Wentworth East Course Green Shaped Like The United Kingdom

[Robin_Hiseman]

I'm doing a bit of research on Wentworth's East Course and came across this photo of the original 18th green, which was originally shaped like a map of the UK. I wondered if anybody knew anything about it, or had a better photo.

I think it used to be to the right of the the current 18th green on the East which they now keep vacant for the public village at PGA time.

I don't yet know how to post images since my photobucket account went kaput, so if you can't see anything or the link doesn't work, then i'm sorry.

Once I have worked out how to post photos i have quite a few to share on different posts.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/158675354@N04/145Ltk

[Ally Mcintosh]

My understanding is that the powers that be decided to reshape this green but then couldn’t agree what it should look like.


A few of them wanted to remove the high back plateau that represented Scotland. The Northern Ireland run-off to the left was in then out then in then out.


Many thought the green incongruous with the other 17 (or was that 27?) but in the end, every greens builder brought in to come up with a better solution failed spectacularly.


Eventually, the green subsided in to the large bunker complex surrounding it and was never seen again....




...I think I might have seen that somewhere. But don’t quote me in case I’m wrong.

[mike_malone]

Soon to be England only!

[Robin_Hiseman]

Th

[Robin_Hiseman]

That's better. I've opened an imgur account and it was very easy.


Thanks Ally. That was very prompt and goes with what i thought. I've sometimes wondered why the current 18th green is set off to one side in a rather unusual way. The seven-bunker echelon is still quite remarkable.


There's no suggestion of this being reinstated, so i'll nip that right in the bud!

[Ally Mcintosh]

Intriguing looking green though.... Definitely need to take at least three trains on the way from Newquay to Oban however.


Above aside, it does look cool. I’ve never been there so can’t help

[Thomas Dai]

I wonder if the green was angled in the same direction NSEW wise as the U.K. is angled on the globe and also towards which part of the ‘country’ did you play in from the centre of the fairway?
Atb

[Robin_Hiseman]

I've a theory that the green may have been conceived during a period of overt national pride alongside the Empire Exhibition of 1924. The timeline corresponds.


Not able to substantiate this, but might be a reason why Colt was unusually frivolous with his design work.

[Ben Stephens]

Robin,


It would be great if Wentworth can recreate this green as a putting green for all to play on and the holes located in where the main cities of the UK are.


Also I would get rid of that ghastly 'Caring' water feature in front of the 18th of West and restore back to Colt like finish


Cheers
Ben

[Niall C]

Ben


That's a nice idea, the only problem is that many of the main cities in the UK are coastal which might make the hole positions just a bit extreme 


Niall

[Ben Stephens]

Ben


That's a nice idea, the only problem is that many of the main cities in the UK are coastal which might make the hole positions just a bit extreme 


Niall

I like tough pin positions    London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds should all be easy

[Thomas Dai]

Ben
That's a nice idea, the only problem is that many of the main cities in the UK are coastal which might make the hole positions just a bit extreme 
Niall

Given the green-coastal shaping its lucky there are no major cities on the Isle of Wight!
Nice theory about the exhibition linkage Robin. Do we know of any aspects of golf that were inspired by it?
Atb

[Jeff Schley]

Hoping to see Wentworth next year.  Not sure how the corporate owners are doing with the course now as they tried to point a gun at members to fork over more cash. Pretty iconic neighborhood for sure. Hope the layout survives some wayward corporate decision making.

[Tom_Doak]

I've a theory that the green may have been conceived during a period of overt national pride alongside the Empire Exhibition of 1924. The timeline corresponds.


Not able to substantiate this, but might be a reason why Colt was unusually frivolous with his design work.

It sounds like the idea of a client who would not be deterred.  Who was the developer of Wentworth?

[Robin_Hiseman]

It was a builder by the name of W.G Tarrant. The same fella who had earlier developed St. George's Hill.

[Marty Bonnar]

Is there no reference in Colt & Co?
F.

[Marty Bonnar]

Could the 7-bunker echelon perhaps be the vestigial Channel?
Is that tall Cypress(?) still there?
F.

[Jeff Schley]

Just won a charity round here to play with their head pro next year sometime.  Keep your ears on for I don't think my dad can take that trip so perhaps a couple GCA lads will have a crack.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Could the 7-bunker echelon perhaps be the vestigial Channel?
Is that tall Cypress(?) still there?
F.

I don't think so. It would be more the Atlantic in that line. The current green was in place before 1929 when the photo below was taken.




The redwood is long gone. Here is today's view.



I haven't got Colt & Co, so haven't been able to check.