Tavistock CC (NJ; Alex Findlay): a photo exploration (further update)

[Dan Herrmann]

Somebody should show these photos to the members at Coatesville CC.  Coatesville is a Findlay with a horrendous tree problem.

[Joe Bausch]

Somebody should show these photos to the members at Coatesville CC.  Coatesville is a Findlay with a horrendous tree problem.

FYI:  Coatesville lost many trees from that DuPont herbicide.  Not enough, but many.

[Joe Bausch]

An early newspaper article I have states Tavistock was built by Frank James.  FJ was a construction guy for others, including Ross.  James constructed the nearby LuLu.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Joseph, that's interesting.  Was Frank James a local/Philadelphia based company? 

Was it Alex Findlay's grandson who said that (Alex) would do the design, and then have a local company do the construction? 

[Joe Bausch]

Joseph, that's interesting.  Was Frank James a local/Philadelphia based company? 

Was it Alex Findlay's grandson who said that (Alex) would do the design, and then have a local company do the construction? 

I believe the answer is yes to both questions.

Many Findlay courses were constructed by bishop Fred Pickering (did the writers of Caddyshack know something?!).

[Tom ORourke]

Tom (and Jamie),

What work was done to the greens?  Expanded to bring back pins?

Jamie would know much more than I, but I always liked the greens. They had subtle rolls where you would have a right to left putt, go 3 feet past, and have another right to left coming back, not left to right. When I played it after the redesign I felt the greens were faster, but also had more slope and contours. It became more difficult to make a putt, or 2 putt, unless you hit the proper area of the green. The photos Joe has of the third green do not begin to show the slope at the back of the green. The changes to the greens put more of a premium on your shot making going in. Clanking ones up 40 feet away all day will kill your score. And hitting it front right with a back left pin on 18 means you may not be unhappy with a 3 putt. I always thought 14 was the best hole on the course and can't wait for the pictures of those last five holes. I think they went from subtle to challenging. And that is a compliment.

[JNagle]

The work to each of the greens at Tavistock was as follows - All in 2006/7

Hole 1 - Expanded at its front, right and rear.  The left 1/3 of the green was raised 10 - 12" to provide cuppable slopes between 1.5 and 3.7%.

Holes 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17 were all expanded in one way or another.  This may also include the removal of large amounts of built up sand.  The 7th green was rarely used at the time and was restored and returned to play more often than the newer green.

Hole 4 - was completely rebuilt

Hole 5 - expanded with a large mound added to the left front.  Findlay designed such features at other courses.

Hole 6 - the left 1/3, which was the original approach when the green played in from the left, was raised just as the 1st was.  The existing front portion of the green was added when the routing was modified and play was rotated 90 degrees to the right.

Hole 8 - Bunkers were taken out of the approach and a false-front was reinstated.  What a spectacular green.  There is not a trip to Tavistock that does not include a visit to the 8th.

Hole 10 - expanded with a modest roll-off added left of the green.

Hole 13 - The appearance of the green changed significantly with the modification of the bunkers, but the surface was never touched.  The front bunkers were moved away from the green providing a larger upper shelf.  The has the appearance of sloping in one direction whereas it does not.

Hole 16 - completely rebuilt with an emphasis on expanding the rear and leveling the front.  The interior of the green had a buried elephant which the members liked and demanded it remain post construction.  The green was enlarged, the elephant remained and so far it seems to be doing well.

Hole 18 - we originally extended the rear of the green beyond the original size.  This was not enough to gain additional hole locations as the front and middle were still so severely sloped.  No chance of rebuilding the green at that time.  Last Fall we were back to extend the front of the green 30+ feet and raise it into the existing approach 3+ feet.  Again, we had to retain certain features and incorporate slopes which can be managed over 11'.  The resulting renovation has been well received.

[Patrick_Mucci]

.

Jason & Jamie,

You've got a deal.

Mid-August would be ideal.  Let me know some dates that work for everyone.

Tell Jimmy to start practicing more.

[JNagle]

Here are images for holes 7 - 9.

The first is the non-original alternate #7 green. 



This is the original lower 7th green.  The hole originally played from a tee to the right of the current 11th green.  The hole played straight as opposed to the current dogleg left.



The par 3 8th is one of my favorite anywhere.  This is the first green I saw when visiting Tavistock for our first interview.  What a green.  The green is a two tier from back to front with a multi-tier rear level from left to right.  The "tiers" are as much rolls as they are shelves.  Absolutely love this green.  Worthy of study and putting around for half-an-hour.



The before image of the 9th does not reveal the elevation change.  The scale of the old bunkers and glimpses of sand really diminished the impact of the grade change.

[Jason Walker]

Jim-
Great pictures, thanks!  While active in the club and the Green Comm  now, I was not a member--and had not even played the course--prior to the renovation and tree work.  Makes your work even more exceptional than I already think it is!

[Joe Bausch]

Ok, Jim is nicely setting the table with the 'before' pictures.  

#7.  Par 4 (342 yards).

There are two greens on this hole, the 'original' being the one on the left and it is the one in play most of the time.

Tee view, where when playing to the hole on the left, one must stay a bit right of potentially have problems with a single big tree short and a bit left of the green:



Here's said tree:



My lone pic of the right green:



Approach view to the left green:



View from short and right of the green, with the 4th green in the distance:



#8.  Par 3 (210 black; 190 gold)

As Jim says, this is a very cool green.

Tee view:



From short of the green:



From the front right corner of the green:



#9.  Dogleg left par 4 (357 yards).

Tee view:



Approach shot view to a very elevated green:



From near the bunker left:



View from the back left of the green:



I think this is a good resting point, with the front nine presented.  I'll start up the back nine Monday.

[Joe Bausch]

Ok, Tuesday the back nine at Tavistock begins!  And does it ever with three just wonderful greens.

#10.  Slight dogleg right par 4 (342 yards).

Tee view:



Approach shot from right in the fw:



From long and left of the green:



From the back edge of the green:



#11.  Par 4 (424 yards black; 384 gold).

Tee view:



Because of the fw contour, many drives end up with this view for the approach:



From short of the green (note the 'corners' on the front of the green):



The back of the green is pretty wild:



#12.  Dogleg right par 4 (416 yards).

Tee view:



The downhill approach shot view:



From left of the green:



From right of the green:



Fun stuff the beginning of the back nine!  Three more tomorrow.

[Dan Herrmann]

Keep 'em coming!

[Joe Bausch]

The next two holes came from RTJ, with some nice touch-ups as described by Jim earlier.

#13.  Par 3 (185 yards).

Tee view:



From short of the green:



From the back of the green:



#14.  Par 4 (446 yards black; 415 yards gold; No 2 stroke hole).

Tee view:



Many will choose to not hit driver as the landing area with the bunker narrow up:



Approach shot view:



From short of the green:



From just over the green:



#15.  Dogleg left par 5 (542 yards).

I believe this hole is not that much different than the original; I think the highway addition made it a sharper dogleg than perhaps desired, but it is still a very good hole.

Tee view:



From near the dogleg where it then runs downhill to the green:



From 200 yards out:



From 75 yards out:



From left of the green:



From just over the green:



I'll finish the photos tomorrow.

[JSlonis]

Joe,

Great work on the photos of our course.  What's crazy is that you can play your round and take all these without anyone even noticing.  It's really uncanny. 

[David Amarnek]

Jamie,
A very splendid course you have there! 
Our friends from Sunningdale are hopefully coming over to Philly this fall and we should try to add Tavistock and Gulph Mills to the usual rota as they've not been to either course.
Hope to see you soon.
David

[Joe Bausch]

I've attempted over the last few years to include many courses from the Delaware Valley that "fly under the radar" on my photo tours.  Both public and private. 

And Tavistock is a classic case.  The private competition is tough in the area, and somehow the name Findlay doesn't exactly hit a home run, but the course is very good.  And it will get better.  Especially if Jamie truly earns the moniker Jason gave him earlier.  

[Mark McKeever]

What year did RTJ arrive?

Mark

[Joe Bausch]

What year did RTJ arrive?

Mark

I think around 1954.

Don't worry Mark, my short game will be arriving soon.

 

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe - thanks again!

I have a renewed respect for Findlay

[Jason Walker]

Joe-
Great pics so far.  I think I've mentioned to you before, but your pictures actually do a decent job of picking up the movement on and around the greens.  I feel that's what really makes Tavistock a fun, unique course--lots of smaller/micro humps, swells, ridges, and undulations.

I'm hopeful Jim Nagle keeps chiming in; I've really enjoyed his before restoration photos and commentary.  Hopefully you guys can also post some of the older aerials.  They're very useful as we look at additional tree removal and naturalization.

[Joe Bausch]

#16.  Uphill par 3 (188 yards black; 166 yards gold).

Tee view:



Zoomed view:



From just long:



#17.  Par 5 (489 yards), it bends a bit to the right near the end.

Tee view:



Some will reach this green in two with a view like this after a good drive:



From short of the green:



From long and just right of the green:



#18.  Par 4 (438 yards black; 403 yards gold).

Tee view:



Approach shot view to a green that F&N reworked recently (the Google Earth aerial earlier shows it under construction!):



F&N raised the front of this green giving many more pin positions:



From just long:



It was quite the enjoyable round at Tavistock, and afterwards me, Jason, and Jamie sampled some liquid sustenance.  

I'll post a link to a beautiful earlier aerial soon.

[Joe Bausch]

Here is a wonderful 1925 aerial showing most of the course:



What you really want to do is see the full size version in your web browser at this link:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/tavistock/1925aerial_2.jpg

[Joe Bausch]

A couple of more aerials of Tavistock:

1940:



For a full size image in your browser, go here:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/tavistock/Tavistock_1940aerial.jpg

1970:



For a full size image in your browser, go here:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/tavistock/Tavistock_1970aerial.jpg

[Mark McKeever]

Awesome tour Joe.  The course looks fantastic!

Mark