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mike_malone

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Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« on: May 19, 2008, 04:18:36 PM »
 A friend of mine who appreciates golf architecture played here a few weeks ago. He suggested I find out what "my wacko buddies" think of it.
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AKA Mayday

Steve_ Shaffer

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2008, 04:24:18 PM »
Is it near Wawa, PA? ;D
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Tiger_Bernhardt

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2008, 04:27:43 PM »
Are you talking Yosimite National Park?
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mike_malone

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2008, 04:30:50 PM »
 Yes, Tiger.
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Tony_Chapman

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2008, 04:54:32 PM »
mayday -- Found this on google. You may have seen it. The author makes a claim for some MacKenzie involvement.

http://www.ncga.org/magazine/06summer/wawona.htm

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mike_malone

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2008, 05:00:03 PM »
 Wonderful article, Tony.
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Bill_McBride

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2008, 05:05:18 PM »
It's a very basic, rudimentary 9-holer with small, slow greens and narrow fairways - and a whole lot of fun to play!  I think it may go back to the early 1900's, not sure.  I've never heard of any MacKenzie linkage, he didn't do anything much in the area otherwise.
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R_Paulis

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2008, 05:27:24 PM »
Part of the deal with my wife was to play Wowona after staying a few days at the Ahwahnee.
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Sean_Tully

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2008, 05:36:28 PM »
If there is any Mackenzie connection it would not be at the inception of the course as MacKenzie did not get to California until 1926! I have Fovargue there and the yardages when it opened. There is some contention between Wawona and Tahoe City having the first golf course in the Sierra. I have the Tahoe City course coming in at the same time but only 6 holes. It was designed by Mrs. Gourlay Dunn Webb of the Dunn family fame.

Tully
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Bill_McBride

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2008, 05:42:55 PM »
Quote from: R_Paulis on May 19, 2008, 05:27:24 PM
Part of the deal with my wife was to play Wowona after staying a few days at the Ahwahnee.

How'd you enjoy the course?  I played with my wife too, she loved it because she's (1) not so long, and (2) very straight!  The area of the golf shop and opening fairway is very pretty.  The second hole is a pretty difficult par 3 of maybe 200 yards with the green hard against an OB left.  One of the holes features a blind tee shot over a ridge and downhill all the way to green maybe 400 yards away.  Did I mention the fairway might be 20 yards wide?  :o
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Bob_Huntley

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2008, 06:02:54 PM »
I learned to ski at Badger Pass just up the road from Wawona. Couldn't wait for the Spring so that I could play it. First time around it took quite a long time to finish the nine holes as there was a big brown bar chomping down on some berry bush.

A bucolic place and a lot of fun.

Greenspeeds somewhat on the slow side.


Bob
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Mike Benham

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2008, 06:04:36 PM »
"... big brown bar ..." ???     Did you stop at the bar before you played?   ;)


http://virtualguidebooks.com/CentralCalif/Yosemite/Wawona/WawonaGolfCourse.html

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"... and I liked the guy ..."

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2008, 06:25:22 PM »
Quote from: Mike Benham on May 19, 2008, 06:04:36 PM
"... big brown bar ..." ???     Did you stop at the bar before you played?   ;)


http://virtualguidebooks.com/CentralCalif/Yosemite/Wawona/WawonaGolfCourse.html



Maybe Bob was "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee....."  ;D
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David Stamm

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2008, 06:38:28 PM »
I've played the course 3 times. I liked it. It's very "rough" in some spots, but the layout of the holes is pretty cool in spots. The 7th, a par 4, is really neat. Anthony P covers this course pretty well in his "To The Nines" book. Despite the rumors, MacK had nothing to do with the course. Still, it's pretty neat to tee it up in Yosemite.
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"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

R_Paulis

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2008, 06:54:33 PM »
Quote from: Bill_McBride on May 19, 2008, 05:42:55 PM
Quote from: R_Paulis on May 19, 2008, 05:27:24 PM
Part of the deal with my wife was to play Wowona after staying a few days at the Ahwahnee.

How'd you enjoy the course?  I played with my wife too, she loved it because she's (1) not so long, and (2) very straight!  The area of the golf shop and opening fairway is very pretty.  The second hole is a pretty difficult par 3 of maybe 200 yards with the green hard against an OB left.  One of the holes features a blind tee shot over a ridge and downhill all the way to green maybe 400 yards away.  Did I mention the fairway might be 20 yards wide?  :o

I remember the course being enjoyable for its more rustic nature. It had a nice balance of open meadows and enormous trees bordering some of the holes. Most of the courses I play on a regular basis are in Southern California so it's really novel when I get to play in a "forest" setting.

As for my wife, her natural athletic ability makes it fun to play the rare round with her. Nine holes is perfect for her interest level but a half a round is never enough for me. One of her favorite courses is found in a more forest/mountain setting in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Not so much for the architecture, but for the inane wooden bear sculptures found throughout the course. Probably not the best thing to mention on GCA...
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ANTHONYPIOPPI

Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2008, 10:01:03 PM »
Michael:

There is a wonderful chapter about Wawona in the book To the Nines. It has all the information you will ever need.

Anthony


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Bob_Huntley

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #16 on: May 19, 2008, 11:51:26 PM »
Quote from: Mike Benham on May 19, 2008, 06:04:36 PM
"... big brown bar ..." ???     Did you stop at the bar before you played?   ;)


http://virtualguidebooks.com/CentralCalif/Yosemite/Wawona/WawonaGolfCourse.html



Benham,

That will cost you extra strokes in our next Wolf game and this time you "vill not escape the extreme penalty'. Total anhilation.

Bob
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Mike Benham

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course
« Reply #17 on: May 22, 2008, 11:04:27 AM »
I expected as such which is why I am mysteriously unavailable for this weekend ... ;)
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"... and I liked the guy ..."
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