Tillinghast's Sahara bunker

[T_MacWood]

One of Tillinghast's trademarks was his Sahara bunker or Hell's Half Acre bunker...often on a par-5, but not always. In old photos most of these bunkers appear pretty wild and scruffy--with irregular outline, mounding and patches of grass within. How many of these bunkers remain in their original state?

What happened to the 17th at Baltusrol? There is a photo of it in the World Atlas of Golf (mid 70's) and it looks very wild...today it is group of five or six standard bunkers...who did this and why?

[NAF]

Tom,

I just sat at our restoration meeting at Alpine to go over out sympathetic restoration plan to bring the course back to Tillinghast principles.  He had a wonderful chance in 1928 to put a hell's half acre on our 7th hole and he never did. The hole is a 597 yard par 5 that is slightly downhill from the tee to 150 yards short of the green (there is a ridge prevents seeing the green). Below the ridge the hole plays sharply downhill.  Anyway, the hole begs for interest on its second shot and he had the perfect land to put in a hells half acre complex but did not.  I can only guess that he thought it would be out of character on the course.

On another note, one of our short par 4s that has a steep drop off to the right by the green (which is blind from the tee) is going to become a potential sahara or waste area scheme when we restore the course.  I am hoping our consulting architect, Mark Mungeam does something interesting with the area (he proposed a waste area, I proposed a Sahara-esque area) as Tillie has something similar on the original plans.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom MacWood,

I'm looking in the revised and updated World Atlas of Golf, and can't find the picture, what page is it on ?

I found it in the 3rd edition.

I don't know when it happened, but Baltusrol moved away from the longer grass look to a crisper look many years ago, before Rees.

There are some terrific pictures in the clubhouse of the course in earlier days.  One of my favorites is a picture of the 4th hole with knee high grass behind the green.

If my failing memory serves me correctly, in the 1967 USOPEN I believe Trevino hit his ball behind the 4th green and played a unique recovery shot to the green from longer grass.

Baltusrol was never "wild" in appearance, but longer grass in the roughs were common in certain areas.

If you'll look at the picture of the 15th hole on the next page you can see that there is nothing "wild" looking about the roughs or bunkers.

How do you date the photos as mid 70's ?

You may recall, when you quoted Rees, that he made no mention of altering the 17th hole sahara bunker.
Since you view that PR piece as the gospel, you can eliminate Rees as one of your suspects.

[JakaB]

Tom,

Do you have the book Baltusrol 100 Years...because many of your comments seem out of touch with reality..ie: even the pic of BJ hitting out of the bunkers in 1926 on the 17th show multiple bunkers...If you do have the book please read page 81 and you will see that Joe Dey Jr. is the real culprit of bunker renovation..."To redefine the bunkers, over two acres of Merion blue grass sod was laid and 700 tons of sand were added. The purpose of the grass was to provide a uniform and fair lie. Unfortuneately the blue grass was laid all the way to the floor of the bunker, eliminating the natural working of sand into the slope of a bunker that Tillinghast had so prized, and which brought the hazard into the player's view."   All this for the 1967 Open before Ree's did a damn thing....sorry.

If you would like to borrow the book just send my your address and I will mail it too you....autographed copy no less.

[Steve Lapper]

One of the best examples of a Tillie Sahara exists today on the third hole of the recently restored Fenway GC. The complex effectively demarks the right side and isn't all viewable or visually apparent from afar, or even nearby, in this case.
The effect on game strategy is apparent however, as any drifting fade or right side push puts a par out of the question and double bogey or worse very likely. The nature of the bunker's penal structure remains unique and vastly superior to a simple fairway bunker blandly placed along a five par fairway.

[david h. carroll]

our 14th at Five Farms is called Hell's Half Acre as the bunker complex still exists on the 600+ yard three shotter.

[T_MacWood]

John K
There is an old photo of the bunker in Tillinghast's 'The Course Beautiful' (and also one in 'The Golden Age') and its looks identical to the image in 'The World Atlas of Golf' (circa 1976)...so I don't know quite what you are describing in 1926.

Does the book document the course as it appeared in the 1920's (a layout map or aerial) and does it go over all the changes to the course through the years?

It is interesting to note how RTJ described the Sahara on the 17th in his book 'Golf's Magnificent Challenge' (1988):
"About 375 yards from the tee the fairway is split by the Sahara Desert, a vast area of sand and rough-covered mounds."  He wrote about it in the present tense....perhaps he wasn't aware that it was altered or maybe he forgot.
Wasn't RTJ involved in readying the course for the 1967 Open?

[JakaB]

John K
There is an old photo of the bunker in Tillinghast's 'The Course Beautiful' (and also one in 'The Golden Age') and its looks identical to the image in 'The World Atlas of Golf' (circa 1976)...so I don't know quite what you are describing in 1926.
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I can see where the bunker in the book you mention and the one in the 100 Year book are the same but from different angles.
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Does the book document the course as it appeared in the 1920's (a layout map or aerial) and does it go over all the changes to the course through the years?
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Yes it does and what I find most interesting is that the greatest bunker of all (The infamous pot bunker of the old 18th) was taken out by your man Tillie himself.  It is mentioned at least twice in the book that it is amazing no one was killed in that thing.
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It is interesting to note how RTJ described the Sahara on the 17th in his book 'Golf's Magnificent Challenge' (1988):
"About 375 yards from the tee the fairway is split by the Sahara Desert, a vast area of sand and rough-covered mounds."  He wrote about it in the present tense....perhaps he wasn't aware that it was altered or maybe he forgot.
Wasn't RTJ involved in readying the course for the 1967 Open?
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I despise research but my findings indicate that RTJ's last redesign was for the 1954 Open.  It is indicated that for the 1967 Open Joseph C. Dey Jr., Executive Director of the USGA is responsible for the bunker renovation...see above.
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I am surprised you don't have this book and will be very happy to send it to you until that lucky day we shall meet.  The only time I read it is when you and Mucci get in an argument about the course and I have kept out of it in the past because I thought ownership of this great work was standard.  Send me your address..you won't regret it.

[Brad Tufts]

There still is a rather scruffy one on the 7th at Newport....and also is the only one ive ever played over/around.

[T_MacWood]

John
I read the Dey account, it sounded like they were converting a flashed bunker to one with a grass face...they didn't seem to be describing an irregular Sahara--which is not flashed or grassed.

According R. Wolffe, RTJ was called in 1954, 1967 and 1980, and Rees in 1993.

Does the book document how many holes from the original Dunn course were retained by Tillinghast?

I might have access to the book, if not, I will take you up on your generous offer.

BTufts
Is the 7th at Newport a par-5?

[JakaB]

Tom,

I keep the book at work but there is currently a copy for sale on ebay by the same guy from who I bought mine.   Funny guy he is a doctor who is a member of Cantebury in Ohio and sells these great club histories at below market prices.  I have met a guy who knows him personally...a strange story indeed but quite a collector.  

[Eric Pevoto]

Have driving distances lessened the impact of the Hell’s Half Acre strategy on the older courses?  Most seem to be longish par-5’s; so perhaps not.   For my money, the beauty of its strategy is the effect on the tee shot.

Gil and his guys have worked one into our 575 yd, uphill 6th at French Creek.  Originally, the plan called for 2 crossing complexes for the second and third shots, respectively.  Instead, using the width, they recreated the strategy on the second shot, but allowed for safer play around as well.  

The key is the ridge running off the back of the last bunker complex on the right.  Shots played up the middle will be kicked left into lower ground.  Result: longer shot, worse angle, and marginal visibility.

The photo looking back from left of the green shows the little ridge just beyond the right complex (left in photo).  This ridges sits at about 475, uphill from the back tee and tempts the player to carry the complex with a turbo, a flatter lie, better visibility, and a better angle.  You gotta believe I’ll be thinking of this “mayor’s office” (thanks Ian A.) when I’m standing on the tee.

We're still growing in the front side, and won't open until next Spring.

6th from tee


6th fairway (just beyond tee shot landing)


6th looking back from left of green

[corey miller]

The sahara bunker complex on BL 17th makes it imperative to get the tee shot in the fairway.  It is a difficult carry from the rough on the second shot.  Longest carry is to the right of the complex, the fairway kicks balls toward the right and the rough.

i suspect Bethpage #4 is a difficult carry from the rough also.

[david h. carroll]

fanned tee shot at 14 at BCCFF prevents one from crossing Hell's Half Acre

[Scott_Burroughs]

Not a Tillie course, but the Sahara crossbunkers on #16 at Plainfield requires 2 well-struck shots to clear.  Supposedly the fairway left and beyond the bunkers have been put back, making it easier to get by with a less-than-perfect drive.

[Tom_Egan]

Jaka --

When I read your post which referred to "Baltusrol 100 Years" I looked at my copy and understand things a bit differently than you did.

The Sahara bunker on 17 Lower crossed the fairway at about the 375-400 yard mark on this 625 yard hole.  It was replaced by 5-6 separate bunkers sometime before 1978; I have no idea just when this was done or who was responsible.  

You can see a photo of the old Sahara bunker in the lower right corner of page 38.

The photo to which you refer, with Bobby Jones hitting a shot, is on page 70 and is captioned as a grerenside bunker.

Could you please check this and let me know whether you agree?

[JakaB]

Tom,

I will, but it will have to be Monday when I am back on the clock.   What is your take on the value of that book...I just think it is outstanding for even a person like me who has never been lucky enough to play BA or BU.

If the guy who is the current high bidder on ebay is lurking...please send me a private or public message, just for grins.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom MacWood,

What happened to the 17th at Baltusrol? There is a photo of it in the World Atlas of Golf (mid 70's) and it looks very wild...today it is group of five or six standard bunkers...who did this and why?

Now that you found out that it wasn't Rees, do you really care ?

[T_MacWood]

Tom
Thank you for chiming in--you are missed on GCA. I was hoping you would, thinking if anyone knew it would probably be you. I suspect the change happened sometime in the 70's.

John/Tom
Does the book document Tillie's original design and the changes over the years?

[JakaB]

Tom Egan,

You are right on all counts...Look at the recap of the 67 Open on page 138 and the bunker work in the various pictures.  It is my opinion that all the bunkers were reworked at the advice of Joe Dye Jr....kinda sad what two acres of sod and 700 tons of sand can do....did you ever hear talk of restoration in your days.