Sankaty Head Golf Club (Emerson Armstrong), Nantucket, Mass.

[Howard Riefs]

Over Thanksgiving week, I enjoyed a couple rounds at Sankaty Head Golf Club (http://www.sankatyheadgc.com/), which is located on the eastern end of Nantucket Island in Siasconset.  The course was designed in 1921 by Emerson Armstrong, and may be his only design, which is a topic previously addressed on the board but not resolved (http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=3a3b51a5ca4c90525d07f9d43b496de1&topic=37048.0). The course is currently ranked #87 on Golfweek’s list of Classic Courses.

The private club has a membership of 550 and a healthy waiting list.  As background, it’s one of four courses on the island, which measures 13 miles across and 4 miles wide.  The others are the nine hole Old Siasconset Golf Course aka “Skinners” named after a one-time co-owner (1894), Miacomet Golf Club (1963, Ralph Marbel; 2nd 9: 2003, Howard Maurer), and Nantucket Golf Club (1998, Rees Jones).  The Nantucket Historical Association wrote a very good article on the history of the island’s golf courses: http://www.nha.org/history/hn/HN-v47n4-gamble-golf.htm

It’s somewhat difficult for non-members to get onto Sankaty Head during the busy summer months, but thankfully it’s open for public play during its off-season – from October to May – for $100/round.  The course tips out at 6,711 yards (http://www.sankatyheadgc.com/course.html) but with a very strong prevailing SW wind, many holes play significantly longer than the number on the card.  For example, the short #9 par 4 of 289 yards that plays straight into the SW wind required an extra two clubs.  

Additionally, the club is well known for having one of the last remaining caddie camps in the U.S. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/sports/golf/23caddies.html).  In August of this year, buildings at the camp were destroyed by a fire caused by a propane truck explosion (http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/08/photos-caddie-camp-interrupted-by-fire.html).

When we played the course was in great shape, especially for November, though fairways didn’t play to its optimum firm and fast condition.  Plus, greens were firm and in nice shape.  A handful of photos, though not a full tour, are below.

The only real disappointment is that we played two temporary greens:
-- #3: 198 yards into the wind; large, slightly elevated green
-- #5: Significantly downhill; 423 yards; steep back-to-front green; signature hole that overlooks the lighthouse

But it was for good reason.  From late Sept. to early Nov., the standard greens were restored and reshaped.  I learned more about the work from an insightful article in the club’s quarterly newsletter. To paraphrase…

Background
-- As a course built in the early 1920s, the greens reflected the design concept of the time, and speeds were typically in the 4 to 7 range as opposed to today’s higher speeds.  At Sankaty Head the green speed is regularly in the 9-10 range.

-- According to the article, the USAGA recommends cupping areas should not have slopes exceeding 2.5 percent.  The club Green Committee and members considered the greens on holes 3 and 5 as too steep, and started a process to “moderately adjust” their slope and pitch.  
-- The project affords more space on greens 3 and 5 to place cups without the problem of the ball rolling off the green when the speed is at 9 or higher, or when there’s a strong wind.  

Green #5
-- The average slope on #5 was 7.8 percent and was adjusted to approximately 4 percent; the green kept its back-to-front slope
-- While the cup previously could have been cut on 5 to 7 percent of the green, it can now be cut on 30 to 35 percent of the green, including the back of the green, which was previously untouchable

Green #3
-- The slope was reduced 1 percent


A few questions for the treehouse:
-- Are there any other Emerson Armstrong courses besides Sankaty Head?
-- The article says that Golden Age clubs such as Pine Valley, Seminole and others performed similar work to their greens.  How long ago did they adjust the slope of their greens?  How far is Sankaty behind the times in conducting this work?  
-- Does reducing the slope 1 percent on #3 truly create that many more pin options?  How noticeable is a 1 percent slope reduction for putting speeds?


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Routing via Google Earth; holes #2 through #8 are on the other side of Polpis Road toward the ocean; bottom left corner shows a few holes of Nantucket Golf Club





The whale-shaped tee markers are inspired by Nantucket’s early history as the capital of the whaling industry





The tee, inspired by the Sankaty Head lighthouse adjacent to #5 fairway





#5, 423 yards, downhill, view from fairway looking back toward direction of the tee





#6, 144 yards, view left of the green from #8 fairway





#9, 285 yards, par 4, view from behind the green





#10, 433 yards, plays dead into the wind as illustrated by the flagstick, view from #18 tee





#12, 206 yards





#13, 382 yards, view from behind the green





#15, on left, 396 yards, and #18 climb the hill to the clubhouse





#16, 389 yards, dogleg right around an irrigation pond that’s the only water on the course, view from behind the green





#17, 546 yards, plays longer as it's all uphill





#18, 387 yards, view from the tee





#18, view from the fairway





#18, view from behind the green; #15 on right





Overhead view from the flight back to Logan; Sankaty Head in foreground, Nantucket Golf Club in center


 

[PCCraig]

Great stuff Howard, glad you enjoyed your round at Sankaty. If Sankaty isn't a true "links" course, it's darn close.

[jeffwarne]

Great post Howard.

It kills me to hear when clubs are reducing slope in greens due to "modern speeds".

When the USGA gives a recommendation on "cupping areas" surely they would have to know the target speed to give a %(2.5) which is too much slope for a cup.   i.e. a green stimping 14 would require a different pinnable slope than a green at 8.

No doubt the greens can be rough when stimping higher than they were designed for, but it's amazing the acceptance of restoring individual "features" to a golf course (example bunkers in front of trees) but rarely does anyone want to restore maintenance meld to original design.
In this case, firm and not so fast would allow the original architecture to shine

[Dan Byrnes]

Looks awesome.  One of the top places I want to play.  A few on them are in the area like Eastward Ho and Oyser Harbor.  I haven't been to Natucket before. 

In the last picture the arial one what is the course just inland from Sankaty Head?

I wonder how many of the 550 actually use it each year or is just a feather in their cap kind of place.

Thanks for posting.

Dan

[Kris Shreiner]

Howard,

Great pics and articles! Thanks for posting information on one of the coolest clubs anywhere.

Just a note, that while I've seen that "last" caddie camp mentioned other places, that is not totally accurate. There is an excellent Summer caddie camp that has been running for a number of years put on each Summer in the Midwest, giving a significant number of inner-city and at risk youth the mentoring, transportation and opportunity to caddie at private clubs. They stay at housing located on a college campus and the program runs about $200,000 to operate annually. It's first rate and is championed by a successful lawyer who caddied and credited that experience for molding him into the man he is today.

You and many others are not aware of the program I just mentioned and often take it on faith that what you read or see is true. I point this out as yet another example of something that some folks put out as fact in the game and then others spread it as gospel and it just isn't so. That's why I caution some to have a command of the subject matter before making statements or claims that really don't square with reality.

Cheers,
Kris

[Tim Martin]

Howard,

Great pics and articles! Thanks for posting information on one of the coolest clubs anywhere.

Just a note, that while I've seen that "last" caddie camp mentioned other places, that is not totally accurate. There is an excellent Summer caddie camp that has been running for a number of years put on each Summer in the Midwest, giving a significant number of inner-city and at risk youth the mentoring, transportation and opportunity to caddie at private clubs. They stay at housing located on a college campus and the program runs about $200,000 to operate annually. It's first rate and is championed by a successful lawyer who caddied and credited that experience for molding him into the man he is today.

You and many others are not aware of the program I just mentioned and often take it on faith that what you read or see is true. I point this out as yet another example of something that some folks put out as fact in the game and then others spread it as gospel and it just isn't so. That's why I caution some to have a command of the subject matter before making statements or claims that really don't square with reality.

Cheers,
Kris

Actually the New York Times article gets it right as it says that Sankaty is one of the last remaining caddie camps. Once again Kris takes a fun thread and cool pictorial and turns it into a caddie issue while talking down to the guy that took the time and effort to provide it.  

[jeffwarne]

Howard,

Great pics and articles! Thanks for posting information on one of the coolest clubs anywhere.

Just a note, that while I've seen that "last" caddie camp mentioned other places, that is not totally accurate. There is an excellent Summer caddie camp that has been running for a number of years put on each Summer in the Midwest, giving a significant number of inner-city and at risk youth the mentoring, transportation and opportunity to caddie at private clubs. They stay at housing located on a college campus and the program runs about $200,000 to operate annually. It's first rate and is championed by a successful lawyer who caddied and credited that experience for molding him into the man he is today.

You and many others are not aware of the program I just mentioned and often take it on faith that what you read or see is true. I point this out as yet another example of something that some folks put out as fact in the game and then others spread it as gospel and it just isn't so. That's why I caution some to have a command of the subject matter before making statements or claims that really don't square with reality.

Cheers,
Kris

Actually the New York Times article gets it right as it says that Sankaty is one of the last remaining caddie camps. Once again Kris takes a fun thread and cool pictorial and turns it into a caddie issue while talking down to the guy that took the time and effort to provide it.  

Just be glad no white suits emerged in the photos.

[Rick Shefchik]

The head pro at my club when I was growing up -- Northland Country Club in Duluth, Ross 1927 -- was a man named Everett Stuart, who had previously been the pro at Sankaty Head. I knew nothing about that course until I read this thread, but somehow I'd thought it wasn't all that great a course if a dyed-in-the-wool New Englander like Ev would move to northern Minnesota for a job.

I don't think Ev ever regretted his relocation -- he retired after more than 30 years at Northland, and split the rest of his time between Minnesota and Florida -- but I can see now that it must have been a tougher choice than I thought it was. That's a cool-looking golf course.

[jeffwarne]

The head pro at my club when I was growing up -- Northland Country Club in Duluth, Ross 1927 -- was a man named Everett Stuart, who had previously been the pro at Sankaty Head. I knew nothing about that course until I read this thread, but somehow I'd thought it wasn't all that great a course if a dyed-in-the-wool New Englander like Ev would move to northern Minnesota for a job.

I don't think Ev ever regretted his relocation -- he retired after more than 30 years at Northland, and split the rest of his time between Minnesota and Florida -- but I can see now that it must have been a tougher choice than I thought it was. That's a cool-looking golf course.

The quality of the golf course is only one of many factors when evaluating a job.
a remote island like Nantucket presents its' own challenges for a professional and his family.
It is great course

[Howard Riefs]

Thanks all for the comments on the post and photos.  Great course to play and hope to do so again during the 'season' one day.

In the last picture the arial one what is the course just inland from Sankaty Head?

Nantucket Golf Club and Old Siasconet are in that general vicinity, with the latter course on the upper left in the above aerial.  To map it out: Sankaty Head (tags “A” & “C”), Nantucket Golf Club (“E” & “G”; the clubhouse is to the right of “E”), the nine-hole Old Siasconet course (between “B” and “D”; the mowing lines are less defined but it’s there).






Miacomet, the remaining course, is clear across the island (tags “B” & “C”)

I wonder how many of the 550 actually use it each year or is just a feather in their cap kind of place.

The course gets a good amount of traffic from its members; there’s also a private beach club that’s part of the membership.  As I understand, Sankaty Head is “old money” while Nantucket Golf is “new money.”  Initiation at Nantucket Golf was $400,000; not certain if it's still at that amount.  

One thing’s for certain: Nantucket Golf can use a better logo.

 

Just a note, that while I've seen that "last" caddie camp mentioned other places, that is not totally accurate

Good catch.  I corrected it in the write-up.

Just be glad no white suits emerged in the photos.  

Those are at Nantucket Golf Club. Seriously.

At Sankaty Head, it’s t-shirts and shorts for the caddies

[Walter Bart]

 I have been fortunate to usually play Sankaty with a member late in the Fall, including Oct this year.   No "True Links" status, but I think the front nine comes close to it.  The downhill fifth by the lighthouse is one of the best holes in my book. ( Number 10 has top 500 status in the "500 Best Holes"  book.  It is exceedingly difficult into the normal wind )

        Well worth the long day trip, but better if one is over for the weekend.

[PThomas]

nice pics, thx

[J_ Crisham]

Howard,

Great pics and articles! Thanks for posting information on one of the coolest clubs anywhere.

Just a note, that while I've seen that "last" caddie camp mentioned other places, that is not totally accurate. There is an excellent Summer caddie camp that has been running for a number of years put on each Summer in the Midwest, giving a significant number of inner-city and at risk youth the mentoring, transportation and opportunity to caddie at private clubs. They stay at housing located on a college campus and the program runs about $200,000 to operate annually. It's first rate and is championed by a successful lawyer who caddied and credited that experience for molding him into the man he is today.

You and many others are not aware of the program I just mentioned and often take it on faith that what you read or see is true. I point this out as yet another example of something that some folks put out as fact in the game and then others spread it as gospel and it just isn't so. That's why I caution some to have a command of the subject matter before making statements or claims that really don't square with reality.

Cheers,
Kris

Kris,  I read your post and it would appear that you are describing the Daniel Murphy Scholarship. It is in fact a wonderful program that helps a large number of young, at risk Chicagoans. We have a few of the kids who caddy at our club. I played in their outing this year with a friend who sits on the foundations board. A very special day for a special group of kids.I believe 1MM was raised that day for the Murphy scholarship. As an aside, JIm Murphy was an Evans Scholar and hence the connection with caddies/scholarship. I didn't remeber him as being an attorney- thought he was into a green energy position?

[Kris Shreiner]

Tim,

If you can't take the heat...stay out of the kitchen my friend.

Jeff,

Mercifully, Sankaty Head doesn't subject their caddies to the white suits. The caddie "camp" attire that they were pictured in, when those photos ran of the unfortunate explosion and fire that occurred there this summer, could be improved upon.

Jack,

That excellent Murphy Scholarship program is one such program, but there is another that is being championed by an attorney, from Minnesota I believe. I'll have to dig out my info and will IM you when I source it.

Cheers,
Kris

[Bob_Huntley]

Howard,

Thank you for reminding me of a gem of a course; I played it several times when on a vist to Nantucket and found it a special kind of club.
Not too long, reasonable green speeds and some very good contours.

I am reminded of the mens locker room and showers (this was a few years ago and before the renovations). they reminded me of my basic training days with bare concrete and tepid water on tap.

Bob

[William_G]

thanks Howard, love Nantucekt, it's been a while

[Sven Nilsen]

Anyone know what happened to the original Sankaty GC laid out in 1899 by J. Grout?  Is this the same piece of property?

[Howard Riefs]

Bob, William --
Glad to help bring back some fond memories.

Anyone know what happened to the original Sankaty GC laid out in 1899 by J. Grout?  Is this the same piece of property?

Sven,

From my go-to source on Nantucket's golf history (http://www.nha.org/history/hn/HN-v47n4-gamble-golf.htm):


The island's second golf club was started in 1898, not yet a full year after the first success. Organization of the east-coast venture centered around John C. Grout and Charles Rich. On grounds near Sankaty Bluff, Grout, who assumed the responsibility of the club's first presidency, garnered the rolling landscape north of Siasconset village. Greens fees for the new course were $1 for honorary members and $2 for regulars.

When the 1899 season came to a close and winter set in, Grout, in rather prophetic fashion, expressed a desire to name his club "the Sankaty Golf Club of the Siasconset Moors, with a gilt lighthouse . . . for the members' insignia." Despite Grout's vision of a "real country club," the course soon faded only to be refashioned in the early 1920s.

While John Grout's dream of a Sankaty Golf Club dissolved along with his course in the first decade of the new century, it was resurrected by David Gray of Detroit in 1921. A multimillionaire and former partner of Henry Ford, Gray personally donated 280 acres and a clubhouse for the fledgling club.

Two years and a total of $96,000 later, architect Emerson Armstrong's achievement of landscape, with wooden clubhouse on Mayflower Hill designed by F. P. Hill, was complete. Characterized by rolling fairways, crater-like and sloped greens, the Sankaty Head course winds through the topography like a snake. Its close proximity to the water often leaves players at the mercy of inshore winds, an experience that can transform a pleasurable outing into a frustrating affair.


I'm not familiar with Grout's routing, but it sounds like the same general location as the modern day Sankaty Head: "On grounds near Sankaty Bluff... the rolling landscape north of Siasconset village."

[Sven Nilsen]

Howard:

That is a pretty good go-to source.

The timing of Nantucket GC turning into a formal club and being reworked by Ross and the formation of Sankaty Head coincide pretty well and makes one wonder what exactly was going on the island from 1917 to 1921 that created the demand for two courses.

Sven

[ChipOat]

With all due respect to JeffWarne's considerable experience and expertise, I am on record in a number of threads as being DELIGHTED when a club softens the pitch of its Golden Era greens in response to Stimp and speed that that are now more than 2X what the architect originally envisioned.

Having played Sankaty Head 10+ times,  I can attest that #3, and especially #5, were unputtable in more than a few places - especially downwind.  It pleases me that the club is following Merion and Pine Valley in this effort.  Others should follow.

Pat Mucci will not agree, but he and I are still good friends, nonetheless.

Also, the observation that Sankaty plays much like Shinnecock is spot-on although the tall hay and more severe bunkering at Shinnecock usually makes for higher scores.  Sankaty's degree of difficulty is closer to Fishers Island, I think.

Either way, it is a wonderful golf course and a joy to play.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

For pure fun and enjoyment, it doesn't get much better.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

The NY Times article re: caddie camp is awesome. It gives me some hope about the next generation.

However, it is a little disturbing that those in the program might never get to spend a night at the Chicken Box or Tobey's past 10:30pm. 

[Alex Lagowitz]

Howard:

That is a pretty good go-to source.

The timing of Nantucket GC turning into a formal club and being reworked by Ross and the formation of Sankaty Head coincide pretty well and makes one wonder what exactly was going on the island from 1917 to 1921 that created the demand for two courses.

Sven

A whole lot of money

[Howard Riefs]

A good read by David Owen on golf on Nantucket and the Sankaty Head caddie camp.

http://www.myusualgame.com/2013/07/12/sankaty-head-caddie-camp-and-other-nantucket-wonders/

[Amol Yajnik]

Another good article from today's Boston Globe on the caddie camp at this course, which sounds like a wonderful opportunity for the lucky teenagers that get selected for it.  Hopefully it's still around when my son is that age: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2014/08/20/nantucket-sankaty-head-caddie-camp-grooms-teens-for-success/eNQmFTHJdQGfq5GcIDR1aI/story.html