HOLE 5 PAR 3, 171 YARDS
blueprints were broken into smaller clusters, multiplying their number by a factor of three and giving the course a busy, shotgun-type look uncom- mon for Ross. It’s uncertain if Ross or his lead associate J B McGovern, who lived in Philadelphia and was there for the duration of the project, made the decision to alter the plans. What Ross drew is not what was built, even though his comments about Aronim- ink suggest he approved the changes. Renovations in future decades by other architects gradually reduced the num- ber of bunkers, either removing them
as-built course based on late 1920s aerial photography. This meant adding over 100 bunkers across the property and reestablishing the course’s unique appearance. HOLE 7 PAR 4, 419 YARDS Ross used bunkers rather than doglegs at Aronimink to create movement, and the seventh is the last hole that truly bends. It’s also the most difficult fairway to hit. It’s a blind tee shot over direction- Small clusters of bunkers were brought back from the original design, with over 100 added in total.
The short, island-like par 3 surrounded in bunkers was a Ross specialty that he used at Seminole, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, Scioto and dozens of other clubs. Aronimink’s fifth is one of his more at- tractive versions, playing slightly down- hill to an ample, tabletop green with wavy contours around the back edge. Though it can stretch to over 170 yards, Hanse thinks it’s most intriguing when played extremely forward – so it’s just a touch-shot for good players, especially coupled with a hole location in the front bowl that can yield birdies in bunches and even an ace or two. BUNKERS During the original construction of Aronimink, the large, singular bunkers bunkers that Ross illustrated on his
or recombining the clusters into whole shapes. During their 2017 remod- el, Hanse, Wagner and the club chose to recreate the
TILT-A-WHIRL The seventh hole’s tilted fairway is the most challenging to hit.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 99
MAY 2026
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator