[Matt Kardash]

I feel like when I played the 10th it was more of a drop shot par 3 with bunkers short? Does this hole have teeing grounds attacking the green in completely different directions? The hole seems better from your pics.

[Mark Saltzman]

I feel like when I played the 10th it was more of a drop shot par 3 with bunkers short? Does this hole have teeing grounds attacking the green in completely different directions? The hole seems better from your pics.

Matt, it does.  The other set of tees is closer to the halfway house, probably 100 feet to the left of the teeing ground pictured.

[Ian Andrew]

Graham told a great story about some tree removal on 9 and how one of their regular players was all against it, before hand. After the removal the regular realized how much improved everything was, and the error of their ways.

Truthfully I expected more tree removal. The long views would be sick, if they would just do it.

There is an entire acre of trees removed around that green on the back and to the left.
The trees on the rigfht were cut this summer - finally - but not grubbed which means they are already a problem.
Both areas need to be cleared again, grubbed and fescued right away.
Then these areas would be sustainable for the long term.

[Ian Andrew]

The Irrigation Drawing - and 10th crossing river



The "original" routing (done over the aerial) - no crossing planned



The historical Image



The Old Bridge - leavng the back of the green

[Greg McMullin]

I feel like when I played the 10th it was more of a drop shot par 3 with bunkers short? Does this hole have teeing grounds attacking the green in completely different directions? The hole seems better from your pics.

Matt, first picture is the tee Mark refers to next to the Half Way Hut. The other two photos are early 1940's.

[Greg McMullin]

Hole 9: Par 4, 336 Yards -- The Alps at Highlands Links.  A very clever par-4 where golfers must choose whether to (a) play short of the plateau in the fairway, leaving a blind approach, (b) play well left in the fairway from where a glimpse of the flag is possible, or (c) play to the narrow neck of fairway near the 100 yard marker.



Playing to the right portion of the fairway leaves a blind approach:



Nice picture with Mount Franey in the background.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 11: Par 5, 512 Yards -- The 11th was originally designed as a 400 yard par-4, and those that play the white tees will play it as such.  The blue tees require a short carry across the Clyburn.  This was my least favorite hole on the golf course, played over flat land to the least interesting green on the golf course...










Hole 12: Par 3, 240 Yards -- The 12th can play as a monster par-3.  With a green that is some 35 yards deep, playing to the pin pictured required a tee shot of some 255 yards!  Thompson often included a very long par-3 on his golf courses, and this one (specimen tree aside) is one of his best.

[Adam Clayman]

Mark, While I agree the 11th and 12th play on some flat ground, and their parts are a bit subtle, I felt they were integral to the journey. Their isolation and setting, alone, are enough to feel nature's embrace. Their difference from the other holes offrer the type of variety that sets HL up as a great course. Not a great collection of holes.

[Ian Andrew]

The 11th in construction


The 11th from back - postcard is from black and white photo (I have that too)


The only old image I have of the 12th


The 12th from 1981

[Jeff_Mingay]

Focus is one the bunkers, but one of the coolest things Ian did on this project was restoring the original size and shape of the 11th green. This putting surface had significantly shifted and changed shape over the years. It's restored location, shape and size is a big improvement at that hole, in my opinion.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 13: Par 4, 435 Yards  -- The current blue tees are not original but believe it or not the hole originally played shorter and was a par-5 (original tee location displayed in second picture).  The 13th is another example of Thompson's mastery in embracing extreme landforms. 






The land tilts not-so-gradually from the right.  Golfers that challenge the high-side of the fairway are left with a longer approach but are rewarded with a preferred view and a much flatter lie.




Before the landform flattens, it narrows, allowing golfers to run a straight shot onto the green.  Be wary though, slightly wayward approaches can carom a long way off-line.






Ran's review notes that this green is not original, replaced in the 1960s because of poor drainage.  Hopefully Ian has a photo of the original.

[Ian Andrew]

The overhead from the Shell's Golf


From the tee in 1940 - my favourite image I have

[Ian Andrew]

From my 2003 trip ....

[Mac Plumart]

The use of the land looks off the hook good to me.

This is a "must play" gem in my book.

I also love that the turf and cliamate might be different from anything I've ever played before.

Excellent stuff!!

[Greg McMullin]

George Knudson putting on the 13th green during the Shell Wonderful World of Golf match against Al Balding 1965. I believe the green was rebuilt in the mid 1970's.

[Ian Andrew]

Joe Robinson descibed the "Y" shaped swale to me that you can see in the green.
That is the original green.

From a history that I prepared as part of the Master Plan

The big change in 1974 was the rebuilding of the 13th green. It was done to elevate the level of the green in an attempt to prevent flooding. The original green was approximately two to three feet lower than it is today and was bowl shaped. It featured a swale that ran diagonally from front right to back left of the green.

[Greg McMullin]

Intermission:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Stanley-Thompson-and-Highlands-Links/132190753493737

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 14: Par 4, 398 Yards - It wouldn't surprise me if the 14th was the most forgotten hole on the golf course, but that is likely because the holes that bookend it are world-class.  The 14th is bunkerless and flows masterfully with the rumpled and rolling terrain.  From the tee the land appears to tilt right..




But once the first hill is crested the golfer sees leftward tilting land!




The approach plays far more uphill than it looks and the open green front is welcome on this longish par-4.

[Ian Andrew]

14th green - 1942


A few years later

[Greg McMullin]

Joe Robinson descibed the "Y" shaped swale to me that you can see in the green.
That is the original green.

From a history that I prepared as part of the Master Plan

The big change in 1974 was the rebuilding of the 13th green. It was done to elevate the level of the green in an attempt to prevent flooding. The original green was approximately two to three feet lower than it is today and was bowl shaped. It featured a swale that ran diagonally from front right to back left of the green.

Two more photos of number 13 from 1965

[Ally Mcintosh]

I only came to this thread after seeing Ian's photo posted elsewhere... The land looks fantastic...

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 15: Par 5, 540 Yards -- Have I mentioned Thompson's genius in embracing extreme terrain? The 15th falls some 50 feet from tee to green and crosses another massive landform that crosses the hole on a diagonal and adds strategy to the tee shot.  Most golfers will play to the right portion of the fairway, from where the approach is blind, but the best and boldest among us can attempt to carry the hill on the left, some 250 yards from the tee.






Second shots from the right are completely blind...




While tee shots that crest the hill will turbo boost to near the 200-yard marker...

[Adam Clayman]

One of golf's most beloved walks occurs between 12 and 13. If the original teeing ground is where I played the hole from, it is just past the tunnel walk, adjacent to the river.  Mark's pic is not far enough left to illustrate how influential the hillside is on the right.  In the Shell's pic off the tee, the hole looks much straighter and since it's elevated, completely changes the nature and quality of the hole.

[Ian Andrew]

Work just completed 2011


View from lower landing


view from above


left bunker post war

[Greg McMullin]

Shell Wonderful World of Golf 1965 - Knudson second shot on Number 15:



Unknown date but likely late 1940's. Ian -- based on this photo it appears that the tee is further forward that it is today. Do you know if the tee was moved back at some point?

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()