Raynor art (the wall is now complete!)

[TJSturges]

I have just completed a project I started on 3 years ago, and I'm so excited about it I just had to tell somebody (who would appreciate it).  My "non-golf architecture nerd" friends just don't understand this.

I played Fishers Island for the first time in 1997.  I had met Mr. Charles Ferguson who wrote the Fishers Island Club history and my father and I played the course with Charlie.  He is an accomplished artist and I commissioned him to do a painting of the Biarritz hole at Fishers.  When I got it, I had it framed and hung it on my wall in my golf den.  I got to thinking, "wouldn't it be neat to have an original painting of all four traditional Raynor one shot holes displayed on that wall?".  I decided that the four featured golf holes should be from four different Raynor courses.  I then set out to "finish" this wall.

The second painting was of the Redan hole at Yeamans Hall Club.  I'm a member there, and so I wanted one of the one shot holes on my wall to be from Yeamans.  I think our redan hole is the strongest of a pretty good set of one shot holes,  so I had a painting done by a Charleston artist by the name of Hermeine Tovey.  She is a wonderful artist in water color and is very, very reasonable.  She had done other paintings of Yeamans Hall golf holes, and she was delighted to do this for me.  

When I played Shoreacres, I was convinced that their Short hole was among the best I had seen.  The dramatic downhill shot was unique in my personal experience of playing Short holes.  I was there with Ran on a beautiful fall day when the leaves were turning.  I took a photo of this hole and sent it to Ms. Tovey who then produced another winner.

I couldn't decide on an Eden hole until last October.  I had my second visit to Camargo in Cincinnati and snapped a photo of their great Eden hole.  Today I received the finished painting back from Ms. Tovey.  

The wall is now complete!

Sorry to bore you all with this, but I think this wall is way cool, and I just wanted to tell somebody!  Anyway, all of you are invited over if you are in Indianapolis to view this prized wall in my golf den (I'll supply the wine).  Also, if anyone is interested in obtaining great water color paintings of golf holes (she will work from photographs), I'll be happy to supply the phone number and address of Hermeine Tovey.

TS

[Charles_P.]

Don't tease us!  Do you have a digital camera?  Let's see some pictures...

[JakaB]

Ted,

Be careful about those blanket invites...I am in Indiana everyday and often need a game in Indianapolis...but don't worry I will most probably call first.   And you thought signing guest books was always innocent.

[SPDB]

Ted - congrats. You know you can't stop now, though. You now must have all of the raynor/macdonald rotation of holes

Alps
Leven
Knoll
Road
Prize Dogleg
cape
channel

and some of the lesser-knowns, or holes that just have a trademark architectural trademark

Hogs Back
Double Plateau


That brings up an interesting discussion, although it might get away from architectural merits (but hey - even ran has a section for Art and Architecture).

For all the raynor/macd fans, if you could commission an artist to do renderings of some of the "trademark holes" which ones would you pick, from an aesthetic standpoint?

here's a couple to get it started:

Redan - NGLA
Eden - Fisher's
Biarritz - The Creek
Short - i'm probably going to have to agree with Ted and say Shoreacreas




Feel free to offer suggestions of other raynor/macd holes which may not be "trademark"

in that category I would nominate both Peconic (NGLA 17) and Piping's 14th - from the perspective of just short of the first right cross bunker, looking over the further cross-bunker toward the green)

[Chris_Clouser]

Ted,

I live in the Indy area and may just take you up on your offer sometime.  It would be interesting to talk with you.  Have you talked to George Bahto, as I'm sure he would have some interest in seeing your art collection.

Chris

[George Bahto]

Chris: Ted and I are good friends - thanks - I've had some art done by Hermeine as well

Charlie Ferguson's art of Fishers Island is outrageous

I'm working on the new club history there along with Charlie  It will be a great c/h - not sure but it may only be sold at the club like the last on

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

Please contact me with the information, I have been having trouble finding someone to duplicate from a photograph.

It would be greatly appreciated.
 
bencd@golftravelinformation.com

[Mike_Cirba]

Ted,

Congratulations on completing the room!  I'm sure that it's stunning, and a source of much personal enjoyment.

SPDB,

How many walls do you think Ted has in that room??

[TJSturges]

Guys,

1.  Sorry, I don't have a digital camera.

2.  I've got a call into Hermeine to make sure she is OK with posting her phone number on the internet.  If she says OK, I'll put it up on this thread later today.

TS

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Ted, I am envious. Maybe your family could replace the tie from this years fathers dad present list and get you a digital camera. lol

[Michael_M_Thomas]

For anyone interested in a good painting of any of Raynor's NGLA efforts, I recommend my ex-wife Barbara Siebel Thomas. As an NGLA member for over forty years, and a professional art critic, I can say with conviction that the paintings look like the holes they claim to depict, not always true of golf "art." She can be reached at BST327@aol.com. Feel free to use my name. We're friends.

[TJSturges]

OK, I spoke with Hermeine and she would prefer to be contacted by email.  She can be reached at:

hermeinetovey@msn.com

I also want to mention how reasonable she is.  The painting she just did for me of the Eden hole at Camargo was $125 unframed.  And I must say it is stunning.

Good luck!

TS

[George Pazin]

At $125 for an original piece of artwork, I'm gonna have to say Ms. Tovey must be the most underpaid person in the world.

Now all you archies can stop complaining...

[TJSturges]

Since most of us would pay more for that type of original artwork, perhaps we should all buy a painting and then send Ran the $72 contribution for the website.  Everyone will end up happy with that approach!

TS

[allanhobgood]

Thanks for Ms Tovey's email address.  I live in Charleston and will contact her today.

I play Yeamans 4-5 days each week, often in the late afternoons when it seems I am the only person on the course.

I played the course regularly in the late 60's, then left Charleston for over 30 years.  But I always remembered the course fondly.

When I moved back here two years ago, I contacted an old friend who invited me to play.  I was amazed at the difference in the course, post restoration!  And the condition of the course was just wonderful.

I consider myself a very lucky person to ba able to play this great old course as often as i want to.

Regards,

Allan Hobgood