ADC wrote:Hi, all! I'm back, at least for a while. I have an idea, and I was hoping to get some input on it. It's kind of... architect project and research endeavor all rolled into one.
Has anyone ever attempted to do an "historical" course? Maybe a real course, such as Oakmont as it was when it first opened in 1904? Or Augusta in '27? See, I was thinking about doing this as a sort of...time travel experience with a fictional course so I can have some room for error. Form the idea for a country club or golf club or resort or whatever, and first build it as it was in a couple years after it opened. So, say the course opened in 1900 and it is now 1904. Then update it at some point as it might have been in '25, '50, '75, and wrap it up in 2000, as the club celebrates in's centennial.
What do you all think?
Welcome back!
I think R.S. Barker was at one point working on a course in New York that is either no longer there, or has been renovated. I think it was a CB Macdonald course, and R.S. had overhead pics of New York in the early 1900's and an old pano to go with it.
Alex,
The course that I mentioned of that R.S. Barker was working on was called The Lido Club. It was located on the Long Island Peninsula from the early 20's until WWII. It was a C.B. MacDonald design.
I found this from the Mygolfer site, from R.S. Barker a long, long time ago:
"Departure wise, Lido is a task I probably should have offered to the community as a co-design, due to the massive amount of research into the course, finding object images from the 1920's-30's that fit the feel and finding sounds attributed to the area. On top of that was finding enough raw data to even attempt a recreation. However I've was able to procure a sizable amount of photos and data to make the effort worthwhile.
This course someday will see the light once a few technical issues are resolved with overhauling/redesigning both custom libraries. When I switched computers/OS's, I lost the original "placeholder" to identify all the objects in both libraries, so I need to redo them and conversely remove all custom items from the course - then re-populate. Long and tedious has been this journey.
Then its on to redesign the last 9 holes and finish the pano, which will have a complete 1931 NY City skyline...
Lido presented a rare opportunity to not follow a strict building hierarchy due to the way some holes shared fairways on the front side. It's scary to say that the easy holes are done and now I face holes with classic names like Raynor's Prize Dogleg, Strategy, Redan, and Cape. Then after those are finished, 2 holes remain. The deadly 260 yard par 3 Biarritz and Aleister MacKenzie's 18th hole contest winner.
Lido to me remains the single most triumphant design in golf, partly due to my fascination with all things MacDonald/Raynor, and also because I want to share her with you.
As of this writing, I need to reevaluate a couple holes due to recent data I've uncovered, 4 green site needs to be completely flattened and redesigned and lastly the fairways need more contour added to them to ensure they fit MacDonald's vision. This last bit of info came to me via a communication with a golfer from that era, whom informed me it would be easier to find a flat spot in the rocky mountains than on Lido."
Then part of his only post on this site in the Introduce yourself thread "Current (and agonizing) course I'm mucking about on is a recreation of The Lido Golf Club, a lost links course from the golden era of golf created by C.B. MacDonald and Seth Raynor - which sat out on the Long Island peninsula and opened for play in 1921, but was bought by the U.S. Navy prior to WWII. It's slow going due to my class schedule and also to having a serious case of designer's block at the end of the day. Will it ever see the light of day? Hopefully, at some point. 8)"
Yes its Lido time again. I've heard talk of this course off and on for several years and I'm hoping that you Doron can complete it. GOOD LUCK.
My current course project Medina is coming along. I'm working on the bunkers now then it will be time to determin what all the final textures will be and add some in the rough. After that planting (LOTS AND LOTS OF TREES) then test play. I have'nt done much with it in the last week.
WHOA there Steve!!! lol I'm just mentioning that R.S. Barker was working on it in response to ADC's question of anyone working on a historical course. I'm currently working on my home course her in NC, and seeing how much trouble I've run into so far, I could not possibly imagine what R.S. has to deal with information-wise.
