Shoreacres

Shoreacres. Lake Bluff, Illinois. Golf Course Architect: Seth Raynor. Est. 1916. Hole #15. Par 5. 478 Yards. Dogleg left with ravine left edge of fairway and crossing at second turn point.

Every once in awhile I come across a hidden gem, for me, in the world of golf. Shoreacres, quietly in the top 100 in the United States, is one such course. Located about a 90 minute train ride from Chicago's Ogilvie Station headed north along Lake Michigan to the Norman Rockwellish town of Lake Bluff.

Recently, on a gorgeous autumnal October morning, I made the trip north to see this little jewel. The course architect, Seth Raynor, is one with whom I am familiar. Knowing his body of work, I knew the trip would be worth the effort. I was not disappointed.

I grew up next to a Seth Raynor course in St. Louis, Missouri and have been fortunate to either have played or toured several of his fine courses: Camargo in Cincinnati, the old Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula CC, Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh to name a few. Additionally, I saw his handiwork at courses on which he collaborated with the self-proclaimed father of Golf Course Architecture in the United States, CB Macdonald. Those old courses remain notable worldwide: National Golf Links, Fishers Island, Mid Ocean, Yale University and Shinnecock Hills redesign. High quality enduring projects all.

Seth Raynor graduated with a Civil Engineering at Princeton in 1898. With degree in hand, he established himself as a skilled and well respected local surveyor on Long Island...he had zero interest in golf.

As life evolved, golf serendipitously came to him in the form of CB Macdonald. As golf began to grow inn the USA, dreamers and visionaries like Macdonald needed skilled people to help make his dreams become reality. Macdonald hired Raynor who provided the intellectual muscle to make his vision work in the real world.

After years of working with the combative and egocentric Macdonald, Raynor went out on his own. After several successful solo projects as mentioned above, Seth Raynor was commissioned by Samuel FB Morse to route three courses for Del Monte Properties in the Pebble Beach forest. Two of the courses were for the Monterey Peninsula CC and other was for Cypress Point Golf Club. Unfortunuately for Raynor, he died suddenly from pneumonia at age 52 in 1926 and was replaced at inimitable Cypress Point by Alastair Mackenzie. In the world of "ifs and could haves", arguably, if Raynor lived Mackenzie would not have had the subsequent designs of Augusta National, Royal Melbourne, Crystal Downs and many others. Such was the cachet of the Cypress Point project for the designer of record.

In any event, Raynor's short career was rich as defined by his splendid work. Shoreacres remains one of Raynor's lasting legacies. For the true golfer, it is a joy to walk and play. Shoreacres topography belies its surroundings. Flatness and dullness prevails in most of Illinois. Yet, Shoreacres land was exceptionally created for golf. The topo rolls, heaves, dips, climbs and meanders as if one is on a nature hike in the woods. Across the 18 holes, I suspect, the elevation differential between high and low is no more than 50 feet but it feels like more. The fairways, the greensites and the bunker sites are all suited perfectly for what the land allowed. The subtlety of the contours and landforms that may have been marginally touched by man seems indistinguishable from the natural. The abundant treescape add a certain sense of enclosure on each hole which heightens the drama. And the ever-present serpentine and forboding ravine which effects 11 of the 18 holes was used brilliantly by Raynor in adding strategic and aesthetic value to the holes.

Raynor also introduced some folly into his courses. As an example, his #6 green at Shoreacres, an adjustable straightaway par 3 from 150-210 yards, has a two tiered green with a cross sectional valley that measures well over 20,000sf total. A putt over 200' is possible on that green. Now that's a folly!

The old traditional golf courses are wonderful creations. Shoreacres is 6305 yards from the tips. Short by modern standards but who cares about modern standards when you are in the presence of artistic genius. Thank you Seth Raynor for creating such terrific courses for our enjoyment.