GCA: "Mingay restores Macan's Victoria"

It's always exciting to receive the latest issue of Golf Course Architecture magazine. It's a fantastic publication, out of the UK, edited by the esteemed, Adam Lawrence. If you're a golf course architecture fanatic and don't subscribe to Golf Course Architecture magazine, do it. 

Flipping through the January 2012 issue today I was pleased to happen upon a nice blurb about our on-going work at the Victoria Golf Club featured in the 'Tee Box' (news) section.  

Austrian pines versus Mt. Baker.

I'm back in British Columbia this week, working on holes 3-6 at Victoria Golf Club; and, there was a remarkable development yesterday, illustrated below. 


Pictured above is the green site at the 6th hole early yesterday morning. One tree, just right of the flagstick, had been felled at this point in the day. If you click on this image (to enlarge), you'll see Mount Baker's summit just above the clouds in the distance. As you can see too, until yesterday, the 6th green site at VGC had been encased by Austrian pine trees for decades. VGC's assistant golf course superintendent, Derek Sheffield, nailed it when he said: "If you bought a house on this site, would you plant a wall of pine trees to block this view?!" Behind this green are beautiful, rocky islands in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (read: the Pacific Ocean) then, beyond, the Cascade Mountains of Washington state and majestic Mount Baker; not to mention all of the wonderful sailboats that gracefully pass by each day.  



Flash to this morning... with just three trees removed behind the 6th green, there was Mount Baker - as if it knew we needed it this morning, to truly showcase a controversial recommendation that had been carried out at VGC. You can click on this image to enlarge as well, but unfortunately it doesn't do this incredible scene justice. I can't describe the breathtaking view of Mount Baker from this vantage point accurately in words, other than to say it honestly looks like one of the greatest paintings you'll see in your life, in the sky. It's an incredible sight, restoring one of the most dramatic elements at one of the most uniquely beautiful seaside golf holes in Canada.   

Another 3-4 trees, and some underbrush right of the 6th green were removed as well, creating an equally stunning view down the 7th hole (at right)  - and out to sea, where impressively massive container ships travel with regularity. This view will undoubtedly become a bit of a wonderful distraction for golfers waiting for playing partners to putt out at VGC's 6th. 

As at all golf clubs (and I mean, all), trees are a very controversial subject at VGC. My hat's off to the powers-that-be at the club for approving this recommendation, knowing that any controversy will pass with time and that club members and their guests will again enjoy this incredibly unique scene at the Victoria Golf Club.

News on our work at Victoria Golf Club.

Golf Course Architecture magazine's posted a short news story on our work at Victoria Golf Club. Click here to read.

Time.

VGC: Restored bunker right of the green at #11.

Someone once asked Ben Crenshaw to identify the most important element in golf course architecture. Mr. Crenshaw simply answered, "Time".

That's right, time. Time to think. Time to shape and build. Time to look. Time to ponder. And, of course, time to adjust.

I happen to agree with Mr. Crenshaw. Time is very important. But, when renovating existing golf courses, time usually works against us. Golfers rightfully want those holes under repair back in play as soon as possible. So work must be completed as quickly as possible. This type of schedule more often than not prevents all of that time we'd prefer to have to think, look, shape and build, ponder, and adjust.

Which reminds me of a great story I was told by Dick Youngscap. Mr. Youngscap is most famous for developing Sand Hills Golf Club (designed by Mr. Crenshaw, and his partner, Bill Coore), in Nebraska. He is also the brains behind Firethorn Golf Club in Nebraska's state capital, Lincoln. Pete Dye designed the original 18-holes at Firethorn. During construction of the course, Pete was using time to his advantage, constantly changing this and that, tinkering with all of the details. Finally - however many months into it - Mr. Youngscap finally had it. I'm paraphasing, but I recall he frankly told Pete, "Alright, you're done." Grass it.

I'll be honest, golf course designers - including myself - need that kinda push (at least some times). Sticking to the schedule at VGC for this fall, I'm on an airplane tomorrow morning... even though I could have easily stayed to continue to think, look, ponder and, of course, adjust.

I'm lucky though. The remaining work at VGC is left in the capable hands of a fine crew, under the leadership of Paul Robertson and Derek Sheffield, who've been making me look good for almost three years now.

VGC: golf course archaeology.

VGC's par-three 2nd hole, post-restoration.

It's interesting working on a golf course that's been around since 1893. It's like archeaology some times. You find some interesting things when bunkers and other pieces of ground are opened up.

While restoring a bunker between the 1st and 17th holes, at Victoria Golf Club, today - one that hasn't been in existence since the 1970s or earlier - we ran into the main line of an old irrigation system installed in 1986. In other spots, we've run into even older irrigation pipe, clay drain tile (likely from the 1920s), etc. It's amazing what's underground at VGC... while people play golf over top.

Perhaps most interesting, though, is the amount of sand built-up atop the original elevations of most greenside bunkers. At the par-three 2nd hole, for example - which was the first hole we restored at VGC, back in January 2009 - about three to four feet of blasted and wind-blown sand created very dramatic, high shoulder features on bunkers flanking the putting surface. Originally, the top elevation of these bunkers were nearly level with the green surface. Along with club officials, we determined this evolution - which was imperceptible, over time - had actually improved the hole.

Even though we're "restoring" the golf course per se, removing these elevations would have actually made the 2nd less dramatic, both visually and from a playing perspective. So, the evolved bunker elevations were retained. We've continued to do the same as we continue with bunker work at VGC, 

Years prior to encountering this situation at Victoria, I knew that Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw ran into a very similar issue at famed Riviera Country Club, near Los Angeles, where they were working at restoring the brilliant work of legendary golf course architect, George Thomas. At Riviera, Coore and Crenshaw also decided to retain the top elevation of bunkers built-up by blasted and wind-blown sand. And, Riviera's bunkers are some of the most attractive hazards in golf.

There are always gray areas in (so-called) golf course restoration. Genuinely restore? Or leave well-enough alone? These are continual questions. Learned, intelligent judgement is required when assessing whether or not this type of evolution has actually made a golf course better, or worse.

And, then again, golf course architecture is entirely subjective... as long the course drains.

I wish it was my idea: restoration.

VGC: Historic aerial photo, circa early 1950s.

There's a bit of a theme to the work we're currently carrying out at Victoria Golf Club's 1st and 17th holes - restoring multiple greenside bunkers where single, larger hazards had been created about the time of the advent of the riding bunker rake.

VGC's 1st hole had a single bunker on each side of the green when we arrived. We've restored two bunkers left and three right. And, at the 17th, a single bunker left of the green has been restored as two. This work doesn't change the design of these holes fundamentally, but restoration of multiple bunkers is a very dramatic visual improvement.

The other day, one of the kids on the course maintenance crew remarked, "Wow, that looks cool. What a great idea." I responded honestly: "I wish it was my idea." It's not, really.

Much of the restorative-based work we're doing at VGC is inspired by a historic aerial photo taken during the early 1950s. I believe the course was at its architectural peak about this time. Vernon Macan (click here to read more) had been tinkering with the course design for almost three decades by this point in its long history, and most of the work he did prior to his death, in 1964, was complete - aside from signifcant changes to the 12th and 13th holes, which are documented elsewhere. Shortly thereafter, things began to change for the worse, in my opinion - multiple bunkers became single bunkers, other hazards were removed, many trees were planted, etc.

In a nutshell, we're simply trying to restore VGC - one of Canada's most interesting and historically important golf courses - to its architectural peak; a priviledged opportunity, to say the least.

Par for the course.

The restored par-four 11th hole at Victoria Golf Club.

There was a bit of controversy this week over my recommendation to fill in a section of bunker protecting the front right corner of the 445-yard 17th hole at Victoria Golf Club. This portion of this greenside bunker was added during the 1980s - relatively recently, considering golf's been played at VGC since 1893.

The main issue relative to recommending this part of the bunker be removed is drainage. The green was surface draining water directly into this section of the bunker. Sand would wash down the bunker face during frequent rain events in the Pacific Northwest, and was constantly wet. So, form follows function. A fix is in order, right?

The controversy stems from the fact that some think VGC's 17th will be too easy if this sand hazard is removed. A 445-yard hole too easy? Well, yes, when it's labeled a par-five. I've learned that this bunker was extended to front the right half of the 17th green about the same time the club decided to convert this hole from par-four to par-five. (During a 1968 Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match, between Al Geiberger and George Knudsen, at VGC, #17 played as a par-four.)

There's a simple way to make the 17th hole more challenging, I suggest. That's simply restoring the hole to a par-four on the scorecard. However, then the issue becomes par for the course. VGC would become par 69 if #17 was labeled a par-four. But, is this really an issue? There are a number of great courses throughout the world that play to a total par of 69, including Swinley Forest (84th on GOLF magazine's ranking of the top-100 courses in the world) and Donald Ross' Wannamoisett, in Rhode Island, which annually hosts the prestigious Northeast Amateur championship.

Scratch golfers have always been the measure of par. And, scratch golfers have long played 445-yard holes as "two shot holes" (par-fours), not par-fives. In fact, there's not a great course in the world (though Capilano, in Vancouver - #10 - now comes to mind) featuring a 445-yard par-five hole.

While this is a somewhat interesting conversation piece (for golf minds), it's not a big deal. I say, label holes however you wish. Whether a par-two or a par-six, every golfer is simply trying to make the lowest score possible. Par is actually irrelevant. And, it's never been a factor in judging the ultimate quality of a course. Quality is about great (read: interesting and attractive) holes, which VGC has in abundance.

Our ambition, as golf architects, is simply to create the very best holes possible over any given property, no matter what the math (or rightfully varying opinions) may suggest total par should be.

Back at VGC.

Restored tee shot angle at the par-three 13th hole.

Following nearly a week in Edmonton, I'm back at Victoria Golf Club, where we've slowly been chipping away at restorative-based improvements to one of Canada's most historic golf courses (est. 1893).

Our work at VGC began in January 2009. To date, we've completed work at nine greens sites - bunkers, green surface expansion, adjustments to fairway mowing patterns, etc. This time around we're working on holes 1 and 17, and restoring the tee shot angle at the par-three 13th hole (click on image to enlarge).

When I arrived at VGC early this morning, I was anxious to see the results of our last project and couldn't be more impressed with the look of holes 11, 12 and 18. Fantastic - thanks to golf course superintendent Paul Robertson, his assistant Derek Sheffield, and their crew. We design and build golf, but then leave things to guys like Paul and Derek who subsequently make us look really, really good. I'm very grateful for their efforts and passion.  

I intend to post more photos of works in progress and completed, at VGC, over the coming week and more. So, stay tuned.