New-York tribune., 1918-07-07
Wood7Cay Club Moues
River for Golf Links
The Noroton Is Shifted Fifty
Yards in Hilly Section
of Connecticut

The Woodway Country Club. recently
organized and having a new course and
clubhouse. is comfortably situated In
the hilly section Of Connecticut near
Springdale. The club has q limited
membership Of ESQ and has purchased
q farm Of iSS acres, which was chiefly
woodland.
Willie Park. the famous British
golfer, was the architect who laid out
the course, so far as stalking it off and
making a map of the links was con-
cerned, but the laborious task of con-
structien was shifted onto the shoul-
ders Of Al Williams, who for year has
been experimenting the cutting of
trees, pulling of stumps, blasting of
rocks, filling of swamps, removal of
stone fences and building Of drains.
Every one OF the putting green's had
to be raised from six to eight feet in
the back, and on one hole the course Of
Noroton River had to be carried back
fifty yards in order to make q hole
more playable.
There was an old farm house on the
property and several other buildings
These structures were lined up to-
getber and additions and extensions
put TO them, and veranda fifteen feet
wide built along the entire front of the
building facing the course, giving the
whole structure a cosey, homelike ap-
pearance.
In selecting the nine holes that are
now In use, those which made the best
circuit were taken. They are the FIRST,
second, third, fourth, fourteenth, ff-
teenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and
eighteenth.
Fitst Hole 465 Yards Long
The first hole is 4s5 yards long, the
tee for which is 1856 feet long and 70
feet wide, and the green is likewise
wide. 1t is built high, but an over
approach will be punished on both
sides and back. The contour of the
ground is grand. 1t is rolling, but
there is fiat putt of six feet to be
had no matter where the hole is sunk.
Par for the hole is 5.
The second is dog legs hole of $50
yards. There is deep sand trap to
the left, l75 yards from the tee, which
long player can carry in playing
straight for the green, but it is safer
to cross about thirty feet in front Of
the green. The green is about 100 feet
square and raised about four feet, so
that an overapproach will prove costly.
Par is at 4.
In order to make a good approach to
the third green pond had to be filed
In eight feet in order to get the ground
three feet above the old water line.
The hole is 3s5 yards long. The green
Is on naturally high ground and Is
built up in the back. There is q stone
wall to the right, while it is down hill
% tho loft aoS hoct
Mems Tee Back of Women's
The mems tee on the fourth hole is
so feet back Of the ladies', but on a
terrace about six feet higher. The
hole is $50 yards and carry Of $50
The line Of play is uphill, with the
green on top. 1t is 200 feet long and
30 wide. Both sides and the back are
wooded. Part of the approach to the
green Is artificial, as side trap is
fully three feet above the original
contour Of the land. There are artifi-
cial hills on both sides and In the
back Of the green.
The other Ave holes of the mems
which are to be put in commission
July % begin with the fourteenth, 345
the fourth green, downgrade to the
present clubhouse. About $50 yards
from the tee are two lagoons. one on
each side of the fair green, which have
been built especially to trap a pulled
or sliced ball. With this exception the
going is excellent.
The back of the green is built up
from six to ten feet above the original
slope Of the land. This was done for
q double reason, as it not only fur
nishes an open approach of the green,
but in bad weather it protects the green
from the rush of water from the hills
beyond and carries it of to the right
and down into the brook, which feeds
the lagoons and supplies the large lake
IN front of the clubhouse.
Must Clear Lake on Fifteenth
The fifteenth hole is 165 yards, with
carry OF loo yards to clear the lake.
There Is q thirtyyard approach from
the lake to the edge Of the green,
ception of two sand pits on the back
corners and sand trap on the right
front corner. There arc four tees for
this hole and the line Of play is be-
tween two willow trees.
Possibly the only blind green on the
course, outside OF the dog-leg hole
is the sixteenth, Of $50 ynrds. There
Is knoll of about fifty yards in front
of the tee, fully fifty feet high, which
must be carried on the drive, and the
rest Is easy going. The green is raised