Alex Elias George Herbert Walker, maternal grandfather of President George H.W. Bush and great-grandfather of President George W. Bush, was the President of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 1920. In 1922, Walker was the driving force behind the inaugural Walker Cup (a biennial amateur golf match contested by 10-man teams from the United States of America and Great Britain & Ireland) at National Golf Links of America.
Although Walker's profound impact is the most noteworthy of the lineage, George H.W. Bush's grandfather, Samuel Prescott Bush, was one of the four founding members of Scioto Country Club and his father, Prescott Samuel Bush was a member of the Yale University golf team and a one-time USGA president (1935). Remarkably, even with his relatives' many historic achievements, George H.W. Bush is the only member of the Bush family to have been named the recipient of the Bob Jones Award (2008), the highest honor bestowed by the USGA, as well been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame (2011). As golf has always been a central pillar of the Bush family, two notable clubs were at the forefront of George and Barbara Bush's marriage. First, in 1941, 18-year-old George H.W. Bush met 16-year old Barbara Pierce at Round Hill Club. Then, in 1945, the two were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York, followed by a reception at Apawamis Club. It was at Cape Arundel Golf Club that George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush learned the game. Today, the Clubhouse is named "41 House" in honor of the 41st President of the United States, and the Club’s Practice & Teaching Facility is named "43 House" in honor of the 43rd President of the United States.
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Alex Elias Camargo Club - Cincinnati, Ohio Seth Raynor Designed by Seth Raynor in 1925, Camargo Club features the Eden 5th, the Biarritz 8th, the Short 11th, and the Redan 15th. As Raynor designed several courses that could vie for the best set of Par-3s, Pete Dye declared Camargo's the finest. Notably, many believe the Eden at Camargo Club to be the best rendition of the template. Chicago Golf Club - Wheaton, Illinois C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor In 1908, C.B. Macdonald designed National Golf Links of America, with the goal to create "the perfect golf course." Macdonald's design featured 'Short,' 'Eden,' and 'Redan', but it was at Piping Rock Club, not National Golf Links of America, where Macdonald first introduced 'Biarritz', becoming the standard quartet of template one-shot holes for Seth Raynor. In 1925, Raynor added the Biarritz 3rd, the Redan 7th, the Short 10th, and the Eden 13th to Chicago Golf Club. Notably, many believe the Redan at Chicago Golf Club to the best rendition of the template. Cypress Point Club - Pebble Beach, California Alister MacKenzie No. 15 and No. 16 are two of the most breathtaking holes in the world. From tee boxes perched 60 feet above a cove, No. 15 and No. 16 vary drastically in length. No. 15 is one of the best short Par-3s in America, playing no more than 140 yards, while No. 16 plays 233 yards from the tips. In fact, Alister MacKenzie contemplated making No. 16 a drivable Par-4. Although No. 15 and No. 16 receive the highest praise, and rightfully so, the 157 yard Par-3 3rd and 170 yard Par-3 7th are excellent in and of themselves. Los Angeles Country Club (North) - Los Angeles, California George C. Thomas Jr. Designed by George C. Thomas, Los Angeles Country Club (North) was restored in 2010 by Gil Hanse, his associate Jim Wagner and their colleague Geoff Shackelford. In an interview with The Fried Egg, Shackelford said, "I think LA North has the best set of Par-3s on the planet." With five distinct Par-3s, the 11th can stretch to nearly 300 yards, while the 15th often plays just 90 yards. Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, New Jersey George Crump/H.S. Colt Each hole at Pine Valley Golf Club is incredibly distinct, and the Par-3s are no exception. The demanding, uphill 238 yard Par-3 5th requires players to carry a water hazard, cross-bunker, and avoid deep bunkers left and right. As No. 5 is certainly the most demanding, each Par-3 poses a challenge in variety and strategy. Sleepy Hollow Country Club - Briarcliff Manor, New York C.B. Macdonald/A.W. Tillinghast The 149 yard Par-3 16th may be the most picturesque hole on the East Coast. Set in front of the Hudson River, the green features a thumbprint and is protected by a trench bunker that wraps around nearly the entire green. As No. 16 is the last of four Par-3s, players are greeted earlier in the round with No. 3, a 172 yard Par-3 over a ravine, No. 7, one of the best Reverse Redans in the country, and No. 10, a 168 yard Par-3 over water. Somerset Hills Country Club - Bernardsville, New Jersey
A.W. Tillinghast A.W. Tillinghast's Redan at Somerset Hills Country Club may be the best rendition in the world. From an elevated tee, the 201 yard Par-3 2nd requires a tee shot to the right side, as the green is set superbly over the terrain and severely sloped, with the bulk of the green hidden. By the Par-3 12th, if Somerset Hills hasn't already left a lasting impression, the setting of the beautiful Par-3 will certainly cement the Tillinghast gem as a favorite course.
Alex Elias
Boston Golf Club - Hingham, Massachusetts
Designed by Gil Hanse, the opening Par-5 at Boston Golf Club plays 510 yards from the Championship tees and 475 yards from the Member tees, featuring a blind tee shot off the tee and an elevated green. If one decides to go for the green in two, one will have an uphill shot off a downhill lie.
Castle Pines Golf Club - Castle Rock, Colorado
Although the listed yardage is 644 yards from the International tees and 600 yards from the Combo tees, the opening Par-5 at Castle Pines Golf Club can be comfortably reached in two, as No. 1 plays downhill at 6,220 feet.
Erin Hills - Erin, Wisconsin
Routed around a wetland on the left, the green of the 553 yard opening Par-5 is fairly accessible as the fairway feeds into the green and is only protected by a cluster of bunkers dug into the right hillside some 50 yards short. Notably, the second shot was made less daunting in 2010, when an oak tree at the corner of the dogleg was removed.
Kingsley Club - Kingsley, Michigan
Widely recognized as one of the best modern course designs in America, the opening hole is perhaps the best opening Par-5 in the country. No. 1 features a series of bunkers bisecting an upper and lower fairway, immediately testing one's course management.
Old Sandwich Golf Club - Plymouth, Massachusetts
Although No. 1 appears to be a true gentle handshake as players are greeted with a wide fairway, the green is the defense of the 531 yard Par-5. With a steep false front on the left, players must carry the front, but be aware of missing long. If one misses long, the ensuing chip will be very tough to hold.
Riviera Golf Club - Pacific Palisades, California
The most well-known opening Par-5, No. 1 at Riviera Golf Club sits in the shadow of the clubhouse and is elevated 75 feet above the fairway.
Sand Hills Golf Club - Mullen, Nebraska
Designed by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, the 549 yard opening Par-5 plays off a sand ridge into a valley below. The relatively small green is elevated and situated between two large sand dunes, with a treacherous bunker on the right and false front. Anything short will roll fifty yards back into the fairway.
Shoreacres - Lake Bluff, Illinois
Although Shoreacres is designed by Seth Raynor, No. 1 features two massive cross bunkers which split the fairway, a template often used by A.W. Tillinghast called Great Hazard, and must be carried on one's second shot.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course - Pebble Beach, California
After threading a chute of Monterey Pines off the tee, the downhill dogleg left leads to the Pacific Ocean. If the tee shot didn't test one's game enough, the approach shot certainly will, as players are left with a 75 yard shot to a green surrounded by bunkering — earning the hole the nickname "Treasure Island".
Quaker Ridge Golf Club - Scarsdale, New York
The defining feature of the opening hole at Quaker Ridge Golf Club is a large, yawning bunker 50 yards short of the green and about 15 feet deep forcing players to decide whether to lay up or go for the green. |
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