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Alex Elias A member of the “Philadelphia School of Golf Architecture,” a group that included four Philadelphia natives—Hugh Wilson, A.W. Tillinghast, George Crump, and George C. Thomas—along with Boston transplant William Flynn and Pittsburgh resident William Fownes, Flynn designed Philadelphia Country Club: Spring Mill (1927), between two of his most well-regarded works: Cherry Hills Country Club (1922) and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (1931). In the decade that followed, Philadelphia Country Club earned a permanent place in golf history when it hosted the 1939 U.S. Open, won by Byron Nelson in two playoff rounds. However, in the decades since, a series of renovations caused the course to stray from Flynn’s original design. That changed when the club hired Jim Nagle to restore the course to its 1939 U.S. Open layout. “The impetus of the project was to replace the 27-year-old irrigation system,” said Scott Reilly, Head Golf Professional at Philadelphia Country Club. “But through our conversations with Jim [Nagle], we quickly realized we had an opportunity to restore the course to its 1939 U.S. Open layout.” Using historic aerials and ground-level photos, along with letters to both the club and the USGA, Nagle—who recently restored another Flynn design, Lancaster Country Club—was able to restore the bunkering and greens as accurately as possible. “In the instances where a bunker was relocated, we duplicated the earthworks so that, even though the bunker is now further from the tee, Flynn’s original look was maintained,” said Jim Nagle. Perhaps the most significant changes occurred on the Par-4 16th and the Par-4 18th. Playing to the crest of a hill, which Reilly described as “the most dramatic vista on the property,” Hole 16 is defined by the approach shot. Playing downhill to a well-protected green, Reilly said, “It was very important to Jim to reintroduce the ground game, and on sixteen, players now have the option to run the ball down onto the green, as well as flight a wedge.” Rebuilt in 1955, Hole 18 was described by Nagle as “a departure from the rest of the course in both its bunker construction and the internal undulations of the green.” Ultimately drawing inspiration from the course's original fifth hole, the new 18th pays homage to Flynn’s most famed design—Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, specifically its Par-5 16th—with a cluster of bunkers guarding the inside of the dogleg.
“Once we decided to bunker the inside of the dogleg, we then drew inspiration from the original fifth green,” said Nagle. “We didn’t duplicate it, but restored some of its features while ensuring it fit the trajectory of the approach for the new 18th.” Beyond the restoration of the bunkers, Nagle restored all eighteen greens, recapturing over 22,000 square feet of lost putting surface. “I wouldn’t say our greens have a lot of undulations, but they are very subtle and deceptive,” said Reilly. “With the greens being expanded, we’ve been able to reintroduce pins that really force our members and guests to think on the greens.” Having recently been named a Best Renovation Honorable Mention by Golf Digest and set to co-host the 2026 U.S. Amateur with Merion Golf Club, Ryan Kenny, General Manager at Philadelphia Country Club, said, “We could not be more pleased with the outcome of the renovation. What is most gratifying about this project is that we now have a golf course that feels cohesive from the first tee to the final green. The consistency across all eighteen holes truly reflects Flynn’s genius, honors our history, elevates the playing experience for our members through Flynn's strategic intent, and positions Philadelphia Country Club to shine on the national stage, welcoming the world’s top amateur players during next year’s stroke-play segment of the U.S. Amateur.”
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Alex Elias The duo behind Sand Hills Golf Club, Friar’s Head, Old Sandwich Golf Club, and others, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are renowned for their minimalist design philosophy—one that emphasizes natural landforms and features, and organic routing over dramatic earthmoving. That approach ultimately shaped the routing of Wicker Point Golf Club (Alexander City, AL). Originally, the course was envisioned for a different site—farther from the lake and higher up the mountain—but as Russell Lands Director of Golf & Membership Matt Sheppard recalls, Coore remarked, “We are not in the business of building vistas; we’re in the business of building golf courses.”
“Because of that decision, with the present-day routing, Bill [Coore] and Ben [Crenshaw] were able to achieve what I believe they do best—design a modern course that looks as if it’s been there for a hundred years,” said Sheppard. While the beauty of Lake Martin—one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States—naturally draws attention, the course is routed through three distinct environments: Young Pine Plantation (Holes 1–3, 9–10, 14–15), Creekside (Holes 4–7), and Lakeside (Holes 8, 11–13, 16–18). Although it was important to Russell Lands to showcase the lake, Coore and Crenshaw were intent on not creating any manufactured holes—staying true to their philosophy—which ultimately led to the Par-4 3rd and Par-4 4th becoming the first holes they discovered on the property. “I remember Bill and Ben finding the third green site—a very benign hill with some subtle slopes around and behind it—and immediately saying, ‘This looks like golf.’ From there, the 4th was discovered, as Sheppard recalled Crenshaw saying, ‘If we can use the creek the way we want to, Bill believes we won’t see another golf course designed this close to natural wetlands anytime soon.’” Able to use it as they wished, the creek—now known as Little Ben’s Creek, named after Ben Russell of Russell Lands—begins to the right of the tee, cuts across to the left, then moves back to the right, protecting the front of the green and wrapping around behind it. “From a visual standpoint, it’s not like some other courses where the banks roll uniformly into the creek—the creek is raw here, consistent with the bunkers and shorelines throughout the course,” said Sheppard. “From a strategic standpoint, players must know where the pin is off the tee—especially if it’s tucked just behind the lone greenside bunker, which was added a year after the course opened. When the pin is behind the bunker, players should favor the left side for the best angle, which brings the creek into play. Players who take the aggressive line, challenging the trouble, are rewarded with a better approach.” Once the Creekside holes were discovered, the routing became much clearer. In particular, it became evident that the lake’s peninsulas—or more accurately, its coves and inlets—could be used for three Par-3s without any manufactured holes. Though some may question the inclusion of three Lakeside Par-3s, each offers plenty of variety: The first (Hole 8) at 191 yards features a reverse Redan-like green; the second (Hole 12) at 123 yards demands a wedge to a small green heavily guarded by bunkers; and the third (Hole 17) stretches to 180 yards, requiring a forced carry to a green shaped like a T-bone steak—angled so that the further back the pin is, the narrower the target becomes. As for all the green complexes, Sheppard said, “They highlight one of Coore and Crenshaw’s greatest skills: restraint.” Rather than dramatic shaping—with severe internal contours—Coore and Crenshaw relied on the sweeping movement of the fairways to blend seamlessly into the greens. Within those natural subtleties, a gentle tilt—like the one to the right of the green on the Par-4 2nd—can feed the ball toward the pin. But those same subtleties can just as easily repel shots, as on the Par-4 16th, where a slightly elevated, bunkerless green falls away into tightly mown runoffs. “In both cases, their understanding of contours challenges the player to think. On 2, the decision comes from the fairway, while on 16, it’s greenside—where players must decide whether to pitch the ball high with a 60-degree, chip it low with a 54-degree into the slope, putt it with a putter, or even bump it with a fairway wood,” said Sheppard. Even on the Par-4 9th, Coore and Crenshaw’s rendition of Seth Raynor’s Lion’s Mouth template, best known from Country Club of Charleston, demonstrates the same principle. As they have shown at several other designs, the green can be adapted to almost any setting—whether as a standalone structure in a flat environment or benched into an upslope, often a dune or hillside. At Wicker Point, the 9th green is set into a hillside with two bunkers, reminiscent of Sand Hills, though the Nebraska course features three. “The putting surface is wider than it is deep,” said Sheppard. “And because the Lion’s Mouth bunker is so deep and intimidating, more players end up in the amphitheater bunkers behind, which are even more penal.” Now, having been open for two years, next-door Willow Point Golf & Country Club is currently undergoing a renovation overseen by Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design, expected to re-open in Spring 2026. |
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