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  1. #1
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    Default Blackwood GC 10:30AM 31st December (last minute!)

    Hey Guys,

    I played Blackwood a few weeks ago and it was in sensational condition

    Looking to play there again tomorrow, Matthew (from proshop) has booked in a 4ball for 10:30AM

    Green Fee is $40, let me know if you're keen
    Last edited by thecollective; 30th December 2018 at 01:08 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default

    wishful thinking with the late notice, all good

  3. #3
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    I was only 8 hours and 5 Doak points away from joining you
    "Golf makes different creatures of us all, some worse, some better, but all enthusiastic" Evening Journal, 1897.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by marcel View Post
    I was only 8 hours and 5 Doak points away from joining you
    Awwwwww, ain’t love grand.

  5. #5

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    front nine fairways have been cored and sanded, back nine fairways have been sliced.
    Maintenance should have recovered, so playing conditions should be good right now - I hope to play there in January one Saturday.

    Sorry I didn't see your plan for today TC.

    Benje

  6. #6
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    Played again today, course was cherry ripe, Benje here is a picture of the area I’m talking about on #15


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    Last edited by thecollective; 13th January 2019 at 10:39 AM. Reason: sh*t resolution on photo

  7. #7
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    Some more picsIMG_3790.jpgIMG_3801.jpgIMG_3802.jpg


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  8. #8

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    TC

    I'm playing next Saturday with the President.
    I suspect the money will be going in on corrective maintenance, not new green builds.
    I'm genuinely excited to see what is what next week.

    We can discuss more after next Saturday.

    Benje

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by thecollective View Post
    Played again today, course was cherry ripe, Benje here is a picture of the area I’m talking about on #15


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Bit warm there on Friday TC!?

    Have driven past there a couple of times and it is looking okay: thing with Blackwood GC is that even when I knew what I was doing and playing okay, (cannot remember what day that was though!?), I could never get on at BGC for some reason!?

  10. #10

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    The Collective asked about Blackwood 15, and a possible green site.
    This hole has probably had the most iterations of any hole at Blackwood.

    Originally, Vern Morcom had the hole as a 444 yard par 4, with a blind second to the top of the hill.
    It was the 12th hole (10 was a long par 3 from the carpark to the south on the practice fairway, 11 was a par 5 up and over the hill to the west to what is now the 11 green. That lasted about a dozen years.

    In 1973 or so, a new green was built in virgin scrub to the current site. The old 15th green (current pitching green) could have been pushed back toward 16 tee, but in the end the water hole/par 5 was pushed back, initially as #12 but later as #15 (the current 10th hole had 3 holes there - 13, 14 and 15).

    The new hole was bunkerless (bunker drainage was a major issue in the early days) with a severe tier and a small (postage stamp) sized top tier surrounded by a gutter. You can still see this top tier behind and left of the current green.

    About a decade later, Brian Crafter with some help from his young son Neil redesigned the greensite. The lake was cut in a little tighter, two fairway bunkers short of the lake were added (which photo'd really well from the back of the green, but did little to the hole). The front tier of the old green was lowered. There were two bunkers short left (these were later joined into the current single bunker). There was a bunker mid-green on the right. There was a rear splash bunker cut into the old tier of the green, for the width of the green. 6 bunkers were added, and the lake extended. Unless you got to the old green site, the green surface and lake was blind for your approach.

    In 1991, Tony Cashmore built the new holes to the south (10 through 14). His proposal for 15 was to cut some of the fairway about 170 metres from the green so that some visibility of the green could be achieved for the approach. Cashmore loved cutting ground - Mt Osmond is an example for his use of this technique on existing golf courses. The club did not proceed with this.

    In the early 2000's, the willows abutting the first dam were removed, making more of a cape tee shot and some width.
    Later, the gum tree about 80 metres from the green was removed.

    At some stage, the right hand bunker was removed (willow roots and limited access to the 16th path made it impractical. Later, the rear bunker was removed. I can't remember when these occurred.
    Then, mounding was added to flatten out the old green (the old green was just turfed over in 1973, and survived as such for nearly 40 years. The mounding stopped balls rolling towards the dam on a long seond, but also further limited any view of the dam and still did not permit any visibility of the green.
    Later, Neil Crafter built some new mounds right of the fairway on the green approach when trees between 15 and the chipping green were removed.

    If I was to have a wish for #15, it would be to improve the visibility of the lake and green surface from about 150 metres or so from the green. It is one of the prettiest spots and one of the most challenging shots on the course, but you only get to enjoy that if you have a 100 metre or less second shot. Part of this occurs from the lowering of the 15th green in the mid 1980's but a lot of this really goes back to 1973 when the green was first pushed back and the old green was just turfed over - there was no attempt to tie in that old green area into the surrounding ground, and no attempt to provide a view of the green except for the 100 metre and shorter shot.
    Last edited by Benje; 13th January 2019 at 02:23 PM. Reason: extra info

  11. #11
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    Great post Benje!

    For me #15 would be better with the green at the top of the hill, take down that tree and carve out a one tiered green in a bowl shape that allows for back stopping from long second shots, this would allow the current green area to be a landing zone for B graders who cannot make the top of the hill, leaving them a fun pitch up to the top tier, the 3rd shot from behind the dam will be incredibly daunting at the flag and the dam will come more into play for pulled shots that are common in nervy players trying to guide the ball

    I do agree with your comments surrounding visibility, perhaps Cashmore's plan is the way forward or potentially installing a hill earlier on in the tee shot making it a blind drive for the perfect line

    It's an exciting hole on a good piece of land, I feel it could be one of the best par 5's in the state with a bit of work

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by nadg63 View Post
    Bit warm there on Friday TC!?

    Have driven past there a couple of times and it is looking okay: thing with Blackwood GC is that even when I knew what I was doing and playing okay, (cannot remember what day that was though!?), I could never get on at BGC for some reason!?
    Yeah, started out overcast but then when the clouds went it was scorching. I skipped 11-14 and just played 15 onwards

    Blackwood is a full field during peak times, the best time to play it is late Friday afternoon as you have the entire place to yourself


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  13. #13

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    Friday afternoon is also post weekend preparation by the greenstaff - perfect playing conditions, best for the week.


 

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