Tacoma Country and Golf Club- 1926 video

[Scott Stambaugh]

My friend Joel Kachmarek, Golf Course Superintendent at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club maintains a nice blog on his doings at the club. His latest entry contains some unbelievable video shot in 1926. There are also some cool old photos on there, recently found as well.

For any of you familiar with the course, this is some fascinating stuff.

http://www.tacomaturf.com/

Scott

[Joe Stansell]

Thanks for sharing. Coincidentally, I played Tacoma Country and Golf Club for the first time today. I really enjoyed my round. Lot's of fun holes, and really, really nice greens.

[Tom MacWood]

Did Stanley Thompson involved at Tacoma?

[Joe Stansell]

Tom, this question has been asked on this site before, and the answer seems to be, "no." So too agrees Joel Kachmarek (Golf Course Superintendent) on his web site:  http://www.tacomaturf.com/p/course-info.html

It's curious that Tacoma Country and Golf Club touts Stanley Thompson as course architect. Their course is good enough on its own without the added puffery. They'd be better off being true to their history, whatever it is.

[Scott Stambaugh]

Tom,

The Stanley Thompson Society claims he possibly worked on the course in the 1920's, but to the best of my knowledge, no proof has ever surfaced.  Back when I was the assistant superintendent there (1988-1993) I "found" an old plan for the original irrigation system that was installed, sometime in the late 1910's.  That map was the routing of the course that existed until the club's major remodel in 1989, when four of the original holes were lost.  So, if Thompson did do anything there, it certainly didn't have anything to do with the routing.  Plus, the course opened on it's current site in 1904-1905- Thompson would've been a bit young to pull that off...

In Michael Riste's book about A.V. Macan, he credits Macan with doing some work to the course.  I don't have the book in front of me, but I recall it being seeral smaller projects/tweaks to the course.

Scott

[Sean Leary]

Scott,

How do the newer holes compare with the ones that were lost?

For those not from around here, Scott is known as one of the top flight superintendents in the area. From what I understand he taught the super at my course everything he knows...

[Mike Hendren]

Scott, the 13th green stands out like a sore thumb.  I assume it is one of the new holes and if so I assume the 14th and 15th are as well?

I really liked the 3 shotters there, particularly the 16th.

Mike

[Scott Stambaugh]

Sean-

In my opinion, the club lost some good/great holes.  As Michael pointed out, 20+ years later, the "new holes" (13, 14 and 15) still look like the new holes.  Lost were a great short par 4 (old #10) with a green maybe 2,500 square feet in size, tightly bunkered; a nice par 3 (old #11) which can still be seen as a condensed practice hole as you enter the club; a great long par 4 (old #17) which is now the right half of the driving range and a pretty good finishing hole (old #18) which is now the left half of the driving range, and the green is a practice green now (which can be seen in that old video.)  So, some great holes lost, but a nice practice facility gained. 

As far as me teaching your super anything, you DEFINITELY have that backwards!!

Scott

[Joe Stansell]

I'm wondering, do the new holes 13, 14, and 15 "seem" newer, and thus out of place, because of the pond that looks out of character to the rest of the course?

[Scott Stambaugh]

Joe-

The pond certainly doesn't help. Even more so is all the fill that was used from the excavation to create the ever present artificial mounding. Very out of character with the rest of the course, in my opinion.

Scott

[Dale Jackson]

In Michael Riste's book about A.V. Macan, he credits Macan with doing some work to the course.  I don't have the book in front of me, but I recall it being seeral smaller projects/tweaks to the course.

Scott

Scott, I just happen to have Mike's book at hand and he lists an "extensive renovation" by Macan, assisted by the Greens Chair, Greens Super and Head Pro in the early 1950s.  The work includes current holes (evidently a rerouting occurred after the project) 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16 and 17.  It also included work on two holes since eliminated.  More detail can be found on page 154 of Mike's book.

[Jeff_Mingay]

For those not from around here, Scott is known as one of the top flight superintendents in the area.

True story.