The use of walls in American architecture.

[John Kavanaugh]

Oddly enough the only wall I can recall hitting over at this moment is at Vista Verde in Arizona. (I hope it stays) There must be some examples I am missing. Please help.

[Tom_Doak]

There are a couple on the North Course at Stonewall.

[John Kavanaugh]

Tom,


What type of walls are these? Stone, I get it, Stonewall and all. And what was their original purpose?

[Tom_Doak]

Tom,


What type of walls are these? Stone, I get it, Stonewall and all. And what was their original purpose?

John:


Yes, they are stone walls, built for the same reason as most of those overseas:  to mark property lines and section off farm fields, and to make use of all the rocks picked out of said fields!

[John Kavanaugh]

That's great. The first course I played in Scotland was North Berwick. Now I'm in love with walls.

[Jason Way]

There are stone walls at Kingsley Club.  None that need to be hit over, but they are in play, specifically left of the 14th green.

There are crazy stone walls / berms at Marion GC in MA that are a primary obstacle on several holes.

[Peter Pallotta]

It's interesting how I like stone walls but I don't like mounds, with the first having the rocks picked from the felds on simple and proud display and the second covering up those same rocks as if in shame and trying to make something 'artistic' out of them. The hand of man can get it wrong in so many ways.

[Peter Pallotta]

Hey, I just got it --congrats, JK! Wishing you a safe and memorable and fun and nourishing trip

[Matthew Petersen]

Oddly enough the only wall I can recall hitting over at this moment is at Vista Verde in Arizona. (I hope it stays) There must be some examples I am missing. Please help.

I've played Vista Verde probably 5-6 times in the past few years and I don't remember hitting over a wall. Can you remind me? (Maybe it's already gone?)

[Tim Martin]

There are stone walls at Kingsley Club.  None that need to be hit over, but they are in play, specifically left of the 14th green.

There are crazy stone walls / berms at Marion GC in MA that are a primary obstacle on several holes.

Jason-Marion GC or "Little Marion" has some wild features indeed including the stone walls, a crazy 90 degree dogleg(2nd hole) as well as mounds and exposed rock scattered about the golf course that provide some interesting bounces. The story goes that this was George Thomas's first solo design. Not to be missed if your in the area.

[Kevin Robinson]

I was in Nashville for an AAU tournament earlier this week, driving through the backcountry east of Franklin to one of the high school gyms they use, and stumbled across something called The Governer's Club. There are several holes on low-lying ground down by the road, and it looked like at least one hole crossed an ancient stone wall that bisected that portion of the property. I had never even heard of this club, let alone the course or the designer.
Hands down the largest homes I've ever seen on a golf course. I thought the first one I saw was the clubhouse, until I saw the 10-12 next door. Looked like a classic case of overkill. Beautiful homes, clubhouse, and a beautifully conditioned, but mediocre golf course.

[John Kavanaugh]

Oddly enough the only wall I can recall hitting over at this moment is at Vista Verde in Arizona. (I hope it stays) There must be some examples I am missing. Please help.

I've played Vista Verde probably 5-6 times in the past few years and I don't remember hitting over a wall. Can you remind me? (Maybe it's already gone?)

It is a flood wall that you cross and hit back over on a very back tee. I'm sure it is rarely used and probably would have been missed by me if I had not been playing with the architect.

[paul cowley]

Google the Love course at Barefoot Resort and the Patriot at Grand Harbor SC....or Google Earth them...quite prominent, esp the Patriot on Lake Greenwood.

The Patriot has a 800' across the diagonal star fort with moats, walls, tunnels at #1 tee, 10 and 18...a Martello tower at at #1 green...a brick boundary wall at #7 green.


Love Barefoot has a antebellum plantation house ruin with free standing garden walls, retaining walls etc...which come into play on #4, 5, 6 and 7.


I have had numerous accolades by teachers and educated govt professionals for saving and incorporating these historic structures for the people of SC.


The naysayers dis them because they aren't 'old' enough....sigh...

[Thomas Dai]

There are stone walls at Kingsley Club.  None that need to be hit over, but they are in play, specifically left of the 14th green.
There are crazy stone walls / berms at Marion GC in MA that are a primary obstacle on several holes.

Nice:)
A great occasional feature/'hazard'.
Atb

[John Kavanaugh]

I just recalled Fossil Trace. Love it.

[Buck Wolter]

Austin GC has at least one -- not sure I would have remembered but my host told me the story of how he nearly lost an eye to it --Orbital Blowout I think was his description. I give obstacles a second look since that story.

[Pete Lavallee]

Marion GC just may be the course that started the rock wall craze. Built in 1914 by a certain Philadelphian it features 3 par 3's which incorporate New England stone walls;

The par 3 3rd 190 yards:


From behind the green:


The par 3 8th 200 yards:


From behind the green:


The ingenious 120 yard par 3 9th. The fronting bunker is built up against a stone wall:


From behind the green:

[Steve Lang]

    Do I remember the small stone wall at Kingsley on the 18th tee protecting a mailbox with a bottle of foreign elixir?

[Nigel Islam]

The second shot at Lindsey Golf Course 16th at Fort Knox plays over a military cemetery with a stone wall enclosing it.

[Mike Hendren]

I was in Nashville for an AAU tournament earlier this week, driving through the backcountry east of Franklin to one of the high school gyms they use, and stumbled across something called The Governer's Club. There are several holes on low-lying ground down by the road, and it looked like at least one hole crossed an ancient stone wall that bisected that portion of the property. I had never even heard of this club, let alone the course or the designer.
Hands down the largest homes I've ever seen on a golf course. I thought the first one I saw was the clubhouse, until I saw the 10-12 next door. Looked like a classic case of overkill. Beautiful homes, clubhouse, and a beautifully conditioned, but mediocre golf course.

Dry stacked stone walls are prevalent in Middle Tennessee, largely because of abundant limestone and shale just below the surface.  Not uncommon to require dynamite to lay a sewer line.  Just check out any cut on the interstates through Nashville and surrounding areas to see what I'm talking about.    Often referred to as "slave walls" most are not as ancient as they appear.  In addition to the aforementioned wall on Palmer's Governors Club course, there are also stone walls at Nicklaus' Richland CC and Old Natchez CC south of town off the top of my head. 

[Matthew Petersen]

Oddly enough the only wall I can recall hitting over at this moment is at Vista Verde in Arizona. (I hope it stays) There must be some examples I am missing. Please help.

I've played Vista Verde probably 5-6 times in the past few years and I don't remember hitting over a wall. Can you remind me? (Maybe it's already gone?)

It is a flood wall that you cross and hit back over on a very back tee. I'm sure it is rarely used and probably would have been missed by me if I had not been playing with the architect.

That's right. 14 or 15 maybe?


I believe they have already abandoned that tee, but maybe Lehman will bring it back since toughening the course for good players was supposedly part of his mission

[Ed Brzezowski]

Tom,


What type of walls are these? Stone, I get it, Stonewall and all. And what was their original purpose?

If I recall there are a few stone walls at some course in Elverson, Pa. I recall having to look at the USGA book to see how to rate them.

John:


Yes, they are stone walls, built for the same reason as most of those overseas:  to mark property lines and section off farm fields, and to make use of all the rocks picked out of said fields!

[MCirba]

There is an intersecting stone wall that comes into play about 50 yards from the green on the par five 11th at the course across the street from Stonewall, French Creek.

[ward peyronnin]

I seem to recall hitting over a stone wall at Cuscowilla iffy on the tee ball so it is a point of consideration

[Michael Felton]

There is a wall along the right hand side of one of the holes on the New Course at Grand Cypress in Florida. I guess it's supposed to mimic 14 at TOC.