0

This Week’s “Classic Doubleheader”

With the PGA and LPGA Tours visiting old, classic courses this week we have been treated to two of the most “classic” of the classic courses we will see all season.

The Northern Trust Open is being played on George C. Thomas’ masterpiece, Riviera Country Club. Thomas, known as The Captain, designed and built many courses in California after moving there from Philadelphia but Riviera is considered his best.

It is an old school, strategic design which was restored by two of golf’s most admired preservationists, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The intent of Thomas’s design was to offer the player options and require him to plan his way around the course.

The Strategic School of course design doesn’t necessarily punish the poor shot as much as it rewards the good, thoughtful shot.  Northern Trust Open - Final Round

No hole demonstrates this more than the controversial tenth hole. The short 315 yard par four challenges the player to work the ball into the long diagonal green and offers a chance for eagle. At the same time a layup to a comfortable wedge distance gives the player an almost sure par but challenges his short game to earn a birdie. Of course, any wayward shot will test the player as the bunkers and rough surrounding the narrow green make an up and down for birdie a difficult task.

The tenth hole gives us everything a golf hole should: strategy, options, reward, penalty and drama. It is why The Captain’s course has stood the test of time and is cherished by those in the game.

On the other side of the world, the LPGA is traversing one of Dr. Alister MacKenzie’s classic designs, Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

MacKenzie, one of the most master of the Master Architects designed and built many of the world’s greatest courses: Augusta National, Cypress Point and Pasatiempo are a few of his most well known and heralded designs.

But while the good doctor has many courses with his name on them in Australia and around the world he wasn’t around for the actual construction of Royal Melbourne. Like most of his Aussie courses he designed the layout and turned the construction over to a trusted local course builder.  royal melbourne

He spent some time in Australia walking the proposed sites and then he would come up with the design for that particular site. Any changes to Melbourne’s design during the actual building of the course in the late 1920’s were said to be approved by MacKenzie himself.

Watching the women of the LPGA play the firm, fast layout which rewards imagination has been wonderful.

True to MacKenzie’s trademark design there are plenty of blind shots which MacKenzie thought provided “excitement” for the player while the players may think it is more nerve racking than exciting.

Also, Mackenzie’s greens only welcome a well played shot and with a firm and fast setup any ball hit deep into the green will not offer a player any delight as it speeds off the green.

Many greens are accessible by the type of shot that most American players have long forgotten: the run up. Clear entrance to the putting surface is often found to the front of the green with an approach that lands well short and rolls onto the green. It is an old school solution on an old school course.

Sure, we will get to see Augusta National and The Old Course at St. Andrews this season but having this pair of classic course on our screens all week has been a joy and we won’t have a double header like this again all year.

Let’s enjoy it.

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.