WBCC (Langford) baby step

[Mike McGuire]

Some restoration work at West Bend.

Our long range plan by is Ron Prichard -  shaper was Kye Goalby.
Finish work by club staff.

better images at http://gallery.me.com/mcguiremike1#100196

[PCCraig]

Looks great Mike!

It looks great with the added bunker and the two trees taken out. Correct me if I'm wrong but did you also widen the fairway to the right?

Just curious, did you ever think to widen the fairway runup to the green to the left (I can't tell how steep the groud is where the rough is located), or has it always been like that?

[Mike McGuire]

Pat -

Yes, recapturing green space and converting that slope to bent in on the plan.
Its a bit dicey though as the green is very steep (unpinnable in summer front left).  Would be easy to putt a ball off the green and down the hill 25 yards from the green.

One of those situations where you had to change any grades on an original hole, but at our target stimp of 10 this is the worst green on the nine as far as available hole locations. WWLD?

That bluegrass holds up a lot of balls both ways. Because of it you cant run anything onto the green either.



 

[PCCraig]

Thanks for the response Mike.

Widening the fairway brings up the interesting question with regards to the typical "push up" Langford greens like this one and those seen at Lawsonia. Was a run-up option even in his train of thought as the slope in front is usually too steep to run a ball up? But then is the green actually more interesting with more rough or fairway surrounding the green?

Is there more tree clearing planned for the hole, or rest of the course at all?

[Phil McDade]

Thanks for the response Mike.

Widening the fairway brings up the interesting question with regards to the typical "push up" Langford greens like this one and those seen at Lawsonia. Was a run-up option even in his train of thought as the slope in front is usually too steep to run a ball up? But then is the green actually more interesting with more rough or fairway surrounding the green?

Is there more tree clearing planned for the hole, or rest of the course at all?

Pat:

Good questions. My sense is that a close examination of Langford's work (at least the stuff I'm familiar with...) suggests he was at least interested in some ground-game options in approaches to greens. Certainly a few of the holes at Lawsonia -- 9 and 10 for sure, 11 as well, even 18 and (I'd argue) 2 (maybe not an original green), 3, 4 (!!), and maybe 5, could be approach with the ground game depending on positioning off the tee. Spring Valley (which is playing as fast and firm of any course I've played lately in the Midwest), also has a few, although most of the greens there aren't as dramatic as those at Lawsonia.

[Jason Topp]

For those interested in Langford's design approach, I highly recomment Mark Chalfant's essay:

http://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/mark-chalfant-the-architecture-of-william-b-langford


In my limited experience, his courses demand an aerial approach more than other architects of the era.

[Mike McGuire]

Jason -

When I got on the green committee I searched the web for Langford stuff. Mark Chalfants article was the first thing I found. Great stuff indeed. Six years later and still hanging round here.

On our Langford nine you can bounce it in on 3 holes for sure. Perhaps #6 (but unknown since it was destroyed) and now with some fairway recapture you might be able to rope it in on the par 3 8th.

[Phil McDade]

Here's another thing that would make a ground-game option interesting at the 2nd at West Bend. Of all the places at West Bend (or in the world of golf, generally...) you don't want to be long, it's the 2nd green. It's a two-story fall-off (really, it is; I repelled down there once ); I actually think the backside of the 2nd green at West Bend is a bigger drop than the famed boxcar 7th at Lawsonia.

With the ground game as an option, the golfer can use the contouring of the land to get near the pin. But don't overdo it! A hot ground shot that finds itself rolling along on WB's traditonally quick greens can go overboard in a hurry.