"Hopefully Harry Colt is up there somewhere and looking down on us with a nod of approval"

Martyn Herman reports that a remodeled Wentworth is ready for the 2010 European PGA Championship. Unfortunately, Ernie Els violated the cardinal sin of restoration work: making major changes and declaring that the original architect would be pleased. He's just entered the Rees and Fazio division.

A new water hazard extending 90 yards down the 18th fairway and alongside a reshaped green will stiffen the challenge for competitors at the European Tour's flagship event won this year by Britain's Paul Casey.

First ugh. Second one:

New bunkers have also been added to "future proof" the course against the game's big hitters.

"Next year will be particularly exciting as it will be the first European Tour event on the Remodeled West Course," said European Tour championship director Jamie Birkmyre in a statement.

"The changes to the landscapes and the different challenges the greens will pose the players will surely make for a fantastic event."

And the killer:

The West Course, designed in 1926 by Harry Colt, has remained virtually untouched apart from alterations in 2005 and again this year which were overseen by South African triple major winner and local resident Ernie Els.

"Hopefully Harry Colt is up there somewhere and looking down on us with a nod of approval," added the record seven-times winner of the World Match Play at Wentworth.

First, the changes in 2005 were reviled by players and they usually don't notice much.

Second, adding a water hazard does not constitute "virtually untouched," so just maybe Harry Colt is not up there celebrating this. But that's just a guess.

Comments

[Hawkeye]

A lot depends on how the water hazard looks. Praise has been rightfully geaped upon Kingston Heath's "scruffy" bunker edges, and the 8th at Wentworth has one of the better looking "scruffy ponds", IMO. If it looks something like that, then it wouldn't be totally out of character, but then, hazards on the outside of a dogleg is seldom referred to as "good architecture"...

[Tom]

Never been there so I'm no judge, and I agree with our host in principle. But from what other people say, Wentworth West was never considered one of Colt's masterpieces anyway--just the one that gets played the most by the pros. Instead of invoking Augusta or Bethpage, perhaps a better analogy is Firestone South. No one got angry about the history of changes there.

I understand the new water hazard on 18 is a faux creek, lined wih plank siding. I suppose it makes it more of a risk-reward hole. But it reminds me of a old Dan Jenkins parody of an architect offering his services to Augusta National--"No one will believe it's a real golf course if it hasn't got an island green!"

[Garth]

On a quite similar issue:

http://www.ontgolf.ca/g4g/2009/08/04/toronto-gc-when-is-it-a-restoration-and-when-is-it-something-else/

[Boyer]

Colt was the "the lies are too damned good" curmudgeon from Mackenzie's book. A club secretary and lawyer. Yeah, I'm sure he's loving it Ernie.