Mackenzie and the Del Monte course

[Neil_Crafter]

In the Golf Illustrated articles of 1927 that Mackenzie wrote on his Round the World Tour of 1926/27, he mentions that "we are reconstructing the Pebble Beach and Del Monte courses". The we refers to he and Robert Hunter.

I have to say I had never really noticed this reference to Del Monte before - and have never heard of any link between Mac and this course. The way he refers to it sounds clearly that they were in the middle of reconstructing it, not some sort of future project.

Any thoughts?

[Tom MacWood]

I'm familiar with the Del Monte course, but he uses the word courses. Is he referring to the par-3 course too? Was it around in 1927?

[Neil_Crafter]

Tom
Well he says "Pebble Beach and Del Monte courses" so I assume he is just talking about one course at Del Monte. He does not specifically mention the par three course - is this the Peter Hay course?
I take it you have never heard of Del Monte in connection with Mac?

[Tom MacWood]

No, I've never read anything about him remodeling the Old Del Monte course. I was referring to the Peter Hay course, but I believe it came later. Here is the Golf Guide from 1926 - I guess Pebble and the old course were considered the Del Monte courses.

[Phil_the_Author]

The San Francisco Chronicle of February 16, 1918 stated:

      "The Del Monte management announces that the official opening of the new Pebble Beach links will take place on or about April 1st. The course is fit for play right now, but for two reasons it has been decided to postpone the event. First, in deference to the San Francisco golf and Country Club, which moves bag and baggage on Washington's birthday, and secondly, to give the greens a chance to mature." [Bold and underline mine].

[Neil_Crafter]

I have looked in Neal Hotelling's history of Pebble Beach and while there are lots of mentions of the Del Monte course, there is no mention of Mackenzie in connection with it that I could find.

[Adam Clayman]

In thinking back about the Old Del Monte course, the 7th hole is the only one that on the surface looks like anything resembling The Good Doctor. It's steep sand faced bunker, surrounding a severely sloped sectioned green, appears to be right of his playbook.

[Sean_Tully]

The courses for a period of time were called the No. 1 and No. 2 courses, with PB being the No. 2 course. I did not catch that before and have not seen any mention of Mackenzie, or Hunter for that matter at Del Monte. It can be said that when Fowler was working on PB that he also made changes at Del Monte, so there could be a precedent there. Interesting that when they finished the Fowler renovation that they had a reopening of the course and even planted a tree to mark the occasion. Funny thing is how Morse seemed to downplay any work done to the courses and in one article recently posted on GCA he only lists Fowler's last name and skims over the fact that he had actually remodeled the course prior to MacKenzie/Hunter and later Egan/Hunter.

Tully

[Neil_Crafter]

Sean
It would seem that from what Mackenzie said that the work on the Del Monte course took place concurrent with the work at Pebble Beach, so early 1927 I imagine. Assuming of course that Mackenzie is not embellishing - which from our past experiences these sorts of claims by Mackenzie have proven correct - I wonder why there seems to be no record of he and Hunter's work there? I guess Morse downplaying things as you say.

[David Stamm]

Great find, Neil. I knew there was a reason I liked that course so much!

[Neil_Crafter]

David
Thanks - but it is an unconfirmed find at this point. I have had those articles for many years but had cause to pull them out the other day and just noticed the Del Monte reference. Hopefully there is some supporting evidence somewhere. If there was you would think Neal Hotelling would have found it. I wonder if anyone knows Neal's email address and could pass it along.

[Adam Clayman]

Was Steam Shovel Banks involved at Old "D's" inception?

Who is credited with the original in 1897?

[Robert_Ball]

Who is credited with the original in 1897?

Charles Maud.  Maud often travelled from his home in Southern Calif to Northern Calif for golf and polo matches.


From MacKenzie's 1933 manuscript, The Spirit of St. Andrews:
"The fourth golf course on the Monterey Peninsula is the Del Monte Course. It has always been a complete mystery to me, and is so contrary to my experience in other contries, that it should enjoy such great popularity, which cannot be entirely due to its proximity to the Del Monte Hotel, there being a greater amount of play on it than all the other courses put together. The course is well wooded and is among beautiful surroundings, but the majority of the holes are uninspiring and uninteresting, and it has not even the merit of good greens and fairways."

"Scoring is easy at Del Monte, so this may account for its popularity."

That doesn't read like the words of someone who had a hand in the design of the course.  In fact, I'd say he was rather bitter about it.


Robert

[Neil_Crafter]

Robert
Thanks. Through Sean we have contacted Neal Hotelling at PB and he has no information at all to link Mackenzie to the Del Monte course. And he too pointed out that passage from Spirit of St Andrews which was written around 1933, only 6 years later. Perhaps Mackenzie was 'bitter' as you say, that he thought he had work in hand to reconstruct the Del Monte course that Morse may have stopped after he wrote the Golf Illustrated article in 1927. Who knows though. That might account for his less than flattering description of it.

Until we can find something supportive of it it will just remain a possible reference to a project that most likely never happened. I am still puzzled by Mackenzie's use of the phrase "we are reconstructing" which sounds like the work is underway.