Walking the Golf Course- Newport National Golf Club

I recently had a chance to sit down with the President of Newport National Golf Club, Matt Adams and talk golf, talk about the challenges of this industry, how to grow and sustain and a bit about this very blog idea and its potential to expose the hidden value of many clubs weaving in history, architecture and people into the story.  All of the above are in place at the very special Newport National Golf Club.  As our last few blogs have been steeped in golf’s Golden Age of Architecture, Newport National opened in 2002 is contemporary by most standards…but wait a minute.  The course was carved out of broad reaching nurseries and orchards that stretched along the high meadows over the confluence of the Sakonnet Passage, Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  The crossing seaside gusts, the running fairways and approaches and the firm subtly contoured greens beget the characteristics of a much older golfing brethren.

Sweeping cupped bunkers leaning hard into the table top par 3 3^rd green

The property to be used for the course evolved while the developers secured a variety of parcels to make up the final canvas.  Designed by the team of noted architect Arthur Hills and Drew Rogers, the course takes on a modern day links feel.  Depending on the direction and flow of the ever-present wind, the ground game must be considered.  Having played the course a few times, it becomes quickly apparent that flying the ball at the target is a strategy that will not carry the day.  In fact, the old Texas wedge from the tightly mown green surrounds may be the weapon of choice. 

One of many fall off areas requiring you pick the right stick

In many cases the ground contours within the fairways are intended to propel well placed tee shots forward…we as architects refer to them as speed slots. The right to left sweeping 7^th offers a down running grade to help all players get a little closer to the hole.

The history of the course, though brief,  has made headlines locally as the initial development process back in the 2002 was stung by financial challenges.  Though not completely out of the woods..these challenges are not reflected in the experience at NNGC.  It is all about the people, the architecture and the views.  The fact that a traditional clubhouse or paved entrance doesn’t exist may very well have worked to the charm of the place.  I have always found great nostalgia from the sound of tires running along a gravel road.  You have gotten off the beaten path and there is always something interesting off the beaten path.  At the end of the road is a double-wide….yes a double-wide! serving as the pro shop, kitchen, offices, storage and whatever else can be fit into roughly two thousand square feet.

You don’t come to NNGC to sit around and chit chat about golf, you come to play golf.  The architecture is what gets the juices pumping.  Right out of the gate at the 1^st hole you need to think about shaping it from right to left to gather some advantage on the mid length par 5.  The green at the 1^st is a style that the player will need to contend with throughout the round…slightly perched, protected at the corners, rolling contours and smallish for such a large property. 

Some classic architectural elements are scattered across the course and worthy of note and certainly need to be understood as they directly affect strategy.  At the 2^nd and at the 8^th mounds and bunker shouldering pinch into the front edge of the green hiding a portion of the green, reminiscent of the Alps concept devised by C.B. McDonald at the National and by Raynor at Yale.  The crossing New England stone wall was likely and element that was on the course and enhanced, but it reminds me of the Pit, 13^th at North Berwick.  If you look closely….best when walking… you will find pocketed contours within the fairways that have naturally evolved in many of the seaside greensward corridors in the British Isles. The par 3 3^rd is the Ross push up falling off quickly at the left front and back, yet allowing a ball to run onto the surface. 

The 5^th is the “Short” found on many classic designs and a hole that is amongst my personal favorites, a player’s gall or maybe intelligence is all that lies between him and the bee line to the green.  The square green 8^th,whether intended or not, can be found on many turn of the century designs as due to the simplicity of its maintenance as well as on many Raynor designs from the teens…in fact I am currently working at Gardiner’s Bay GC on Shelter Island in NY restoring this very feature. On the 17^th the infamous Sahara bunker found at many seaside courses runs along the left side challenging the tee shot.

The “Short” 317 yard par 4 5^th

…great options hole although green is nearly inaccessible from the tee

My understanding is that the original plan for the property was for 36 holes and not necessarily for the open links style course that now exists.  Thankfully the land spoke to the developers and designers and a great golf course was born.

Next stop, Richmond Country Club

Special credit to: Matt Adams, President, Newport National Golf Club
http://www.newportnational.com/

Robert McNeil
Golf Architect
The Northeast Golf Company
www.northeastgolfcompany.com

Walking the Golf Course- Pawtucket Country Club

When I set out on this journey to walk golf courses and soak in the true spirit of each property, I knew I was in store to meet some intriguing people along the way.  The golf business is full of them, the golf professional that has been preaching the sometimes uninterpretable geometry of the perfect swing plane, the general manager guiding the club for decades through the challenges of the markets inevitable lulls, the lifelong member spinning yarns that if they were or weren’t true wouldn’t really matter as the edge of your seat is much more exciting than the cushioned center. Not lost in all this “golf experience” is the golf course superintendent, toiling behind the scenes day in and day out to provide a playing field that rises to standards of excellence that the mere golfer has no idea how to achieve yet has no problem expecting.

For me the story at Pawtucket began when I met Golf Course Superintendent, Mike Whitehead at the first tee.  I had met Mike on only one occasion before several years ago and asked how things were going.  His response was a simple, “I’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch”.  He proceeded to explain his very recent diagnosis with lymphoma and the start of his battle.  At this I was hesitant to begin our “walk” of the course, but that never really crossed Mike’s mind, so we were off.

As we were walking down the par 4 tenth, Mike gave his take on his health situation.  Remember we are now 10 holes in, no breaks for a rest, just walking right down the middle of each hole, talking architecture, his time at PCC, kids, the business, all that stuff.  Mike then made a heartfelt proclamation, certainly something that he had been thinking about and a way to wrap his arms around his current journey.  His “battle with lymphoma would be seen as an 18 hole round of golf”.  Every few weeks for 18 weeks, Mike is committed to a round of chemotherapy, each treatment would be considered a hole and he was determined to have a great round and move through this “rough patch”.  During our walk he was on the “2^nd hole” of treatment.

Mike Whitehead, Golf Course Superintendent looking out at the wonderful par 3 15^th

…counting how many more trees to take out?

Pawtucket CC, a private club reaching back to 1902 rests not only in two towns, Pawtucket and Seekonk, but in two states, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  Like with many of the early courses in the northeast, the drive and “dreams” of the successful industrialists provided the seed.  Pawtucket was at the center of the American Industrial Revolution and is considered by many historians as its actual birthplace.  The brick and mortar textile mills scattered along the Moshassuck, Pawtucket and Blackstone Rivers employed the masses and provided the nation with cotton and fabric products.

In the industrialized cities of the northeast, much success was achieved by visionary business leaders and this success was usually coupled with membership in a “city” club, a gathering place for entrepreneurial chatter and industry talk as well as leisure and sportsmanship.  As was the case the inner city did not provide the opportunity for recreation and these leaders commonly sought a landscape that could be used for the sporting games of the day; hunting, fishing and growing game of golf.  This was the case at Pawtucket CC, when the leading businessmen of the day stepped out of the city to find the quintessential “golf club” property.

As history would have it the land chose for the course was a mere 10 miles from what was considered the inner developed city on a series of farms strung across the rolling hills along the Ten Mile River.  One of the most respected golf architects of the day, Willie Park Jr. credited with many memorable designs was best known for his ability to develop designs for challenging inland sites.  Primarily for this reason he was chosen for Pawtucket.  Park Jr’s Sunningdale and Huntercombe were milestones in golf architectural history.  Close by Park Jr. laid out 9 holes at Agawam Hunt…the other 9 and subsequent renovation by Ross…see if you can find his work during your next visit.  Following several rudimentary 9 and 12 hole layouts in the early part of the century, the 18 hole Park design at Pawtucket was completed in 1923 and was executed by club president Frank Bishop as Park fell ill and died shortly thereafter in 1925.  The design remains essentially intact today.

Pawtucket was also “touched” by the venerable A.W. Tillinghast during his tour of courses working for the PGA in the 1930’s.  There is extensive documentation communicating his comments on the 3^rd green which was rebuilt following his recommendation and it is also thought that the relocation and realignment of the 5^th tees were part of the Tillinghast report at Pawtucket.

The table top par 3 7^th with a narrow smile bunker across the front slope

This wonderful history remains today and can be found throughout the layout including the varying contours on the green surfaces (the 12^th and 9^th), the use of strategic swales and banks within the landing areas (the 2^nd, 9^th), plateau greens, none better that the par 3 table top 7^th with a crossing bunker fronting the surface.  The course has a comfortable rhythm to it, especially along the back 9 where you are faced with a great rising par 4 10^th; the short 4 11^th; the long sweeping left to right 12^th with its multi-level, though forgiving green; the quiet par 3 13^th playing slightly uphill to a very receptive green; the narrow up slope 14^th to a green strongly pitched from back to front; the wonderful par 3 15^th barricaded with high flashing bunkers; followed by two muscle par 4’s at 16 and 17; and the chance to get one back and win the match at the short, but well protected par 4, 18^th. 

My one architectural comment is that there is so much more there to be discovered including green pads that have been lost over the years, more strategic fairway and greenside bunkering styled in the era of the 1920’s and an over abundance of trees, that if carefully thinned and naturalized would present an even more spectacular layout.

 

Approach into the 18^th set in just below the clubhouse

Next stop, Newport National resting along the Sakonnet Passage.

Special credit to: Mike Whitehead, Golf Course Superintendent, “A Centennial History of Pawtucket Country Club, Gary R. Grund, “Architects of Golf”, Geoffery Cornish and Ron Whitten.

Robert McNeil, ASGCA

Golf Architect
The Northeast Golf Company

www.northeastgolfcompany.com

Walking the Golf Courses of Rhode Island- Jamestown

The history of a place is the direct result of the commitment, creative integrity and vision of its inhabitants.  It is also crafted in concert with gifts nature has bestowed.  When visiting Jamestown, Rhode Island, established in 1678, your heart beat immediately slows as you breath in the pastoral, maritime air.  A soft right onto Conanicus Avenue, almost as to avoid the rush of visitors and commerce streaking over the Claiborne Pell Bridge to bustling Newport, will put you on a quiet path to the village of Jamestown known to the locals as Conanicut.  Just think, you saved the $4.00 toll (not to mention the $4 to return), which during the week will cover nearly half of your greens fees to walk 9 holes at Jamestown Golf Course. 

Enough said- play away!

 The 9-hole public course has rested along a high bluff overlooking Dutch Harbor to the west since 1901. It is considered by many as one of, if not the oldest 9 hole golf course still in existence.  The course came into existence during a short wave of tourism that swept over the island in the early 1900’s.  In 1903 there were 9 hotels on the island serving a vibrant summer recreation industry.  The new golf course fit in well with the leisurely desires of visitors to Conanicut Island.  The advent of the automobile in the late teens and twenties delivered a severe blow to the tourism industry and eventually all but the Bay Voyage Hotel…a driver, wedge down Conanicus Avenue from the first tee, were forced to close.  The island reverted back to its maritime and agricultural roots which remain its defining character today.

Jamestown Golf Course is owned by the town and has been operated by the Mistowski family for the past twenty plus years.  Pulling into the parking lot in front of the “seldom used” clubhouse you will find a wide variety of player types unloading their bags, pull carts, tying their Foot Joys and following the worn path to the Pro Shop/Bar/Restaurant/….A friendly face can be found behind the bar topping off a Bud draft while taking your $18 greens fee.  The simplicity of the game at its finest.  Make sure you keep your receipt; you’ll need it at the first tee to get your name in the queue on the big board.  After putting around a bit on the very modest putting green take a few short steps to the 1^st  tee.

Jamestown begins with a warm, unassuming welcome.  From the tee you are faced with a broad expanse of fairway rolling out to the west, plenty of room to spray it out here, as many do…find it and advance.  The hole is a shortish par 4, dead straight.  Upon approaching the green you immediately realize that the putting green, with its quiet contours, was some sort of mean joke.  The humps and rolls, highs and lows throughout the large surface area allow the hole to be set up in a multitude of ways.  The elongated shape of the green running from northeast to southwest creates deceptive depth perception adding 2 clubs on the green itself.  Along the right a separated short bunker may challenge the long hitter from the tee.  Along the same edge of the green, three smallish mitts protect the right side pin positions.

Soft pocket bunkering pushing into the right of the 1^st green

Walking off the first green your eye instantly wanders to the pastoral hillside to the north.  There  the famous Jamestown Windmill has been completely restored.  Built in 1728, the mill was used for grinding corn using the sea breeze for power since there was no source of running water on the island to turn a waterwheel.  Below the windmill cattle roam the hillside grazing on the open fields of fescue and bunch grasses.

With your heart now comfortably slowed to a soft beat the 2^nd hole unfolds.  The hole seemingly plays straight away, but the hard angle of the ground from left to right and the pond sitting at the bottom on the right gives cause for pause and a check on your alignment.  Scattered, small trees along the left side gather mishit shots while a well hit drive will roll out along a narrowing fairway.  From here there are no obstacles between you and the green, except for the attention diverting serenity of the Marsh Meadows Wildlife Preserve and little wooden shack known as Zeeks Creek to the locals..I am a local..with fresh lobsters and little necks to be picked up on the way home.  If you can refocus, simply hit all you got to get up close to the green..or on with a little muscle.  On the green is a relative term as like the 1^st green, the 2^nd stretches itself out adding pin after pin moving away and upslope from a lower hollow at the front right of the green to an upper tier at the back left.

From the 2^nd fairway, looking out to the pastoral hillside

 across the Marsh Meadow Preserve

 

The par 4 3^rd plays ever so slightly uphill and again to the eye straight away.  The only danger from the tee is the small grove of trees to the left.  A well placed tee shot down the middle…middle right will open up to the green. Two oblong bunkers are pushed into the front left of the green while a third sits hidden at the back right.  Yet another stretched green surface, though with less contouring.

 

Walking off the 3^rd green to the 4^th tee and you are introduced to the quintessential New England cottage community of Shoreby Hills.  Framed by age old hand crafted stone walls and built along a high bluff,  the neighborhood is an architectural joy ranging from simple cape cod shingle cottages to more expansive shore style homes flowing down to the edge of the historic village and the waters of the Conanicus Harbor.

A gate to Shoreby Hill just off the 3^rd tee

Play away on the 390 yard 4^th.  All downhill from the perched tee with a slight bend to the left.  The long vista from the tee takes in the Mt. Hope Bridge spanning Mount Hope Bay to Bristol. Plenty of room for a leaky tee shot, with little trouble left or right less a flowing meadow of thin kept fescue along the right boundary.  This hole is all about the green.  Old school.  Punchbowlish.  A running shot into the green will catch a bold roll across the front of the green slinging balls down the hill towards the flattish remainder of the surface.  Depending on your nerve you can fly the most severe contours of the green or try your hand at measuring the speed and bend of the precarious protecting contours.

The 5^th presents the first par 3.  Shortish at 130 the green is again the defense.  A product of the golden age of architecture a short crossing bunker rests 20 yards in front of the green.  The contours along the ground are flattish with flanking greenside bunkers left and right and a hidden trap at the back left.  The surface is a bit benign in comparison to the greens up to this point, but stretches and climbs from front to back. 

The par 5 6^th takes us back upslope toward the village.  As you walk back to the tee from the 5^th green your view is framed by the enormity of the Newport Bridge in the foreground and the no so distant Jamestown Verrazano Bridge, which just recently replaced the “Old” Jamestown Bridge.  It wasn’t until 1969 that the vibrant peninsula of Newport was connected to the quiet beauty of Jamestown forcing the Conanicans to endure the rush of “people” through their quiet community.

From the tee, the left side is framed by a wide reaching field of blue stem separating the 6^th and 8^th fairways.  The landing area from the tee is generous with a well hit shot leaving a chance to go at the green on this short 5.  Again, two crossing bunkers separated slightly from the green define the second landing area prompting a decision to lay short or carry to the green.  The surface of the green lies comfortably within the surrounding contours with bunkers cut into the left and right sides.

The 7^th is a wonderful par three. Playing at 160-175 yards the wind plays havoc with the yardage adding or taking away length with a simple gust.  The crossing bunkers short of the surface, though not in play, hide a wide opening in front of the green allowing a run on shot.  Again the typical flanking bunkers nestle up to either side of the green.  This hole is all about placement on the green.  A prominent spine bisects the surface with upper pinning areas on the right, protected to the right greenside bunker and more accessible lower left pins. 

 Note the classic crossing bunkers short of the 7th green

The round strengthens along the turn to the clubhouse at 8 and 9.  The 8^th, at 405 can be challenged along the left corner, but anything mishit too far left will be lost in the gnarly long grass and brush, not quite long enough and the turning bunker will grab it.  Playing it out to the right will avail the best angle into the green.  The green is open at the right with bunkers at the front left and the back right.  The pronounced “Barranca” swale cutting through the green is the defining element on the hole.  Find your way to the right level and you’ll have a chance at birdie.

The 9^th sitting quietly in the shadows of the Newport Bridge

Finally the 9^th brings us full circle to the shadow of the Newport Bridge.  In fact, from the tee players can dial in their trajectory with the ominous iron pillars of the bridge.  A short fairway bunker, likely leftover from years past, lies flat along the right side.  The hole gains interest as you approach the green with an abandoned bunker, now soft mound feature in the middle of the hole 70 yards short of the green and yet another set of short crossing bunkers protecting the approach.  The green pitches severely from left to right  requiring a shot to be left below the cup.

Jamestown Golf Course is a joy.  The architectural subtleties within the greens are its strength along with the unassuming beauty of its surroundings and the people that you meet on the links.

Next stop, Pawtucket Country Club and a meeting with Willie Park, Jr.

Robert McNeil

Golf Architect
The Northeast Golf Company
www.northeastgolfcompany.com

Walking the Golf Courses of Rhode Island- The Misqaumicut Club

There is no better way to experience The Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill, Rhode Island than to walk it.  The course literally unfolds under your feet.  As you step foot on the first tee, which is roughly three long paces from the pro shop door, you look out to a field of wrinkles; highs and lows within a fairway that has a tendency to throw a tee shot any which way.  It is nearly impossible to predict where you will end up.  You will either be perched atop a high roll and have a look at the green cut into the far hillside or your ball will meander down into a deep depression leaving a blind approach shot forcing you to pick a line using the tops of the trees behind the surface as your guide…..Welcome to The Misquamicut Club.

The Club was originally established in 1895 as a summer retreat resting along the Atlantic shoreline just outside the charming hamlet of Watch Hill.  The origins of the original course layout are suspect, but point to several prominent architects.  An original 9 hole layout was devised by Willie Park Jr. in 1895 followed by a second nine by the Clubs first pro Willie Anderson in 1896.  Journeyman architect Tom Bendelow was retained by the Club shortly after 1900 to layout another 9, temporarily giving the Club 27 holes.  In 1913 Seth Raynor was brought in to construct or work on several greens, (the extent of the work is unknown).  Then in 1920, following the the Club's inability to execute a plan developed by Walter Travis in 1917, Donald Ross was engaged to supply a plan for the golf course.  It was following Ross’s work that the classic perched and uneven green complexes evolved and the courses back nine reached out to the ocean.

Misquamicut could be characterized as a tale of two nines. The front capturing the offbeat symmetry of ever flowing creases, hummocks and hollows that constantly play havoc with a players set up, alignment and the roll of the ball; and the back, a 9 hole seaside links (less the bearish uphill par 3 18^th) that introduces the push and pull of the shoreline winds, the long vistas down the sands of Misquamicut Beach and tidal ponds around which the holes have been so naturally…so strategically laid out.

One interesting element is the seeming non-descript nature of the bunkering throughout the course.  This is not to say its positioning doesn’t challenge most players, but more so its styling is not memorable….which on this course is ok.

As the course gradually presents itself, many elements of classic design begin to appear.  After completing your journey along the rolls of the strong par 4 1^st, the second hole offers a slightly less intimidating tee shot defined simply by a crossing ridge falling off the back of the 5^th tee.  Carry this and you’ll gain some much needed distance to play into the somewhat benign green sitting quietly in a far corner of the property framed by a classic New England stone wall. 

The 3^rd hole, the first par 3, presents players with a redan style banking approach from left to right.  A safe but challenging line is to carry the short left bunker and use the bank to run up onto the wonderful surface.  The green has a multitude of pin locations that respond to the surrounding contours including pieces hidden keenly behind raised short right bunkering.

 Ruby looking out to the "Redan..ish" par 3 3rd

The 4^th might be one of best shortish par 4’s around.  Again, the fairway simply lays on the given topography avoiding any offering of a flat lie.  The landing area is generous, but the impending approach is ominous. A well struck short iron must be dialed in here. The green is perched with bunkering fronting and puzzled into the slope all around falling off sharply at the right and back. 

On the 5^th tee the expanse of the property begins to present itself as do the cop bunkers scattered along the right side separating the 5^th from the 7^th fairway.  To the eye, the landing area seems very wide, but a smallish mitt style bunker cut in just adjacent to the cop row at the right gets your attention and somehow gathers balls.  From old aerials and as evidenced in the field, it looks as though cops have been extended from the green further back toward the prime landing area.  The mid iron approach is offered an opening onto the green, though the hole narrows significantly as you get closer to the surface.  The green is a bit quirky with a large pinnable area in front that then bottlenecks to a spit or peninsula straight back.  Again, the right and back fall away quickly.

Cop Bunkers separating holes 5 and 7

The 6^th might be one of the most appealing par 3’s around.  From the tee the player is given an modest out to the short left to avoid the thirty foot deep morass that awaits anything missing the green to the right.  This could be considered a cape green without water.  The surface is dynamic, yet simple, with a variety of pin locations separated by a large roll and ridge passing through the middle of the green.

The 7^th, the first three shot hole, gives the player a bit of a breather.    The lay up for most is wide open while the green is well protected with bunkering fronting and flanking.  I’m convinced that Ross said let me give these guys a break before hammering them with the front nine finish on 8 and 9.

The 8^th is unforgettable and a golden era classic.  On many Ross designs we find the perched green with a rolling surface falling off on all sides.  The 8^th at Misquamicut is this style on steroids.  Falling off nearly forty feet at the front, left and back there is no room for error.  With only a long vista behind the green your eye and club selection can wander resulting in an errant shot that will require a bit of mountain climbing prowess to recover.  The saving grace, maybe realized by Ross when he jammed the stake on top of the hill, is the large green surface giving all a fighting chance.  Pictures do not do the elevation change justice

The perched par 3 8th

Then the 9^th, again a wrinkled mess of a fairway with a flat lie not to be found.  From the tee the landing area looks scattered and small, but it is certainly scaled to be fair.  The approach is what gets your attention.  The green is simply carved into a hillside, is smallish and is hanging with a larger belly at the front right then getting skinny as you move to the left.  Anything short will fall into the face of the complex resulting in a difficult recovery.  Anything long will get hung up nestling down in the sharply bent topography The angle of the green is such that it is just off perpendicular to the line of play making it feel very shallow.

As you start the back nine, a little breather is offered after the demanding front nine finish.  The 10^th plays from a high perch behind the 9^th green and traverses directly downhill to a fairway the splits high and low.  With the continuing folds in the ground a blind shot is not uncommon unless you can urge your ball to a high point.  The green sits down low pitched from back to front with framing bunkers along the left and at the front right.  The fairway meanders in to the front left of the green.  The best angle maybe from the small spit of fairway along a high roll looking down from 80 yards.

Now onto the ocean side links.  Holes 11-17 no longer challenge the player with the inherent strategy of the pocketed, rolling terrain, but rely on the prevailing winds, the introduction of tidal ponds, and the smart strategy of well positioned bunkering and green contouring to test the game.

The 11^th is unique in that the tees area scattered across a high outcropping looking out to the ocean.  This scattering presents the hole from very different angles of play.  As you move to the right the tee shot required gathers broader portions of the tidal ponds across Ocean Avenue to carry.  The hole is essentially flat with the green protected precariously by very geometric mounds that could be described as two loaves of bread angled in front of the surface.  These forms are a little mysterious in comparison to the rest of the course.  A bunker has been added to the original design resting along the right side of the hole to add another carry point from the tee.

Looking across Ocean Avenue to the 11^th

and the shoreline of the Atlantic

The par 3 12^th also has some quirky elements.  The tee backs up the to the ocean with a thin sand dune separating the tee from the water.  The wind is the main factor here, normally helping the players as they look to a blind green hidden behind a constructed berm surrounding a small salt pond.  If there is one hole that could be improved simply based on the incredible ground on which it rests it’s the 12^th.  Nonetheless just standing on the tee with the beat of the lapping ocean waves gives you all the inspiration you need.

The 432 yard 13^th runs parallel to the beach stretching to a far corner of the property.  A crossing wind will play havoc with a tee shot playing back over another salt pond.  Keeping it out of the wind is imperative here.  Shoreline pines are scattered along the left side of the hole providing a frame which turns the hole back to the right toward the ocean.  The bunkers on the back nine and evident here are a bit larger and more sweeping, maybe taking inspiration from the adjacent dunes.  The tee shot is pinched slight with a well place bunker at the left.   Another strategic element found on Ross designs is a very subtle rise in the fairway 30-40 yards short of the green creating the illusion that the green is much closer.  This type of element works exceptionally well on the 13^th with its long approach.  The large squarish green is well protected with bunkering surrounding the surface.  Sliver bunkering along the right and behind the green frame the surface.

The 14^th is special.  This long par 4 is unique to the golf course with its pure strategic strength. At 430+ the player must navigate two ponds strung up the right side of the hole creating a left to right bend in the fairway.  A short crossing bunker looks back at the tee with large yawning bunkers scattered up toward the green.  This hole is easily the strongest hole within the string of holes on the ocean side.  Another “short Ross” bunker is dropped in 60 yards short of the green to create intended deception.

The highlight of the 15^th is the bold and broad cross bunker 25 yards short of the green.  From the tee the ground is rising a bit and as you  look to the green it appears that three separate bunkers are crossing the line of play.  Upon approach it becomes one large hazard spanning the entire fairway.  It is likely and apparent from viewing old photos, that this feature was in fact three separate bunkers at the inception of the hole.  The approach must first carry the crossing hazard before finding the perched surface.  The best way to describe the 15^th green is as if you are dropping a handkerchief onto a shoebox.  Wonderful bold contours and ridges separating distinct pinning locations.  A pearl necklace of bunker frames the back half of the green.

The short crossing bunker fronting the 15^th green

It took me a minute to find the far right tee on the 16^th .  Once I found it everything changed.  Though this tee was not part of the original design it add 50 yards transforms the hole into a cape.  As you move from the center tee to the far right tee the hole takes on a whole new alignment bringing into play the large flashing bunker resting just over the expansive wetland area on the right corner.  The green is surrounded by 4 large bunkers opening up ever so slightly from the front right.  Skirting the wetland and bunker, keeping your tee shot along the right edge of the fairway will avail the clearest line into the green.

The par 5 17^th now turns away from the ocean and works back toward Ocean Avenue.  Water left and right within scattered wetlands and ponds will cause any player to pucker up a bit on the tee.  The water stretches along the right side leading up to strong greenside bunkering.  A singular fortress bunker set into the left face of the green protects all pins along the left edge and a large sprawling hazard runs the length of the surface along the right side. 

The 18^th is quite unique.  From a lower runway tee this par 3 hole traverses directly upslope to a blind green.  This finishing hole packs a lot of muscle.  Depending on the wind, getting up on top of the plateau where the green quietly rests is the biggest challenge.  A giant catcher’s mitt in front and bunkers at the right and back wrap their arms around the green.  The surface is simple in nature as if the say you made it.

There is no way to walk over the fairways of Misquamicut and not feel the naturalness of the layout and the engaging strategy of each hole.  If you have the chance and you are in the Watch Hill area take a peek at this gem.  At the very least take a ride down Ocean Avenue from where you can get a glimpse of the entire back nine.

Robert McNeil

Golf Architect
The Northeast Golf Company
www.northeastgolfcompany.com

"Walking the Golf Courses of Rhode Island"

What better way to embrace the wonders of the golf courses of a region than to put them under your feet?  As a young boy I would often simply walk golf courses to try and understand what the holes were asking of the players.  Having grown up on the courses of New England, I have always been enamored with the great history and rich traditions of the game and the courses.  In my professional life as a Golf Course Architect, I am afforded the opportunity to study golf courses for a living.  It is a part of what I do almost every day...so this got me thinking.  Why not start an ongoing dialogue with the lovers of golf in the region?  It only made sense to start my journey in Rhode Island, where I have established my office and where I am surrounded by numerous intriguing layouts.  From the stalwarts like Newport CC to the hidden gems at Sakonnet and Triggs to the new layouts at Shelter Harbor and Carnegie Abbey, there's a lot of ground to cover.

My journey will be entitled "Walking the Golf Courses of Rhode Island" and will encompass commentary and discussion about courses following my visit and walk along the holes.  This journey will not be limited to only the better known courses, but will cover all of the golf holes of Rhode Island.  This will not happen overnight, but will take place over the next year.  My intention is not so much to play these courses, but to make their acquaintance.  Inevitably, I will be privileged to meet some of the many personalities that know these courses intimately and bring some of their unique perspectives to my writings.

So, as I embark, I am sending out a warning to all the Clubs of Rhode Island if you get a call or a knock on the door out of the blue on a Friday morning from a guy looking to walk your course, it's probably me....I look forward to meeting.

Let the conversation begin....our walk starts at the Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill.  Watch for our upcoming blog.

Looking to the green #3 at Misquamicut

Spreading the "Virus"

Spreading the “Virus”

by Robert McNeil, ASGCA, Associate Member

January 23, 2011

The cynics of the game often point to the struggling economy or the lack of players or sometimes the correction of the oversupply we have seen in the US over the last 4 years as a reason to question the future of the game.  And this is certainly a valid position to take.  As a golf course architect it is easy to get mired in the negative press, the spiraling reports and the environmental pressures that seem to stab at the industry from all sides.  It is easy to wonder where the next project is coming from.  But in the midst of all of this mental anguish, in the midst of the not knowing, we are sometimes reminded of why this game is so great and why being a golf course architect is so great.

For the past 10 years I have been traveling to Central Europe to chase opportunities.  The key word is chase.  During the chase I have been fortunate to have traveled to some very interesting places including Slovenia, where I spoke at the 1^st ever, Slovenian Greenskeepers Association Conference in 1999, Poland and most recently Romania.  When visiting these and other countries in the region, the remnants of Industrialization are everywhere.  The gray walls of abandoned factories, the socialized living arrangements and the hardened faces of Communism and hard times are only slowly fading.  Amidst all of these stereotypical pictures, what I have found the most refreshing is the passion for the game.  There is a desire to bring the game to markets where there may be hundreds of miles between courses and most of all there are people that understand the true meaning of the game, its spirit, its role in our social environment and its value to a good life. 

On a recent visit to Romania to layout a course just outside the city of Cluj-Napoca in the Transylvania region….yes Transylvania as in Vlad Dracula, I met a gentlemen that reminded me of what it truly means to bring golf to new regions.  His name is Atilla Kadar, he is a stone craftsman.  He owns a company in Cluj that creates and cuts special pieces of stone for buildings, monuments and other unique applications.    If you speak with Atilla you would think he has played golf his whole life, grew up in it and had all the opportunities to hone his skills.  In fact he has a grand goal to compete in the 2016 Olympics representing Romania, why not?  There are no golf courses in Cluj, considered one of the largest cities in Romania, resting in the shadows of the Apuseni mountains, part of the western Carpathian range.  The city has a population of roughly 600,000 growing to 700,000 during the academic year as there are numerous universities scattered throughout the city.  As far as golf go, the closest course is 120km away, nearly a 2 hour drive.

I had been involved with a proposed golf course at the Sun Garden Resort, set along the city limits for a few years.  During my most recent visit it became clear that Atilla would become the ambassador for the project.  To think, no more 2 hour drives to play golf…or even practice, alas a 9 hole course right in Cluj, with a practice center.  But it is more, as Atilla will attest, his spoken words much stronger than my written.  I am paraphrasing, but the essence of his sentiment was that this course in Cluj would change the social fabric of the community.  It will bring to the players and would be players of the region, and there aren’t very many yet, a game that instills the goodness of life, heightens the competitive spirit and teaches the lessons of fairness, honesty and camaraderie.  This is where he believed the value of a course rests. 

For our part as golf course architect, you can’t help but get caught up in his “sermon” and sing along.  Our work as golf course architects is important, this project is important as are all projects that introduce the game to new players in new markets.  This is what golf is all about, bringing the game to the people.  Letting what he calls “the virus” take hold and watching it spread. 

"IT'S GOOD"

December 9, 2011

It’s a term all golfers are familiar with.  You’re playing with friends and find yourself kicking the ball along what looked to be a hole you could pencil in a reasonable number.  Fifteen minutes later your ball rests within the leather and your cohorts utter the term “It’s Good”.  Immediately you are overcome with a barrage of mixed emotions.  First relief…that the party hole is over…next the frustration with your game sets in and you question every element of your swing…finally you embrace the words that have given you a new lease on the game. 

These two simple words have become a staple in the lexicon of the game.  They have given hope to the everyday player that the game can go on and even at the highest level “it’s good” has been known to ease the pain of the game.  We all remember the late Payne Stewart’s historic gesture when declaring Colin Montgomerie’s twenty foot putt to win their match “good” once the 1999 Ryder Cup had been decided, taking the raucous crowd’s attention away from Montgomerie and placing it more appropriately on the reverence and traditions of the game.  A hand shake ensued and the game was preserved.

Recently, the “goodness” of the game again found its way into my life…and in a way that many experience every day.  Each year I make an effort to find and study exceptional golf...sometimes in places we are all familiar with and at other times simply within the landscape that surrounds our everyday life.  This year offered an exciting opportunity.  My father-in-law was celebrating his 70^th birthday.  He has been a lifelong golfer, more avid in his retirement years, a club player, but not one to travel to the special courses of the world.  As a gift, my brothers-in-law and I brought him to Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, a Pete Dye gem set along the banks of Lake Michigan best known as the host course for recent PGA Championships.  The trip provided great inspiration for me artistically, but more importantly gave my father-in-law an unforgettable experience.  That experience was not only driven by the holes we played, but by the beautiful ever-present now!  It became an event in our lives where even the leaves strewn across the bridges we crossed seemed to be falling into place.

      





                  

Walking along the fairways and trying to unravel the strategic battlefield laid out in front of us gave us pause.  We were faced with an uncommon thousands of sand hazards as well as a distracting view to the expanses of Lake Michigan.  How do we honor these places, these accomplishments...we play.  And we played.  As we approached our last putts on the last day there seemed to be only two words to concisely summarize the moment…and as I remember it we all pocketed our balls and uttered a resounding

“It’s Good” ….and it was Good.