9 holes | Par 36
Yardage | 2,461-3,362
Rating | 66.9-71.6
Slope | 113-132
One of my favorite things to do is to play golf on an old-fashioned course. I imagine all of the players, both important and not, who have passed this way before. It doesn’t get much more historic than Old Brockway. It was designed by John Duncan Dunn and opened in 1924. Dunn was one of the big four architects of his day. Bing Crosby brought friends to the course in 1934 and 1935 for a tournament that was so popular it became the annual Bing Crosby Pro Am in Monterey in 1937.
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“The greens are lush, some of the smoothest that I have putted on in a long time.
Sand traps are small, deep and widely scattered throughout the course.”
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The course is a par 36 and stretches to 3,362 yards from the back tees, or 2,461 yards from the forward tees. I imagine that it was quite a test in 1924 with Haskell golf balls and hickory-shafted clubs. The greens are small, averaging 4,000 to 4,500 square feet, compared to 7,500 square feet for a modern course. Small greens were easier to build and maintain in 1924 because it was all done by hand. According to owner Lane Lewis, the layout is much the same now as it was when it opened.
All of the holes at Old Brockway have character, but I feel the most interesting is the 376-yard No. 5. A creek runs through the middle of the fairway that requires a 220-yard carry from the white tees. If it plays into the wind, that carry can be tough. A lay-up will leave 175 yards to an uphill green. This is a perfect example of how a hole can be designed without a lot of length, yet play much longer.
The greens are lush, some of the smoothest that I have putted on in a long time. Sand traps are small, deep and widely scattered throughout the course. The middle of the course sports surprising elevation changes. Each hole is lined with tall trees that creates an optical illusion making the hole seem much narrower than it is. As a result, the desire to steer the shot, rather than swinging away, takes a while to overcome.
You would be wise not to dismiss a nine-hole course like Old Brockway, even if you want to play 18 holes. A fun option to play 18 holes on a nine-hole course is to change the tees between nines. Start with the whites for the first round and go back to the blues or blacks for the second nine. The tee boxes at Old Brockway are large. You will be amazed how much 20 or 30 yards can change a golf hole.
You owe it to yourself to visit Old Brockway and take an enjoyable step back in time.
To book a tee time, call (530) 546-9909 or visit oldbrockway.com.
Story & photos by John Dee
