Memphis Country Club Pictorial Circa 1940 (Updated Thru #12)

[Mike Hendren]

A few years ago I received a set of photographs of the greens at Memphis CC assumed to be taken around 1940.  Photographs were taken approximatlely 50 to 100 yards out on each hole.  I thought I would share them with you three holes at a time for your enjoyment, enlightenment or comment.  First, a little history on the course.  According to The History of Tennessee Golf: 1894 - 2001 Memphis CC's first golf couse opened in 1905 with nine holes designed by James Foulis.  Tom  Bendelow soon thereafter added another nine holes.  According to multiple sources, including Brad Klein's Discovering Donald Ross  Ross re-designed/re-built the course in 1910, some ten years earlier than his next course in Tennessee.  The course hosted the Western Open in 1913.  

The course's unique routing remains unchanged.   According to long-time superintendent Rod Lingle, many of the greens are original.  However, as the 1940 photographs will reveal, they have generally shrunk and been rounded off.  Unfortunately the photographs were discovered after the conversion of the greens to Champion Bermuda in 1999 and lost greenspace was not recaptured.  Most notably, the twin 9th and 18th greens have been altered, as they were once merely separated by a single bunker.  The 8th green has been revised and the slope of the 3rd green has been softened to accomodate the fast green speeds attained on the Champion Bermuda - reportedly as high as 14 on the Stimpermeter.  The second and 10th greens have also been altered, the latter for the 1948 U. S. Amateur according to the aforementioned history book.

The course is situated on only 105 acres and in addition to those tournaments cited above, it hosted the 1920 and 1933 Western Amateur, the 1937 Women's Amateur, the 1959 Men's Senior Amateur and the 1979 Women's Amateur.  The last two state amateurs held at Memphis CC were won by Danny Green and Tim Jackson, two of the nation's top amateurs and mid-amateurs.  

Utilizing every inch of the property, Ross routed the front nine in a counter-clockwise direction along the property's boundary and then routed much of the second nine in two interior loops, including a brilliant example of triangulation in holes 15 through 17 as reflected in the following aerial:



The course tips out at 6,589 yards, playing to a par of 70.

Kris Spence has been retained by the club to re-work bunkers and tees and hopefully he will contribute to this thread.  The first three photograhs will be posted tomorrow.

[Mike Hendren]

What the heck, a little teaser.  The opener is a 397 yards par four (given the course's modest length, all yardages will be from the tips) that doglegs right playing slightly downhill.  The green circa 1940:



The green's back to front slope is obvious in the photograph.  Less obvious is a familiar Ross trick - the green is sited on a slight upslope, requiring only a modest build-up at the rear to yield a significant slope in the putting surface.  I also like the hard right-side edge of the green, which refues the theory that Ross only built saucer shaped greens.  I also like the fairway feature that is slightly offset to the left, which allowed it to function in tandem with the string of bunkers hard against the green's right side.  

[Mark McKeever]

Bogey,

Can't wait to see the rest!  That moundage 40 yards short looks awesome!!

Mark

[Mike Hendren]

Redanboy, I don't understand why today's architects don't use such small but abrupt fairway features.  Minimalism be damned!

Bogey

[Mark McKeever]

I would love to see a few of those at Schuylkill.  They would fit in perfectly!

Redanboy

[Mike Hendren]

One could argue that there are only two blemishes in Ross' routing:  the first and second are very similar, as are the finishers for each nine.  The second is is a dogleg right par four of 417 yards with the green tucked into the extreme southeast corner of the property.   Again, the hard edges of the green and the curled up left hand side (perhaps for drainage?) are not what we've come to expect from Ross.  The second green circa 1940:



The third tee can be seen behind the large tree left of the green.  I like the surrounding residences and the neighborhood feel imparted.

[Mike Hendren]

The third hole heads north and is an uphill 536 yards par five hard by S. Greer Street.  Today, a stand of massive tulip poplars is located just beyond the tee on the right to screen wayward tee shots.  While perhaps prudent from a liability standpoint, they virtually preclude a draw being played from the tee.  Similarly, trees hug the landing zone on the left for the tee ball to protect the back of the 13th green. The result is a tee shot as tight as a tick.  Fortunately the hole opens up for the second and third shots.  The green circa 1940:



Again, Ross has sited the green just before the crest of the hill and by slightly building up the rear creates a dramatic back to front slope.   The mounds right of the fairway appear to serve no other purpose than containment, though they might not be original.  I'm curious about your take on the putting surface.  I don't see the up and back mowing pattern on other photographs so perhaps the putting surface has intentionally been halved as the pad appears to stretch all the way across the photograph.  I can't fathom that the original design intent was to leave fairway right of the green - that would be atypical of Ross' work.  Perhaps the right half was abandoned for liability purposes given its proximity to the street.  Or it could just be a temporary turf issue.

One can also see the 4th tee on the left mere steps from the green.  

[JMEvensky]

If I showed these pictures to 100 members of Memphis CC,I'd bet less than 10 would recognize it as their own.

In the first photo,the berm is long since gone and,I believe,the first green side bunker on the right.There is now a huge stand of pine trees just to the right of this spot on the fairway--it protects the tennis courts.

In the second photo,2 things really jump out.The house behind the green is now an apartment building with a brick wall in front--a very tall brick wall.The right green side bunker now extends a lot further toward the back of the green.That depression is now gone.

I know it must just be the photo,but this doesn't really seem to show how severely this green slopes from back to front.

The third photo is unbelievable.It looks nothing like that now.Bogey,the stand of trees on the right runs the entire length of 3 --to say the tee shot doesn't favor a hook would be an understatement.Today,the trees are about on the edge of the fairway in this picture with a cart path running right against the hedge you can just barely see.

The front left and front right bunkers are no longer there.

As to the green,it sure looks different but,again,it might just be the old photo.

Looking forward to the rest of the pictures.

[Mike Hendren]

The fourth hole is the only switchback in the counter-clockwise routing of the first nine.  The 154 yards one shotter plays downhill to a volcano green complex constructed by hollowing out its surrounds as shown below.  Again, Ross makes excellent use of a modest elevation change.  The fall-off in the back of the green approximates 15 feet.  This photograph could be Exhibit A in explaining my bias for golden age architecture:

[Mark McKeever]

I love the short Ross holes that have that "Volcano look" where its an all or nothing shot. We have an uphill one at SCC that looks a lot like this and there is a similar one at Aronomink too.

Mark

[Mike Hendren]

The counter-clockwise routing of the first nine resumes with the 412 yards 5th which heads into the northeast corner of the property:



The course turns west with the 432 yards par four sixth hole, running along the south side of Central Avenue.  Today the hole is lined on both sides by mature oaks and with adequate fairway width is a beautiful golf hole.  I like the trench-like bunkering on either side of the green.



Again, the edges of Ross' work are much harder than we've become accustomed to and the green, while at grade is sited on a slight upslope.

[JMEvensky]

I guess I'll keep cheerleading for the home team.

I'm amazed at just how quickly a golf course can go from wide open to claustrophobic.Today,none of these long vistas exists.There are walls of trees.

Four green looks exactly the same today.

Five green looks the same--but it's really strange to see something other than large oak trees bordering on the right side.That hedge is now oak trees.

Six green is the same,but the right side bunker is different.

It's a shame you don't have a picture of the house directly across the street from six green--it was built by the guy who invented the supermarket--Piggly Wiggly (that would be the name of the grocery store--the owner's name was Clarence Saunders).

[Mike Hendren]

It's a shame you don't have a picture of the house directly across the street from six green--it was built by the guy who invented the supermarket--Piggly Wiggly (that would be the name of the grocery store--the owner's name was Clarence Saunders).

The Pink Palace Museum?

[JMEvensky]

It's a shame you don't have a picture of the house directly across the street from six green--it was built by the guy who invented the supermarket--Piggly Wiggly (that would be the name of the grocery store--the owner's name was Clarence Saunders).

The Pink Palace Museum?

You got it.

[Kris Spence]

Michael, I have just returned from several days onsite in Memphis, I will try and post some updated photo's next week if time allows.  Do you have the 38 aerial to post, it illustrates the shape and orientation of the bunkers much better. 

A basic summary of the current project underway includes bunker restoration (74), tee renovation (all) and reclamation of select lost fill pad areas.  The greens will be expanded to the edges of the fill pads at a later date therefore some of the greenside bunker work will appear a further distance from the putting surface than it should be.

I'm sorry I don't have more time to post on this today as I have been traveling all week and only have a few hours in the office, I will try and get the aerial up if I can, it cleary shows the orientation of the greens and bunkers which in many cases is different than the perception you get from the ground level shots.

More later, Kris

[JMEvensky]

Kris,it's about time you got here.

Somebody needs to explain this better than I can.

[Mike Hendren]

Kris,it's about time you got here.

Somebody needs to explain this better than I can.

+1

I was hoping someone who actually knows something would weigh in!

Mike

[JMEvensky]

Kris,it's about time you got here.

Somebody needs to explain this better than I can.

+1

I was hoping someone who actually knows something would weigh in!

Mike

Who else could segue from Memphis CC to Piggly Wiggly?At least I didn't bring Elvis into the conversation.

[Bradley Anderson]

I would love to see pictures of those bunkers today to compare how much the sand has reduced the putting surface and built up the greenside hummocks.

Can someone put some contemporary pictures of these greens up?

[Mike Hendren]

Can someone put some contemporary pictures of these greens up?

Again, the 4th green then:


The 4th green in 2005, begging for the corners of the green to be recaptured, the bunkers restored and the foliage behind the green cleared:


Don't be long at the 4th:

[Mike Hendren]

The routing turns its back to Central Avenue at the 7th, a 190 yards par three playing slightly uphill to a small green canted with the hillside.   The 1940 photograph is taken short left of the green with the line off the tee directly over the clumsy fairway mound (perhaps an in-house addition?).  The pushed up left side of the green and the general right to left cant of the hillside makes putts very difficult to read, particularly on the left half of the green.   The small size of the green coupled with a significant false front make this an extremely difficult green to hit and when combined with the volcanic 4th yields a tremendous set of one shotters on the front side.  The clubhouse in the distance was constructed in 1910 but has been replaced since.




The clubhouse is no longer visible in the 2005 photograph.  It appears the right side of the green has been softened and perhaps extended around the bunker.


I like this hole immensely.  A three is well-earned.

[Kris Spence]

I'm limited on time today but I will give you some info on the course as sit compares to the original design.

The routing remains intact with the 10th green having been moved 31 yards closer to the tee, converting it from a short par 4 to a long three and converting the 11th from a long four to a five par

All of the other greens remain on their original fill pads however they have retreated in 20 to 30% in most case with a few greens 50% of their original footprint.  The loss of surface area is a combination of normal encroachment and others the result of a late 80's bunker remodel project that narrowed the approaches by placing fronting bunkers into or on top of the fill pads.  This in my opinion was the most destructive change the course has experienced.  Topdressing has raised the surfaces about 6 inches and is confined to the reduced size area, therefore, the top of the original fill pad shoulder does not integrate properly with the present putting surface elevation.   The club does not wish to disturb the existing surfaces so we will tie the existing surface elevation into the top of the fill shoulders at a later date.  This will require extending the side profile of the fill pad upward slightly before turning the top  into the green.

The bunker renovation will reinstate the bunkering very close to what is evident on the late 30's aerial and the ground level photos you have up.  The bunker depths will be slightly deeper in most cases as the previous project deepened them slightly (-6 to 12") and the build up on the greens has added 6 inches.  I like the deeper profile and it lends itself to more turf rolling down the faces and a stronger presence / definition.

I will post more as time allows and hopefully get some photos of finished work up soon.

[mark chalfant]

Great post

Thanks Mike and Kris .

Memphis CC looks like a fabulous routing !    When either of your schedules permit,   I would love to see an update of the restoration, more of the back  nine, and those vintage photos.


Mark Chalfant

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Thanks Mike, Memphis was part of my childhood. Monroe was a cotton town and as you know Memphis was a cotton trading center.

[Bill_McBride]

Thanks Mike, Memphis was part of my childhood. Monroe was a cotton town and as you know Memphis was a cotton trading center.

Tiger, it's great to see you posting again.   Keep up the good work!   You are the Tiger!