139. Another short trip to Long Island and Drive from MA to NC.
Sooo, last left you folks after taking the ferry back from Hamptons on Monday October 7. Prior to leaving for the Hampton's I had made arrangements for a two day trip to NY on Thursday and Friday 10/10 &11, and most of that trip was firmed up soon after I got home on October 7. This would be a quick one, playing three courses and driving too many miles (535 miles) in a period of some 40 hours.
Rockaway Hunting Club, October 10, 2019: Another early morning start on this one, this time around 3:30am. Rockaway Hunt is located about 2-3 miles (via flying crow) east of JFK airport on Long Island in an area known as "Five Towns" (Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Inwood, and Hewlett). In the late 1950's and early 1960's many Jewish families moved from New York City to the Five Towns (which was in Nassau County just east of the city line). During my senior year in high school I played in a golf tournament at Seawane Country Club in Hewlett, originally designed by Devereux Emmet and opened in 1927. Seawane was the 14th course I ever played. The trip home after the round tournament was easy as I was not burdened with any trophies or prizes to carry home.
Rockaway Hunt was founded in 1878 and claims to be the nation's first country club (as I was less than 10 years old at that time I cannot recall enough to verify that claim). In 1884 the club moved to its present location in Lawrence, NY. The club was originally focused on polo, steeplechase, and other equestrian sports. There seemed to be several historical versions of the the club's golf origins, but the list of architects often associated with the course include Horace Hutchinson, Tom Bendelow, Tom Dunn, Devereux Emmet, A. W. Tillinghast in 1926 (who is generally credited with today's design), and Perry and Press Maxwell after WW II. From 2009-2015 Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner completed a major restoration/renovation. Not a bad collection of architects.
It is a facility steeped in history and tradition and today seems almost shoe horned into a suburban community as you are driving to it...but very different once you are on the first tee. For a long period this was a very WASPy club located in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Now neither may be true.
The clubhouse makes one feel like they have stepped back 120-140 years. The course sits mostly on low lying land with just the Atlantic Beach barrier island and the marshes of Brosewere Bay separating the course from the Atlantic Ocean...which makes for a superb golf setting. Note however, this portion of Long Island is not true links land, as the advancing glacier of the last ice age stopped about 8 miles north of the club's location. I should also point out that while sitting where it does makes for a superb golf setting, it also makes for some real damage when Hurricane Sandy visited NY...including depositing a boat open the club's 15th fairway. Further proof that most things in life are double edged swords.
The clubhouse makes one feel like they have stepped back 120-140 years. The course sits mostly on low lying land with just the Atlantic Beach barrier island and the marshes of Brosewere Bay separating the course from the Atlantic Ocean...which makes for a superb golf setting. Note however, this portion of Long Island is not true links land, as the advancing glacier of the last ice age stopped about 8 miles north of the club's location. I should also point out that while sitting where it does makes for a superb golf setting, it also makes for some real damage when Hurricane Sandy visited NY...including depositing a boat open the club's 15th fairway. Further proof that most things in life are double edged swords.
 |
| Highwater Mark from Sandy above door at Half Way House |
I had tried to set up a round at Rockaway one year earlier but the club was punching the greens. In my back and forth with head pro Ryan George, we got into the history of the famous Lido Golf Club (Post #13) by C. B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, which had been located some 5 miles east of here. Ryan put me in touch with a Rockaway member, Andrew C., whose father form any years was the operator of Lido Golf Club ("#2") designed and built after WWII by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Andrew and I exchanged some interesting emails (although some readers of this blog might question the use of the adjective "interesting") regarding the original Lido; I contacted Andrew in September and he was able to host me at Rockaway. Andrew is a good player and good guy, who works at a major private equity firm in NYC and is well versed in Rockaway history. It was great fun spending the morning with him, and learning about the history of this place.
From the tips it stretches to 6236 yards...not short, but very short by today's standards. However, when the wind blows (which is not unusual...and it did this morning), this is a fun, interesting and challenging track. Fully 11 holes run alongside or have greens situated on Brosewere Bay or the channels coming off the Bay. The bunkering, all redone by Hanse & Co. is perfectly placed and beautifully sculpted. Three holes lie behind the clubhouse almost within a neighbor of homes and the most interesting of these was #5, a 147 yard par 3 squeezed between two out of bounds lines and with deep large bunker stretched between the tee and the green (see pic below).
Par 3 5th hole 147 yards...bunkers tee to green reminded me a little of Hirono's (Japan) 7th
IMO the best hole on the course is the par 4 8th, only 328 yards but doglegging right alongside the Bay. In the wind this one requires well thought out plans. Next best were:
-- #9, a tough 441 yards turning slightly right with the Bay along the right side,
-- #12, a 567 yard par 5 heading south towards the Atlantic and into prevailing southerly winds,
--#14, 209 yard par 3 angled over Woodmere Channel, and
--#18, 382 yards slightly uphill to a small raised green well guarded on all four sides.
Rockaway has never been included on a USA Top 100 or 200...but who cares...this is a very special place and is great fun...and not just for golf. The club has 24 grass tennis courts!! Its location is not ideal...not a long distance from Manhattan but several miles of sides streets and Long Island's infamous traffic. But well worth the trip of you love classic old courses. This is a beaut.
I played like a sick dog on the front nine (blamed it on the long drive from 3:30am to 7:15am). But I came alive on the back finishing birdie-par-par for a 45 - 37 = 82. Want to come back here next year, and have Andrew at Brookline. Also, our caddy (Dennis) was from Quincy, MA and a special guy...will get Andrew and Dennis and a friend in Boston who Dennis remembers from his early days growing up there!
Old Oaks Country Club, October 10, 2019: After a quick lunch at Rockaway, I had to drive up to Purchase in Westchester county...a trip of 39 miles that took almost 90 minutes. From 1988-2005 I lived about a mile from Old Oaks but had never played it. Drives like these remind me why I do not live in the NYC area anymore.
Old Oaks CC was formed in 1925 as an offshoot of Progress City Club in Manhattan. Over the next 11 years it went through a number of mergers and name changes and became Old Oaks CC in 1936. It has always been located at its present facility. The clubhouse is magnificent...its construction took 3 years (1890-1893), was called Hill Crest and was the country residence of Trenor Luther Park. In 1906 the property was purchased by William Read (as in Dillon Read & Co.), who passed away in 1916 and his family sold the property to the new club in 1925.
Tillinghast designed an 18 hole course and a 9 holer (but in 1968 the 9 holer was closed as a good chuck of its land was acquired via eminent domain for the construction of I-684). For reasons unknown to your truly (but I might be able to guess) the original courses were built out by Charles Alison and Harry Colt (not a bad pair of substitutes off the bench).
The clubhouse has has it share of fame. It was the scene of two parties in "Goodbye Columbus" (including one with Ali McGraw swimming naked) and more recently was used as the White House in "Madame Secretary" (so I am told...not a show I would ever watch).
Now to more mundane aspects, like the golf course. The course was renovated by Ken Dye (no relation to Pete) in 2000 and then by Rees Jones in 2009. It is very green and well maintained but far from fast and firm. This is a beautiful club with a very fine golf course...but it pales in comparison to a place like Rockaway Hunt IMO. A few very good holes (really liked uphill par 5 18th) but far too many holes that are not memorable...and basically had one way to play them.
Old Oaks has never been included on a USA Top 100 listing. I played so so and was tired, so did not keep score...very long day starting as early as I did at 3:30am.
Sands Point Golf Club, October 11, 2019: For some reason I had been unaware of this club until hearing about it earlier this year...and then I heard from several folks whose opinions I respect that this was a hidden gem that needed to be played. It is located in Port Washington on the north shore of Long Island...only about 5 miles from the New York City line (note...it may only be 5 miles from the NYC line but that is as the crow flies...driving wise it is a bit of a "schlep" from the closest major highway, but who am I to complain).
The club's origins begin in 1918 when George Reynolds (Reynolds Tobacco family) purchased the property and build a nine hole course. In 1921, it was purchased by Julius Fleischman who added a polo field in 1922. Sands Point Club was formed under the leadership of Averell Harriman in 1927 (Harriman was Governor of New York 1955-1959 and unsuccessfully sought the the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952 and 1956) and purchased the property. Membership included the likes of Vincent Astor, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Bernard Baruch, Irving Berlin, Walter Chrysler, William Paley, John Whitney, James Forrestal, Robert Lehman, and Marshall Field. Unlike most private clubs at that time (and for the following 5+ decades), Sands Point's founding members included Protestants, Catholics, and Jews...and that diverse make-up has marked its membership ever since.
A. W. Tillinghast was retained to revamp the existing nine holes and build another nine...while leaving the polo field firmly in place, and the course opened for play in July 1928. Some 15 months the the Great Depression commenced and the club fell upon hard times until the mortgage holders foreclosed on the property in 1938. Members of the old club were permitted to continue to play the course and then in 1940, a new club, Sands Point Golf Club was formed including golf, skeet shooting, tennis, and horse riding as its main activities (but, alas, sans polo field...which now is a splendid practice facility).
In the 1960's, the golf course was renovated by Frank Duane of Robert Trent Jones' firm...resulting in a loss of some of Tillinghast's touches. In 1983 Ron Forse was brought in to reestablish many of these Tillie characteristics, including his well placed, deep bunkering.
Finally, in 2012 Keith Foster completed a major renovation...and based on what I saw this day the results are simply wonderful. I have been told that when Foster was called about this project he advised that he was pretty well booked with projects but asked the course's history. Upon being told that this was a Tillinghast design, he advised that he could be there to take a tour the next day.
The course is firm and fast and in spectacular condition. The greens are mostly raised, loaded with relatively steep slopes, beautiful mounding, and offer false fronts, sides and backs that have to be seem to be appreciated. And yes, these greens are very quick...and fun; the bunkering is very "Tillinghastesque". Most memorable holes probably 7, 8, 9, 11(I birdied đŸ˜€), 14, and 15. There are no weak holes here.
Sands Point has never been included on a USA Top 100...probably in part because it has succeeded in staying below the radar. From the back tees a relatively short 6851 yards (par 72). Absolutely worth the visit...not too many hidden gems left as good as this one.
After the round had lunch with my hosts, thanked all and tried to get to Bull's Bridge GC in northwestern CT to squeeze in another 18. However, given NYC traffic and earlier sunsets this time of year, that will have to wait until 2020. Headed to Milton, MA to see me bride and rest up a bit.
One final note: Sands Point GC is not to be confused with the Village Club of Sands Point, which is a superb municipal track. Back in the 1959 I played the Village Club when it was owned by IBM Corporation (it was the 7th course I ever played). Back then IBM owned two courses...this one and one in Poughkeepsie NY. IBM sold both courses/clubs in 1994 (Sands Point) and 2010 (Poughkeepsie).
************************
One week later, it was time to head south to Pinehurst. I left Milton very early on Friday 10/18 and would take three days to get to Pinehurst, and Pat would fly south on Monday 10/21 and I would pick her up at Raleigh-Durham Airport. After evaluating my various Bucket Lists, I finalized an itinerary for my journey which would hopefully allow me to play six courses over these three days, but that would depend on weather and traffic.
Shuttle Meadow Country Club, October 18, 2019: I left home at 5:30am with a car stuffed to the gills. Shuttle Meadow is located southwest of Hartford in Berlin, CT which brought back lots of memories. Back before I-91 and I-84 were built, the drive from New York to Boston always meant a pit stop on the "Berlin Turnpike" a 12 mile stretch consisting of lots of traffic lights, cut rate gas stations (this was in the 1960's when gas was $0.25-$0.30/gallon) and fast food stores (pre MacDonald days). It was where I first enjoyed a foot long hot dog.
Anyhow, Shuttle Meadow CC was founded in 1899 (actually before my time) and in 1917 opened its 18 hole course designed and constructed by Willie Park, Jr. I had never heard of Shuttle Meadow but recently noted its presence on Golf Week's expanded list of Classic golf courses (1960 and prior). In 2011 GW expanded this list from 100 to 200 (while also expanded its Modern (post 1960) list in a similar fashion. On my world famous spreadsheet, I merge these two lists (based on individual GW courses ratings (to create what is now a Top 400 course list). In 2019 Shuttle Meadow was #387 (highest rating was #339 in 2014). While 400 courses seems like a lot for a list (especially when inputting the necessary data to update the spreadsheet!!), any course on this list is in the top 2.67% of courses in the USA.
Willie Park is credited with designing some 170 golf courses (including The Maidstone Club (Post #138), Olympia Fields CC (Post #133), Huntercombe GC in England (Post #131), and Mt Bruno GC near Montreal) and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He won The Open Championship in 1887 and 1889 (at Prestwick GC and Musselburgh GC...Posts #96 and #100 respectively). According to the folks at Shuttle Meadow, of Park's extensive list of designs, he only supervised the building of 13 courses, and Shuttle Meadow was the earliest of these in the USA.
I played it with Jerry D., the current Greens Comm. chair and then after the round talked with Jerry and head pro Tim Gavronski. Course clearly has superb "bones" and is a very good course at this point, but is to some degree showing its age.
After thanking both Jerry and Tim, it was off to northern NJ, specifically Upper Montclair CC in Clifton NJ...a drive of about 120 miles.
Upper Montclair Country Club--West/South, October 18, 2019: Upper Montclair CC was founded in 1901 with an initial 5 hole course that was expanded to 9 holes a few months later. Some 20 years later additional land was acquired and A. W. Tillinghast was retained to design a new 18 hole course, and the new clubhouse opened for business a few weeks after the crash that signaled in the Great Depression.
Over 20 years later Robert Trent Jones Sr. oversaw a major renovation of all 27 holes, and in 1962, 1967, 1968, and 1970 the club hosted the Thunderbird Classic (a precursor to the Westchester Classic). It has also hosted Senior Tour and LPGA events.
The three nines at UMCC are West, South, and East. I played West & South, and then toured the East nine in a cart. I played poorly, shooting a 44(W) - 42(S) = 86.
The Thunderbird, Senior Tour, and LPGA events were all played on the West/South combination, although it was my opinion that the East is the best nine (better and more rolling land, more interesting greens by far, and fewer holes oriented in a N-->S or S-->N direction). The course is a very good condition, but way too green and soft. It also could use some serious tree trimming and green expansion. There are some very good Tillinghast features buried in its bones under the weight of the Jones renovation.
After the round had a good talk with Head Pro Michael Holiday, and then headed north up into New York State's Hudson Valley, a drive of 49 miles which took about 90 minutes. Needed some sleep after a long day...and Saturday was looking like there would be frost delays.
West Point Golf Course, October 19, 2019: Bright sunshine Saturday morning after some strong Friday night storms usually means north winds and plunging temperatures in this part of the world...and this morning was no exception. I was scheduled to play Tarry Brae in the morning and then West Point in the afternoon, but the temps were colder at Tarry Brae (further north and higher elevation in the Catskill Mountains) so I flipped the times and was at West Point at 8am. Frost delay was only 30 minutes and I was able to join the first group off (after the Cadet golf team).
The course here measures only 6036 yards from the back tees but trust me, it plays much longer. I usually make notes on my scorecard that serve as a reminder about holes. If a hole is gently uphill, it gets a U, if it is moderately uphill it gets a UU, a strongly uphill gets UUU and a hole built for a nanny goat gets a UUUU. Suffice it to say the this track has:
--1 UUUUU hole
--2 UUUU holes
--4 UUU holes
--3 DDDD holes
--1 DDD hole
--2 DD holes
The Cadets ahead of us walked and carried...if I had tried that I would still be out there. BTW, the Cadets did not repair their ball marks but they had disappeared before we finished the last hole so I was not able to talk to them about that.
I played poorly on the front nine (43) but got hot on the back nine (even par 35) with 3 birdies (13, 14, and 17)...something that was certainly not expected given how I was playing...but I'll take it. Two guys from Westchester who I played with were wondering who this old fxxt was.
I was here because West Point was included in Golf Digest's 1966 and 1967 USA 200 Toughest lists. It can be tough because of the hills and a few nutty greens (built on slopes), but certainly not among the country's 200 Toughest.
After the round came a 58 mile drive to Tarry Brae, just north of the town of Monticello, NY, in the heart of the Borscht Belt!!
Tarry Brae Golf Course, October 19, 2019: Well, this was another one from the 1966 and 1967 200 Toughest, and even less deserving of this honor than West Point. It is almost a cow pasture....but after 6 holes I was even par (actually hitting it quite well), then finished the front nine double bogey, bogey, par for a 39. My dreams of finally shooting my age had quickly faded thanks to a fluffed bunker shot on the easy 7th hole. But then somehow, on holes 10-15 I played one under...leaving me two over for the round...and even par golf would bring me in at 2 over to match my age. Alas, a pulled drive at #16 buried my chances and my 20' birdie putt on 18 never really had a chance. So in the end my 39 - 36 = 75 missed shooting my age by 34 days (or 0.09315 years!). Almost snuck up on it this time but almost only counts in horseshoes. Trust me...you can be sure that if I had bagged my 74, I would not have opened this paragraph with its first line...this would have been heralded as one of the toughest tracks in the entire country!!
Anyhow, had to move on...was heading to York, PA, to play CC of York, a drive of some 220 miles. Highlight of this drive was driving past an exit for Honesdale, PA where I played my first 9 holes of golf at Honesdale Country Club in August 1955. But no time to stop...I was getting tired and needed to get to York. And the forecast for my 36 holes (CC of York and Manor CC in Rockville, MD) looked like lots of rain Sunday.
Country Club of York, October 20, 2019: Yes...playing all these courses means playing some semi-dog tracks and the occasional true dog track. But those hours are more than offset by the times I am playing a generally unknown and unappreciated hidden gem, and enjoying a personal sense of "discovery." This morning proved to be one of those times.
York, PA lies off I-83 about 20-25 miles south of Harrisburg, PA. Country Club of York lies about 2 miles southwest of downtown York and was founded in 1899. Golf at CC of York started with a nine hole course the following year and in 1926 the club decided to build a new 18 hole course at its present site selecting Donald Ross to design and construct the course. The new course opened in August 1927 playing 6550 yards (par 72). The clubhouse opened the following year...with an exterior of quartzite mined from a quarry found while building the course. In 1962 the clubhouse was expanded to its present size. It is simply stunning! go to:https://www.ccyork.org
Little was done to alter the course during its first 85 years, and more recently Andrew Green developed a plan which is being implemented to restore the course to Ross' original intent. The work he has done already at York is superb. In the past few years Green has become one of the game's hot new architects, having completed highly acclaimed work at Inverness (OH), Bidermann (DE), Whitemarsh Valley (PA), and more recently Cape Fear CC (NC) (just played and should be in my next post, #140). Additionally, Greens is working now at the following other tracks: Oak Hill-East (NY) (Post #82), Scioto (OH), and Congressional-Blue (MD)
I arrived in a light drizzle just before 8:00am and was able to play right away...given the forecast, it was not surprising that the club was empty this early on a Sunday. After playing holes 1-4, I knew this one was a beauty. The greens are classic Ross without being overdone. My 20' birdie putt on #4 ended up about 25' off line and off the green. The best holes IMO are the 489 yard par 4 #9, uphill off the tee doglegging right with the fairway sloping left to right, and the 204 yard slightly uphill par 3 #12. Other outstanding holes are #1, 3, 4, 5, 11, 14, and 16...with the 16th green being one of the wildest greens I have played. The property is located in the midst of some farms and the view from the 10th fairway of the surrounding countryside is outstanding. The land here (especially on the back nine) is nothing short of outstanding and Ross used it superbly...the holes look like they have sat on this land forever. In sum and substance...at 6722 yards today (par 72) it looks, plays and feels like a short version of Aronimink CC (PA) (post #122).
York appeared in Golf Week's USA Top 200 Classic Courses as #194 in 2016 and thereby made my GW Merged list for that year as #387. It hosted the 1999 US Junior Championship won by Hunter Mahan in a final match against Camilo Villegas.
I played well and had a 41 - 41 = 82 with a simple scorecard of 8 pars and 10 bogies (started by bogeying 1-5 and ended by bogeying 16-18...pretty good from 6-15). Was lucky in that the drizzle stopped after a few holes and the rain held off until; after I finished. Rather be lucky than good (not that I have a choice in the matter).
After the round I talked for a while about the course and club with head pro Kevin Bales. Thanked Kevin and his staff and headed south towards Rockville, MD with plans to play Manor CC that afternoon. Always feels great to find a hidden gem...and this one absolutely qualifies.
After being on the road for about 10 minutes, the rain started pretty hard. I called Manor and they told me it was raining hard there, carts would be cart path only, and literally no one had set foot on the course all day. I figured I was pretty tired, had a long drive ahead (435 miles) and the course will be there next May when I drive north. Was a good move as the drive home took 9 hours 30 minutes, getting me home at 10pm. With no traffic it should take 6 hours 30 minutes. Such is traffic around Washington DC...and another measure of how deep the Deep State is.
After arriving home was up for all out 5 hours getting the cable/internet and phone systems up, unloading the overstuffed car and unpacking. Monday morning I slept until around 9am and then it was up to RDU airport to pick up Pat, another 150 miles round trip. Was good for both of us to be back in Pinehurst.
Now to more mundane aspects, like the golf course. The course was renovated by Ken Dye (no relation to Pete) in 2000 and then by Rees Jones in 2009. It is very green and well maintained but far from fast and firm. This is a beautiful club with a very fine golf course...but it pales in comparison to a place like Rockaway Hunt IMO. A few very good holes (really liked uphill par 5 18th) but far too many holes that are not memorable...and basically had one way to play them.
Old Oaks has never been included on a USA Top 100 listing. I played so so and was tired, so did not keep score...very long day starting as early as I did at 3:30am.
Sands Point Golf Club, October 11, 2019: For some reason I had been unaware of this club until hearing about it earlier this year...and then I heard from several folks whose opinions I respect that this was a hidden gem that needed to be played. It is located in Port Washington on the north shore of Long Island...only about 5 miles from the New York City line (note...it may only be 5 miles from the NYC line but that is as the crow flies...driving wise it is a bit of a "schlep" from the closest major highway, but who am I to complain).
The club's origins begin in 1918 when George Reynolds (Reynolds Tobacco family) purchased the property and build a nine hole course. In 1921, it was purchased by Julius Fleischman who added a polo field in 1922. Sands Point Club was formed under the leadership of Averell Harriman in 1927 (Harriman was Governor of New York 1955-1959 and unsuccessfully sought the the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952 and 1956) and purchased the property. Membership included the likes of Vincent Astor, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Bernard Baruch, Irving Berlin, Walter Chrysler, William Paley, John Whitney, James Forrestal, Robert Lehman, and Marshall Field. Unlike most private clubs at that time (and for the following 5+ decades), Sands Point's founding members included Protestants, Catholics, and Jews...and that diverse make-up has marked its membership ever since.
A. W. Tillinghast was retained to revamp the existing nine holes and build another nine...while leaving the polo field firmly in place, and the course opened for play in July 1928. Some 15 months the the Great Depression commenced and the club fell upon hard times until the mortgage holders foreclosed on the property in 1938. Members of the old club were permitted to continue to play the course and then in 1940, a new club, Sands Point Golf Club was formed including golf, skeet shooting, tennis, and horse riding as its main activities (but, alas, sans polo field...which now is a splendid practice facility).
In the 1960's, the golf course was renovated by Frank Duane of Robert Trent Jones' firm...resulting in a loss of some of Tillinghast's touches. In 1983 Ron Forse was brought in to reestablish many of these Tillie characteristics, including his well placed, deep bunkering.
Finally, in 2012 Keith Foster completed a major renovation...and based on what I saw this day the results are simply wonderful. I have been told that when Foster was called about this project he advised that he was pretty well booked with projects but asked the course's history. Upon being told that this was a Tillinghast design, he advised that he could be there to take a tour the next day.
The course is firm and fast and in spectacular condition. The greens are mostly raised, loaded with relatively steep slopes, beautiful mounding, and offer false fronts, sides and backs that have to be seem to be appreciated. And yes, these greens are very quick...and fun; the bunkering is very "Tillinghastesque". Most memorable holes probably 7, 8, 9, 11(I birdied đŸ˜€), 14, and 15. There are no weak holes here.
Sands Point has never been included on a USA Top 100...probably in part because it has succeeded in staying below the radar. From the back tees a relatively short 6851 yards (par 72). Absolutely worth the visit...not too many hidden gems left as good as this one.
After the round had lunch with my hosts, thanked all and tried to get to Bull's Bridge GC in northwestern CT to squeeze in another 18. However, given NYC traffic and earlier sunsets this time of year, that will have to wait until 2020. Headed to Milton, MA to see me bride and rest up a bit.
One final note: Sands Point GC is not to be confused with the Village Club of Sands Point, which is a superb municipal track. Back in the 1959 I played the Village Club when it was owned by IBM Corporation (it was the 7th course I ever played). Back then IBM owned two courses...this one and one in Poughkeepsie NY. IBM sold both courses/clubs in 1994 (Sands Point) and 2010 (Poughkeepsie).
************************
One week later, it was time to head south to Pinehurst. I left Milton very early on Friday 10/18 and would take three days to get to Pinehurst, and Pat would fly south on Monday 10/21 and I would pick her up at Raleigh-Durham Airport. After evaluating my various Bucket Lists, I finalized an itinerary for my journey which would hopefully allow me to play six courses over these three days, but that would depend on weather and traffic.
Shuttle Meadow Country Club, October 18, 2019: I left home at 5:30am with a car stuffed to the gills. Shuttle Meadow is located southwest of Hartford in Berlin, CT which brought back lots of memories. Back before I-91 and I-84 were built, the drive from New York to Boston always meant a pit stop on the "Berlin Turnpike" a 12 mile stretch consisting of lots of traffic lights, cut rate gas stations (this was in the 1960's when gas was $0.25-$0.30/gallon) and fast food stores (pre MacDonald days). It was where I first enjoyed a foot long hot dog.
Anyhow, Shuttle Meadow CC was founded in 1899 (actually before my time) and in 1917 opened its 18 hole course designed and constructed by Willie Park, Jr. I had never heard of Shuttle Meadow but recently noted its presence on Golf Week's expanded list of Classic golf courses (1960 and prior). In 2011 GW expanded this list from 100 to 200 (while also expanded its Modern (post 1960) list in a similar fashion. On my world famous spreadsheet, I merge these two lists (based on individual GW courses ratings (to create what is now a Top 400 course list). In 2019 Shuttle Meadow was #387 (highest rating was #339 in 2014). While 400 courses seems like a lot for a list (especially when inputting the necessary data to update the spreadsheet!!), any course on this list is in the top 2.67% of courses in the USA.
Willie Park is credited with designing some 170 golf courses (including The Maidstone Club (Post #138), Olympia Fields CC (Post #133), Huntercombe GC in England (Post #131), and Mt Bruno GC near Montreal) and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He won The Open Championship in 1887 and 1889 (at Prestwick GC and Musselburgh GC...Posts #96 and #100 respectively). According to the folks at Shuttle Meadow, of Park's extensive list of designs, he only supervised the building of 13 courses, and Shuttle Meadow was the earliest of these in the USA.
I played it with Jerry D., the current Greens Comm. chair and then after the round talked with Jerry and head pro Tim Gavronski. Course clearly has superb "bones" and is a very good course at this point, but is to some degree showing its age.
After thanking both Jerry and Tim, it was off to northern NJ, specifically Upper Montclair CC in Clifton NJ...a drive of about 120 miles.
Upper Montclair Country Club--West/South, October 18, 2019: Upper Montclair CC was founded in 1901 with an initial 5 hole course that was expanded to 9 holes a few months later. Some 20 years later additional land was acquired and A. W. Tillinghast was retained to design a new 18 hole course, and the new clubhouse opened for business a few weeks after the crash that signaled in the Great Depression.
Over 20 years later Robert Trent Jones Sr. oversaw a major renovation of all 27 holes, and in 1962, 1967, 1968, and 1970 the club hosted the Thunderbird Classic (a precursor to the Westchester Classic). It has also hosted Senior Tour and LPGA events.
The three nines at UMCC are West, South, and East. I played West & South, and then toured the East nine in a cart. I played poorly, shooting a 44(W) - 42(S) = 86.
The Thunderbird, Senior Tour, and LPGA events were all played on the West/South combination, although it was my opinion that the East is the best nine (better and more rolling land, more interesting greens by far, and fewer holes oriented in a N-->S or S-->N direction). The course is a very good condition, but way too green and soft. It also could use some serious tree trimming and green expansion. There are some very good Tillinghast features buried in its bones under the weight of the Jones renovation.
After the round had a good talk with Head Pro Michael Holiday, and then headed north up into New York State's Hudson Valley, a drive of 49 miles which took about 90 minutes. Needed some sleep after a long day...and Saturday was looking like there would be frost delays.
West Point Golf Course, October 19, 2019: Bright sunshine Saturday morning after some strong Friday night storms usually means north winds and plunging temperatures in this part of the world...and this morning was no exception. I was scheduled to play Tarry Brae in the morning and then West Point in the afternoon, but the temps were colder at Tarry Brae (further north and higher elevation in the Catskill Mountains) so I flipped the times and was at West Point at 8am. Frost delay was only 30 minutes and I was able to join the first group off (after the Cadet golf team).
The course here measures only 6036 yards from the back tees but trust me, it plays much longer. I usually make notes on my scorecard that serve as a reminder about holes. If a hole is gently uphill, it gets a U, if it is moderately uphill it gets a UU, a strongly uphill gets UUU and a hole built for a nanny goat gets a UUUU. Suffice it to say the this track has:
--1 UUUUU hole
--2 UUUU holes
--4 UUU holes
--3 DDDD holes
--1 DDD hole
--2 DD holes
The Cadets ahead of us walked and carried...if I had tried that I would still be out there. BTW, the Cadets did not repair their ball marks but they had disappeared before we finished the last hole so I was not able to talk to them about that.
I played poorly on the front nine (43) but got hot on the back nine (even par 35) with 3 birdies (13, 14, and 17)...something that was certainly not expected given how I was playing...but I'll take it. Two guys from Westchester who I played with were wondering who this old fxxt was.
I was here because West Point was included in Golf Digest's 1966 and 1967 USA 200 Toughest lists. It can be tough because of the hills and a few nutty greens (built on slopes), but certainly not among the country's 200 Toughest.
After the round came a 58 mile drive to Tarry Brae, just north of the town of Monticello, NY, in the heart of the Borscht Belt!!
Tarry Brae Golf Course, October 19, 2019: Well, this was another one from the 1966 and 1967 200 Toughest, and even less deserving of this honor than West Point. It is almost a cow pasture....but after 6 holes I was even par (actually hitting it quite well), then finished the front nine double bogey, bogey, par for a 39. My dreams of finally shooting my age had quickly faded thanks to a fluffed bunker shot on the easy 7th hole. But then somehow, on holes 10-15 I played one under...leaving me two over for the round...and even par golf would bring me in at 2 over to match my age. Alas, a pulled drive at #16 buried my chances and my 20' birdie putt on 18 never really had a chance. So in the end my 39 - 36 = 75 missed shooting my age by 34 days (or 0.09315 years!). Almost snuck up on it this time but almost only counts in horseshoes. Trust me...you can be sure that if I had bagged my 74, I would not have opened this paragraph with its first line...this would have been heralded as one of the toughest tracks in the entire country!!
Anyhow, had to move on...was heading to York, PA, to play CC of York, a drive of some 220 miles. Highlight of this drive was driving past an exit for Honesdale, PA where I played my first 9 holes of golf at Honesdale Country Club in August 1955. But no time to stop...I was getting tired and needed to get to York. And the forecast for my 36 holes (CC of York and Manor CC in Rockville, MD) looked like lots of rain Sunday.
Country Club of York, October 20, 2019: Yes...playing all these courses means playing some semi-dog tracks and the occasional true dog track. But those hours are more than offset by the times I am playing a generally unknown and unappreciated hidden gem, and enjoying a personal sense of "discovery." This morning proved to be one of those times.
York, PA lies off I-83 about 20-25 miles south of Harrisburg, PA. Country Club of York lies about 2 miles southwest of downtown York and was founded in 1899. Golf at CC of York started with a nine hole course the following year and in 1926 the club decided to build a new 18 hole course at its present site selecting Donald Ross to design and construct the course. The new course opened in August 1927 playing 6550 yards (par 72). The clubhouse opened the following year...with an exterior of quartzite mined from a quarry found while building the course. In 1962 the clubhouse was expanded to its present size. It is simply stunning! go to:https://www.ccyork.org
Little was done to alter the course during its first 85 years, and more recently Andrew Green developed a plan which is being implemented to restore the course to Ross' original intent. The work he has done already at York is superb. In the past few years Green has become one of the game's hot new architects, having completed highly acclaimed work at Inverness (OH), Bidermann (DE), Whitemarsh Valley (PA), and more recently Cape Fear CC (NC) (just played and should be in my next post, #140). Additionally, Greens is working now at the following other tracks: Oak Hill-East (NY) (Post #82), Scioto (OH), and Congressional-Blue (MD)
I arrived in a light drizzle just before 8:00am and was able to play right away...given the forecast, it was not surprising that the club was empty this early on a Sunday. After playing holes 1-4, I knew this one was a beauty. The greens are classic Ross without being overdone. My 20' birdie putt on #4 ended up about 25' off line and off the green. The best holes IMO are the 489 yard par 4 #9, uphill off the tee doglegging right with the fairway sloping left to right, and the 204 yard slightly uphill par 3 #12. Other outstanding holes are #1, 3, 4, 5, 11, 14, and 16...with the 16th green being one of the wildest greens I have played. The property is located in the midst of some farms and the view from the 10th fairway of the surrounding countryside is outstanding. The land here (especially on the back nine) is nothing short of outstanding and Ross used it superbly...the holes look like they have sat on this land forever. In sum and substance...at 6722 yards today (par 72) it looks, plays and feels like a short version of Aronimink CC (PA) (post #122).
I played well and had a 41 - 41 = 82 with a simple scorecard of 8 pars and 10 bogies (started by bogeying 1-5 and ended by bogeying 16-18...pretty good from 6-15). Was lucky in that the drizzle stopped after a few holes and the rain held off until; after I finished. Rather be lucky than good (not that I have a choice in the matter).
After the round I talked for a while about the course and club with head pro Kevin Bales. Thanked Kevin and his staff and headed south towards Rockville, MD with plans to play Manor CC that afternoon. Always feels great to find a hidden gem...and this one absolutely qualifies.
After being on the road for about 10 minutes, the rain started pretty hard. I called Manor and they told me it was raining hard there, carts would be cart path only, and literally no one had set foot on the course all day. I figured I was pretty tired, had a long drive ahead (435 miles) and the course will be there next May when I drive north. Was a good move as the drive home took 9 hours 30 minutes, getting me home at 10pm. With no traffic it should take 6 hours 30 minutes. Such is traffic around Washington DC...and another measure of how deep the Deep State is.
After arriving home was up for all out 5 hours getting the cable/internet and phone systems up, unloading the overstuffed car and unpacking. Monday morning I slept until around 9am and then it was up to RDU airport to pick up Pat, another 150 miles round trip. Was good for both of us to be back in Pinehurst.
No comments:
Post a Comment