77 BALTUSROL UPPER “So we said let’s go and do our archaeology on the upper green. And we found that it had been raised when they abandoned the lower green. We found the original layer and it was down about two feet. When we pulled all that material off, the relationship between the two of them became much more balanced. It was clear from the old aerials that there were bunkers that were in use on both, they were jointly used. And we thought how do you have that bunkering work for both greens? But once the level of the left green came down, everything tied in.” The result is a hole that will be regarded as one of the strongest on the property, and will provide a new challenge on each play. One highly significant aspect of the Upper course renovation has been the expansion of greens to their original sizes. Now, more pin positions have been restored, edges that were rounded are more squared-off, and at the rear of several greens additional ‘backboard’ has been reintroduced. This may keep more approach shots on the green, while also adding contour into play when putting. Hanse says that work on the Upper course felt easier than the Lower. “I think it always goes smoother with the second go around,” says Hanse. “Everyone’s familiar with the methodology and what needs to occur. Ultimately, from a construction standpoint it was the same.” He also explains that the character of the Upper course’s land means there is less reliance on large features to provide interest, and it had seen fewer alterations since Tillinghast’s original build. “From an architecture standpoint, the golf course had been changed less than the Lower. As I look back over the masterplan sheets we did, there was significantly less movement of bunkers. The golf course had already been stretched – we didn’t really add much yardage to it.” Returning golfers will be struck by the reduction in tree coverage across the Baltusrol site. The more open landscape provides all the usual agronomic benefits of air and light flow, opens up more views across the property and opportunities to interact with fellow golfers. It is also much more akin to the landscape of Tillinghast’s day. A comparison of historic and current aerial images shows remarkable similarity in tree coverage, as well as course features. Infrastructure throughout has been updated – greens are now built to a USGA specification with PrecisionAire subsurface system, allowing the grounds crew to achieve Tillinghast’s intent for fast and firm play. Bunkers were rebuilt with Better Billy Bunker lining for ease of ongoing maintenance and a new Rain Bird irrigation system, designed by Paul Roche of Golf Water and installed by Landscapes Unlimited, gives the team enhanced control over the application of water to the course. There is a plaque near the eighteenth green on the Upper course to mark the US National Park Service’s 2014 designation of Baltusrol Golf Club as a National Historic Landmark that describes the courses as “the seminal work of designer AW Tillinghast”. Only now can we see how well that work has stood the test of time. This aerial image from 1935 is remarkably similar to the course today “ The character of the Upper course’s land means there is less reliance on large features to provide interest” Image: courtesy of Baltusrol Golf Club
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