Is Cape Arundel the next cult course?

[Ran Morrissett]

Heck, it probably already is one, and as usual, I'm late to the party  :-/

The powers that be at this semi-private, par 69, 6,000 yard Travis design are intent in winding the clock back as much as they can to the original design. Green corners are being squared, Hepner is restoring bunkers/removing trees, and the Board is adamant about never installing a fairway irrigation system. They want the wind to howl unobstructed across the course and for the ground game to be king. There is no talk/interest of adding length.

I have heard from three people that "along with Fishers and Yale, Cape Arundel has the most interesting set of greens in the northeast."

Right or wrong, you get the point - this course must be seriously cool! Surely, like just about every course, there must be some weaknesses (i.e. like at Ekwanok, holes 1-3 and 16-18 parallel one another) - so what's not to like about Cape Arundel?

Cheers,

[Tony Ristola]

Golf Course News had an "interview" with Bruce Hepner about 18 months, 2 years ago and he spoke about Cape Arundel.  Sounded interesting...low profile, hard and fast..and brown in the summer.

If I ever got that far north I'd be interested to see it.

[Doug Wright]

Ran,

The next "cult course?" Uh, works for me, except me and my cultish friends like Goodale and Huckaby are saddling up and riding out to the REAL next cult course, WILD HORSE, where we're setting up camp at RJ Daley's for Golfapalooza.  

Just curious though--what are the current "cult courses?"

PS, Here's some other stuff re Cape Arundel:

http://www.boston.com/sports/golf/courses/050301.htm

From an interview by Golfof Maine.comwith President George HW Bush:

GofM: "One of the things I wanted to ask you about is your local course, which I know you play frequently, Cape Arundel. Which holes there stand out in your mind as being your favorites?"

GB: "Well, that’s a good question. Of course I love the whole course. … Their signature hole there is No. 12, the 3-par, going across the river. I like that hole. I’m finding it harder and harder to play because I’ve lost all my distance. But it’s a great hole and I’ve had a lot of good golfers as our guests here, and most of them like that hole very much. I also like 17, which is a blind shot on your second, going over and coming down to a sunken green. As you go across the bridge to No. 13, you’ve got to look very carefully so you know where the pin is. And on the front nine, let’s see, well, I like the little 3-par, the third hole — both 3-pars I think are fun little holes, they’re very small, very short, particularly the second one, but they’re good golf holes. And then I think No. 8 would be among my favorite holes there. The green is protected, a lot of traps around it on the right side, in front; it’s a challenging hole, particularly when the pin’s up on the back."

All The Best,

[Peter Galea]

Warm off the presses.

Cape Arundel is advertising for a superintendent to upgrade the facility and help with the restoration.

Maine is an awful nice place. Pretty women, lobster, cranberries, more coastline than California, canoeing and plenty of snow for skiing.

Geez, I ought to work for the Chamber of Commerce.
 

[Doug Wright]

Pete,

Yes Maine is a great state. But cranberries?  

All The Best,

[John_D._Bernhardt]

It sounded great in almost everyway.B ut why are square cornered greens prefered to a more natural what the land provides for type green design. I am subjecting myself to a good thrashing by pointing this out. but that seems to me to be one of the aspects of older courses that can be left behind.

[Ran Morrissett]

John,

An interesting point and I suppose there are two possible answers as to why:

1. plenty of the old green pads that I have seen were built rather "boxy" and square corners on the putting surfaces may in fact be the most asthetically pleasing.

2. if you start saying "Well, maybe we could do without this Travis feature of X...", where do you draw the line? By putting 'everything' back, isn't there perhaps less room for interpretative issues to arise amongst the armchair architect members?

Cheers,

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Ran, thanks for going forth with discussion rather than a good ole fashion thrashing. lol I really feel the more natural flow with the land is preferable on most all levels to the squared greens. I am assuming construction limitations as well as drainage led to much of the squared greens. It will shock me if this could cramp the discussion by we armchair types. Naturally I have the great confidence in the creativity of the GCA men and women to find great points to run with. John

[Tom Doak]

I think that Bruce meant "squarish" corners, not square ones.  If he meant the latter, I'm going to send him to a counselor.

[Ran Morrissett]

I actually meant squarish as well as opposed to 90 degrees or bust.

We do have one photo in the course profiles of a 90 degree corner. Actually, corners plural - the front corners of the 1st green at Yeamans Hall!

Chicago GC just took the back right (or was it back left?) of their 5th green to a perfect 90 degree corner this past season - that is what you call fine tuning, I do believe  

[Tom Doak]

Actually the only Walter Travis hole drawings I've ever seen are for the Country Club of Troy, and his rendering of the green edges are not square at all.  In fact, they are the oddest shapes I've ever seen.  Some of them look like they've got tails, others very wavy edges -- lines that I seriously doubt anyone would [or could] mow.

I don't think he was going for square there, anyway.