...how would it be perceived?
Based on the reception of the two stunning coastal courses in Oregon, one appreciates the importance of a magical setting and Eastward Ho! enjoys this
in spades (see its course profile).
For those interested in the name game, does it have a famous architect? Tick.
For those who view golf as ideally being an uninterrupted walk through nature ala Sand Hills, Eastward Ho! passes with flying colors.
For those impressed by the merits of the figure eight routing of Whistling Straits and The Ocean Course at Kiawah, same applies here.
For those impressed by the width and ground game options at Friar's Head, same applies here (Eastward Ho!'s 5th fairway is 60 (!) yards wide at one point). Bouncing a shot onto the 9th green has to be on the game's great shots.
For those impressed with the range within the two shotters at Rustic Canyon from its tiny two shotters to the huge 14th and 16th holes, same here.
For those impressed by a stellar collection of one shot holes like (I assume) Casa de Campo, Eastward Ho!'s collection is arguably within the dozen finest in the world.
For those of us impressed with the wild, rugged topography at The Kingsley Club, the topography at Eastward Ho! is the equal to any, including such northeast classics as Yale and Fishers Island.
Similar to Hidden Creek which remains a delight to play to play day-in, day-out, one would never tire of a frequent game at Eastward Ho! Its challenge is the sort that inspires the golfer to become better and invent shots rather than being a merciless mugging that wears one out. And like Hidden Creek, a quick 18 carrying one's own bag can be had in 2 1/2 hours thanks in part to the close green to tee walks.
Ala The Plantation Course at Kapalua, the wind can vary the play of the holes wildly from day to day.
Like Harbour Town, it has a bunch of easy to identify genuinely 'great' holes (4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18 and probably 7, 11 and 16 as well) and the course's character isn't length-based.
In short, Eastward Ho! shares many of the best attributes of the finest modern courses, many of which have generated great fan-fare (and rightly so) and achieved lofty rankings with the magazines (again, rightly so). I see in Tom MacWood's 1939 rankings that Eastward Ho! was ranked #92 in the world so clearly at that point it too was perceived far and wide as one of the game's finest.
And if Eastward Ho! opened today, I can only imagine it again being perceived as among the country's most engaging places for a game. Yet, it opened eighty-some years and is off the radar screen for most folks.
Isn't it interesting how "the flavor of the month" works with golf courses?
Cheers,