No golf course in the Dallas area is more historic than Cedar
Crest. Prior
to 1927, neither the U.S. Open nor the PGA Championship had been played outside of
the Northeast or the Midwest. The South
and West had yet to host a major championship. A Dallas banker named Sol Dreyfuss set out to
change that. He offered a $12,000 purse,
the richest prize to date for a golf tournament, to make his home club in Dallas,
Texas the stage for the 1927 PGA Championship.
But more than money attracted the sport’s best golfers to Dallas; Cedar Crest Country Club was “considered by golf architects and critics [as] one of the most
difficult links in the South,” according to the New York Times.
Cedar Crest was designed by
A.W. Tillinghast in 1919. The list of
A strong field came to Dallas for the 1927 tournament, including Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour, Johnny Farrell, Joe Turnesa,
Al Espinosa, Bobby Cruickshank, and Sir Walter Hagen. The
format for the 1927 PGA started with a 36-hole stroke-play event on Tuesday,
narrowing the field to thirty-two golfers.
Then five rounds of 36-hole match play would crown a champion. Sir Walter Hagen claimed the prize. With
the win, he became the first and only player in history to win four
consecutive PGA Championships. No other
player has won more than two in a row. This
was his fifth and final PGA Championship victory. His share of the purse was $2,000, and Hagen
asked to be paid in the clubhouse basement because two men were waiting
upstairs to confiscate the money to pay back alimony. Sol Dreyfuss obliged, and Hagen made it out
of town with the cash.
Cedar Crest Country Club fell on hard times after the stock-market crash, and it soon closed. It was subsequently purchased by the City of Dallas in 1946. The old clubhouse was torn down and many bunkers were filled in. But then, after the turn of the new century, things began to change. A new $2 million clubhouse was built in 2001, and the course was reworked by D.A. Weibring in 2004. The $3 million renovation brought much of the original character back to the course. Although the routing was changed, Tillinghast’s distinctive bunkers once again guard many of the greens.
Cedar Crest Country Club fell on hard times after the stock-market crash, and it soon closed. It was subsequently purchased by the City of Dallas in 1946. The old clubhouse was torn down and many bunkers were filled in. But then, after the turn of the new century, things began to change. A new $2 million clubhouse was built in 2001, and the course was reworked by D.A. Weibring in 2004. The $3 million renovation brought much of the original character back to the course. Although the routing was changed, Tillinghast’s distinctive bunkers once again guard many of the greens.
Hole #1: The
course opens with the longest hole, a 602 yard par 5 that curves gently to the
right. The entire course is lined with
trees, and the first hole starts with a few scattered trees on the left side of
the fairway and a large grove on the right. The green is very small and slightly elevated,
with a deep bunker to the front right.
This hole is the first in a pattern for the course: a small, elevated green surrounded by deep
bunkers. Cedar Crest is not a flashy
course, but it is beautiful in a subdued, elegant way.
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| Tee shot - 602 yard par 5 1st hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Green - 1st hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Hole #2: The
second hole is one of the best on the course. A very short, 356 yard par 4, with a sharp
right-hand turn halfway to the green. The
fairway sits on a shelf. The rough
slopes slightly up to the left of the fairway, but it has a steep drop to the
right. Nevertheless, there is grass on
the lower level to the right of the fairway, so an errant slice is still playable. Again, the green is very small and elevated. There are no bunkers greenside, but rather
large mounds surround the green on all sides. Even one bad shot on this hole can spell
trouble. I could play this hole over and
over again without getting bored.
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| Tee shot - 356 yard par 4 2nd hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Looking up at the 2nd hole green. Miss the fairway to the right, and this will be your second shot. |
Hole #3: The first par-3
hole of the course is number three. It
is a straight hole with water to the left and trees to the right. A small bunker also sits to the left of the
green.
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| Tee shot - 202 yard par 3 3rd hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Hole #4: The fourth hole
is the longest par 4 on the course. It
also has one of the widest fairways. There
are trees on the left and the pond that runs beside the third hole to the
right. The hole doglegs right, and it is
easy to hit your drive through the fairway. But unless the ball lands behind one of the
few large trees that sit at the curve in the fairway, hitting long is not a
major problem on this hole. As is the
norm, the fourth green is elevated, with no bunkers but large mounds
waiting to absorb errant shots.
One of the most amazing stories in the history of golf played out on this hole during the 1927 PGA Championship. On Saturday, during Hagen's semifinal match against Al Espinosa, the late-day sun began to come into play. The galleries in those days were not held back by ropes like in modern golf tournaments. A young 15-year old from Fort Worth had been following Hagen all day. On what was then the 13th hole, but is now the 4th, Hagen was squinting particularly hard at the green as he prepared to hit his approach shot. The young admirer asked, “Would you like to borrow my cap?” The hat was a baseball cap with a school logo on the bill. Hagen almost never wore a hat on the course, but gladly accepted the offer. He cocked the cap precariously on his large head, shading his right eye from the sun. At one point, he almost dropped the hat on his ball, giving the crowd a laugh. But with the aid of the sun shield, Hagen hit his ball to within eight feet of the hole. He sank the putt, tying the match. He handed the cap back to the beaming fan — a young Byron Nelson.
One of the most amazing stories in the history of golf played out on this hole during the 1927 PGA Championship. On Saturday, during Hagen's semifinal match against Al Espinosa, the late-day sun began to come into play. The galleries in those days were not held back by ropes like in modern golf tournaments. A young 15-year old from Fort Worth had been following Hagen all day. On what was then the 13th hole, but is now the 4th, Hagen was squinting particularly hard at the green as he prepared to hit his approach shot. The young admirer asked, “Would you like to borrow my cap?” The hat was a baseball cap with a school logo on the bill. Hagen almost never wore a hat on the course, but gladly accepted the offer. He cocked the cap precariously on his large head, shading his right eye from the sun. At one point, he almost dropped the hat on his ball, giving the crowd a laugh. But with the aid of the sun shield, Hagen hit his ball to within eight feet of the hole. He sank the putt, tying the match. He handed the cap back to the beaming fan — a young Byron Nelson.
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| If you blast through the fairway, this will be your second shot on the 463 yard par-4 4th hole. |
Hole #5: The fifth hole
looks longer than it really is because it dips down before raising up to the
green on top of the hill. The tee shot is
downhill, but the approach shot is back uphill. There is a small, dry creek bed that runs
through the trees to the right of the fairway at the bottom of the hill. Two bunkers guard the green, one on each side.
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| Green - 382 yard par 4 5th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Hole #6: A 185-yard par
3, the sixth hole plays uphill to yet another evaluated green. A pot bunker sits to the left of the green,
with large grass mounds to the right.
Hole #7: The seventh
hole is a par 5, 547-yard hole, with a blind tee shot. You know you are not in Scotland when the sign
beside the tee box reads, “aim at the power pole” to land in the fairway. The fairway climbs uphill, with scattered
trees on both sides of the fairway. A
green, metal gazebo to the left of the fairway displays a sign proclaiming, “Site
of the 1927 PGA." The green is guarded by three bunkers.
Hole #8: The eighth and
ninth holes are set behind the clubhouse.
The eighth is a very short, but extremely challenging, par 4. At only 312 yards, it is the shortest par 4 on
the course. There is a bunker on the
left side of the fairway, 200 yards from the tee, and the fairway drops away at
225 yards to a deep creek. The green
sits below the fairway on the far side of the creek. A tee shot to the right will be blocked by
trees. The landing area for the tee shot
is very small; the green is even
smaller.
Hole #9: The ninth hole
actually has a large green, one of the few at Cedar Crest. A 178-yard par 3, the spacious green has one
bunker on the left. The tee shot plays
back across the creek guarding the eighth green, but it is not really in play. The ninth is a nice hole to make the turn on —
you certainly don’t want to head to the clubhouse to forget about your score.
Hole #10: As with the
first hole, the back nine opens with a par 5. The tenth is not as long as the first, only
476 yards, but a creek in front of the green can spoil a poorly played second
or third shot. If you avoid the creek,
two bunkers must be navigated around the green.
Both bunkers are deep and winding, and if the flag is placed forward,
they make for an extremely challenging up and down.
Hole #11: The eleventh
hole is the longest of the par 3s at 210 yards.
But it is straight and not particularly challenging.
Hole #12: The twelfth
hole is another short par 4. At only 334
yards, some long hitters may think they can drive the green by cutting across
the trees on the left-hand side of the fairway.
Two fairway bunkers sit on the right side, and two more bunkers are
greenside.
Hole #13: The thirteenth hole is straight and, for Cedar Crest, long. The 404 yard par 4 plays downhill. A small bunker sits to the left of the green.
Hole #14: The fourteenth
hole is a fun par 5. It is listed as 542
yards, but it sharply bends to the right at around 100 yards from the
green. If your approach shot lands in
the right place, you can cut the corner between the trees, cutting off
considerable distance on this hole. But
such an unorthodox shot to the green must not only avoid the trees but also
the two green-side bunkers, one of which is positioned just to catch balls hit
short through the trees. Deciding how to
play the fourteenth is an exercise in risk-reward.
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| Green - 185 yard par 3 6th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Fairway of the 547 yard par 5 7th hole, with the clubhouse in the background. |
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| Tee shot - 312 yard par 4 8th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Green - 178 yard par 4 9th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Fairway & green - 476 yard par 5 10th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Tee shot - 210 yard par 3 11th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Hole #13: The thirteenth hole is straight and, for Cedar Crest, long. The 404 yard par 4 plays downhill. A small bunker sits to the left of the green.
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| Green - 404 yard par 4 13th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Green - 542 yard par 5 14th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Hole #15: The fifteenth
hole is unremarkable except for the view of downtown Dallas to the right of the
green. It is a 207 yard par 3 that
plays downhill, with bunkers on each side of the green.
Hole #16: The three
finishing holes at Cedar Crest are wonderful.
The sixteenth is another one of my favorites. The last of the par 5s, it is 534 yards long,
with small trees down the right side of the fairway. A deep fairway bunker will collect slices –
this is a hole best played to the left-hand side. The green is long and narrow, with two very
large trees shading it. One tree is to
the right-front of the green, with the other to the left-back. The green actually winds between them. It is an amazing hole!
Hole #17: Seventeen is a
par 3 that plays first down and then uphill.
It is the shortest hole on the course, but it is tightly lined with trees. As one commentator remarked, “Hitting the
green on the par-3 17th hole is like kicking a field goal between two
trees.” Texans think of football even on
the golf course! But it is a beautiful
hole.
Hole #18: The eighteenth
is a par 4, dog-leg right, with a more pronounced curve from the silver tees. The tee shot is blind, but the new stone
clubhouse sits just behind the green, making for a picturesque walk up the
final fairway. Several fairway bunkers
enhance the view, and two of Tillinghast’s signature bunkers make you think
carefully about approaching the green.
Cedar
Crest just feels like an old course. It
is easy to image Walter Hagen or Gene Sarazen maneuvering around the
greens. Cedar
Crest is what many call a “shot-maker’s course” — because it is so short, only
6,532 yards, some might think it is easy.
It is not. Unless they are
extremely accurate with the drivers, long hitters would be well advised to opt
for irons off many of the tee boxes. A
well-played shot receives more reward that a long shot on this course. I can only imagine how difficult it was before
modern golf equipment. In 1927, it must
have been a truly challenging course for even the best players in the
world.
Cedar Crest is also one of the best deals in Dallas. The highest rate with a cart is only $43, and if you are willing to walk on a weekday, you will only pay $24!
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| Green - 207 yard par 3 15th hole, with downtown Dallas peaking over the trees - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Green - 534 yard par 5 16th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Tee shot - 192 yard par 3 17th hole - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
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| Green - 406 yard par 4 18th hole, with the clubhouse in the background - Cedar Crest Golf Course. |
Cedar Crest is also one of the best deals in Dallas. The highest rate with a cart is only $43, and if you are willing to walk on a weekday, you will only pay $24!
Course Rating, Slope, and Yardage
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Tees
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Rating
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Slope
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Yardage
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Diamond
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71.7
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133
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6532
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Gold
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69.3
|
128
|
6130
|
Silver
|
67.6
|
123
|
5651
|
Location: 1800 Southerland Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202
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