109. Heading North from NC to MA---and Surprise Happens

109. Heading North from NC to MA---and Surprise Happens

Trump National GC, Washington, DC (Championship Course), May 1, 2018: The morning of Tuesday, May 1, Pat and I left Pinehurst to head north.  I dropped her off at Raleigh-Durham airport for her flight to Boston.  I then started my drive to MA…with a drive of about 5:30 hours to Potomac Falls, VA where I was scheduled to play Trump National GC’s Championship Course along the Potomac River (about 15 miles west of Washington DC). Trump National Wash DC was originally Lowes Island Club and had two courses…an 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio and another designed by Arthur Hills.  Donald Trump purchased Lowes Island Club in 2009.

Not one of Donald's best courses. Land is too flat and there are many repetitive holes.  Fairways are very tight with punishing rough alongside; course offers very little subtlety and use of options/angles.  It is very long (7793 yards) and tough with its length and tightness...but it does not test the mind as great course should. With about five holes stretched alongside the Potamac some of the views are pretty impressive, but I am looking for interesting golf.

The club hosted the 2017 Senior PGA Championship won by Bernard Langer but has never been included on a USA Top 100.

After the round said thanks to the pro shop staff and headed up to Baltimore for dinner with an old friend from Citibank and Credit Card Service Corp…Ed Speno.  Ed’s wonderful wife, Marty, had passed away in January and it was good to see him and reminisce about our days together in the mid 1980’s.  We had a simple dinner together and I stayed over in his apartment…the next morning I had an early starting time at a local muni, followed by a round in Delaware.  

Pine Ridge Golf Course, May 2, 2018:  Got to the course early and was able to get right off as a single…which would help on a long day.  Pine Ridge Golf Course hosted the Women’s PGA Championship in 1975 and 1976.  This is an OK golf course and my guess is it has seen better days.  Plays 6820 yards from back tees.

DuPont Country Club-DuPont Course, May 2, 2018:  After finishing play I moved further north and stopped to play DuPont Country Club’s DuPont Course.   The club was founded in 1920 as a recreational outlet for DuPont employees. The DuPont course was designed by Alfred Tull and opened in 1949.   In 2005 it was renovated by architect Lester George whose work has been focused in the states of VA, MD, DE, and PA.  His best known designs are Kinloch GC in Richmond, VA and Ballyhack, a wild and woolly course in Roanoke, VA (two startlingly different designs).  

Earlier this year DuPont CC was purchased by Rockland Sports that is owned by Ben du Pont and Don Wirth.  Rockland has announced plans to invest $18 million in the club to update its facilities, but no specific plans for major changes to the Dupont course have been announced.  

From 1993-2004 the DuPont course hosted the Women’s PGA Championship.  Additionally, it has frequently been a qualifying spot for the US Open Championship. It is a tough but fair course with difficult and well bunkered and well angled green complexes.  It stretches to 7120 yards (par 71).  Its land is good but not great…some overall land movement but lacking in “rumpleness”.  I thought it has good “bones” and could be made to be very very good by widening the fairways to increase the angle options, and cutting grass in front of bunkers to allow balls to run into bunkers.   On this day it was in excellent condition with very firm greens as it was getting ready for a US Open qualifier (Local level).  It has never been on a USA Top 100 and IMO would require some fairly extensive renovation achieve that recognition…but it is certainly doable.

Back Creek Golf Club, May 3, 2018: My plans for this day were to play Back Creek in southern Delaware and then hopefully drive to Philadelphia and play Aronimink, which had recently been renovated by Gil Hanse.  However, I heard from Aronimink’s pro and the timing I required for my schedule would not work, so we agreed to reschedule sometime in the future.

Over the previous 4-5 months I had been working with two other men who had completed a Golf Magazine World 100 list to organize a get together of the approximately 35 people who had completed a GM World 100. The event was scheduled for May 21-24 in Westchester County, just north of NYC and it looked like we would have about 27 attendees (plus spouses, etc).   Planning this was a major undertaking and absorbing a fair amount of my time (thereby provided me with an excuse for my late Blog postings), but was great fun.  On this morning I learned the terrible news that John (one of the other two men working on the get together) had been diagnosed with acute leukemia and was in University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.  I immediately contacted John and offered to stop by that afternoon. That was news event #1 for the day.

I teed off at Back Creek early and was able to play fairly quickly, but ran into a small shotgun event for my last few holes.  

Designed by Allan Liddicopat and opened in 1997, the course was listed as # 98 and 100 on GW’s Top 100 Modern listing in 1999 and 2000, but has been absent from these lists since.  It is was not in very good condition with poa annua invading the fairways and greens that were literally rock hard.  I was hoping for the round to end quickly when my cell phone rang on hole #16.  

Before leaving Pinehurst, I had a set of regular doctor appointments including one with my dermatologist, who found a suspicious “mole” on my back and removed it for a biopsy analysis.  When I answered the phone and the voice sounded very business-like, I knew the news would not be good…and then I heard that it was a melanoma. I think I had a double bogey and triple bogey on the last two holes, and quickly got to my car.  I knew it was important to see John and called him to advise my ETA.  Then called Pat to tell her I would get home that night, and of course, why…and then cancelled my scheduled rounds with in NJ an old fraternity brother.  

Was very glad that I stopped by to see John and his wife Karen. This was the first time we had met face to face.  His spirits were quite good and we discussed his situation (which was not yet fully diagnosed) and things that he was working on for the get together.  I made no mention of my condition.

Then I embarked on along drive and arrived home around 11pm...tired to say the least.

It is now almost five months later…all worked out very well on both these fronts.  John underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from his brother and is now leukemia free.  I had a “Mohs” procedure performed on my back, which was very successful with clean results.  Missed a few weeks of golf after the procedure but am much relieved…and must watch that spot in the future.  We were both very lucky!!

The Misquamicut Club, May 9, 2018:  Shortly before leaving NC, I issued v94 of my Top 100 spreadsheet which included the 2018 Golf Week listings .  There were four courses added to my “to do list”…including a very old club in Rhode Island…The Misquamicut Club.  With my Mohs procedure scheduled for 5/11, I scheduled a round there for 5/9.

Misquamicut is located in the southwest corner of RI and sits a mere 4-5 miles from Fishers Island.  It is an old-line waspy club and has a wonderful “old feel” to it…upon arrival you feel as if you have stepped back in time 100 years.  A major  and very caring renovation of the clubhouse was being completed (no…steel, glass and marble was NOT being installed).  

The golf course is short  (6226 yards from the tips, par 69) but wonderfully fun!  Best stretch of holes are #8-11 IMO, but there is no “average” stretch.  The course tests every club in the bag and most of all tests the decision making capabilities and thought processes of players. The routing is brilliant, conditioning superb, and the ambiance/aesthetics simply glorious.  Could play it everyday forever...weather must be huge factor here. Land rolls and bumps beautifully especially on front nine (somewhat of a sense of St. George's Hill on front and CC of Fairfield on back).  An absolute Hidden Gem.

Misquamicut Club #5 par 4 424 yards

Miquamicut Club #8 par 3 165 yards..."Volcano Hole"

I could feel my blood flowing as I played (and bogeyed) #1, but finished with a strong 38–38 = 76.  After the round I had a nice chat with the club’s GM, Phil Koretski, and then drove home (90 miles).