I had the pleasure of visiting Garden City Golf Club last week... Is there a cooler place for golf, anywhere?
A product of the combined talents of Dev Emmett and Walter Travis, Garden City provides such an attractive and warm environment for golf.
The routing (basically Emmett's, I believe; circa 1899) is very intimate and, with that, the course is easily walkable.
Its openess and expansiveness is wonderful as well! Bordered by trees on its periphery, the interior of the golf course is almost devoid of trees; but for a few individuals here and there, and a couple groves in perfect spots, that complement the course rather than detract from the golf.
Highlights include:
*The 1st hole: This must have been one of the most strategic par 4 holes in golf when it was completed near the turn of the 20th century. The tee, I understand, was further right of its present location originally. In order to open up the tiny green for the second shot, a large, nasty waste area on the right (has) to be carried. Bailing out to the left, where the carry to reach the short grass is significantly shorter, leaves an approach over deep greenside bunkers into the shallowest portion of the putting surface, guarded behind by a bunker as well [it's classic!].
*Quirky, rough grass covered "piles": There are so many neat , or piles, throughout the course, covered with rough grasses and other plants -- like those some 100 yards or so in front of the 1st tee that have to be carried to reach the left side of the fairway: "top shot" hazards in Travis' day, I presume! Many such "piles" were obviously created with the excavated material from bunker construction.
*The hazards: Almost all of the bunkers at Garden City are very, very deep "pots" [well, expect for the really neat, and very original, convex ones!]. In similar fashion to the classic links of Great Britain, which were undoubtedly Travis' model during his remodel of Emmett's original design, the bunkers at Garden City are penal in nature. And, as at St. Andrews, so many are blind from the tees.
*The rough: Whereas the tees, fairways and putting greens are perfectly manicured, the rest of the course is seemingly left to nature. The entire landscape exhibits beautiful texture as a result, and the rough is literally rough!
*The 2nd hole: The (infamous) par 3 2nd -- the bottomless pit -- lives up to its reputation! A great little hole.
*The blind tee shots: I absolutely love the blind drives at the 3rd, the 7th, the 10th and, most of all, the 17th -- all played over gentle rises covered with native grasses and other plants that obscure the fairways and their hazards. You can see the top-half of the flagsticks at the 3rd and the 10th, but nothing else! At the 17th, the flag isn't even in view. Your aim is the church steeple in the distance!
*The greens: All of the greens at Garden City are low profile, literally sitting at native grade. The sandy nature of the soil allowed for this [along with the excavation of those seriously deep sand pits throughout the course]. The severe "fall-away" green at the par 4 10th is probably most notable, along with the severe left-to-right tilt of the greens at the par 4 3rd and par 4 15th holes.
*The 18th hole: A wonderful rendition of Eden (the 11th at St. Andrews), with the right side of the putting surface serving as the practice green. The depth of the Hill (Travis) and Strath bunkers here must be seen to be believed! And the "Eden bunker" behind the green is beautiful.
I could go on and on... [the only blemish is the par 3 12th. Redone by RTJ some time during the 1950s, I think, it sticks out like a "sore thumb". Although some others say, so did Travis' original punchbowl green at the 12th?]
The bottom line is that Garden City is maintained as one of the world's greatest places for golf, thanks to the efforts of the club membership, golf course superintendent Ed Butler and his staff, and consulting golf architect Tom Doak.