Cherry Hill Club (Travis) - A Photo Tour (and US v Canada recap)! -Hole 18 Up

[Mark Saltzman]

Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ontario, near the Canada-US may be one of the last hidden gems. This terrific golf course receives far from enough attention.  Over the past several years Ian Andrew has worked with the Club to restore/reshape bunkers, re-capture lost green surface, remove trees, and add a few back-tees (Ian correct me if I'm wrong).

Cherry Hill is not blessed with the same wild terrain as its brother Lookout Point, but its superior set of greens makes it equally compelling.  This quote from Cherry Hill's website is completely accurate: "By modern standards, the greens are relatively small, yet present ample opportunity for varied pin locations ranging from the straightforward, to the enticing, to the “sucker” variety."

For those interested, I will give a brief hole-by-hole of the first round of the US vs Canada match between me, Matt Bosela, Kevin Lynch and RoMo.


First, I've found a 1934 aerial of the Cherry Hill.  I've included it for a point of comparison with the modern aerial.




Front 9 (mostly)




Back 9 (mostly)




Semi-Current Aerial (pre Ian's work)




For a comparison of each hole before and after Ian's work, please visit the Club's website, starting here with hole 1: http://www.cherryhillclub.ca/course_map.asp?hole=1


All yardages and pictures will be from the Black (back) tees: Par 72: 7,027 Yards (74.0/133)

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 1: Par 4, 353 Yards

A gentle start at the first, though the vagueness of the opening tee shot can be disturbing.  Many will choose to hit less than driver as bunkers (blind from the tee) pinch the fairway 230 yards out.




Unlike most of the holes at CH, the approach to the 1st calls for an aerial approach. 




The green at the 1st is on of the tamest, sloping generally from back-to-front and left-to-right.




Canada/US Match: I was intimidated by the daunting figures that were to be my playing partners.  In an effort to intimidate them back, I made 3 or 4 40 footers on the putting green and then chipped one in and was ready to go the first tee.  First tee jitters were obvious as I chunk/popped-up a 3 wood 200 yards down the right side of the fairway, and Ron and Matt sniped drivers into the trees.  Only the dapper looking gentleman from another era in plus fours and swinging hickories hit one solidly towards the fairway.  Nervous play continued on the approaches as none of us came close to hitting the green and conceded 5s split the first hole.  An unimpressive start all around.  Match A/S.

[Jeff_Mingay]

The 1934 aerial is neat, Mark. Thanks for posting.

What's most interesting are the bunker shapes - some very large and quite simple in shape; others tiny in more elaborate forms. They almost seem to be somewhat contrasting styles from overhead, which reminds me of some historic aerials I've seen of Devereux Emmett's work.

[Ronald Montesano]

The snapper into the trees requires the ground approach, albeit between the two mounds of love that pinch the front of the green. I've played that shot more times than I care to remember. Mark was unaware that Matt and I, craving the runner, went left on purpose.

There is a legend at Cherry Hill that the grain/magnetic pull runs toward Buffalo. On greensite #1, that would be from left to right as you look at the hole from the front. I've found it to be very accurate, making putts in that direction much quicker than they appear.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 2: Par 4, 409 Yards

What was once a hole with ample fairway and room to miss left is now one of the more demanding tee shots on the golf course.  The restored 's' bunker on the right side of the fairway will catch those that bailout. attempting to carry the left bunker.  Missing left is terrible as OB lurks.  Despite all of the trouble, there is little in the way of visual definition.




This front-to-back sloping green is designed to accept a running shot and preferably from the left.




Contouring at the green edges and into the fairway cut run-offs is common at CH, making recovery that much more difficult.




Canada/US Match: The nervous play continued on the second tee and again none of us found short grass.  Matt, after playing his second lefty from against the OB fence left, played a wonderful pitch to leave a 10 foot par-putt.  Ron, just short of the green in two, must have been disturbed by the crowds as his chip ran 15 feet beyond the hole.  I played a bunker shot to 12 feet and after Ron missed his putt I made mine.  Match: Canada 1 UP.

 

[Ronald Montesano]

Ahh, to relive this inglorious match...it gets so much worse.

This green, although slightly sloped from back to front, is LIGHTNING from front to back. As MS indicated, my incredibly well-played (some might say deft) chip ran by as I somehow failed to account for the "runs toward Buffalo" element.

Ian eliminated a double hazard on this hole by moving the right-side fairway bunker farther up. Previously, an overhanging tree shadowed the old bunker, double screwing victims.

[Kevin Lynch]

This may help your hole-by-hole recap for the match (cut & paste as you see fit):

"Chap from another era (pops up / sprays wildly / loses) drive.  Out of hole - all on Ron"


The holes where I had an impact were definitely on the exception basis, and I think every par I made was topped by a birdie.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 3: Par 4, 385 Yards

Looking at the aerials, one can see that Ian has removed the original bunker left of the fairway in favor of the unoriginal bunker on the right.  A curious decision until one looks at the hole in its entirety and sees the open green front on the right,

The tee shot is another moderately demanding one (it is narrow, though the penalty for missing the fairway is not severe).  Bunkering on the right side of the fairway 245 yards from the tee acts like a magnet.




An approach that is best played from near the fairway bunkers, calling from a running draw into this amazing green.




Really one of the best greens on the golf course.  The green tilts from right to left (toward Buffalo) and features a diagonal swale running across its centre.  Awesome.






Canada/US Match: All 4 tee shots missed the fairway again.  All missed to the right to varying degress (predictably KLynch was most offline).  Ron's approach was very well played, landing on the front of the green but tumbling through it.  Matt's approach too was well struck but missed the green a little right.  Chunking another approach, mine slowly found its way to a greenside bunker.  Reasonable recoveries were played by all but after putts were missed by Ron and Matt, Team USA should have just given me my 8-footer for par.  Match: Canada 2UP.

[Ronald Montesano]

In case you're scratching your head, Mark is the cocky prick he comes off as. Problem is, he makes every stinking putt that matters. I have yet to meet a guy like this, which probably explains why my two rounds with him have been fantastic ones.

#3 is a nice hole that fills a space, until you come to that green. I'd love to see all the trees eliminated on the left and the fairway expanded in that direction. It wouldn't matter how much fairway you had to hit over there; you would still have to come in over the bunker.

[Ed Homsey]

I am enjoying this hole by hole tour of Cherry Hill Club.  I particularly appreciated the 1934 aerial provided by Mark.  Had not seen that before.  Notice the bunkering on holes #7 and #8.  Sharp mounds with sand amongst them.  On his original drawings, Travis referred to those as "sand pits".  We have ground level pictures of "sand pits" he designed at Stafford CC (another Travis design of the same era as Cherry Hill Club).  They're "chocolate drops" with sand in and around them.  Wish I knew how to post images on this site.  I'd post pictures of that type of bunkering.  Had seen that type of bunkering at Lookout Point CC and in aerials of the CC of Scranton.  Interesting to see that Travis created that style of bunkering at CHC.  BTW--Cherry Hill's men's locker room features Travis's original hole drawings of each of their 18 holes.  An incredible collection.

Someone indicated that some of the bunkering viewed in the aerial reminded him of some of Emmet's work.  Would not be surprising, given the early relationship between Emmet and Travis.  I suspect they had many a talk about golf course design prior to their "falling-out".

[Ronald Montesano]

Here are four images from Ed Homsey. Hopefully he will offer commentary on their pertinence.

[Matt Bosela]

WOW!  Those photos from Ed are spectacular!!! 

Is that the 18th green in the last photo??  WOW again!

As for the photo review...keep it coming Mark - I'll continue to be depressed thinking about how much you carried my sorry butt for the majority of that round   Great shot recollection though - even I forgot about my left handed shot on the 2nd!

[Mark Saltzman]

Matt, the shot recollection gets a bit fuzzy over the next few holes.  Please jump in if you remember better than me.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 4: Par 4, 430 Yards

The 4th hole is one demanding golf hole.  Playing over the left fairway bunker is ideal as this leaves the shortest approach from the best angle.  The left bunker is some 215 yards to carry and the right bunker to 235 yards to reach.




The 4th fairway moves left 220 yards from the tee and then moves back right near the green, emphasizing the need for proper tee shot placement.  Two creases run across the fairway making finding a level lie a question of chance.




The green tilts back toward the tee and is now considerably larger thanks to recaptured green by Mr Andrew.




Canada/US Match: Kevin and I both found trouble from the tee (bunker for me, trees for him) and though we both had length par attempts we were out-of-the-hole.  Ron and Matt both hit lovely tee shots leaving just mid-irons into this long par-4.  Though I can't recall where either hit their approach, I do remember both of them draining impressive par putts and the match remaining Canada 2UP.

[Rob Rigg]

I found the fairway bunkering at CH to be especially unique - Is is "normal" for Travis?

The mounding around many of the fairway bunkers really makes them penal and there is a big luck factor if you go in there.

The greens at CH are fabulous and the course is a lot of fun to play - especially given the rather mediocre property - it's pretty darn flat.

Brilliant job by Ian on the restoration.

[Ed Homsey]

Thanks to Ron for posting the 1922 pictures and Travis hole map from my club, Stafford CC.  The pertinence to this discussion is that the pictures illustrate the type of bunkering or "sand pits", as Travis referred to them on his hole maps (hard to read it on the map that is posted), that you see in the 1934 Cherry Hill Club aerial.  For those of you who know the routing, I am referring to the bunkering seen on the 7th and 8th holes that involve mounding with sand in amongst, or around, the mounds.

Someone asked whether the picture of a green with players on it is the "18th green".  In fact, that was the 18th hole at Stafford CC until sometime in the late 1950s when the green became the club's putting green, and an abomination was built to serve as the 18th green.  The bathtub apparent in the picture was filled in order to provide a relatively flat putting green.

Speaking of the 18th.  I look forward to Mark's picture of the 18th at Cherry Hill Club.  A green where four putts await the unwary, depending on pin position.  The most exciting green at CHC in my opinion.

[Ed Homsey]

Bob raises the question as to whether the fairway bunkers at Cherry Hill Club are "normal" for Travis.  That is a topic that would make a great discussion thread.  As the contact person at Travis Society headquarters, I have had many inquiries about "Travis bunkers", from superintendents, architects, and others who appeared to assume that there was a particular type of bunker that characterized Travis's design style.  I have collected many pictures of original bunkers from Travis-designed courses that dispute the notion that he had a particular style.  But, yes, I have no doubt that Travis designed a fairway bunker on one or more of his courses, that resembled, and were as penal as those at CHC.  I'd love to see the topic of "Travis Bunkers" played out on GCA.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 5: Par 3, 206 Yards -- The only hole at Cherry Hill without a bunker, this hole is awfully different than it was in 1934.  In current form from the restored back tee (in angle if not in length), the tee shot calls for a carry over a pond to a green designed to accept a cut, and surrounded by fairway cut run-off.  In 1934 the green was not oriented at quite so sharp an angle to the tee, did not have any water, and was protected short-right and long-left by bunkers.




This green tilts more than any other at Cherry Hill.  Sloping back-to-front, a short miss is the best miss, though the water hazard means that the golfer can only miss short-left.






Match Recap: Team Canada hit first and both Matt and I found dry land in the ideal place to miss, short-left.  Ron joined us in the fairway, while Kevin, having been so disappointed that it eluded him earlier, found the 4th fairway.  Poor chips were hit by all and 4s halved the hole.  Canada 2 UP.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 6: Par 5, 588 Yards -- With a new tee added by Ian some 50 yards behind the old back tee, the 6th is all but unreachable in two.  Ideally golfers will play a draw off of the bunkers/hillocks that guard the right side of the fairway.  Note the bunkers have been moved forward in an attempt to remain relevant in the modern game.




The second shot is a simple one.  Golfers will be happy to find the narrowing fairway, though the precise ball-strikers among us will try to skirt the fairway bunker for a preferred angle of approach (in terms of view, run-up area and slope of green).




The approach is played to a green with a pronounced left-to-right slope.






Match Recap: Several well-struck drives and lay-ups at the 2nd left all the combatants eagerly hoping for the first birdie of the day.  Excellent approaches were hit by all except me, but birdies remained elusive. Two putts were the order of the day and the hole was halved.  Match: Canada 2UP.

[Kevin Lynch]

Match Recap: Several well-struck drives and lay-ups at the 2nd left all the combatants eagerly hoping for the first birdie of the day.  Excellent approaches were hit by all except me, but birdies remained elusive. With Matt in close for birdie both Ron and Kevin were aggressive with their first putts and nervous with their second putts and a par won the hole for Team Canada (I think).  Match: Canada 3UP.

You don't need to be in such a hurry to kick our butts by making us lose holes we pushed.  You'll still get there, but not quite that fast.  I hit my approach a little deep on the green, leaving the slippery downhill/sidehill putt, but somehow managed to get the 2-putt for par.  Think I parred 7 & 8 as well (creating a 3-hole illusion of competence), but Team Canada pulled away starting w/ your birdie on 8 (& introduction to the Swing Doctor Ritual).

[Mark Saltzman]

Match Recap: Several well-struck drives and lay-ups at the 2nd left all the combatants eagerly hoping for the first birdie of the day.  Excellent approaches were hit by all except me, but birdies remained elusive. With Matt in close for birdie both Ron and Kevin were aggressive with their first putts and nervous with their second putts and a par won the hole for Team Canada (I think).  Match: Canada 3UP.

You don't need to be in such a hurry to kick our butts by making us lose holes we pushed.  You'll still get there, but not quite that fast.  I hit my approach a little deep on the green, leaving the slippery downhill/sidehill putt, but somehow managed to get the 2-putt for par.  Think I parred 7 & 8 as well (creating a 3-hole illusion of competence), but Team Canada pulled away starting w/ your birdie on 8 (& introduction to the Swing Doctor Ritual).

  You know, I actually had it typed out that we pushed 6 but I remember beating you guys so bad, and I know we pushed 7 (thanks for ruining the suspense), so I figured we must have won 6.  Did Ron 3-putt? Or was it that he missed a short birdie putt? I remember him being disappointed.

[Ronald Montesano]

I was in the midst of a three-hole suck fest. I think I missed the shortie on 7.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 7: Par 5, 509 Yards -- Reversing course the 7th plays along the inside of the dogleg of the 6th and as such is a much shorter hole.  Staggered bunkers left, then right, then left at 240, 270 and 290, dictate play on the tee shot.




Those trying to reach the green in two must attempt to run the ball through a narrow opening to the green.  Those laying up must choose whether to challenge a cleverly placed fairway bunker 100 yards short of the green.  Lost, unfortunately, is the duo of centreline bunkers in the lay-up zone.




The approach.




Match Recap: Once again Kevin and I hit poor tee shots.  Ron and Matt nailed tee shots down the centre and both had a green light to go for the green in two.  Neither Matt nor Ron hit the green in two, but Ron's pitch from short of the green was exceptionally well done, leaving 4 feet up the hill for birdie.  Unfortunately, too excited by the thought of his first swig of Swing Doctor for the day, Ron missed and the hole was halved in pars.  Match: Canada 2UP

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 8: Par 4, 430 Yards -- Probably the most demanding tee shot on the golf course.  A pair of fairway bunkers pinch the fairway on the right at 220 yards and the golfer who chooses to hit driver must thread the needle avoiding the water on the left.  Based on the 1934 aerial, the modern version of the hole bares little resemblance to the original.




The duo of cross-bunkers short of the green are gone and the modern version of the hole allows the golfer to run the ball onto the green, which slopes from back-left to front-right.






Match Recap: For a change of pace Kevin and I found the fairway while Matt found trouble right (trees) and Ron found trouble left (water).  Kevin and I found the putting surface with our approaches; Kevin was 35 feet beyond the hole with a very tricky downhill putt, while I was pin-high left with a 30 foot putt with 5 feet of break.  With deft touch Kevin's first putt was hit and his second conceded.  Having not contributed for the last several holes, I was excited when my putt found the bottom of the cup for the group's first birdie of the day.  Match: Canada 3UP.

[Ronald Montesano]

This was the beginning of the end. None of your cylinders are firing and your opponents are ham and egging it extremely well. Mark and Matt played extremely well all day long and KLynch and I just never found "it."

To keep this GCA related, the Travis bunkers were all wall-enhanced by Ian and his team. They may have been that way in their original state, but they were flattened in the intervening years to allow easy egress. Ian and his team did not need to add extra yardage to return the course to its original Travisian difficulty; the augmented bunkering made each sandy pit a 1/2 stroke penalty, something that had been lacking since...forever.

RE: centerline bunkers on #7...you'll notice that they were already gone by the second aerial photo. I can guarantee that they haven't been there since 2000, when I first started coming to Cherry Hill for coaching. Ian made a healthy compromise. There was no way to remove the trees that have grown up 'twixt #7 and #8 fairways. Removing them would have eliminated the right-side tree hazard and allowed for centerline bunkers. By placing the new bunkers along the right edge, in the second shot landing area, he pushed play away from the trees, albeit toward an area with more rough. As Mark notes, it's a short par five. You can lay up well short of the bunkers and have short iron in for your third.

#8 is a tough hole. The drive is pinched by the sand and the water (which wasn't there in the original layout, but was added for aesthetics, irrigation or both) although the fairway is reasonably wide. The green is hidden a bit by the green-short fairway bunker, about 30 yards shy of the putting surface. Sand on the right of the green is found by weakly-executed shots from righties. If you miss the green left, you must recover "toward Buffalo," ensuring that your shot will run more than it should (sometimes into the sand.) Mark's birdie there was his best hole against par of the day.