COURSE UPDATES:: 1989 continued
two-tiered green on the old fifth hole. In addition to the unquestioned beauty of the old holes, there is the fact that Durand was the creation of two of the foremost golf course designers who ever lived-Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones. Tampering with their work will always generate heated discussions, especially in Rochester where golf courses are steeped in tradition. This was never more evident than in the 1989 U.S. Open held at Oak Hill, another Donald ROBS designed course. Much criticism was leveled at Oak Hill and the USGA for allowing the Fazio Brothers to redesign a few holes. To quote Ben Crenshaw," If you have the good fortune to have a Donald Ross or Robert Trent Jones course, you certainly don't alter it." Since Durand was probably originally designed by Donald Ross and since it is today primarily a Robert Trent Jones designed course, any changes to the course are sure to generate controversy. It has now been ten years since carts came to Durand Eastman Golf Course and the old concerns regarding the hilliness of Durand seems to have been resolved. In a conversation in 1987, Golf Course Superintendent Brendan Knauf said that more than 60,000 rounds of golf per year are played at Durand. This makes Durand the most heavily played golf course in Monroe County and probably one of the most heavily played courses to be found any where in the country where golf is played between April and October. The increase in play at Durand has created, however, the serious problem of slow play. The average round of golf at Durand now takes between 5 and 6 hours. This is a problem the county has yet to tackle and it is a problem that will, in all likelihood, be with us for some time to come.

Dennis Grange Secretary-1989