117. Back to the United Kingdom (Part II)

117.  Back to the United Kingdom (Part II)

Royal St. George’s Golf Club (Sandwich or RSG), August 27, 2018:  Founded in 1887, Sandwich’s 18-hole course was completed in 1887.  The land site was selected by the club’s founder, a Scotsman named Dr. Laidlaw Purves, who also was its original designer.

In 1892 it hosted The Amateur Championship, and then two years later its first Open Championship…in fact the first Open Championship conducted outside of Scotland.  From 1894 thru 1949, RSG was a fixture on The Open “rota”, hosting the event nine times during that time span.  A drought of 32 years followed, and starting in 1981 Sandwich was back in the “rota”.  By 2020, Sandwich will have hosted another six Opens in that 40 year period.  So between 1892 and 2020, Sandwich will have hosted:

            --15 Open Championships,

            --14 Amateur Championships,

            --2 Walker Cups,

            --1 Curtis Cup, and

            --3 Women’s Amateur Championships.

I attended two Open Championships at Sandwich…1981 and 1985…the former from inside the ropes with a photographer’s pass (a green armband in those days, and mine was #1)…but that is another story. On the Monday following Bill Roger’s victory in July 1981, I was the first player to go off the first tee, and prior to 8/27/18, that was my only time playing RSG.  

Sandwich has appeared on every one of the 48 World 100 listings I track on my spreadsheet…only seven courses have been included on all 48 listings, and I am proud to have played all seven two or more times.  RSG’s highest rating ever was #5 in the MacWood Spoof list, and its highest ever rating on GM was #26 in 1993.  Highest on top100golfcourses.com was #19 in 2014.

Many observers would state that Sandwich was one of the “quirkiest” of the great courses…and that word also implies “most fun”.  Good and bad bounces prevail on these grounds as well as quite a number of blind shots.  I would make two points: (1) a shot is on only “blind” the first time a golf plays it, and (2) golf should be a simulation of life and life is full of good and bad bounces…one of the tests of life is how one deals with these bounces…and that test should apply in golf if it is to be a proper simulation.  Generally, courses that host the world’s great championships present fewer blind shots (and some present none) and fewer good/bad bounces…like many things in life, it becomes a question of how many…too few or too many never seems quite right…but different golfers have different definitions of what that means.  But enough of these esoteric discussions for now.

I was introduced to a former Captain of RSG (Graham F.) by a good friend, Bob M. (GM panelist, member of Century Conquerors Club, and former member of RSG).  Graham suggested we meet for lunch and then play.  Lunch was with his family on the patio outside the clubhouse on a lovely day.  Graham had sustained an injury (not serious but quite bothersome) and could not go back out to play, so he had set me up to play with another member, Adrian T. (as well as Piper, his Black Lab Retriever).  Was a real fun round.  I had a 43 -43 = 86 from 6630 yards.  

Course is simply delightful…mix of impossible holes and holes a real good player can challenge.  However, the fairways had taken quite a beating in the summer heat, and much work will need to be done in the 22 months prior to the 2020 Open Championship…but I am confident it will be fine.  The greens were perfect.

Had a very good dinner at Prince’s Lounge…needed some sleep with 36 on the schedule for each of the next three days.

Prince’s Golf Club-Shore & Dunes Nines, August 28, 2018:  This morning I was playing the other two nines on Prince’s, which I believe have been the nines used when Prince’s hosts Open Championship qualifiers.  These 18 holes compromise a good course but with similar issues to those I mentioned regarding Himalayas.  The space was very limited here making for even tighter fairways…too tight for a links track…but here extra space may simply not exist. But I did play well, shooting a 39 – 39 = 78.  And truth of the matter is I hardly remembered the course from 1981.

After the round I checked out of my hotel and drove around the area.  Incredibly, three of the 14 courses that have hosted an Open Championship are located within about 1 mile of each other.  Prince’s lies next to Sandwich Bay running on a small strip of land in a N-S direction. RSG’s eastern edge lies about 150-200 yards west of Sandwich Bay and south of Princes.  Royal Cinque Ports GC (which I would play that afternoon) lies on a plot of land only about 200-350 yards wide along Sandwich Bay, south of RSG.  At one point along a very very very narrow road (the “widest” road in this part of England is very very narrow), there is a directional sign pointing toward two towns with two of the world’s finest courses…see below:

 

World's Best Road Sign?

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (“Deal” or “RCP”), August 28, 2018:  RCP was founded in 1892 and initially consisted of 9 holes for golf…essentially holes #1-5 and #15-18 of the current course.  In 1896 an additional nine holes were added to the original 9 with some modifications.  After World War I (actually before my time), James Braid made additional modifications. Between the two World Wars, a 9-hole “Ladies” short course was constructed just east of the first fairway. However, due to considerable damage inflicted on the property during WW II, the course was brought back essentially as designed by Braid and reopened in 1946 without the Ladies short course.  

Deal has hosted two Open Championships, in 1909 (won by J H Taylor) and 1920 (won by George Duncan).  It was scheduled to host the 1915 Open but this event was cancelled due to the outbreak of WW I.  The Open was also scheduled to be played here in 1938 and 1949, but on both occasions an abnormally high tide and strong easterly winds caused serious flooding, and in both of these years The Open was transferred to Royal St. George’s.  RCP hosted the Amateur Championship in 1923, 1982, and 2013; it hosted the Women’s Amateur Championship in 1902 and 1988.

During the week of the 1981 Open Championship conducted at Sandwich, I played Deal for the first time…and this was my second time playing it.

Today, the course plays 7245 yards, par 71 (but for championships, would probably play as a par 70 with the 510 yard par 5 4^thplaying as a par 4).  It is nothing less than an outstanding golf course…and may well be the most underrated championship (or potential championship) venue in the world.  While the property is flat (has no discernable large overall slopes), it may best the piece of “rumpled” land in the world, and is filled with small mounds and dunes.  For you none golfers…rumpled is an insult when applied to clothes, but a compliment when applied to land.  So flat lies are rare indeed, but interestingly, there are parts of a few fairways that are flat and offer a good line into the green…but generally there is a bunker immediately adjacent to these flat areas…so if you go for them, be careful!  Many of the fairways are filled with ridges/waves running at an angle across the fairway…forcing the golf to think carefully about their “driving lines”…as the carry over a ridge might be 15-20 yards further on the left side of a fairway than on the right side (and the difference in “roll out” might be 30-60 yards!).

The first hole and holes 12-18 run southbound, holes 2-7 and 9 run northbound (for the most part alongside the sea wall separating the course from Sandwich Bay), and holes 8, 10, and 11 run EàW or WàE.  With a prevailing wind out of the southwest, this makes the long 3738 yard back nine a real brute…so scoring opportunities are on the front and hang on for dear life on the back!  Recently, three new tees have been built on top of the sea wall on the east side of the northbound holes…making these holes (7, 9, and 11 as I recall) even better!

Finally the greens…they are simply amazing, interesting, tough to figure out, and so much fun.  Greens #3 and 16 are IMO the best.

Before the round, I had lunch with Deal’s new and young Secretary, James Leah…very personable and bright man and part of a new wave of young, interesting Secretaries that I noticed around the UK for the first time.  Played the round with one of Deal’s Assistant Professionals, George Carroll…also a wonderful young man who was a great “guide” around this fabulous track.

Amazingly, RCP had never been included on most of the World Top 100 course lists…only being on 3 of the 48 on my spreadsheet. Those three are:

            --Golf Architects Survey published in Golf Course Architecture(July 2013 edition)—listed at #64;

            --The MacWood 1939 Spoof list published on GolfClubAtlas.com--#50; and 

            --GoldClubAtlas.com’s “147 Custodians” list published in August 2018--#53.

Not simply amazing…more like shocking!!  None of these three lists involved an “independent panel”…shame on us panelists. Me thinks Deal is absolutely a Top 75 (at least) in the World…should have returned here on an earlier trip!  And shame on moi for not taking any pics.

After the round, it was a 118 mile, 2:10 drive to Surrey.  Easy drive except for the very very narrow and highly confusing streets of Deal…but made it to my hotel around 8:30pm, and went out for a very nice dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant.  I was staying at the Highclere Hotel…a very small but nice and reasonably priced hotel in Sunninghill, Ascot…very convenient to most of the great tracks in Surrey.  Rooms are small and parking a little tight, but worked great for me!  Looking forward to tomorrow morning at Sunningdale-New!!

Sunningdale Golf Club—New Course, August 29, 2018:  There are great clubs in the world, and great golf courses. Some of the great courses are resort, public access, or part of good, but not great, clubs.  And some of the great clubs have very good courses (even world class), but their courses fall short of “great”.  Unless you are prepared to pull out my fingernails one by one, you will not get me to list the great clubs without great courses, or the great courses at not great clubs.  But I will say that Sunningdale Golf Club is one of the world’s great clubs and its Old Course is one of the world’s great courses.  

I have had the privilege of visiting Sunningdale about 5 or 6 times previously.  My first time was in September 1977 and I played the New Course (this was my only previous round on New).  My first round on Old was in September 1980 and I have played it about 3-4 times since.  

As my memories of the Old were fairly vivid, and those of the New very blurred, I decided to play New on this visit.  Before discussing New, please allow me to say a few words regards Old and Sunningdale as a Club.  

The Old is IMO one of the most charming, beautiful, and fun courses in the world.  Opened in 1901, its original design was by Willie Park, Jr.  The great Harry Colt redesigned Old before building the New in 1923 (Colt served as Secretary and Captain of Sunningdale GC before forming his architectural firm).  The variety of holes on the Old Course is outstanding, including three drivable par 4’s (267-322 yards) and three epic par 4’s (466-489 yards).  The greens and bunkering are superb, and it is built on magnificent land.  It has appeared on 46 of the 48 World 100 lists reflected on my spreadsheet, and usually around #30-40.  

Sunningdale Golf Club is generally considered to be the finest golf club in the London area.  The courses and clubhouse are almost always in immaculate condition, and the service nothing short of superb.  

The New Course was designed by Harry Colt, and opened in 1923; from that point forward the original Course was called the “Old”.   While the Old has more bunkers than the New, The New is longer and generally tighter. Fairways on both are protected by thick areas covered with low lying heather…and while lies in the heather can sometimes be forgiving, that is rare and they often are highly unpredictable. Unpredictable lies do not make for good golf scores!  Given the course was designed by Harry Colt, it is no surprise that the greens are outstanding and bunkers magnificent.  The bunkers here are both very natural in appearance and very well defined…a perplexing combination.  Cape holes and false fronts abound.  I thought the best holes were #5 (pic), 6 , 9, and 10, which are all brilliant.  One other striking facet of both Sunningdale tracks is the huge amount of land that comprises the club.

 

Sunningdale New #5---183 yards---do NOT miss this green!

However, as I finished the round, something was bothering me.  I knew the course lacked the charm of the Old…but until I looked more carefully at the scorecard, I could not identify what was bothering me…then it hit me. There are 10 par fours…and the following are Championship tee yardages (in ascending order):  378, 395, 396, 399, 409, 431, 446, 457, 461, and 465 yards. No par 4’s of less than 378, so no drivable par 4’s, and none above 465, so no monster par 4’s.  Yes, I appreciate that these yardages do not account for prevailing winds and up/down terrain…but I felt this was an important shortfall. I had a 42 – 43 = 85…tough course to play for the first time in 41 years.

The New course has been a “regular” on some World 100 lists, appearing on 27 of my 48 lists, even being included in the World’s Top 15 in the first edition of Rolex’s Top 1000 list.  But it has only made 3 of 20 Golf Magazine lists (including the most recent two) and never higher than #80 on GM.

Will see when I vote next year, but not sure if New will be in my World 100…it will be a close call…one impacting factor is I need to make room for the likes of Royal Cinque Ports!

A secondary question in my mind is "which single facility in the world has the finest 36 holes?”  Potential candidates include Baltusrol, Bandon Dunes, Barnbougle, Cabot, Royal Melbourne, Streamsong, Sunningdale, and Winged Foot.  At this point I would vote for Royal Melbourne…with a big footnote citing that while I have played Winged Foot-East since the recent Gil Hanse renovation, I have not yet seen WF-West since its renovation. In terms of contiguous courses, I firmly believe National Golf Links of America and Shinnecock Hills are an unbeatable pair.

The Grove, August 29, 2018:  Today there are four World Golf Championships, including the WGC-Mexico Championship.  This event was originally the WGC-American Express Championship (1999-2006) and in 2006 was held at The Grove, located about 28 miles north of Sunningdale GC.  As you may recall, Tiger won that event during his run of seven straight PGA Tour wins in 2006-07.  

The Grove opened in 2003 and was designed by Kyle Phillips (think Kingsbarns).  It is an upscale daily fee course and also hosted the 2016 British Masters.  It is a very good golf course in excellent condition with superb service.  Call me a golf snob if you will, but this is not what one should come to the UK for in terms of golf.  I was here in an effort to come closer to finishing the WCG EVER Venue bucket list (I now have 7 left).  

Play was extremely slow on the front nine, but I zipped ahead of the group in front when they stopped for food after 9, and then several groups allowed me to play through on the back.  If my recollection is correct, the front took some 2:30, and the back about 1:15!  I had a 41 – 43 = 84  (back nine started with two double bogeys)…and since you asked, lost another golf ball, on the 4^thhole…77 holes (but only about 55 hours) since my prior one…getting wild with my swing I guess!

After the round it was good to get back to the Highclere Hotel.  Dinner was at a very good Chinese restaurant and an early night of sleep was most welcome. Thursday was scheduled for 36, Friday 27, and then Saturday and Sunday 18 each…but some long drives the last few days of this journey.

116. Back to the United Kingdom (Part I)

116.  Back to the United Kingdom (Part I)

Golf has been played in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland for hundreds of years.  In 1867 Tommy Morris Sr. extended Allan Robinson’s 10 hole course to 18 holes, and then in 1926 James Braid implemented major changes.  Five years later, Carnoustie hosted its first Open Championship. 

Carnoustie Golf Links (“CGL”) is owned and managed by a Trust…similar to the structure at St. Andrews.  There are several golf clubs in Carnoustie that have reserved tee times at CGL.  One of those, Dalhousie Golf Club, celebrated its 150^thanniversary this year. For several years, Brookline has had a “staff swap” with CGL…one of Brookline’s assistant pros goes to Carnoustie to work for a week, and vice versa.  Early this year, Dalhousie invited two representative of Brookline to attend its 150^thanniversary celebration.  Brookline’s head professional, Brendan Walsh asked if I would like to join him for the trip, and I happily accepted.

Brendan could get away for about 6 days, so he planned to leave Boston Wednesday August 22 and return Tuesday August 28, including the last day to work with CGL’s head pro, Colin Sinclair.  We decided to stay for four days in East Lothian including one day at Carnoustie for a round of golf and a black tie dinner that comprised the anniversary celebration.  I then headed down to southern England and Brendan headed back to Carnoustie for a day.

One overall comment first…golf affectionatoes know that the British Isles had one the the warmest and driest summers on record this year…resulting in beautifully fast and firm conditions.  About a week before we arrived it started to rain so the countryside and courses were starting to “green-up” just a bit, but overall were still very firm.

Gullane #1, August 23, 2018:  We arrived at Edinburgh Airport around 11:00am after making flight connections in Dublin.  Car rental went smoothly and we headed to the town of Gullane, about 30 miles to the east. We were scheduled to play with Simon Holt and his step-father, David Lees.  If Simon's name is familiar, last year I played with Simon at Pinehurst #2 (Post #104) and at North Berwick GC five miles east of Gullane (Post #100). I was introduced to Simon by a mutual friend two years ago.  Simon lives in Edinburgh and is working to finish a GM World 100 and join the Century Conquerors Club.  

Gullane Golf Club has three courses, and #1 is generally regarded as the best of the three and hosted the 2015 and 2018 Scottish Open.  I have played it about 10 times previously and have always loved it.  It is a classic links course and plays as such, very firm and fast.  As I had described Gullane #1 in Post #100 I shall be brief here (I can hear the cheers). This is a great course with one major problem…it sits in the shadows of two World Top 100’s…Muirfield and North Berwick…and those are long shadows to avoid.

Winds were about 15-20mph steady with gusts up to 20-25mph and we were hit by three quick squalls (holes 1-3, 7-9, and 18).  After being 4 over par through three holes (hitting no practice shots after flying all night), I ended up with a 41 – 40 = 81, so I was fairly pleased with my game, especially given the weather conditions. 

Simon and David had to get to their homes when we finished, so Brendan and I grabbed a bite to eat in Gullane and then drove over to North Berwick (5 miles) to check into the Marine Hotel…we were staying there 3 straight nights, which is great.  We have a very long day Friday!

Carnoustie Golf Links, August 24, 2018:  This day we would “pay” for the luxury of three straight nights in the same hotel.  Brendan was teeing off around 8:40 and my time was 9:00…and we had a drive of 100 miles (2:05).  By 5:30am we were on the road and there was not much traffic.  Arrived about 7:30am, registered for the event, took some swings and tried to get confortable.  

Weather was good…and the course was in excellent condition…some signs of wear and tear from The Open 5 weeks earlier but less than I expected.  I had played Carnoustie about 3-5 times earlier…first time in 1970 and last time about 15 years ago.  Everything you read about the course this past summer is true.  If I had to pick a word to describe Carnoustie…it is “relentless”.  IMO either Carnoustie or Oakmont is the world’s toughest, while still being fair…which is an important proviso. Architecturally, the easiest thing to do is design a course that is impossible to play…that takes zero skill. Tough and fair takes brilliance. Carnoustie’s setup for the 1999 Open Championship struck me as at least borderline unfair, and I believe the R&A learned well from that mistake…it has not been repeated over the following 20 years. 

Carnoustie #6--Hogan Plaque from 1953 Open

Carnoustie #10 fairway bunker---Woods hit pitching wedge from here on Sunday..that is my 5-iron to show wall height

I played fairly poorly.  Jet lag hit me like a “wave” in the middle of the round. I had a 46 – 45 = 91, but played well on 16-18 as I awoke from my stupor!  Ended day with zero pars L

In the afternoon, I caught a few ZZ’s in the lobby of the hotel and then went to the locker room to change into black tie. The dinner was superb…until the very last speaker…a comedian who went on and on and on without noticing that he had lost his audience.  Finally, we said good night to others at our table and at about 11:45pm, hit the road for North Berwick, arriving at 1:45am (for all I know, the comedian might still be speaking).  This turned into a 21 hour day!  Good news---our game Saturday was at 1:25 and we could sleep in.

North Berwick GC-West Links, August 25, 2018:  Awoke around 10am…and was able to have a quick breakfast downstairs.  Was really looking forward to today…first of all, North Berwick is simply one of my favorite tracks...it epitomizes the concept of fun on a golf course (especially on its back nine).  I remember seeing it (just seeing, not playing) for the first time in 1981 when it was still a hidden gem.  Today, some knowledgeable observers consider it to be the best in the world; while I do not agree with that proposition, it is not outlandish IMO.

Brendan and I were playing with Simon and David Home, who I had met at Muirfield last year…and as it turns out Brendan had played with David several years ago.  It was a delightful afternoon…and I made an interesting discovery (at least interesting to me).  Some 160 years ago, The Old Course, North Berwick, and Prestwick were probably the best three tracks in Scotland and tended to host the top players.  In 1981, I learned a “trick” for paying The Road Hole (#17 at TOC)…which was to aim for the 18^thtee…as the pitch and run from that side of the 17^thgreen was far simpler than any other angle (the 17^thgreen is very difficult to hit and hold).  On this day, I had a long approach to the uphill #17 on N Berwick, and Simon suggested I aim for the 18^thtee as the approach to the green was far simpler than from any other angle!  I found it fascinating that the same trick worked on these two holes…and noted that I had played both courses at least 7 times when I learned the trick…and had never noticed that way of playing the hole.

I had a 43 - 41 = 84 in tough conditions from medal tees (6579 yards), with three 3-putts did not help…but a 60-70’ one putt on Perfection (#14) helped immensely.  After the round we had a quick bite to eat and made plans for Sunday morning at Muirfield.  That evening Brendan and I ate at Osteria, a wonderful Italian restaurant in North Berwick…and after dinner noted the commemorative plaques citing prior living quarters for famous golfers and others (see pics below) along High Street in the center of North Berwick.  This is a very special town.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield), August 26, 2018:  Sunday morning play at Muirfield is always “Foursomes” or “Alternate Shot”. Sorry…but if you are not sure what that means, go back to your videotapes from the Ryder Cup.  It was the four of us once again, and Brendan and I staved off another loss thanks to an unusual rule to extend matches here…and that allowed us to halve the match (i.e. a tie for you non-golfers).  Foursomes was great fun.  I had not played very much foursomes before this, and took me a few holes to get into the flow. Suffice it to say that the course was in excellent condition.

After the match, it was time for the HCEG lunch. But much of what I want to say about Muirfield (the name of the course) and HCEG (the club) was covered in Post #99 from 2017…so you should go back and read it.  Lunch this day was more fun than last year because in 2017, it was mostly visitors…today was mostly members.  Simply put, lunch at HCEG is one of the great institutions in the game. 

Not much had changed over the prior 11 months…except for the clubhouse.  As most of you probably know, HCEG elected to admit women members last year.  Women have been able to play Muirfield for as long as I have known about the course (and probably much longer).  I have played it with women at least four times starting with my first round there in 1977, included once with Pat…but please do not tell her about the other three!  BTW, Pat is not exactly in love with the fescue that lines the holes at Muirfield. 

To accommodate women members, they are expanding the clubhouse toward the west (locker room expansion, etc.).  Rumors abound regarding the cost of this renovation/expansion but I shall respect the dignity of the club and not repeat such indiscreet stories.  Oh!!, additionally the word “marketing” appears to have snuck into the establishment’s lexicon.  HCEG has never had a “golf pro” of a “golf shop”, but they now have a small room (about 12’ x 15’) where sweaters, hats, shirts, etc. emblazoned with a new HCEG logo are sold.  This is of course very big news, but not quite in the “how the mighty have fallen” category.

One of the very special aspects of a visit to Muirfield is running into old golfing friends, and this day was no exception. On this day HCEG was playing a match against Royal Hague (The Netherlands) and it was wonderful to see Dick Gommer (of Royal Hague) there.  Dick hosted me at Royal Hague in 2015 and is a very fun, interesting guy...and a fellow Golf Magazine panelist.  Golf is such a “small world”.

After lunch we said thank you again to Simon and David, and Brendan dropped me at the Edinburgh airport on his way back up to Carnoustie.  Was able to catch an earlier flight to London-Heathrow…which turned into a very good thing!

Flight arrived on-time at LHR and I walked through the terminal heading to Baggage Claim---remember, this was a domestic flight. I was not paying great attention and found myself in a long hallway that looked to be the main entrance part of the terminal, so I asked a uniformed person where baggage claim for a domestic flight was.  He informed me that I had left the secured area and could not reenter it without an "escort"…and had to go to a special area to be escorted back to baggage claim.  Some 45 minutes later, I was reunited with my luggage and was on my way.

My next two days were to be in the towns of Sandwich and Deal along England’s southeast coast…107 miles (2 hours) from LHR. Finally arrived at my hotel at 11pm…simply exhausted.

My plan was to play the following courses on Monday and Tuesday 8/27 and 28: 

            --Prince’s Golf Club -27 holes

            --Royal St. George’s Golf Club (“Sandwich”) -18 holes

--Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (“Deal”) -18 holes

Not too bad a schedule in two days.  BTW, I thus far had walked every hole on this trip…and planned to walk at Sandwich and Deal, and use a cart at Prince’s.

My hotel was The Lodge at Prince’s GC, located right on Prince’s GC property and next to the NE corner of Sandwich (next to Sandwich’s 13^thgreen)…a fabulous location, and the site of Prince’s GC’s original clubhouse.

Prince’s Golf Club-Himalayas Nine, August 27, 2018: Prince’s GC opened with 18 holes in 1906 and hosted The Open Championship in 1932 (won by Gene Sarazen).  During World War II, the course sustained major damage, and in 1950 (for you kids, that was 5 years after the war ended), the course was rebuilt with 27 holes.  In 1956 the Club hosted the Curtis Cup.  The new clubhouse was completed in 1985 in a location from which the three nines could start and end.    

In 1983 I played 18 holes at Prince’s, but to be perfected honest, I have no idea which 9’s or which 18 holes.  Since 1983, I had assumed that I had played The Open course.  But recently I realized that based on my criteria for playing renovated courses, I could not be sure.  With the additional goal of playing all venues that have hosted the five “Cups”, I knew I had to go back to play all 27 to be sure that I had played all holes that still exist.  So here I was….perhaps a little crazy, but here I was!

Teed off on Himalayas 8:30am.  It was recently renovated by Martin Ebert (who had done such an outstanding job renovating Trump Turnberry).  It is a good course but not great.  I found it a little too “tight” for a links course, given its exposure to the wind.  I would like to see the fairways widened (although in some spots the amount of available land is limited).  Also, I thought the entrances to the bunkers should be all fairway, so that shots would run into bunkers rather than be caught up in the rough in front of these bunkers.

Before this nine, I had played 4 rounds (72 holes in the old math) without losing a single ball.  Going back further, I had played 20 consecutive holes at Brookline the prior week without losing a ball….bringing me to 92 holes without a lost ball as I stood on the first tee.  On the 8^thtee, I stood at 99 consecutive holes…but could not get to 100 as I hit my drive through the fairway into a shallow creek to the left and thru the dogleg.  The pressure of trying to get to 100 was just too much…and the water was murky so I could not locate the ball.

I had a 43 for the nine.

After the nine I went back to the Lodge and had a good 2-hour nap.  Early in the afternoon, I drove over to Royal St. George’s GC for lunch and then 18.

115. Back to the Northeast

115.  Back to the Northeast

Even after my trip to Upstate NY in June 2017 I still had four in Upstate NY to go as well as one in the middle of PA.  My strategy now is to try to complete a geographic area (prior Post #114 outlines completion of all outstanding courses in Upper Plains and western edge of Midwest…WI, MN, ND, SD, IA, NE, and upper MO).  So I figured this would be a good time to complete Upstate NY…and at the same time hit the course in mid-PA.

Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, August 6, 2018:  Olde Kinderhook was designed by Rees Jones and opened for play in 1999.  It is located about 15 miles SSE of Albany, NY. It was included on the GW Top 100 Modern list in 2004 and 2005, but never close to the Merged GW List.  I left our house around 5am and arrived by 8am. First “interesting” signs…there were no other cars in the parking lot when I arrived, the golf carts had been stored outside overnight, and the grass near the parking lot looked like it had not been cut this year.  I met the head pro and was able to tee off right away.  As soon as I saw the first fairway I knew I had to get this round completed as soon as possible.  It looked as if the club had cut off watering fairways and greens to reduce water bills…and it had pouring rain over the previous couple of days…so you can imagine what the place looked like.

Got the round completed in about 1:45…and then got out of Dodge as soon as possible.  Frankly will be surprised if it opens in 2019.  Anyhow, was not my problem, so off I went to Rochester, NY.

Country Club of Rochester, August 6, 2018:  During the first 60 -70 years or so of the 20^thcentury (and before) Upstate NY was a huge industrial center of the USA…in large part due to access to the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal.  In fact, in the 1950’s-1970’s, Rochester, NY was the precursor to Silicon Valley (Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb).  

In terms of golf, it was home to Walter Hagen, one of the world’s great players from 1910-1935.  Additionally, Donald Ross left his mark in Rochester, having designed at least six courses in the city and its suburbs.  In June 2017 I visited Rochester and played Monroe GC, and both courses at Oak Hill CC.  This trip would include CC of Rochester as well as Locust Hill CC.

CC of Rochester was founded in 1895.  In 1913 the club moved to its current location and completed its course under the direction of Donald Ross, and hired Walter Hagen as its golf professional (who proceeded to win the US Open…the first of his 11 professional majors…in 1914 at Midlothian CC in Chicago).  In 1931 Ross returned to renovate the course and bring it to its present layout (the course was most recently renovated by Gil Hanse from 2001-06). In 1953 and ’73, it hosted the US Women’s Open.  Additionally it hosted the US Women’s Amateur in 1962 and the US Women’s Mid-Am in 1993.

This is a very good course...one I could play every day. And, the club appears to be healthy and very active.  Best holes are #5 and #6 IMO.  Course was in excellent condition...but very green and fairly soft.  As rainfall had been substantial over prior 10 days, it was hard to tell how much of its softness is due to overwatering and how much to weather. Course built on terrific piece of land, and, no surprise, Ross made great use of the terrain. Certainly not a big championship course but: (1) who cares, and (2) absolutely fun to play.

Played well having a 39 – 39 = 78.  Finished just before heavens opened up and it poured.  Then left Rochester to head for Johnstown PA and play Sunnehanna CC…which I had heard wonderful things about.  Drive south was a pain…315 miles (5:10) including a stop overnight in State College, PA (home of Penn State U).  Awoke very early the morning of 8/7 to finish off drive to Sunnehanna.

Sunnehanna CC, August 7, 2018:  While the drive was tiring, it passed through some spectacular countryside in PA.  And as I approached Johnstown, it was easy to see how the Johnstown Flood happened on May 31, 1889.  It was triggered by heavy rain in the area for several days that caused the failure of the South Fork Dam upstream from Johnstown.  The city of Johnstown is located in a “canyon” one can visualize water cascading through the canyon.

Sunnehanna CC was founded in 1923 and its course designed by A. W. Tillinghast.  Eleven years later William Flynn mad a few changes to the course, and in 1954 the Sunnehanna Amateur was first played…and has continued for 65 consecutive years. Winners include Rickey Fowler (2x), Webb Simpson, Lucas Glover, Allen Doyle (4x), Jay Sigel, Billy Andrade, Scott Verplank, and Bobby Clampett.

This is an outstanding course!  Plays only 6880 (par 70) from the tips.  Simply no weak holes and so so many great ones.  Land has major slopes on it…clubhouse sits on top of hill with course circling clubhouse site.  Six big downhill holes (1, 3, 4, 7, 10, & 17) and six major uphill holes (2, 6, 9, 11, 15, & 18).  Five doglegs right, 4 left and one “S” shaped par 5 (15).   I guess best holes are #2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, & 15.  Outstanding par 5’s (and Tillie has a reputation for weak par 5’s).

I hit the ball great…40 – 38 = 78!!  Oh…btw…Sunnehanna appeared on GW’s Top 100 Classic list 4 years (2006-09) and never on GD or GM…talk about being asleep at the switch…we have been caught snoring!!

After sincere thanks to the head pro…had long drive back up to Rochester.  Arrived there around 7pm…and welcomed a good night’s sleep.

Locust Hill CC, August 8, 2018:  From the greatness at Sunnehanna to garbage at Locust Hill.  Perhaps the most uninteresting course I have ever played. Loaded with perfectly straight parallel fairways uniformly lined by trees symmetrically placed on both sides of the fairway.  I am here because this place hosted the Women’s PGA Championship from 2010-13. Had a 37-41 = 78, but who cares…needed to get this one over.  

After the round, it was on to Rome NY to play Teugega CC. Drive just 125 miles (2:05) and brought me closer to home…destination after this round!

Teugega Country Club, August 8, 2018:  This one is a sleeper.  Club founded in 1899 and shortly thereafter created a nine hole course later described on Teugega’s website in a quote from Ross: “Outside of one other course that was built out of a swamp, this is the second worst course in the country”.  In 1921 the club moved to its present location onto a new 18 holer designed by Ross.  In 1999, Teuega appeared in GW’s USA Top 100 Classic list.

Over the past few years, the operators of Teugaga CC have been working to bring back its Ross features…tree clearing, green expansion to original size, fairway and corridor widening, firming up fairways and greens…and these efforts are absolutely showing fruit!!  These may be the best set of greens I played this year…and the 6^thgreen may be the best green I have ever seen.  The course still needs more work…but boy this one has fabulous bones and the skin disease is being attacked with a vengeance!  Worth the visit!

Teugega Par 3 7th, 140 yards, where...

Donald Ross had his first hole-in-one!

Teugega par 4 11th--approach shot

Teugega #16 par 4 385 yards

Drive home took about 4:15 (285 miles), so I arrived home around 9pm.  This journey totaled about 1,485 miles in three days…but this region/area was done (until Ran published his “147 Custodians”!!!).

Dedham Country and Polo Club, August 17, 2018:  No long drives for this one J.  Dedham is located about 15 miles from our house and I had played it about 4-5 times before this round.  Dedham was created in 1910 through the merger of two clubs and in 1912 Donald Ross designed 9 holes.  In 1923 additional land was purchased, and the club retained Seth Raynor to redesign the existing holes and build the course out to a full 18.  The new 18 hole course opened for play in 1925.  

For decades, it suffered from poor drainage due to closeness to large wetland areas and water flows that overwhelmed a few spots on the course that are very low (especially the par 5 4^thhole).  

In 2017 a major renovation was completed to bring back some of the Raynor design features and improve the drainage.  The quality of the greens, tees, and fairways is significantly improved as has the design of several holes…the place is much much improved, but some spots still have drainage issues.  Course has excellent flow and routing with brilliant greens and green settings.  The terrain pitches and rolls all over the place…so flat lies are rare commodities…thus it tests shot making skills and creativity.  The Redan (#3), Biarittz (#14), and Maiden (#8) greens are simply fabulous.  

The course plays 6187 yards from tips as a par 70.  This is short by today’s standards… but this track has a whole bunch of interesting holes.  Not sure anyone is listening, but I would suggest the following:

1.    there is no room on the property to lengthen the course to any real degree;

2.    two of the par 5’s are suspect as par 5’s (#4 and #6 at 441 and 486 yards respectively from the tips);

3.    as a par 68 totaling 6187 yards, it would be the “equivalent” of about 6900    yards as a par 72;

4.    there are a whole bunch of great courses with par of less than 70 (e.g. West Sussex GC, Rye GC, St. Enodoc-Church, and Swinley Forest in southern England…all World Top 100’s, and Doak is about to build one at Sand Valley).

So for what it is worth, I suggest converting #4 and #6 to par 4’s, making Dedham a great par 68 course…rather than a highly questionable par 70.  The design is superb…make the numbers fit the design and keep working the drainage.

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Next stops…Scotland, England, and Wales from August 23 to September 3