[Jeff Bertch]

While having a nice conversation with Pete Dye a few years back, we got on the topic of non-golf features on courses and how they create ambiance. He told me about the Road Hole at St. Andrews and how it used to have a tunnel running through (or near, I don't quite remember) to a coal yard. He said that those feature were unique and that you could do anything with them to create ambiance. He also spoke of the use of these features for directional lines. In that thinking, what are some features that you wouldn't usually find on a golf course, but fit for some reason?

**Please add pictures as it will bring these features to life for many of us that haven't been there**

I will start with the NGLA windmill.


Can John Kavanaugh (or any of his other anti-caddie friends) tell me the story behind the windmill? I could tell you, but heaven forbid you learn something from a looper. 

[John Kavanaugh]

J, that is a pretty well known story.  One of the members didn't like the look of the bunker sand so the Chairman built this wind mill to crush the rock from a local quarry on site and put the bill for it in the members locker.  The problem was that you need water to crush stone so they then had to build a water tower inside.  The irony of the story is that the water tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who we all know designed the structure for the Statue of Liberty.  Damn wind mill covers the most famous water tower in the world.

[Jeff Bertch]

J, that is a pretty well known story.  One of the members didn't like the look of the bunker sand so the Chairman built this wind mill to crush the rock from a local quarry on site and put the bill for it in the members locker.  The problem was that you need water to crush stone so they then had to build a water tower inside.  The irony of the story is that the water tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who we all know designed the structure for the Statue of Liberty.  Damn wind mill covers the most famous water tower in the world.

John,

That's more or less the story.....kind of. The water tower pre-existed the windmill and it was used for early watering of the course. It was an eye-sore and one of the members suggested a windmill to C.B. It was Macdonald who commissioned it and put the bill in his locker. As for Eiffel...that is a real stretch! I think someone is pulling your leg. Would the designer of the Eiffel tower and Statue of Liberty really build a water tower for NGLA. That is a powerful membership, but that sounds a little over-the-top. I would be very interested in seeing evidence of this if its true. Have you played NGLA?

The windmill is like Cindy Crawford's mole...you might think it is out of place, but you can't imagine her without it.

[John Kavanaugh]

J,

Gustav was an avid golfer and visited the area to oversee the construction of the Statue of Liberty during the very early stages of the development of NGLA.  Civil Engineers were not highly compensated in those days and it was very common for them to pick up work where ever they could get it.  I was told that Gustav and Joseph Pulitzer were playing NGLA when the subject was breached after Pulitzer was the victim of several bad bounces because of the poor irrigation of the course.  It was a natural for Eiffel to design the tower.

Now I never quite believed the story about crushing the rock for bunker sand. A wind mill does not provide the forces required to crush rock.  Perhaps a water driven mill would work but I'm really not an expert on such matters.

Thanks.  Great thread!!!

Did Pete ever tell you the story behind the box car at Crooked Stick?

[jim_lewis]

I suppose the mine shaft at Pete Dye Golf Club might be considered ambience. I thought it would just be a gimmick before I played the course. Actually is pretty cool.

[Jeff Bertch]

J,

Gustav was an avid golfer and visited the area to oversee the construction of the Statue of Liberty during the very early stages of the development of NGLA.  Civil Engineers were not highly compensated in those days and it was very common for them to pick up work where ever they could get it.  I was told that Gustav and Joseph Pulitzer were playing NGLA when the subject was breached after Pulitzer was the victim of several bad bounces because of the poor irrigation of the course.  It was a natural for Eiffel to design the tower.

Now I never quite believed the story about crushing the rock for bunker sand. A wind mill does not provide the forces required to crush rock.  Perhaps a water driven mill would work but I'm really not an expert on such matters.

Thanks.  Great thread!!!

Did Pete ever tell you the story behind the box car at Crooked Stick?

Alright, alright...you got me believing! I could see and engineer seeing a problem and instantly wanting to solve it.

As for the boxcar, I haven't heard the story. Care to enlighten us:

I know Dye likes this stuff...even though some might think that it makes it look like a minature golf course.

[Tom_Doak]

I thought the boxcar was just Pete's way of finding a cheaper solution to needing a bridge.  I've never heard a story about it.

I do know that Mr. Dye's flat-car bridges at Firethorn inspired Dick Youngscap's idea to use a [buried] railroad tank car for the irrigation pressure tank at Sand Hills.

My favorite non GCA feature are the walls at North Berwick, relics that became an integral part of the course.  There's a list in The Confidential Guide of some of the others ... the water tower / halfway house at Pine Valley, for one.

[Sean_A]

My favorite non GCA feature are the walls at North Berwick, relics that became an integral part of the course.  There's a list in The Confidential Guide of some of the others ... the water tower / halfway house at Pine Valley, for one.

Non-gca?  If they are in play they are part of the architecture.   

One of my favourite non-gca features is Old Joe.


Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Bamburgh Castle at Bamburgh Castle GC is a pretty impressive feature and adds ambience in an already beautiful spot.

The ruined castle at Pennard (on the 7th?)

The Ghost Ships and Teesside chemical complex at Seaton Carew

[Ken Kearney]

Western Gailes has really nice cream coloured benches which are offset really nicely by sandstone coloured trolly paths and astroturf on the steps going to the tees

Hello Brian,
Do you have any photos of the benches and paths at Western Gailes.  This is the kind of stuff that so many clubs get completely wrong...  I am interested to see what you think looks and "feels" right.


Thanks a lot,
KK

[Tom_Doak]

Sean:

Where's Old Joe?  I don't think I've had the pleasure.

When I saw your picture the other place that jumped to mind was the old water towar on the 3rd hole at Woodhall Spa.

[Tom Culley]

Tom,

The clock tower in Sean's photo looks like the one in the centre of the University of Birmingham campus, if that's any help.

[Sean_A]

Sean:

Where's Old Joe?  I don't think I've had the pleasure.

When I saw your picture the other place that jumped to mind was the old water towar on the 3rd hole at Woodhall Spa.

Tom

I think I know where you are going with this.  A round of golf topped with a fine lunch in a lovely Italian town.  While the model for the tower is in one of Italy's finest cities, the replica stands in the middle of the University Of Birmingham's campus.  There can be no doubt that Colt built Edgbaston's 7th with the intention of taking advantage of Old Joe.  Though I bet when Colt built Edgbaston more of OJ could be seen.  

Colt also took advantage of Edgbaston Hall for the 9th. Though the club, in its wisdom, decided trees down the left of the fairway was an excellent idea.  
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff114/seanrobertarble/EDGBASTON/24April2009288.jpg?t=1244280416
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff114/seanrobertarble/EDGBASTON/24April2009289.jpg?t=1244280586

Believe it or not, Colt also took advantage of Edgbaston Hall for the 15th.  Once again, smarter thinking prevailed.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff114/seanrobertarble/EDGBASTON/24April2009298.jpg?t=1244282187

A review of a very good course buried in trees.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40029.0.html

Ciao

[Ken Kearney]

Brian,

Thanks for the photos of Western Gailes.



KK

[Howard Riefs]

If considering features outside the course's property, I'm a sucker for lighthouses...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51816.msg1187284/topicseen.html#msg1187284

[Andy Stamm]

Slains castle at Cruden Bay is pretty nice, particularly from 6 tee of the wee course where it is framed nicely between two dunes. That's also a great hole other than the view, I thought about adding it to the my favorite hole list.

Port Errol on the left of 4 on the big course isn't bad on the eyes either.

[John Kavanaugh]

I spoke to my source, the towel boy at the gym, and he could not verify the NGLA water tower story. I should have listened to my caddie.

[Phil McDade]

The cemetery at Stonehaven....

[Mark Pearce]

The town on the RHS of 18 at TOC, the village on the left of 4 at Elie.

[Bill Seitz]

I like the use of old flatbed rail cars as bridges on the 14th hole on the Meadows-Valley course at Blackwolf Run.  There aren't many good pictures that I could find, but here are couple that show it.


And zoomed in a little


And of course all of the old mining infrastructure at Old Works is pretty cool, right down to the slag in the bunkers. 

[Jim Nelson]

Whether or not the Viking burial mound on the 17th at Cruden Bay is real or not, it probably generates the most interesting conversations between locals and visitors.  Having played a shot off its slope, I can indeed testify to the effect of its curse.  And really, how many courses can claim to be the site of a major battlefield.  http://www.viking.no/e/info-sheets/scotland/cruden.htm

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Old aircraft drop tanks are used as shelters on the tees at Avro golf course in Cheshire.

I don’t have a photograph of it, but an old Vulcan bomber used to be a hazard on the left of the 9th hole at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.



The water tower at Littlestone is fairly iconic.



Railways keep close company with many old golf courses in Britain. This is West Cornwall. Some even have preserved steam running beside, such as Sheringham.



Like its neighbour, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool shares an industrial skyline.



Sometimes the golf itself is the distraction. This young lady is diverting attention from vinous pursuits in Beaune.



The ugliest on/off course hazard is undoubtedly this eyesore in St Andrews.



Tasteless housing is in plentiful supply adjoining many a modern golf course. Among the most vulgar are these dreadful eyesores beside San Lorenzo in Portugal.



This stone hut is only just off the approach line on the 7th at Bull Bay.



Berrow Church is a companion on the back nine at Burnham and Berrow.



Gunnery emplacements remain beside the 7th at Conwy. They were part of the defences of the large military camp which was created there in both World Wars.



Little aeroplanes operating out of Denham buzz you frequently as you play. I have a photo of Concord buzzing us at Royal Troon many years ago, but it isn’t scanned.



Sheep are frequent companions on the country courses of Wales. This friendly specimen is at Holywell, a rugged moorland course just off the A55 in North Wales. Lead mining created many of the hazards and the course is no pushover. It is located 850 feet above sea level and drains brilliantly.

[Andy Stamm]

Whether or not the Viking burial mound on the 17th at Cruden Bay is real or not, it probably generates the most interesting conversations between locals and visitors.  Having played a shot off its slope, I can indeed testify to the effect of its curse.  And really, how many courses can claim to be the site of a major battlefield.  http://www.viking.no/e/info-sheets/scotland/cruden.htm

And there's the wonderfully named bluidy burn. I don't know about burial ground, but I could see the burn running red after battle. St Olaf's well is a nice non-GCA feature that helpfully points out the line on 7.

[Matthew Petersen]

I also enjoy a feature that can be used to help the golfer in a way. I'm thinking of the way you look to the Roy Rogers shrine while at the Broadmoor in Colorado, because all putts break away from that.

[Will Lozier]

This thread made me think of St. Enodoc immediately.  The old property wall one must pitch over on the 3rd and the one lining the wonderful 4th which, I would argue, is a GCA feature as it dictates strategy.  I would say the same for the stone walls at Berwick at least pertaining to the 13th.  Also at St. Enodoc, I think the Church and surrounding cemetery to the right of the fantastic 10th is the best example I can think of.

Honorable Mention:  the castles at Pennard and Lahinch.

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