David
Thank you! That clears up things as I thought Naccers implied that Whigham was describing the Chasm Hole AT Biarritz. So we are no closer to knowing what that hole was like.
. . .
Well there are a number of descriptions of the famous chasm hole, or at least one by Hutchinson that seems to have been repeated again and again. I think there were others, but I'll have to dig through some old stuff. There is also a painting and some photos. I've never seen reference to the green having been like Macdonald described, and it is hard to mention how a hog's back could run up the center with the giant chasm there.
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Jim Asked:
David and George: is there any question about which course inspired CBM then? Sounds like the Biarritz. Only question is, which hole.
I don't think there is any question as to the course. There was a famous course down the way Pau, but Whigham and CBM knew the difference (especially because they played with Arnoud Massey, from Biarritz, on their 1906 trip abroad.) The only question is to the hole.
Whoever designed the Biarritz course probably saw TOC. So he probaby knew the Valley of Sin as well. If he put a swale before one of his greens, maybe the Valley inspired him.
Tom Dunn and Willie Dunn, Jr. (Sons of Musselburgh professional and money player, Willie Dunn, Sr.) are credited with designing the course at Biarritz. In fact, I think the course opened in 1888 (12 holes, I think) and Tom Dunn,
the professional at North Berwick, was brought in to redesign it 1989. (An 1889 article noted that Tom Dunn and his son were brought in, but Willie was his brother, not his son. Tom Dunn had sons and they too were in the golf business so it is a bit confusing. However, Willie Dunn, Jr. did serve as professional at Biarritz and may have also been involved.)
So yes it is safe to say that that the Dunn's saw St. Andrews, but they also knew North Berwick. One of Tom Dunn's sons was born on the West Links! Or at least in Tom Dunn's timber workshop and house. Tom's unannounced trip to Biarritz in 1889 was likely a factor in him eventually getting fired at North Berwick, but that is another story.
There were a number of golfer's - professional and amateur - who seemed to have been connected to both North Berwick and Biarritz, so it is no surprise that they called North Berwick the Biarritz of the north.
So it is a bit difficult to figure out which way the influence was going, but given that CBM was familiar with all these places, it may have been going every which way at once.
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Tony,
I am glad to see you posting on this subject. I was about to post a map of which I have two copies one of which came from you, I think. I think yours was a photograph of the map, and not the one I am posting, but either way thank you for sharing the information and I hope you don't mind if I post it here (if it is yours.)