one I have of the old dunes holes too.

[Jeff_Mingay]

A few more historic images, of inland holes, at Green Gables. I'm pretty sure these were taken some time during the 1940s, less than 10 years after the course was ready to be played.

Par-3 11th


Approach to the home hole

[Thomas MacWood]

Very nice. The great site and beautiful pictures beg the question what happened?

[Chris_Blakely]

Thank you for the pictures.  The bunkering on the 11th looks terrific.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom,

What happened?

Well... in a nutshell, Parks Canada simply hasn't done a great job of keeping up the golf courses under its care (Green Gables, Highlands Links, et al). Moreover, the north shore of PEI is battered by the sea, wind and ice; particularly the north shore dunes, during the winter months. In fact, PEI's government recently put quite a bit of money toward re-establishing/stabilizing the dunes at Crowbush Cove, which were destroyed over recent winters. If this didn't happen, just like Thompson's dunes holes at Green Gables, the seaside holes at Crowbush -- 15 and 16 in particular -- would likely be lost too.

Tom McBroom recently redid Green Gables. I'm interested to see the results.

[Jeff_Mingay]

I've finally had a chance this morning to sort through some additional images of Green Gables. I'll post a bunch throughout today.

Unfortunately, I don't have a digital copy of Thompson's routing plan for the course; and, the map's too large to photograph in its entirety. Below though, I've managed to photo this drawing's label -- which curiously reads: "Thompson, Jones & Co., Golf and Landscape Architects" (the map is dated June 10, 1938) -- and, routing plan for holes north of Cavendish Road. Again, the dunes holes at 4, 5 and 6 no longer exist.

Label
 

Lost holes

[George_Bahto]

Jeff and others:

Help me out a bit here, if you will. In the early 1970's we took an impromptu vacation that ended up in PEI. We were there about a week and I played Green Gables nearly every day (not knowing the least thing about architecture which is slightly less that I know now - hah).

I thought the course was great fun and 18 was blast to play.

I don't remember that 11th hole.

So what happened to the course? Was some of it lost or wrecked or what?  Were the “dunes” holes there at that time?

Is it being “restored?”

Nice to know I played a Thompson course though.

gb

[Jeff_Mingay]

Approach to the par-4 1st hole (now the 12th), circa 1968. Thompson's 1st at Green Gables was labelled 350 yards on his routing plan (though, I have a scorecard here from a few years ago which labels this hole 292 yards); this hole bends gently from right to left around a natural, marshy pond. My friend Paul MacCormack -- the superintendent at Green Gables, who sent me all of these photos -- tells me a new back tee was installed during the recent reno. work, stretching this hole to 400 + yards.


A more recent photo, taken closer to the original 1st green. This putting surface is absolutely remarkable... featuring some of the most interesting and beautiful contour I've seen anywhere. My initial reaction upon seeing this putting surface for the first time, a few years, ago was simply "WOW".
 

A side view of the same green, from atop the hill at right... featuring a wicked hole location! Golfers cross the road to get to the next tee, heading toward the sea

[Jeff_Mingay]

George,

The par-3 11th hole is pretty much completely intact. Though, it's not the 11th anymore. The sequence of holes has changed, with the loss of the dunes holes. Robbie Robinson replaced those dunes holes during the mid- to late-1960s, I believe. So, no, the dunes holes were NOT there when you played during the 1970s.

A true restoration of Green Gables is nearly impossible, simply because the dunes were literally lost to the sea. The land where Thompson's holes 4 and 5 are shown on his routing plan is pretty much gone. I spoke to Tom McBroom about his recent reno. work. While a true restoration is pretty much impossible, a "Thompson flavour" has reportedly been retained throughout the course, based on his original design.

I've sent an email to Paul this morning, requesting some post-reno. images. We'll see if he comes through!

[George_Bahto]

Jeff, thanks for the update - it was one of the funnest vacations we ever took

[Jeff_Mingay]

PEI is a beautiful place, isn't it, George.

Here are a couple more images of the original par-4 2nd hole (now 13) at Green Gables, from 1968. This hole is also seen on Thompson's routing plan, posted above.

Tee shot


Approach... with Lake of Shining Waters and dunes, in the background

[Evan_Smith]

I was lucky enough to play Green Gables on my Honeymoon after getting married at Keltic Lodge last month and I really like what I saw.  Though it was my first time playing the course I've seen a few old photos and some old aerial photos and I think McBroom did a really good job at giving the holes a nice Thompson look to them.  As far as I can tell there are 12 holes still around from the Original routing (though one of them is played backwards now-the 2nd hole on Jeff's routing map, and there's a new green site for the current 11th-old 18th) and McBroom added a ton of bunkers compared to the 1958 and 1974 air photos.  I'll post more later with some old air photos.

Current 10th

Par-3 11th (from Jeff's post)


Current 11th Fairway view of Green Gables House (the old green was removed some time ago)

Approach to the home hole

[Jeff_Mingay]

Neat photo of the old 18th hole green site adjacent to the Anne of Green Gables house, Evan.

What's now the 11th hole plays down the same fairway corridor as the old 18th, to a new green site -- right in Evan's photo -- which gets golfers close to the old #1 tee. Again, the original 1st hole is now the 12th.

[Jeff_Mingay]

The following photos show off more clever green contour at Green Gables. I'm not certain, but reading Paul's notes, it seems this is the original 8th green... now the 17th.

[Evan_Smith]

Here are a couple of more photos.  I'll do a proper course overview in the coming days.

Here is the approach to the current 12th hole, which on the plan was the 1st.  I do believe that at some point the nines were reversed and this was the 10th, which would make sense as to why there was a yardage discrenpency.


Here's the approach on the current 13th.  This was a hole that Robinson added, but used an Original Thompson green site (old 2nd green).  The current 14th tee is directly behind the green to the left and plays backwards along the old 2nd fairway.


And the approach to the par 5 17th (old #8).  Jeff, I think Paul must have taken his picture the same day I played.  Check out the Pin position! 

[Mike Nuzzo]

Ian,
Can you repost that image?
I can't see it and am very confused by this thread.
Those inland bunkers on the same course as the dunes makes me queesy
Cheers

[Jeff_Mingay]

Mike,

Here's the photo of the original 4th green (I believe), which Ian posted above... unfortunately, this is the only photo I've seen of the original dunes holes at Green Gables, intact


Evan,

Thanks for posting your post-reno. photos. I have to admit, the new bunker installed at front right of the original 1st green (current #12) looks a tad odd... at least in your photo. I wonder what the impetus for its addition could have been?

[Evan_Smith]

Jeff
  You're right.  I didn't pay too much attention to that bunker in the past, but it looks more like something you'd see on a links course.  It doesn't flow with the rest of the bunkers.

My dad has a few old shots of Green Gables including a threesome teeing off old #6 with a sunbather below them on the beach.  Pretty funny stuff.  I'll see if I can get him to scan the photos and send them to me.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Evan,

A photo of the old 6th is a gem. I'd love to see one.

As you know, this hole teed off from the dunes, heading back inland (see Thompson plan above). Below is a photo of the abandoned hole... the original 6th. I recall walking this piece of ground with Paul MacCormack a few years ago. You can clearly see old bunkers and other features grown over while walking this lost hole.


That new bunker front left at the 12th (originally 1st) green seems to negate the old advantage golfers gained by driving close to the water hazard, left. Moreover, it SEEMS to also present the possibllity of interfering with surface drainage (?)... though, I can't be certain of this simply by looking at your photo.

As I've already infered above, the contour in and around this green is so interesting, I just can't see why this sand hazard was necessary. There must have been a reason...

[Neil_Crafter]

"I've managed to photo this drawing's label -- which curiously reads: "Thompson, Jones & Co., Golf and Landscape Architects" (the map is dated June 10, 1938) "

Jeff, what is curious about their title do you think? The Landscape Architects reference?
cheers Neil

[Jeff_Mingay]

Neil,

I find it curious that Thompson lists Jones on this particular label. As I understand, they really weren't collaborating in 1938... definitely not at Green Gables. Yet, Thompson still uses the "Thompson, Jones & Co." label.

I wonder if Jones was using the same label, working in the U.S.A. at that time?