Glen Oaks Club

Posted on February 21, 2024 by moegolf

Glen Oaks is a delightful collection of 27 holes in Old Westbury, New York along the way to Long Island. It is a private club with a relatively small membership that fosters a hamish atmosphere making for a warm welcome to all who visit. Since the volume of play is delimited by the membership size, there are no tee times which makes access very convenient if you are lucky enough to get a member to host you to play.

The original three nines were done in 1972 by Joe Finger. A master plan for renovating the place was begun in 2011 by Joel Weiman to be done over a four year period. In 2012 Hurricane Sandy did extensive damage to the course which forced them to retool the master plan on the fly. With the help of the Greens Super Craig Currier who had previously been involved at Bethpage Black, Joel did the work that you see presented today.

As the pictures indicate the removal of enormous swaths of trees taken down by the storm allowed them to present a marvelous array of holes with requisite width to encourage strategic play and wide visibility of the entirety of the property during play. The greens have plenty of internal slope and segmentation and the bunkers have tall white faces and sharp edges which when set in the hillier terrain give the place a bit of an Augusta feel.

A PGA Tour playoff event was played here in 2017 where Dustin Johnson beat Jordan Spieth in a riveting playoff. No matter which of the nines you get to play I am sure you will find it a delightful experience of tactical golf. Don’t miss two highlights during your visit, the men’s locker room and adjacent card room/man-cave and the amazing brunch they serve every day in the main dining room. Both will knock your socks off.

Hole-By-Hole Analysis (Red/White):

Red Nine

#1 Par 4 402/340 yards

GO Red 1 Par 4

Fairly simple opening hole, this driving area leans right to left toward the fairway bunker. Drive it up the right edge of the rough line and let it drift to center. Green slightly raised is accessible between flanking bunkers short right and middle left.

#2 Par 4 370/350

Similar in length to the first but this one is flatter with no fairway bunkering to consider. Drive to center and the approach is to a green slightly below you. Front left bunker is pretty deep so aiming to the right side on the approach where the right bunker is set back in the middle of the green is sensible.

#3 Par 3 160/150

GO Red 3 Par 3

First of the eye candy holes that express the expansive and clean presentation of the character of these courses. Significantly downhill, requires a one club adjustment into a green flanked by deep sharp edged bunkers. Green tilts back to front and left to right with a significant transition ridge from 9 to 3.

#4 Par 5 550/520

GO Red 4 Par 5 Tee

The confectionary look continues on a spectacular visual five par off a high perched tee into the valley below. The hole turns to the left around a horseshoe fairway bunker that is probably within reach. Best drive is center just off the bunker-don’t bail right off the tee as the rough and tree line on that side will cause problems for your second.

GO Red 4 Par 5 Green

The green is a true fortress-rings of bunkers protect the full surrounds-a few trolls with boiling oil may be prowling the top edge as well. Lay up is left center to about 110 which leaves an intimidating looking approach into a green that is very generous. Lots of slope here back to front so challenge the pin yardage of the day.

#5 Par 4 400/370

For a relatively flat hole this one has great visual impact created by the alcove driving area and the hill framing the back of the green. Drive to left center to leave a mid-iron approach into an accessible green. One greenside bunker on the left and a second framing bunker behind the green on the right, so the error on approach is short and right. Green leans 11 to 5 so from the front right you can be aggressive on a pitch.

#6 Par 4 405/355

One of the truly splendific looking holes of the day. This is a graceful uphill par four with a perched green framed on the horizon by a lone oak tree 40 yards right of the green. Drive right center of a landing area adjacent to the fairway bunker on the right. The hole climbs after that so the approach plays a full club and a half longer into a green with one bunker left and plenty of open grass on the right. They did a great job of letting the topography give this hole it’s character.

#7 Par 4 360/350

A shortish par four that leans left to right around a pair of bunkers that flank the driving area. The temptation is to aim well left off the tee but this can give you a perch side hill lie in the rough into the green that sits above you. Take on the left edge of the bunkers on the right as the fairway widens just beyond and you can have a short club in your hand making the approach much easier. Green sits on a 7 to 1 diagonal with fierce bunkers protecting the right and plenty of short grass surrounds left and behind the green. The green climbs on the same 7 to 1 line so putts and pitches up this line need the requisite intent to reach the hole.

#8 Par 3 130/120

GO Red 8 Par 3

A delightful short pitch Par 3 that is their homage to the Postage Stamp. Pitch is on level to the tee but the narrow green set on a 6:30 to 12:30 angle is tightly surrounded by massive bunkers. This gives you little choice but to hit an articulate lawn dart just below the hole position of the day. There are steps in the green along it’s setting angle and the pins to the right are much harder to get at. Middle of the green to any pin to the right is proper discretion.

#9 Par 5 550/500

GO Red 9 Par 5

This nine finishes with a three-shot five par with plenty of topographical interest. Drive to left center to avoid the fairway bunker on the right and the drop off of the fairway into the rough and trees on that side. The lay-up is down the left into the valley that will give you a view back up the hill toward the foot of the dining room patio where the green resides a bit to the right. Green has lots of sand surrounds but note that the first bunker on the right is set 50 yards way from the bunker creating a friendly miss area if you don’t want to take on the pin of the day. Green is stepped from 7 to 1 with a ridge across the center so getting an approach to the proper level is essential to avoid the three-putt opportunity.

White Nine

#1 Par 4 515/480 yards

The first of the White Nine is a very user friendly dogear left Par 5 that gently climbs from the landing area to a green perched up on top of the rise. From the tee the hole appears to lean to the right so a right-to-left drive just right of the two fairway bunkers on the corner is called for. Depending on what you have left this could be reachable in two, but if not the lay up is to about 100 yards short of the first bunker on the right which is set well back from the putting surface. The kidney shaped green wraps around a deep bunker on the front right and has an open short grass area to the left for a safer approach.

#2 Par 3 205/190

GO White 2 Par 3

The second is feisty longer sister to the downhill Par 3 third on the Red. A stunning view from the perched tee box, it ambles down the same sttep hill as it’s sister playing a full club and a half less then the distance. A quasi-reverse Redan arrangement the green curves around to the right behind a yawning bunker set into the right slope of the hill. The difference from a Redan is that the first part of the green is not banked to match the curve of the green so you do not get the benefit of the ground directing your ball toward the back right pin locations. There is also a pesky ridge that cuts across the center of the green creating two distinct levels. For the front level an approach landing right of the flag will feed to the left. For the back level you have to settle for a shot in the center of the green and then putt up and over the ridge because anything landing on the top level takes a downslope off the back of the green.

#3 Par 4 410/375

GO White 3 Par 4

This next Par 4 has lots of visual interest but lacks strategic continuity for me. From the elevated tee you see a sharp dogleg left working around a bank of trees, but there is this pesky water hazard gathering your attention straight through the right center driving line. For big hitters the penalty area is definitely within reach. If you manage to hit the drive to center between the bunkers on the left corner and the water you now have a slightly ramped up approach to a green sitting below the Halfway House. It is set 7 to 1 behind big face bunker on the right and a pinching bunker behind the green on the right. The bunker on the left is set back so there is a bit of breathing room on that side if you don’t want to take on a pin set behind the right bunker. This is another green with serious lean from back to front.

#4 Par 4 415/380

The next four holes present an interesting run of holes played in distinct corridors of the trees where ball position matters. This is a straight away par four-you drive to left center into a downhill landing area that will feed the ball a little right. The green complex sits below framed by trees and bunkers providing a very appetizing open access approach for a middle iron to hybrid. There is a short grass area back and left of the green if you overcook a draw. This green is deep so pay close attention to your actual shot yardage to reach the day’s pin or you can have a very long first putt over some challenging contour.

#5 Par 4 295/270

GO White 5 Par 4

This one falls into the drivable Par 4 category for some but should provide a good scoring chance for anyone who can hit a couple of articulate shots. For most of us the choice off the tee is not more then 200 yards aimed at the bunker on the left. This leaves a short wedge into a diagonally set narrow green that is squeezed by bunkers on both sides. This hole can only help your scorecard as long as you don’t do anything silly.

#6 Par 3 165/140

GO White 6 Par 3

More eye candy this shortish three par has a slightly downhill approach worth a half a club less to a tiered green setting protected by a pond across two-thirds of the green. The sharp top edge of the stone wall accent of the pond gives it a clean look that also clearly defines for your eye the required carry to pins center and right. There is a back right bunker that further frames the challenge of a pin on the section. Pins on the left allow you to skip one up the throat between the pond and the left greenside bunker and should provide a birdie opportunity.

#7 Par 5 520/470

This is a very technical four and a half Par 5 that takes real discipline if you want to take advantage. From a slightly perched tee drive it to center using the slope from the left tree line to help you. If the green is out of reach, as it is for most mortals, there is a receptive lay up area beyond the right fairway bunker at about 160. This shot will feed down to the right and gives a you a good look at the coffee table green set back to the left. The green is very deep and sharply inclined from back to front with a bunker front left and another two-thirds of the way back on the right so you need to take careful measure on your approach to give yourself a reasonable putting chance.

#8 Par 4 360/320

GO White 8 Par 4

One of the most unusual challenges you will get all day this is a short drive and pitch Par 4 that turns around a fierce constellation of five bunkers set into the topographical rise on the left. It is likely there was once a grove of trees in this spot that were lost to the hurricane that delineated and separated this hole from an adjacent hole on the Blue Nine so they needed to find a hazard penal enough to replicate the interference of the trees. Tee ball needs to be well right of the fairway hazard which will leave a short iron pitch up a very steep grade to a generous green surface you cannot see perched behind a very deep bunker on the right. On the approach long is the miss since a 50 foot putt is much better then the 3-story pitch you would have to play out of the front bunker.

#9 Par 4 400/370

This nine finishes with a very strong roller coaster Par 4. Drive strong to left center and you should be looking at a steep uphill shot into a green complex sitting at the foot of the clubhouse with full bunkering on either side. You are going to have to carry this approach all the way to the putting surface or the front bunker is going to get some action. Another deep green with very significant slope back to front makes you want to hit an approach with release to work up the hill.

Old Westbury, New York

Architect: Joe Finger (1972), Joel Weiman (2014)

(Red/White) Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 72 72.4 132 6610

White 72 69.1 129 6050

White 70 67.4 128 5609

Red 70 65.2 120 5142

(Click to the the printable text of this posting)

U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club

Posted on October 22, 2023 by moegolf

The symbiotic relationship of golf and the military is well documented and is evidenced by the fact that there are golf courses at almost every major military facility in the country. Best part is the courses are there to serve the individuals and families of those in uniform no matter their rank. The low key and humble presentation of this classic and challenging old school golf course makes for a memorable golf experience for everyone who steps on the first tee.

The Par 4 14th is typical of the day’s challenge-somewhat blind off the tee with a significant elevation adjustment required on approach.

The U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club dates back to the 1940’s and was created late in the distinguished career of the Golden Age architect William Flynn on a flowing piece of terrain close to the Naval Academy in Annapolis. The original course, having had a couple of holes added in the mid-50’s, remained as it was until Andrew Green did a thorough cosmetic renovation in 2021. He pruned back trees to open up the playing areas, relocated and rebuilt bunkering throughout to add some punitive expense to your misses, rebuilt the tees to modern standard, and reconfigured the greens to recapture lost angles and pin placements. But on balance he respectfully maintained the strategic playability of the original Flynn design.

The course is very typical of what was built in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 1940’s and 50’s. The macho formula of the day was find a high spot for the teeing ground, a low valley to receive the tee shot, and a higher spot to bench the green complex and complicate the approach. The course plays very uphill into the greens which makes a 6200 yard course play over 6500 even without any wind effect.

The 170 yard Par 3 7th has two forced carries-one over the water and one over the false front. Picking the right wrench is crucial on these short holes.

Besides all the uphill approach shots the most obvious characteristic is the complexity of the green areas. Flynn loved table top green settings and this one has more high tops then a singles bar. As a result meek approach shots are often repelled and you can wear out your 60 degree wedge on recovery shots. One thing you will find that is not original design are the moated short grass surrounds on a number of the holes with long approach shots. Green left a user friendly, close-to-the-ground option for recovery if you are a bit too aggressive into these greens.

Andrew Green expanded the putting surfaces to reclaim their original size and shape that typically wither over time. He left severe internal slopes and undulations creating segmentation to greens already steep back-to-front. This puts a premium on approach shots getting to the proper section given the pin of the day to avoid defensive putting.

Par 4 1st hole requires carry off the tee and a hoisted extra carry up the hill into the blind green.

The first hole is a template for what you will have to cope with through the day. Drive off a perched tee across the edge of a water element cordoning the right side of the fairway to an expansive landing area beyond. Now you are looking straight up a massive slope requiring a club and a half more then the distance to a blind putting surface perched behind a false front and deep bunkers. Green created a low collection area in the front left of the green behind the bunker that is a magnet for any ball aimed at a back pin without sufficient resolve. The new greens have plenty of pace in them so navigating undulations like you see on the first requires the right balance of confidence and resolve to play a game close to your index.

Memorable courses present a variety of challenges that keep the player off balance. The short, on level second, at just over 300 yards, tempts you to take a direct line to the flag but there is a sentinel oak tree in the right rough about 50 yards short of the putting surface that should dissuade you from such heroics. Lesser club played on a line well left of center gives leaves a manageable short pitch into your first coffee table of the day. From the rough or over a 60 foot oak your chances of holding this piece of furniture are slim and none.

#3 the first Par 5 seems simple from the tee but controlling the side roll on the first two shots is essential to having a birdie opportunity.

The first par five of the day is a stunning view from the tee and once again you get the formula of high tee to low landing area to high green setting, but this time the added complication of a fairway that cants sharply left-to-right on the first two shots is thrown into the mix. This last 50 yards of approach and the green are set on a plateau so there is none of that false front, sharp shoulder roll off, but the surface itself has plenty of turbulence so two-putts are not guaranteed.

One of the few truly downhill holes, the short Par 4 6th gives you an idea of how Andrew Green used variegated spacing of the bunkering to force strategic decisions off the tee.

The rest of the outward nine is open, hilly, and full of optics and challenge with your best scoring opportunities from four through seven. Eight and nine are brutally difficult long four pars so you need spending pars in the bank before you get there.

The 425 yard 8th is just plain hard but the green tucked behind the trees makes position on the left off the tee essential.

Eight may be the hardest hole of the day requiring a long carry tee shot not dissimilar to the adjacent first hole, but the approach this time is on level to a high top green arrangement tucked to the right behind a stand of trees and protected by some of the most viscous bunkers you will see all day. Take the “Pit of Death” moniker of the front right bunker seriously.

Once you traverse the long ninth make sure to stop in to the bar/restaurant under the blue awning at the base of the Naval Academy Primary School, their elementary school, on the way to the tenth tee. The cup of chicken salad, tuna sandwich, or dog at the turn you can get are delectable, cheap, and necessary, as the cloistered corridors of the inward nine take on an entirely different tone then what you have experienced so far.

Now amongst the trees on the back nine precision driving on the 10th becomes important to having an unobstructed look at the green complex.

The first three holes on the back nine are probably the most interesting variety you will face all day. As you turn the corner to the 10^th tee the same hilly terrain you saw on the front nine is now encapsulated in tree lined corridors of play. The drive on the tenth has to be hit far enough right to avoid the severe camber of the fairway that can abruptly drag a timid effort back towards you into the rough forty yards to the left leaving no visual of the green. From the middle of the fairway the approach is a half a club more to a half blind green setting on top of a hill.

The short 11^th switches gears suddenly with a twisting dogear left that is defined by OB right and trees left. I like the long club off the tee here that you are confident will not wander to leave the shortest approach into another blind green complex way up the hill. The bunker you can make out on the left is a good 50 yards short of the putting surface so adjust your club selection accordingly.

At 225 yards the 12th is not your grand dad’s typical Redan three-par…you don’t see one like this in a typical Seth Raynor collection.

What comes next is Andrew Green’s new hole, the most visual offering of the day. Best described as a driver/fairway wood reverse Redan par three with serious elevation parameters….now there is a mouthful. Matching left-to-right ball flight to the angle of the green setting is obvious, negotiating the downhill adjustment and the roll out of a driving club is a different kettle of fish. My conclusion is, that if in doubt, take the longer club and hit it through the green since the pitch back is a routine uphill bump and run to all pin settings.

As was true on the front side, the best scoring opportunities are in the middle holes of the back nine so control your tee ball on the next two and be aggressive on approach if you have a stock club in hand.

A solemn tribute to those who gave their lives in our effort to expand man’s knowledge through space exploration.

Walking from the 14^th green to the 15th tee take a moment to engage with the tribute memorial, a reminder of the bravery of seven space explorers who lost their lives in 2003 in the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster when the orbiter disintegrated upon reentry over Texas and Louisiana just 16 minutes from their intended touchdown. The stars in the pavers around this monument commemorate the lives of Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and llan Ramon who were lost in this tragedy. Solidarity with the brave always has a place in a military facility.

Interesting anecdote about the monument shared by a club member. William McCool, the pilot of the Columbia, was a Navy pilot who, when he attended the Naval Academy was the captain of their cross country team. The placement of this memorial was 16 minutes from the course finish line!

The Par 4 15th just tumbles below your feet from the elevated tee box. Position of this tee will determine whether to take on the carry over a wall of bunkers in front or lay-up right for an up-and-down effort.

The finishing holes will test your discipline as they are all about controlled shot making to avoid blowing up your scorecard. 16 is a short par four with a blind landing area off the tee leaving a dicey approach into another bar stool green sloped back-to-front with nothing but trouble around it.

Another uphill approach into this severely sloped green on the short 16th.

The signature hole in this run is the pitch n putt 17^th, a steeply downhill Par 3 which simulates landing a short iron on the hood of a VW Beetle. The view from the tee is disarming in that this is literally a lawn dart hole, there are no good misses here. If you miss the green playing for four is just smart.

17th green does not present much safe harbor so figure the downhill and the wind and commit to the middle of the putting surface.

The 18^th is the modest twin sister of the 9th just across the entrance drive, but you must drive the ball in play to have any hope of hitting this green and walking off the hole with a gratifying par. If you are out of position off the tee lay up in front of the putting surface for a little elevation pitch to today’s pin.

As I said at the beginning, there is nothing flamboyant or tricky about the presentation of this old school course. Having to hit a club or more extra into many of these Par 4’s will tax your patience and strategic discipline. I am pretty sure that walking off the 18^th green the first thought you will have is that you need another crack at this one. That is the sure sign of a course worth going out of your way to play.

Annapolis, Maryland

Architect: William Flynn (1944) and Andrew Green (2021)

Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 70 71.2 126 6610

White 70 69.6 121 6200

Red 72 69.0 120 4935

(Click to review the printable Naval Academy Course hole-by-hole descriptions)

George Wright Golf Course

Posted on May 8, 2017 by moegolf

A strong handful of renowned public golf courses exist in the United States that represent the most virtuous commitment of their municipalities to providing access to high quality design to everyone. The George Wright Golf Course in Boston, an original Donald Ross design through and through, is one of these.

French Chateau Clubhouse stands sentinel on the hill as you walk up from the car park

The Wright was built in the Depression period of the 1930’s on the old Grew Estate that had been conveyed to the Department of Conservation of Massachusetts through the efforts of George Wright founder of the Wright and Ditson Sporting Goods stores in Boston. This major project of close to $1 million was financed through the Roosevelt Administration’s Works Project Administration.

In what proved to be an enormous undertaking because of the rugged topography, the construction employed almost 1,000 people as it was completed over a three-year period opening for play in 1936. There is a unique local flavor to the artistry of this facility in that it included a three-mile long perimeter flagstone wall built by the Italian and Irish masons of Boston and a stunning French Chateau style clubhouse that belies a typical municipal golf course setting.

Note the stone manson’s wall behind the green…3 miles long it encircles most of the property

From the time it opened this course was well reputed and hosted many big local and regional tournaments. Among the best players it was considered an equal to the posh private venues of Boston. But time took it’s toll and after the war and a series of financial problems that ensued, it fell into disrepair and by the mid-1980’s faced imminent closure. Against all odds, an assiduous lobbying effort by the Massachusetts Golf Association kept it in operation for the next 20 years. Finally in the early 2000’s the powers that be in the city of Boston made the bold commitment to restore George Wright to the original quality and design.

The key to this effort was the arrival of head pro Scott Allen in 2001, who spearheaded the restoration effort, and the hiring in 2004 of Len Curtain, a greens superintendent with a special affection for the place, who grew playing the Wright. With the consultation of a Massachusetts course designer Mark Mungeum, together this group embarked on the long term project to peel back decades of neglect and bring this wonderful venue back to original glory.

Lots of trees were removed and the green complexes were restored to their original Ross shapes and surrounds. Fairway bunkers were relocated along with a few new additions to help the course meet the challenge of the contemporary equipment. Together they brought back the Wright to a course worthy of being designated as the site of the 2018 State Amateur-the first time in the tournament’s history it will be played on a municipal golf course.

The wide open driving area on the first is a teaser…this is a precise driving course

The first, ninth, and eighteenth holes are on the flattest portion of the property just below the clubhouse veranda so the course begins and ends on a fairly tame note. On the second tee, in spite of the abundant width of the driving area, you get the sense this is a tee ball position course as the green in the distance is suspended on an alcove shelf tucked in the corner of the property. From three thru fifteen the course is enveloped in a solitary cocoon and you won’t see any man-made structures besides the clubhouse and the maintenance facility. It makes you wonder how it could be just four miles from the center of a major American metropolis.

The Par 5 3rd gives no room for wandering

Standing on the third tee the challenge is at hand as you are staring up the narrow hallway that defines this uphill and stringent five par. Keeping the ball between the hash marks off the tee, controlling the roll out, and finding the proper angle of approach for the day’s pins into these Ross green complexes will determine how your scorecard will fare today. It goes without saying that it will be peppered with some high numbers but you have to accept them and remain aggressive to balance the outcome.

The landing area on the Par 4 4th is saddles the high ground

One thing you cannot fail to notice is that the holes are often lined with rock outcroppings or tall mounds. These mounds were created by covering the piles of rocks rendered from the fairway demolition and you can begin to appreciate how much went into discovering playable fairways on this severe and rugged terrain.

Looking up the 6th you see how much was excavated to find this fairway

The devil is in the detail as you can see in the Hole-By-Hole Analysis below, the contours of five through twelve in particular will challenge your tactical instinct trying to find the line of charm.

Peaceful tranquility of the green complex on the 9th hole just below the clubhouse

Note: If there is someone manning the dog-at-the-turn cart between the 10^th and 12^th tees I recommend well done with relish and mustard. The homemade cookies are not a bad chaser either.

The 8th one of the four intimidating three pars-very demanding little room for error.

As an aside, the par threes may be the most interesting holes on the course. Every one of the four stands apart in visual distinction and precise shot making is demanded. Not one of them is over 190 yards yet playing the four of them anywhere near par is a major accomplishment. The Ross bunkering and segmenting of these four green complexes will sustain vivid images in your mind when you rehash the day’s journey later staring at your dark bedroom ceiling.

Bungee drop approach to the 12th from the top of the ridge

The inward nine takes up right where the last one ended with roller coaster elevation changes on the first three holes. Be cognizant on all three of these not to drive the tee ball too far and overreach the best landing spot for the approach. As you can read in the detail the blinded approach shot into the tenth green takes serious visualization. The approach into the eleventh will take a different kind of creativity as it will take all your ground skills to give yourself a good scoring opportunity there.

Drop dead green setting on the Par 5 15th…just don’t hit the green wall netting behind

If you reach the thirteenth tee with minimum scorecard damage there is great opportunity to make up ground on the way to the house. This hole is one of the most visually pleasing all day but you have to hit two very articulate shots to avoid the hazards that haunt the hole from tee to green. What follows is a challenging uphill par three followed by a stunning three-shot par five that should give you a good chance to apply some salve to the scorecard.

Talking a 2+ club elevation change into the mountainous 16th green

I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to the Mt. Rushmore green complex of the sixteenth hole. No course architect would even consider building a hole like this today, but it is just flat out fun. From the base of the hill where your drive will end up it looks like you need to hit one over George Washington’s left eye and land it on the crown of Thomas Jefferson’s head. That is kind of what you have to do…long or Roosevelt right is no good at all.

The 18th appears sedate but there is trouble lurking if you get out of position

The two holes that bring you back to the house are very interesting. The short par three seventeenth is one of the truly quaint looks of the day. Encircled by sand it takes a lawn dart to give yourself a good birdie chance. The home hole is a level walk on ground similar to the first, but the green is very deep with severe contour so you must focus to get your approach all the way to the day’s pin.

The apres golf Sports Bar and Grill is a memorabilia must stop

When it was said and done, I found the George Wright an amazing municipal golf experience, right down to the clubhouse building and the players Bar and Grill. Linger for a cold Samuel Adams and some nachos, check out all the Boston sports memorabilia on the wall, and savor what has been a wonderful day of old style golf at a very accommodating price.

Boston, Massachusetts

Architect: Donald Ross (1936)

. Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 70 69.5 126 6440

White 70 68.6 122 6096

Red 70 70.3 115 5131

(Click to read the Hole-By Hole Analysis of the George Wright Golf Course)

Cape Cod National Golf Club

Posted on May 16, 2016 by moegolf

Cape Cod National was one of Brian Silva’s first new course offerings on his watch but he came to it very schooled from the time he spent working with his mentor Geoffrey Cornish. For an early effort this course has woven into it’s fabric amazingly mature design concept. The course is built with lots of elbow room but, like courses built back in the Golden Age of Design, the width provides plenty of tactical choices for players with imagination. Searching for and losing golf balls should not be a problem out here which makes for fast and enjoyable play.

It is very playable for the average member while it maintains intrinsic challenge for the better player at the same time. This is a private club but access to it is available to the guests of the Wequassett Resort outside of Chatham.

The look off the 10th tee is truly breathtaking

The look off the 10th tee is a truly breathtaking challenge

Generous width off the tee with parenthetical bunkering to emphasize the proper targeting line is the operating principle. In most cases the first bunker is in play for all players where the opposing bunker, which sets your target line, is only reachable by the biggest hitters. As a result there is plenty of room to play and you should not spend much time in the rough or the adjacent trees. But picking good lines is critical to having advantage angles into the green complexes.

The second principle is green complexes with bunkering on one side and bail pitching areas or grassy rough hollows on the other. Once again this is good for the broader golfing masses who can work there way around the green size bunkers without taking them on but for the low digit guy up-and-downs off the tight grass pitching areas presents a solid challenge.

The greens themselves are very clever-oddly shaped to compliment the green approach lines with plenty of slope. The specs the greens were made to allow them to reach quick green speeds which, when matched with the slopes, puts a premium on leaving even the recovery pitch below the hole to avoid the three putts. The generous setbacks of the greens from the trees makes depth perception when reading the breaks a huge challenge. Once you determine the prevailing break of the green you must pay attention to countervailing internal breaks they worked into the putting surfaces.

The first three holes give you all of this in heavy dosages. An unusual sequence of two par fives in the first three holes gives Silva an opportunity to lay out this theme early on. Setting up the lay ups on these two holes is all about finding a good line off the tee to set up an opposing line of approach to a narrowly confined lay up area from where an attack wedge can be played to the open side of the green complex. All four of the five pars have interesting tactical options so the opportunity for scoring is there but it takes good planning melded with good shot making.

Finesse demand on the par 4 12th will drive big hitters bonkers

Finesse demanded on the par 4 12th will drive big hitters bonkers

The par fours have great variety-long and short versions that smartly use the prevailing topography to feed into the strategy of the holes. Three short ones of 335 yards or less call for very articulate club selection and execution to get the ball into the attack position into the greens. On some of the longer holes, if you tee shots are not of full measure, it may be smarter to play to a lay up spot and rely on an aggressive pitch and a putt to make a par. Biting off big carries over the bunker side of the green complex can lead to big numbers if you do not pull them off. Kenny Rogers golf….you got to know when to hold them..know when to fold them.

Just a little pitch down the hill into a dicey 16th green

The par threes at 178, 159, 209, and 127 cover the gamut when it comes to look and demand of approach shots. The fifteenth is the longest and probably the easiest one and the shortest is sixteen and may be the one with the trickiest green placements to get at. My favorite is the sixth where you have a full carry long iron/hybrid across an environmental area and one of the deepest hurdle bunkers you will see all day framing the carry across the full face of the green. With a little breeze this becomes a real question of how much risk you want to take on to get it in the correct third of the green.

Talk about framing...the tee shot on the final hole

Talk about framing the shot…the tee view on the final hole

For the most part the wide playing area prevails throughout the course but there a tight corner of the property from eleven through thirteen where you have to bear down tightly on the luge runner to stay on the track. Any towardness issues to the left of these three holes can ring up the register reading of the scorecard in a hurry.

Despite what looks like fairly hilly terrain the course is eminently walkable. Greens are close to tees, there are very few steep transitional hills to traverse, and they even provide a walkers cut from the tee to the fairway. Hand carts are available if you like to walk and I would recommend them so you get the full flavor and aroma of the golf experience.

Spy Pelican with a range finder adjacent to the 16th

One of the real kitchy things about this place is the prevalence of animal accent lawn art. You will see hippos, seals, pelicans, and more strewn through the course. Love the sense of humor this indicates.

Some reclining pelicans watch your warm up at the range

As one of the greens staff said to me on the course, Cape Cod National does not have the reputation of some of the other older, more established courses on the Cape but it probably has more memorable holes on it than any of them. I would agree. Silva did a great job in creating a course that the members will enjoy playing every day or a visiting dignitary will appreciate on a one up.

Brewster, Massachussetts

Designer: Brian Silva (1998)

Tees Par Yardage Rating Slope

Blue 72 6954 74.0 135

White 72 6375 71.2 131

Gold 72 5829 69.4 124

Red 72 4884 70.7 125

(Click to see the complete hole-by-hole description of Cape Cod National Golf Club)

Elkridge Club

Posted on September 22, 2015 by moegolf

The original Elkridge Club was established in the late 1800’s as a golf and hunting club in what was probably the wealthy developing side of Baltimore. It’s membership grew to 400 and in 1925 they acquired more land to meet their growing need and sought the guidance of Seth Raynor to build the course you see today.

As recently as 2003 the club hired Brian Silva an architect who has a reputation for doing work on Seth Raynor courses to do a total renovation of the course and bring it back to Seth Raynor’s original design. To those who have played them, The Washington Golf Club in Arlington and Bedford Springs Golf Resort in Pennsylvania this will have a familiar look and feel.

The classic club house is a period statement of it's own

The classic look of the club house is a period statement of it’s own

To say this is an old style course is a major understatement-it is a period piece. Suffice it to say that there are design features in this course that you would never see created today. Rectangular shaped putting surfaces, super dramatic uphill driving carries, greens with almost arbitrary undulations, three steps between green and the next tee, fairway bunkering that seems random, and hole sequencing that has all to do with the god delivered shape of the property.

Seth Raynor used the land at hand to route a delightful old style golf course

With modern green construction this becomes a throw back golf experience with today’s gratifications. The words “fair” and “unfair” have no place in this design-it is just “wow” or “you must be kidding”. Leave your modern ego at home and just put on a pair of plus fours and bring out the hickory shaft mentality-this is quite an experience to the sophisticated golf historian.

The length of the course-especially the differential between Blue and Black Tees-is almost deluding. The course is so tightly ensconced by the trees that “towardness” is the only thing that matters here. You have to hit it Freddie Funk straight and have Justin Leonard restraint for over-reaching on any particular challenge. One bounce on the wrong side of a ridge will change your fate on an individual hole dramatically.

The Biarritz green on #13 is something Raynor used on many of his courses

The unusual Biarritz green is something Raynor employed on many of his courses

For the most part the holes do not have severe turns in them-they all look right in front of you off the teeing ground. But the overhanging old hardwoods and the steep drop-offs mean you have to be very directive in your line of play.

Greens are terrific. Very smooth-reasonably fast-especially downhill and down grain. But if you can play your approaches and pitches beneath the hole you can be pretty aggressive into the hole.

The Elkridge Club experience is something out of a different time and it reminds us that golf courses were not always designed for those who think hitting it long is what it is all about. The shots you hit in a round at Elkridge will remind you how important creativity and finesse can be in an enjoyable round of golf.

Baltimore, Maryland

Architect: Seth Raynor (1927)

.
Tee        Par          Rating        Slope       Yardage
Black     71             70.9            124          6465
Blue       71             69.7            122          6194

(Click to see the complete hole-by-hole description of The Elkridge Club)

Ridgewood Country Club

Posted on August 20, 2014 by moegolf

Tillinghast gave Ridgewood three outstanding nine-hole courses in 1929, compilations of which have combined for tournament play over the last century. Although the greens are not exceptionally large, averaging 5,000 to 6,000 square feet, many bear the original Tillinghast touch – severely sloping, typically from back to front, and protected by deep bunkers at the front corners. These features are overshadowed by the century-old trees that line the fairways and frame many of the greens, making position off the tee such a key ingredient for scoring well, often forcing the better players to club down for accuracy. The trees also serve to isolate each hole from those nearby, creating a scene of splendid tranquility. The challenges are one after another-there are really no let up holes-good scoring demands consistent and creative execution.

The clubhouse sets the classic tone for this place

Embed from Getty Images

The old brick and stone European country style club house is a signature of the time this club was built . The club house interiors, locker room, and grill room are classic period designs without a hint of pretentiousness-they speak a quiet confidence of the history of this place. Plaques on the staging patio remind you that the course has been the site of major national golf events from 1935 to today-they include The Ryder Cup (1935), U.S. Senior Amateur (1957), U.S. Amateur (1974), U.S. Senior Open (1990), Senior PGA (2001), and The Barclays Championship (2008-10-14)-winners include well know players like Kathy Whitworth, Jerry Pate, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and Matt Kuchar.

Trees frame the shots required throughout the three nines

Embed from Getty Images

The club had been the home of one of the most famous club pros of his era, George Jacobus and he mentored Byron Nelson as his summer assistant back in the 1930’s. Byron credits the development time spent at Ridgewood under the eye of George Jacobus as the most important in his career. There remains a plaque on the end of a patio commemorating a shot Byron hit as part of a bet with some caddies-they threw down three balls and bet him he could not hit the flagpole about 150 yards away. With a three iron in hand Byron plunked the flagpole on his second try to collect the winnings.

View of Byron’s patio to flagpole challenge

Embed from Getty Images

The first thing you notice is the segmentation of the holes created by the towering trees. The spacing of the trees is generous so wayward shots still allow a path to recovery-but the thickness of the rough makes you pay the price for being off line with your tee ball. The center nine is built on the highest part of the property so the holes there have the greatest bit of topographical influence-the east and west nines fall to the sides of this high ground and provide lots elevation change and side slope stances and rolls. The combination of the trees dictating shot line and positioning along with the tactical fairway and greenside bunkering make you engage the trouble for the most aggressive shot lines.

Typical Tillinghast’s green complex…a small hole with a big challenge

Embed from Getty Images

The creative nature of the green complexes means you will miss greens and have many pitch and chip opportunities to save pars-it will take good short game skills to be successful around here. One nuance is that, in spite of the fact that most greens have open front access, most have a gentle lip on the front of the green which makes pitching and chipping to front and middle pin placements very challenging. We are not talking false fronts but just enough lip to the green to make the player very indecisive as to whether to keep the shot on low to the ground or force it over the front edge of the green in the air. Fast greens just complicate this decision.

Challenges throughout can shock the system like a cold ice bath

Embed from Getty Images

One of the most dominant features to negotiate is the grain on these greens-it generally runs across the property toward the highway-everything breaks toward the traffic noise-now that is different. With the slope in these greens and the dominant grain fast green speeds can make this a real test of patience and discretion.

For all of the difficulty articulated the course is very playable for the average player-the challenges are obvious and doable for someone with discretion. Score can be protected when the challenge is too steep and there are scoring opportunities to be seized at the appropriate time. Tillinghast knows how to challenge a player without overwhelming them-it is always a pleasure to play his courses because they have the visuals to wow you but plenty of opportunities to succeed if you play with good judgment.

Paramus, New Jersey

Architect: A.W. Tillinghast (1929)
Rees Jones (restoration 1986)

East-Center:

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 71 71.6 136 6453

White 71 69.4 126 6023

Center-West:

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 72 71.8 136 6563

White 72 69.3 126 6016

West-East:

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage

Blue 71 72 137 6578

White 71 69.1 127 6013

(Click here to review Ridgewood Country Club hole-by-hole descriptions)

Highland Links Golf Course

Posted on September 13, 2013 by moegolf

Founded in 1892 and heralded as Cape Cod’s oldest golf course, the Highland Links in North Truro is one of America’s nostalgic golf treasures, perched high along windswept bluffs overlooking the Atlantic next to the vintage Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod. This is not going to appear on anyone’s top ten courses in Massachusetts much less the northeast, yet if you are truly a student of the game this is a must play if you are on the Cape.

The original Highland House Golf Links was an adjunct to an ocean hotel and cottage resort operated for years by Isaac Small of Truro and his family. After years of growing wear and tear the links were refurbished in 1955 by owner Hal Conklin. In the 1960’s, when Congress approved President Kennedy’s Cape Cod National Seashore Act, Highland Links became Federal property leased to the Town of Truro. This is now an inexpensive public golf course available for the pleasure of anyone visiting the northern end of Cape Cod.

The second would feel at home anywhere in Scotland or Ireland.

The second hole would feel at home anywhere in Scotland or Ireland.

Deep natural rough, Scottish broom, thick gorse and low bushes, hilly terrain with non-irrigated open fairways, and spectacular ocean views make this course a genuine links in the Scottish tradition. Wind, weather, rock hard fairways, and high rough are always a factor at Highland Links. Add to this the up and down elevations and gently rolling fairways you will have a links golf experience that you will not soon forget.

Each hole requires a second time around.

This is only a nine hole course but they have two sets of tees so you can make a second loop to get in the full eighteen. I highly recommend you do that because the first time through there is a steep learning curve on how to play these holes successfully. As you play the nine again from slightly different tees it is interesting that the men’s inward nine is 200 yards shorter while the women’s inward nine is 30 yards longer. The second hole is a par 5 on the front and a much shorter par 4 on the back. The fourth goes from a par 4 to a par 5 as the thirteenth. With different teeing lines, the shorter distance on the second nine seems a harder round to the measure of par.

Elevation change and wind have to be constantly condsidered.

Elevation change and wind are constantly considered through your day.

If you are used to lush fairways and fair bounces you need to check your ego at the door of the golf shop. This is golf the old way, rock hard fairways with existential bounces, small putting surfaces with angular fall offs, and serious slopes to navigate on the greens. The wind will be a major influence so trajectory control and creative attack lines are called for. If you have a quiver of links shots bring them with you because the ground is your friend and you will have to make some strong up and downs to play well here.

Full links drama on the drive on the Par 5 sixth.

Full links drama unfolds before you on the drive at the Par 5 sixth.

The views on the high holes are just spectacular. When you get to the tee box on six you are perched on a cliff about 400 yards above the ocean with a drop dead panoramic view worth a digital moment. This place is not without a sense of humor. There is a sign adjacent to this tee box on the walking path to the cliff that says, “No Ball Retrieving From Pond”. You would need a grappling hook, lots of rope, and a lobster basket.

The Highland Lighthouse is prominent on the horizon through the round but never more spectacular then when it is the backdrop to the finishing par three on each nine. In fact on the Truro Links website under “Directions” they have:

Scotland:

Sail Southwest until you reach the 42nd parallel. Then head due West until you see Highland Light.

The views do not get any better than this.

View at the Par 3 ninth……it does not get any better than this.

There are also two other curious architectural artifacts on the top of the dunes behind the second and third holes.The first is a globe that looks straight out of Epcot Center at Disneyworld. It is an old FAA service dome that originally was used by the Air Force as a surveillance station during WW II. Juxtaposed to it stands a 55-foot tall medieval looking granite tower on which you would expect to see Mel Gibson in full Braveheart garb wielding his sword and a shield. This is the Jenny Lind Tower that was transplanted from Boston in 1927 as a gift to Truro from Harry Aldrich, a rich Boston attorney. The tower was famous because Jenny Lind, the most famous singer in the world in 1850, delivered a concert from the top of it to a throng of people who could not fit into the auditorium she was scheduled to perform in at Boston and Maine’s Fitchburg Depot. I am thinking that a young and impressionable Mr. Aldrich must have been in that crowd.

The embellishments on the horizon seem to span centuries.

What this place lacks in polished feature and comfort detail it more than makes up for in traditional links look and feel. For those who love a rough and tumble British Isles golf experience there may be no better place on the east coast to find it than a double lap at Highland Links.

North Truro, Massachusetts

Architect: Willard Small (1892)/J. Henry McKinley (1913)

Tees Par Yardage Rating Slope

Blue 70 5332 67.0 114

Red 72 4587 67.8 117

(Click here to review the complete Highland Links Golf Course hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Postcard From Highland Links

Merion Golf and Cricket Club

Posted on May 6, 2013 by moegolf

In 1914 the members of the Merion Golf and Cricket Club tapped one of their premier players, Hugh Wilson, with the responsibility of creating a championship golf course on a mere 110 acres of hilly ground outside of Philadelphia. This was no small task considering he had no previous experience in course design. He took a trip to England to study the construction of the great courses of the British Isles and came back inspired that his first stab at golf design could be a success.

With the invaluable help of a young William Flynn as his lead construction man, later one of the most prolific designers of this Golden Age of course design, the two of them created one of the memorable tracks one will ever play. Except for Pine Valley, Oakmont, and Pebble Beach, there are no other examples of such quality design by an individual on his first try.

Merion has a certain mysterious quality about it that kind of creeps into your mind long after you have left the course. The sequence of holes defies any obvious pattern which gives you a sense of arbitrary fate as you work your way through the course. There are no distance markers on the course either on the tees or in the fairways-no indications of pin positions. Fortunately, there are a group of the most knowledgeable caddies you will find anywhere, and they know the distance from every blade of grass on the course and the break on every putt down to the most subtle nuance.

This is a course that asks you to show great patience, to wait for the opportunities as they occur. You cannot force a good score, you must knead one out of the layout with great patience and adept shot execution. There are very few tricky holes, all the challenges are quite obvious, but they are also quite real. If you try to bite off more than you can chew you will likely choke on the effort. Carefully pick and choose your challenges and when you set your mind to taking one, do not waffle on that decision-you must play every shot with great confidence or the course will eat you up.

With both five pars in the first four holes you find yourself searching for rest holes the last three hours of your day. You are going to be rudely disappointed because even the shortest par fours, and there are a plethora of them, do not provide you with obvious scoring opportunities. You can have short irons and wedges in your hands for second shots all through the first thirteen holes but it better be from the fairway and you better keep those approaches beneath the flag sticks. The last five holes are as harsh of a finish as you can imagine. It is full prevent defense of your scorecard the rest of the way to the clubhouse.

The most obvious characteristic of this course is the impeccable quality of the putting surfaces. The greens are the finest I have ever seen, very fast, very true with lots of pitch and yaw. The condition of the course is equally impeccable-it looks like a fine manicured yard everywhere you look. Another signature characteristic is the severe bunkering-the bunkers are deep and often strewn with wild sage grass. The best strategy is to stay out of the sand entirely and when you get in one take the most conservative path to exiting it.

The full Merion experience begins when you get out of your car and ends after a refreshing post game shower. There is a special hamish relationship between the members and their long standing employees that run the place. An informal atmosphere exists without much of the pomp and circumstance typical of an old line club. The floors are uneven and creaky and there is a bit of a musty odor pervades the place-it feels like a comfortable visit to your grandma’s place when you were a kid. The members themselves take great pride in the tradition and care of this place. Try to take a mulligan off the first tee and they will show you the door. My host was walking the fairways bending over to pull offending weeds from the turf-a bit of greens keeping vigilantism.

The signature of Merion are the wicker baskets atop the flag sticks. Makes it tough to get a wind reading on the green from the fairway. Unsubstantiated rumor says that Hugh Flynn, on his pre-design trip to the review the great courses of Britain, saw shepherds tending their flocks with long staffs with hollow wicker baskets on top where they would stash their lunches to keep them away from prying animals. He thought that was a cool look and came back to the states with this notion for unique flag sticks. With the help of local artisans he had them made and patented and today they are guarded as treasure, taken in every night at the end of play to insure no one comes hunting for souvenirs.

Playing this course is much more than a simple round of golf, it is a golfing experience. The place is steeped with tradition and memories of golf’s greatest players making great shots in major championships. You cannot help but get caught up in the ghosts of championships past. Take in all this ambiance as you stroll these fairways and enjoy the special character of this hallowed place.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Designer: Hugh Wilson (1914)

Tees Yards Par Rating Slope

Blue 6482 70 73.5 149

Middle 6103 70 71.6 144

(Click to read hole-by-hole descriptions of Merion Golf and Cricket Club)

Bedford Springs-Old Course

Posted on August 1, 2012 by moegolf

Established in the late 1800’s this place is a small scale version the old line rich man’s retreat, on the order of a Homestead or Greenbrier, full service food, accommodations, golf, spa, family recreation, and all. It has a much more casual presentation than those others but that may be a function of the new day more than anything else. A very comfortable atmosphere-well managed-it makes for a perfect two-day getaway from the hub-bub of urban life.

Par 3 “Tiny Tim” even has the chocolate drop mounds (omnihotels.com)

The golf course is quirky but very interesting. It is the result of the efforts of three architects over a thirty year period-and it has been recently updated in 2007 without changing the effective old style character of the links. Spencer Oldham did the original 18 holes in 1895 featuring chocolate drop mounds, geometric S-curve bunkers, and donut bunkers. In 1912 A.W. Tillinghast got his hands on it and scaled it back to a nine-hole course with his own architectural features. In 1923 Donald Ross took it back to a full 18-hole track and you can see raised greens with lots of tiering, artistic bunkering constellations, and, most distinctively, a creative and strategic use of the Shober’s Run that meanders throughout the entire golf course. The renovation work in 2007 was done by Forse Design Company of Pennsylvania who are known for doing period restoration and renovation work throughout the US and Canada-they have recently had their hands in renovation work to the Broadmoor-East Course in Colorado and the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island-sites of recent U.S. Senior Opens and U.S. Women’s Opens respectively. They did a wonderful job retaining the characteristics of all three of these fine architects while making it a very playable and a challenging golf experience.

The entire course is in the flood plain of the Shober Spring Stream and sits nestled between the foothills on either side. There is a good bit of meandering back and forth so the holes do not route in a typical outward and inward loop. For a course set in the foothills there are not that many severe elevation changes on holes and you get surprisingly few side hill or billy goat stances during the round. As with most old style courses the track does not sprawl-the next tee is a few steps from the last green and the round has a tidy-compact feel to it. Green surfaces are totally updated-very quick-lots of pitch and undulation and oddly shaped which makes for really small targets from the fairway. You will do some pitching and chipping to save pars.

The green speed is the course’s major defense considering the tiering and undulations you will face. But at the same time these characteristics provide you with a good correction mechanism for your approach shots if you pay attention to green topography and use it accordingly. Big hitters will be frustrated by the many times they cannot just haul off and hit as much as they can-position off the tee is extremely important to getting the best angle of attack into the greens.

The last characteristic worth noting is the balance of the types of holes and the sequencing. Five Par 5’s, Five Par 3’s, and 8 Par 4’s (only one over 400 yards) means you are hitting lots of finesse shots through the day and the mix is pretty random. There is a sequence from 2 to 6 where you play par 3, par 5, par 3, par 5, short par 4-other than the driver on the second par 3 you have no long shots for five holes. From 9 through 14 you have a similar 5-3-4-4-5-3 run but in the midst of this one you have two of the longest holes you play all day. My point is you have to be very mentally agile to play this course effectively-there is no natural rhythm to the course other than the constant sound of the babbling of the ever present Shober’s Run.

Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania

Architects: Spencer Oldham (1895), A.W. Tillinghast (1912), Donald Ross (1923), Forse Design (2007)

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage

Medal 72 73.4 140 6785

Ross 72 71.9 136 6446

Tillie 72 69.3 130 6023

Oldham 72 69.8 122 5106

(Click here to review Bedford Springs hole-by-hole descriptions)

Musket Ridge Golf Club

Posted on July 10, 2012 by moegolf

Set in the terrain of the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains this is a hilly course with dramatic up and down holes and stunning vistas all around. The golf course is in the same neighborhood as Arthur Hill’s Maryland National to which it tends to regularly be compared. In my estimation Musket Ridge is hands down more fun and interesting. What differentiates it from Maryland National is that it is a consistent strong design without any trickery. Balance of long and short holes is right, par threes have good variety, and the teeth of the course are the in finish on both sides.

Playing Musket Ridge, the first thing one comes away with is the beauty of the settings that surround the course. There are so many holes where you stand on the tee looking at the hole ahead and your eye just gets drawn to something five miles in the distance. At times it can be distracting because the mind starts wandering and the scale of the task at hand gets dwarfed by the panoramic view that is consuming your attention.

From the first tee the scenic beauty of this region is revealed

The second characteristic worth noting is the quality of the greens. Pretty generous in size the greens are big without being sprawling. Unlike so many new courses these days these are not tricked up with buried pachyderms or absurd segmentation. Occasionally multiple tiers appear but it is selective and makes sense when it is used. The bunkering around the greens is strategically positioned and can be punitive so you must respect their proximity when picking your approach lines. To my experience, the quality and maintenance of the putting surfaces has been top notch. They can be speedy when cut low but most of the time they run at a comfortable speed for recreational play.

Lastly it is noticeable the way the holes are routed across the hills. Most holes traverse the fall line of the hills so there is a stacked effect to the arrangement of the holes. The designer uses ridges along the side to define and contain each hole and give you relatively level ground to play from. But the influence of the prevailing slope of the property will influence the movement of your ball on the ground. Wandering beyond those ridges puts your ball in the jeopardy. To accentuate the look they have let the grass on these side hills grow to three feet plus so you have to keep your ball within the parameters of the playing area or you will pay a price.

A little floral embellishment on #17 and this could be a postcard

The variety of the holes is astounding. No two holes look remotely alike. There is a great mix of long and short four pars-ones you think you can drive the green and a number where a solid drive still leaves you the full measure of a fairway metal to reach the green. The front and back both start with scenic holes that tumble below your feet and set a tone for the drama of the day. Strength of both sides is in the last four holes where if you lose your focus you will lose control of your scorecard. The challenge from the Blue Tees is more than enough for the mere mortal-play at this distance and you will get your money’s worth.

Even though you rarely hear Joe Lee’s name mentioned among top designers, he has been around a long time and done wonderful work. He spent most of his career being the junior co-designer with Dick Wilson building courses like Cog Hill #4, Laurel Valley, La Costa, and the Blue Monster at Doral. But in the last 20 years until his passing in 2003, he has done lots of work on his own that stands to its own distinction.

A book was written by Ron Whitten on Joe Lee’s work in which Lee is quoted as saying of his design philosophy, “I start with the premise that golf should be enjoyable, not a chore. Golfers want a challenge, but they want a fair one. An architect cannot put a foot on the golfer’s neck and keep it there all day.” His philosophy of design is evident in this layout-it is a challenge, but an enjoyable challenge. One cannot help but walk away shaking their head about what could have been, soon to be followed by the nagging sirens calling them back for another go at it.

The look up 18 captures the balanced majesty of this place

Take the time when you are done to enjoy the food service in the grill room. It is an intimate room with a great view of the finishing holes on both sides. Food is quite good and makes for a nice accent to a wonderful golfing day.

Myersville, Maryland

Architect: Joe Lee (2002)

Tees Par Rating Slope Yardage

Gray 72 73 140 6902

Blue 72 71.1 130 6416

White 72 68.9 123 5884

(Click here to review Musket Ridge hole-by-hole descriptions)

moegolf

………………………………………………………………….golf unplugged

Category Archives: Northeast

Glen Oaks Club

U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club

George Wright Golf Course

Cape Cod National Golf Club

Elkridge Club

Ridgewood Country Club

Highland Links Golf Course

Merion Golf and Cricket Club

Bedford Springs-Old Course

Musket Ridge Golf Club

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: