[Joe Bausch]

In November, 2007 Gib Carpenter penned an IMO piece entitled A Cry for the Golf Course detailing the need for a comprehensive tree removal program at the Wissahickon course at Philadelphia Cricket Club:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/a-cry-for-the-golf-course-by-gib-carpenter

and part II:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/a-cry-for-the-golf-course-by-gib-carpenter/a-cry-for-the-golf-course-by-gib-carpenter-pg-ii

There are plenty of photos in the above links showing 'the problem'.

In September of last year Gib and fellow GCAer Powell Arms invited some Philly areas guys out to see what the place looks like now after, oh, maybe a few trees were removed.  ;-)

I had played Cricket years ago, but it was stunning to see how the course now looks after hundreds of trees were taken out!  Check out the Google aerial from June, 2007 before Keith Foster's master plan was commenced:

[Joe Bausch]

Now compare this to an April, 2010 aerial:



Pretty remarkable, eh?

[Joe Bausch]

So I will now start a photo tour of the Wissahickon course.  We had a glorious mid fall September afternoon with pretty good lighting for the pics.  Let's first start with the routing.  I think this will be fun photo tour.

[Joe Bausch]

Before heading home for the evening, I wanted to get one hole posted, a slight dogleg right par 4:



Tee view:



From the crest of the small hill to be carried with a decent drive:



An approach shot view if you hit your drives long like Gib!



From short of the subtly tiered green:



From just over the green (they have a strong caddie program at Cricket):



View of the green from the 2nd tee box:



More tomorrow, where you'll really see some open spaces and nice vistas!

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe - I'm really glad you're posting this.  I think the work at Philly Cricket was fantastic and needs to be seen and appreciated.  It's a major success!

[mike_malone]

 Joe,

   It's great to see the impact of expert tree removal as a program. I think it is better than the armed conflict of one by one.

[Wade Whitehead]

I'm stoked about this tour.  I love the old course at Cricket and really think the removal uncovered a gem of a place.

WW

[Mike_Trenham]

Routing of #1 and #2 and #3 work well for match play that goes beyond regulation an old fashioned (and welcome) design principal.

Tree removal on #6 has to be a great improvement that hole was compromised by the trees.

Mayday I agree when removing trees do it quick a lot less painful.  Philadelphia Country did it well this way a few years back. 

Our previous golf professional was at the Cricket club last spring days after the tree removal and said it was astonishingly great but the turf was sparce, it certainly looks like the turf is pretty healthy.

[Mike Sweeney]

Okay this is Golf Club Atlas and I am from Phiily so here goes:

There is no Tilly in that bunkering. Awesome first step on the trees, but I hope the bunkering gets better,

[Powell Arms]

Joe - looking forward to the rest of the photos. Great timing as we wait for the snow to melt!

[Tim Gavrich]

My golf team will be playing the Militia Hill course on April 4th.  I hope I'm able to get a look at the Wissahickon course at some point when we're there.  Looking forward to the remaining photos!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

My comment to Gib as we approached the first green was, "Where are the trees?"  There used to be a line of trees behind the green.

[Joe Bausch]

The routing of the course is interesting.  I'm assuming b/c of the location of the clubhouse, the road the clubhouse is on, and the train tracks that ran through the property (running between holes 9 and 11) probably made Tilly choose to bring the 2nd hole back to the clubhouse, then play the short par 3 3rd, before going north of the tracks for holes 4-9.

#2.  This par 4 play reasonably hefty from the back tee:



From the tee you can't really see the fairway due to that same little ridge that existed on the first hole.  Bigger hitters will just use 3 wood as a driver can run out of fw or, end up in the hazard.  



Once you come down that little ridge, the fw landing area is visible (in the background is the par 3 10th green):



View of the approach shot to a fairly small green.  Play this hole enough, you'll undoubtedly hit one of the buildings on your approach.  Or so I'm told.  



View from left of the green to show an old-style back-to-front sloping green that you just don't want to get above the pin.



From over the green:

[mike_malone]

 If you have an interesting piece of land it is IMPERATIVE to keep trees to a minimum. The beauty , playability , and distinctive character of the place is nullified by parallel rows of trees.

[Phil McDade]

I'm not sure I've seen a building that close in play to a hole, save for a few real old courses in the UK. What's the local rule?

[Chris Roselle]

I'm not sure I've seen a building that close in play to a hole, save for a few real old courses in the UK. What's the local rule?

Phil, when the Golf Association of Philadelphia played it's Amateur Championship there in 2008 this is the local rule we used:

*The clubhouse building on #2 is out of bounds and is defined by the building itself. There is no free relief from the building.

Not sure if that is how it is played now, but I remember having to make a few rulings for players who wanted to take relief from the clubhouse but obviously could not.

[Mark McKeever]

I think its a really neat feature how the second green is right up against the clubhouse.  It really plays with your mind as your're trying to hit your second shot.

Mark

[John Shimony]

I'm looking forward to this tour as well.  The course must be much more playable for all of us mere mortals who can't hit the fairway on every hole.  I wish the committtee members where I play could get out there to see what good can come from such tree removal and airing out of the course.  I'm sure the turf is much better as well. 

[Sean Leary]

I have wanted to see pics of this course for a while. Question, on that first hole, couldn't a couple of those trees be taken out and improve the hole? The one right in front of the right bunker particularly.

[jonathan_becker]

This is a little off-base but the building next to the green reminds me of that house off of 322 when you're headed into State College.  I forget what town it is but it's a green house that is literally 2 paces from the edge of the road.  If you don't pay attention with the turn in the road, you'll plow right into the side of the house!

[Powell Arms]

Chris - what you describe below is the way the hole is played every day.  No relief.  The local knowledge is that if you are going to hit the clubhouse, hit it hard.  You just might get a bounce onto the green.

I'm not sure I've seen a building that close in play to a hole, save for a few real old courses in the UK. What's the local rule?

Phil, when the Golf Association of Philadelphia played it's Amateur Championship there in 2008 this is the local rule we used:

*The clubhouse building on #2 is out of bounds and is defined by the building itself. There is no free relief from the building.

Not sure if that is how it is played now, but I remember having to make a few rulings for players who wanted to take relief from the clubhouse but obviously could not.

[Rory Connaughton]

Johnathon I think you are thinking of Boalsburg (where 322 business and highway diverge?).

Question for Tom Doak, any chance 18 at Stonewall North was influenced by PCC No. 2?

Sean, agree on the tree beyond the bunker on 1 but my recollection is that it is not quite as obtrusive as it seems in these photos.

Mike Sweeney, what do you think of the bunkering at 2 and 10 (right behind 2)?

I don't have much Tillinghast experience but I sense that the elevated greens at PCC do have more of a Tilly feel.

[Joe Bausch]

Ok, if you look at the routing you see after playing the 2nd hole there is a bit of land there for a short one-shotter before heading out to the par 5 4th.

#3.  Fun little par 3 where I've regularly seen a straight flush made by a foursome (2, 3, 4, and 5!).  If you miss the green, you should hope you are in one of the bunkers or getting par is very difficult.



View from maybe 50 yards short of the green.  Just like from the tee you can't really see the very front of the green.



If you just barely clear the front bunker middle-ish, you'll likely get kicked to the middle of the green.



The view from the back of the green shows just how many trees were removed to the right in the pic, all up and down the train track berm (more excellent photos of that later!).



As you walk along to the 4th tee (you go just behind the 9th green and crossover the 7th tee too), you get a good idea why missing the 3rd green is a no-no.

[JMEvensky]

Thanks for the tour--I always like to see entire courses photographed hole by hole from different angles.

From someone who's never been to Philly,

1) How is this course pronounced?

2) What's the significance of the tri-colored flags?

[Joe Bausch]

1) How is this course pronounced?

WI-sah-HI-kuhn

Once you can pronounce it correctly 9 times out of 10, Mucci will add you to the Philly co-conspirators list. 

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