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Eastward Ho! Country Club
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Photography by George Peet
Somewhere up in heaven, I do believe Herbert Fowler is smiling down on the stewards of his seaside gem, Eastward Ho! With an ambitious restoration project nearly completed, Eastward Ho! has been thoughtfully returned to its links heritage in a fashion that would surely make the late British golf course architect proud.
After World War I, Cape Cod began to blossom as a summer resort destination. In 1921, a group of primarily Boston businessmen formed Chatham Country Club and commissioned W. Herbert Fowler (1856-1941) to design a links course on the rolling shoreline parcel in Chatham known as Nickerson’s Neck. It would be Fowler’s only original design east of the Mississippi River.
William Herbert Fowler was “perhaps the most daring and original of all golfing architects, and gifted with an inspired eye for the possibility of a golfing country.” - Bernard Darwin
Fowler arrived on the West Coast after WWI with a number of highly acclaimed original designs and restorations to his credit. Among his more famous creations were Walton Heath Golf Club (1904) and the virtually complete re-designs of Westward Ho! (1908) in England and Cruden Bay (1911) in Scotland.
An unprecedented boom in golf course architecture and construction was gaining momentum in America by the late 1910’s. The Arts and Crafts Movement was in full swing spawning the Golden Age of Golf Course Architecture. Most of the great British golf architects were drawn to America during this period as golf course construction in Great Britain had come to a virtual stop in the wake of the Great War. According to architecture historian Thomas MacWood, “California following WWI produced a succession of landmark designs and redesigns by Herbert Fowler (Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, Del Monte), Norman MacBeth (Wilshire CC), Willie Watson (Olympic), Max Behr (Lakeside CC), George Thomas (Riviera), H. Chandler Eagan (Pebble Beach), A.W. Tillinghast (San Francisco CC) and Alister MacKenzie (Cypress Point and Pasatiempo). It was a period of designs possibly unmatched anywhere, anytime.”
“Fowler’s most famous contribution to golf in America came in 1922 when he transformed the 18th hole at Pebble Beach from a 379-yard par 4 to a 548 yard par 5, creating the finest finishing hole in all of golf” - Pebble Beach Resorts.
“Fowler’s minimalist approach is evident in all his designs - the teeing areas are simple affairs, there are no superfluous bunkers, the greens are frequently extensions of the fairways, and there is never any ‘framing’ of the greens” according to golf course architecture historian Ran Morrissett of www.golfclubatlas.com. “While cross bunkers, heather and gorse form the challenge at the comparatively flat Walton Heath, Fowler used the rolling topography at Eastward Ho! to keep the golfer off guard. Similar to Westward Ho!, the golfer continually faces the timeless dilemma of links golf: controlling the trajectory of his shot from an awkward stance.”
“Herbert Fowler is one of a handful of the grand master golf course architects. Though he had the pick of England’s choice properties upon which he built many of their finest golf courses, I think he would concur that the Eastward Ho! site was the finest site upon which he ever had to work.” -Ran Morrissett
In his final report to the founders of Chatham Country Club in 1920, Fowler wrote, “I have carefully examined the ground which you have acquired for the purpose of making a golf course. I have seen very few pieces of ground to compare with this both as regards situation and the natural contours of the ground.” A naturally undulating glacial moraine surrounded by Pleasant Bay on three sides with striking views of the barrier beach and the Atlantic Ocean beyond, Eastward Ho! is indeed blessed with some of the most dramatic golfing terrain and vistas on the East Coast.
The Story of Eastward Ho! Country Club states that “the formal opening of the Eastward Ho! links of the Chatham Country Club took place on July 3, 1922. It was celebrated by an exhibition match featuring Francis Ouimet. After the match, Ouimet pronounced that in five years time the mature course would be “the toughest of the tough” to score on. The Boston Herald ran a full page article under the headline “Eastward Ho, Cape Cod’s Wonder Links, Opened for Play.” “Nothing short of majestic are some of these holes,” the Herald reported.
Fowler brilliantly routed Chatham Country Club in the shape of a figure eight, taking golfers out and back on both nines along the water’s edge. On both nines, golfers would face winds from all points on the compass and play the final hole with the sun at their back. A narrowing at the midpoint of Nickerson’s Neck served as an ideal location to site the clubhouse. An existing cottage perched high on a bluff overlooking Pleasant Bay would later form the core of the first clubhouse and today serves as Eastward Ho!’s grill room.
“God builds golf links and the less man meddles the better for all concerned.” -Herbert Fowler
Over time, Eastward Ho! gradually drifted from its bump and run origins. Like so many of its peers, the course had become overly irrigated and overly groomed with the advent of the automatic irrigation system. At least a dozen bunkers had been grassed over. Those that remained had lost their bite. Unchecked tree and underbrush growth impeded air flow to tees and greens. Some of the finest ocean vistas in all of golf had vanished. The ground game had become a thing of the past.
The Stars Align
Projects of this significance don’t realize their potential without a unified commitment from the membership, proper research and planning, hard work and a bit of good fortune. The first step in any quality restoration project is the creation of a blueprint or Master Plan. For that, one needs a golf course architect. In the fall of 2002, the members of Eastward Ho! began their search to find an architect who could demonstrate a respectful eye on the past and remain true to Fowler’s intent. The architect would need to check his ego at the first tee.
Ironically, the architect Eastward Ho! ultimately hired, Keith Foster, initially passed on the project. Foster cut his teeth working for the golf course architect firm headed by the prolific Arthur Hills. After contributing on 16 projects, mostly on the West Coast, Foster decided to strike out on his own. He opened his own design firm in 1991, but the breakneck pace of a large firm proved to be too much to sustain. Five years later, Keith Foster Golf Course Design moved to Paris, Ky. He and his wife decided that a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the Bluegrass Region would be an ideal setting to raise horses and simply slow things down a bit.
When word of the Eastward Ho! restoration project passed across his desk, Foster was tempted, but felt he was simply too busy with his then current restoration projects, Colonial CC (Perry Maxwell), Southern Hills (again Maxwell), and Baltimore CC at Five Farms (A.W. Tillinghast) to take on another restoration project. In October of 2003, Foster left a message for the green committee chairman that he was going to pass on applying for the job at Eastward Ho!.
Foster’s name was on the short list of candidates because one committee member was a member of Five Farms and knew first-hand the caliber of Foster’s work. Fortunately for all involved, the green committee chairman wasn’t very good at taking “no” for an answer. He was incredulous that any golf course architect worth his salt would decline an opportunity to look at his beloved Eastward Ho!. The chairman called Foster back first thing the following morning. He told him that he empathized with Foster’s dilemma, but in a (semi) tongue-and-cheek fashion, told Foster that he believed he was making a “terrible mistake.” He told Foster that this was the chance of a lifetime to polish this unblemished gem. He also painted a captivating picture of Chatham as an enchanting seaside village reminiscent of the settings of so many villages near the great courses in the British Isles. Foster took the bait.
The late summer and early fall growing season is always a busy time for golf course architects. Most projects in the Northern states are shaped during the summer and then there is a crunch to get them grassed in before winter sets in. Foster had been on the road for most of that fall of 2002 and was long overdue for some quality time with his wife. He convinced her that a trip to Cape Cod (with one little piece of business) would make for a nice romantic getaway. Foster and his wife made the trek to Chatham in early November. After checking into the Wayside Inn late the night before, Foster arose before sunrise to walk the course in solitude. His first daylight views of Chatham and Eastward Ho! literally came while walking up the first fairway. A student of Fowler’s great works in England and Scotland, Foster knew by the time he arrived at the first green that he “had to have this job.” As his walk continued, he became captivated by the drama of this rolling seaside setting, the unspoiled fairways and green complexes, the clubhouse’s wood paneled grill room and even the musty smell of the locker room. It did indeed remind him of his many golf pilgrimages to the British Isles. His enthusiasm for the golf course and sensitivity for the challenge ahead spilled over into his afternoon interview with the executive committee. It wasn’t long before he had the job.
Creating the Master Plan
In the spring of 2003, Foster began the daunting task of interpreting Fowler’s original intentions and creating the blueprint for going forward. Foster spent more than a dozen days walking the property that spring. He immersed himself into Fowler’s writings and returned to England to reacquaint himself with Fowler’s great works, including Westward Ho!, Saunton, and Walton Heath. Foster’s mission was further aided by two priceless resources in the club’s archives: Fowler’s final report to the club written in 1920 and a treasure trove of old photographs cataloging all 18 holes prior to the course’s opening in 1924.
“Of all the bunker-makers, Mr. Fowler is perhaps the most ferocious, since he will plant a difficulty just the least bit nearer to the hole than any other ‘architect’; for the shot that is nearly good he has little mercy.” - Horace Hutchinson
Foster’s Master Plan called for the resculpting of every bunker and the reintroduction of over a dozen lost bunkers which had been either removed or grassed over through the years. All of the greens would be restored to their original green pads. Chipping areas would be reintroduced. All of the tees would be reworked and enhanced and over 100 yards would be added to the length of the course. Unsightly cart paths would be removed or at least taken out of direct view wherever possible. Working closely with the Chatham Conservation Commission, a comprehensive tree clearing program would be implemented. Underbrush was cleared to improve airflow. Over 20 acres of maintained turf would be returned to native vegetation.
One huge hurdle remained; gaining the approval of the membership. After all, this was uncharted territory. Old line clubs are notoriously resistant to change and such an ambitious plan had never before been attempted at Eastward Ho! The Executive Committee was so impressed with Foster’s Master Plan and so confident that his compassion and respect for Fowler’s work would shine through that they asked him to stand before the membership and introduce the Master Plan at the 2003 Annual Meeting. The project would sink or swim on the merits of his presentation that August day. Foster’s pledge to honor the course and his genuine appreciation of the opportunity to restore Fowler’s vision won the day.
Keeper of the Green
The next piece of business was hiring the “keeper of the green.” A new superintendent would be needed to oversee the construction crew and the “grow-in.” It would also be no easy task to follow in the footsteps of the retiring 38-year veteran superintendent Brian Cowan, who would stay to oversee the everyday maintenance until the restoration was complete. But in Frank Hancock, Eastward Ho! found a man with “major” experience who had honed his skills on links courses with comparable grasses and weather conditions. His resume was impressive as he had served as the first assistant at both Shinnecock Hills GC during the 2004 U.S. Open and as an assistant with the Pebble Beach Corporation during the 2000 U.S. Open. Just 33 years old, Hancock arrived with the reputation as a natural leader and a stickler for details. He also knew how to make a golf course firm and fast.
Ironically, Hancock and Foster both had previous working relationships with the construction crew, MacDonald and Sons, from Baltimore, who were hired to execute Foster’s plans. Foster and Hancock were particularly pleased to have a trusted hand, Erik MacDonald, on the shaping blade.
On September 13, 2004, the team of Foster, Hancock, MacDonald and their dedicated crews were in place and the earthmoving began. Striking a delicate balance between construction and member play, the team was in a race with Mother Nature to complete the heavy lifting before the ground froze for the winter. In that 3 1/2-month window, 46 bunkers would be reworked and 13 new ones added, every tee was rebuilt and eight new ones were added, numerous cart paths were either taken out or repositioned, and acres of underbrush cleared. Between the approved clearing and a ferocious squall on December 9, 2004, over 200 trees were taken down. Along the way, there were a number of nights in December when the crews ingeniously incubated palates of fresh sod in the maintenance building to keep the project moving forward as frost began to set in.
Dramatic Changes
Seizing on golf hole closings and diminished play due to the construction work, Hancock began working his craft of firming up the golf course. The club’s maintenance crew aggressively aerified not only all of the greens, but the final 30 to 40 yards of the green approaches. In a normal year, a typical
course aerifies the greens two to three times. Rarely do they aerify the approaches. In the first two years of this aggressive assault on thatch, the EHCC maintenance team has aerified the greens 14 times and the green approaches 26 times. Degrading that barrier layer of thatch enables water to more readily percolate into the sandy soils. With water no longer trapped near the surface (a breeding ground for disease), the plants have no alternative but to grow their roots deeper down to find water.
Hancock also courageously turned down the water. In a break from traditional country club patterns of regularly timed light watering, Hancock and his crew took a page from the USGA playbook and resorted to more specific hand watering “in deep and infrequent cycles.” In his words, the crew now waters the golf course “just enough to keep the grass alive.” Lessening the course’s dependency on surface H2O, the grass is healthier, more resistant to disease and traffic, and can be cut shorter. For the golfers, these firmer and faster playing conditions have opened the door to a greater variety of shotmaking possibilities into and around the greens. Golf at Eastward Ho! can now be played on the ground as well as in the air.
“It remains for the golf architects to so design the greens that they shall be both difficult of access and that the putting shall demand care and skill in judging slopes and undulations.” - Herbert Fowler
With the bunker restoration and tee renovation completed by late December of 2004, Foster and Hancock turned their focus in the fall of 2005 to restoring the greens to their original green pads. The enlarged greens give Hancock more creative areas to place the pins while at the same time diffusing the impact of foot traffic. Chipping areas were reestablished on six holes and numerous lost false fronts were rediscovered. The putter has become a common chipping club of choice when a green is missed.
Native fescue grasses have been strategically reintroduced and now distinctly frame corridors that were once highly groomed. It is generally a three-to-five-year process to establish normally slow growing fescue grass, but the wet spring and summer in 2006 have accelerated their emergence.
“The golf course is now more much exacting,” says Eastward Ho!’s club professional Brian Hamilton, “the driver has been reestablished as a position club. If you hit a bad shot, it is going to bounce into a bad spot. Before, mishits would hang up and you could get by just fine scraping it around. Now, you have to think your way around and hit good shots to score well.”
“I am quite certain that I can design a course on this ground which will compare favorably with all but three or four courses in the United Kingdom and will be second to none of them.” - Herbert Fowler in his final report titled “Chatham Golf Course Cape Cod,” dated 25 November, 1920
“I have been blessed to play most of the world’s best courses, but over time I have come to more fully appreciate the brilliance of what Herbert Fowler created at Eastward Ho!” says Brad Faxon, longtime PGA Tour player and EHCC member. “I truly believe I wouldn’t be the player I became without learning to play the slopes, elevations and in the elements one faces on any given day at Eastward Ho!. Where else would one learn to hit a 7-iron 100 yards up a hill into the wind to a tiny green! I am thrilled to see it play so firm and fast. The members should be extremely proud of Keith Foster’s restoration and the maintenance crew’s dedicated efforts.”
Surely W. Herbert Fowler is.
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