Cork Golf Club updated for holes #17-18

[Shane Wright]

this hazard starts just right of the fairway at about 100 yards out from the green.  Anyone trying to reach in two with just the slightest push or fade is doomed (for a right handed golfer)


#11 green has lots of movement which is tough to see in the picture but tough to get the ball close


#12 tee ball - looks to be just a ho hum par 4, but it much better than it appears...it will be interesting to see if tree removal is used here


approach to #12 ...should have hit more club off of the tee to open up the approach


a better view of the approach


a crazy back to front green...I had a putt from pin high about 25 feet and about putt it off the green

[Shane Wright]

Ok. so I still have #13-18 to post.  I will get to them as soon as I get a chance. 

To answer Mike Sweeney - the course flows beautifully.  It always seemed the next tee was right next to the green.

Ok, my little one is calling...I have to run

[Chip Gaskins]

Shane

Thanks for the pictures.  I have always wanted to see Cork Golf Club.  Glad you got to see it in person.

#6 green looks so cool.

Keep the pics coming!

Chip

[Ally Mcintosh]

I think Cork golf club is probably the best non-links course in Ireland.

I think that the bunkers could do with the renovation that they are getting and I'm sure Martin Hawtree / Marc Westenborg will do a good job.

Padraig, what is the extent of the work that Hawtree are doing? Incidentally, I played a competition with one of your members last week. Peter Cawley?

[Padraig Dooley]

I think Cork golf club is probably the best non-links course in Ireland.

I think that the bunkers could do with the renovation that they are getting and I'm sure Martin Hawtree / Marc Westenborg will do a good job.

Padraig, what is the extent of the work that Hawtree are doing? Incidentally, I played a competition with one of your members last week. Peter Cawley?

Ally, It probably was Peter Cowley. The work that's about to commence in october is a tee renovation, bunker remodel, landscape management program and the 12th green is being remodeled as well.

The tee renovation is pretty straight forward. The changes to the bunkering involves removing 14, introducing 12 new ones and changing the style. The landscape program is tree removal and gorse planting. The plan for the 12th green is quite good, currently it doesn't have too many pinable psoitions.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I think Cork golf club is probably the best non-links course in Ireland.

I think that the bunkers could do with the renovation that they are getting and I'm sure Martin Hawtree / Marc Westenborg will do a good job.

Padraig, what is the extent of the work that Hawtree are doing? Incidentally, I played a competition with one of your members last week. Peter Cawley?

Ally, It probably was Peter Cowley. The work that's about to commence in october is a tee renovation, bunker remodel, landscape management program and the 12th green is being remodeled as well.

The tee renovation is pretty straight forward. The changes to the bunkering involves removing 14, introducing 12 new ones and changing the style. The landscape program is tree removal and gorse planting. The plan for the 12th green is quite good, currently it doesn't have too many pinable psoitions.

Peter Cowley - you are correct. I hope they aren't removing any of those fantastic approach / deception bunkers in the fairway 30 or 40 yards short of the greens...

I'm sure it will improve the course though and really up its profile again.

What happened to the proposed routing changes?... Shelved or on hold?

[Padraig Dooley]

Peter Cowley - you are correct. I hope they aren't removing any of those fantastic approach / deception bunkers in the fairway 30 or 40 yards short of the greens...

I'm sure it will improve the course though and really up its profile again.

What happened to the proposed routing changes?... Shelved or on hold?

Ally, the bunkers that are being removed are generally greenside where there is a pair of bunkers on the same side, as well as some fairway bunkers which were moved from the fairway at some stage. None of the approach bunkers are being removed and some will be added to the 2nd.

The routing changes were just proposed because of a potential safety issue with a road to the left of the 18th, instead we went with the less disruptive option of a net, it wasn't a perfect solution but any other one caused a few knock on effects.

One of the interesting aspects is that I can't think of too many courses in Ireland which have had significant tree removal projects. I think ours will be very succesful and maybe other clubs might start looking at it.

Another question I've been asking myself is that the tree removal won't have a massive effect on the play of holes and in essence it shouldn't make too much difference to the playing of the course but it will effect the ambience, atmosphere and the playing experience of the course. Is this what other clubs have experienced after tree romval projects?

[Ally Mcintosh]

Peter Cowley - you are correct. I hope they aren't removing any of those fantastic approach / deception bunkers in the fairway 30 or 40 yards short of the greens...

I'm sure it will improve the course though and really up its profile again.

What happened to the proposed routing changes?... Shelved or on hold?

Ally, the bunkers that are being removed are generally greenside where there is a pair of bunkers on the same side, as well as some fairway bunkers which were moved from the fairway at some stage. None of the approach bunkers are being removed and some will be added to the 2nd.

The routing changes were just proposed because of a potential safety issue with a road to the left of the 18th, instead we went with the less disruptive option of a net, it wasn't a perfect solution but any other one caused a few knock on effects.

One of the interesting aspects is that I can't think of too many courses in Ireland which have had significant tree removal projects. I think ours will be very succesful and maybe other clubs might start looking at it.

Another question I've been asking myself is that the tree removal won't have a massive effect on the play of holes and in essence it shouldn't make too much difference to the playing of the course but it will effect the ambience, atmosphere and the playing experience of the course. Is this what other clubs have experienced after tree romval projects?

Padraig,

I suspect you'll benefit hugely from the tree removal... I look forward to seeing the results...

I've been tearing my hair out recently travelling around Ireland looking at courses and seeing all the trees that everyone is planting... It seems that when a club has any money to spare, the first thing it wants to do is plant trees... Any trees... Anywhere!

[Shane Wright]

I've been a little slow getting to the remainder of the holes....

#13 - 156 Meter Par 3 - beautiful little par 3 that can be tough to judge the wind based on where it sits in relation to the trees.  It has subtle movement on the green but enough to make it fun and interesting.





#14 - 397 Meters Par 4- making it the second longest par 4 on the course.  It comes back down the hill towards the pro shop.  




The green has a little bit of tilt...

[Shane Wright]

#15 - 377 Meters Par 4 - The tee box is set next to the parking lot and goes over the #14 green, however, it was a beautiful drive and didn't seem awkward at all.  I actually thought the drive over the greens felt a little more awkward at Ballybunion and Lahinch.....not to take anything away from either one. 

 
 

The green surround has just a slight drop off to the right and an interesting shaped green.  It makes it a little tough to get it close on the approach.




#16  - 309 Meters Par 4 - This is a semi-blind drive that is a drivable green for the long hitter but you will be re-teeing on anything pushed right. 


The approach is uphill to a really fun geen

[Cristian]

Shane,

Really nice tour. I played here in 2008 and really loved the course.

I find some work already has been done on the course since 2008 if I am not mistaken. The par 3 (13th) was hardly visible from the tee when I played in 08.

On the renovation and rebunkering: Hopefully it will be appreciated that A. Mackenzie designed this course some twenty years before his high profile American courses and therefore he may have applied a different bunkering style at CGC or Alwoodley than at Pasa, Cypress or ANGC, even if his early style is less dramatic or even less aesthetic, I do hope we won't see any copying of his American bunker work, but rather a return to the style he intended originally. (I do not know whether the current bunkering reflects that style, but I am sure the membership will keep a close eye).

Also I hope there will be no changes at all to no.6!

Again, thanks for the tour!

PS
Ed Oden taught me how to get rid of the picture scroll bar; just replace [IMG] with [IMG width=800] and they will fit the page!

[Shane Wright]

Cristian - Thanks for the tip on the picture width.  Much appreciated.

I too think Cork is just a fabulous golf course and I can't wait to get back to Ireland to play it after the renovation work is done.  In my conversation with Padraig, it didn't sound like the rebunkering was going to be drastic.

I know that a lot of the history of the club was destroyed during a fire a number of years ago, but I'd love to know some of the stories behind the construction on holes 4-10 thru the rock quarry portion of the course.  It had to  have been quite the project   

Thanks for following the photo tour.

Shane

[Shane Wright]

I will have the final pictures up tomorrow.

[Padraig Dooley]

Shane,

Really nice tour. I played here in 2008 and really loved the course.

I find some work already has been done on the course since 2008 if I am not mistaken. The par 3 (13th) was hardly visible from the tee when I played in 08.

On the renovation and rebunkering: Hopefully it will be appreciated that A. Mackenzie designed this course some twenty years before his high profile American courses and therefore he may have applied a different bunkering style at CGC or Alwoodley than at Pasa, Cypress or ANGC, even if his early style is less dramatic or even less aesthetic, I do hope we won't see any copying of his American bunker work, but rather a return to the style he intended originally. (I do not know whether the current bunkering reflects that style, but I am sure the membership will keep a close eye).

Also I hope there will be no changes at all to no.6!

Again, thanks for the tour!

PS
Ed Oden taught me how to get rid of the picture scroll bar; just replace [IMG] with [IMG width=800] and they will fit the page!

Cristian

The quarry over which the 13th hole is played is not part of the club's property, hence why the trees grew up in the quarry and it was nearly a blind shot, it was a complicated situation but eventually the trees disappeared.

MacKenzie was at the course in 1924 just before he went to the USA, he brought some of the construction crew with him, most notably Jack Fleming who has extensive work in San Francisco. He probably felt that large elaborate bunkering wouldn't have suited the site and stuck with small bunkers. The current styling is in existence since the 80's and we are going back to a styling more in keeping with the originals this autumn.

There is a plan to change the 6 green which hasn't been decided upon yet. It is not a MacKenzie original. It was designed by some committee members in the 60's. I'm in favour of the change but wouldn't be too fussed if it wasn't changed.

 

[Padraig Dooley]

Cristian - Thanks for the tip on the picture width.  Much appreciated.

I too think Cork is just a fabulous golf course and I can't wait to get back to Ireland to play it after the renovation work is done.  In my conversation with Padraig, it didn't sound like the rebunkering was going to be drastic.

I know that a lot of the history of the club was destroyed during a fire a number of years ago, but I'd love to know some of the stories behind the construction on holes 4-10 thru the rock quarry portion of the course.  It had to  have been quite the project   

Thanks for following the photo tour.

Shane

Shane

A local historian published a book this year on the Little Island area. As the golf club had a big effect on the area down through the years there is a bit on it in the book. The club relocated to the current area just after the trun of the last century. The quarrying business was still working at the time but was winding down. Not too much work was done to lay the golf course through the quarry e.g. a path used to transport rock to the quays right of the 4th and 5th is readily visible going across the 8th and 9th.

[Shane Wright]

#17 Par 4 - semi blind tee shot

This hole appears much tighter than it actually is.  There is more room to the right than it looks, however, the approach to the green is going to be cut off significantly.  



This isn't a great photo, but shows a wall down the left which I believe is out of bounds.  



This is the approach from the middle of the fairway.  The bunkering on the right is not greenside and throws off your depth perception just a hair.



In my opinion, this has a really cool green setting with the wall behind and bunkering.  The more I thought about it after the round, the more and more I liked this hole.  It tests your commitment on the tee ball, requires the appropriate angle into the green, and is an easy birdie hole with two well struck shots, but very difficult par with one slightly mishit.



#18 - Par 4

The home hole doesn't look like a lot off of the tee, but requires a left to right shaped drive for good angle on the approach.  I didn't get a great picture from the tee box but show the approach shot here.

The clubhouse and pro shop are in the distance.