The Golf Thread 2009

[jaywbigred]

Great pics!

Was in West Virginia bc one of my buddies, a W. Virginian, lives in and got married out in Cali to a girl from out there, they had the wedding out there a few weeks ago, and instead of making the majority of his family and friends fly out there, he had an East Coast reception Pig Roast in his parents' backyard in W. Va. Sat. morning before the rain we got 18 in at the local course. The conditions were muni levelish, but the greens were in good shape and rolled true, which, imo makes almost any course playable. We played the back tees, 6300 yards only. The front was Par 37, back was Par 35, not sure i've seen that before. Also, there were 5 par 5s and 5 par 3s, so that was different. Anyway, hit it well from the get-go, but the short game was gone after a 2 week layoff. Then on the 8th hole I sunk a long putt for par, and then got hot. Wound up with a 43 on the front and a 36 on the back, finishing birdie-par-par with both pars being lipped out putts for birdie. The birdie on 16 was a double eagle approach shot that bounced twice, hit the pin and rolled to about 14 feet. I missed the eagle but tapped in for birdie. Also 3 putted (from the fringe) 14 and 15, so this could have been a really low back 9. Still, broke 80 for the first time this year on a course I've never played before...playing again tomorrow, maybe I can keep the hot streak going.

 

[jaywbigred]

Yes, Yes, and Yes!

Here's my take on the 3.

First off, all 3 are well maintained mountain courses with great views, and I enjoy all 3!

Stratton. 27 Holes in what last summer which was the last time I played it, was a very interesting tee time policy. Basically full members were given access exclusively to 1 of the 9's and basically every 2 hours that 9 changed (as did the "non member's 9's). Most of the time it would be fine, except that I was 1st out that AM as a twosome and after finishing our 1st 9 in an hour and 15 minutes we had to wait 45 minutes to go out on our 2nd nine (which was the "members 9" for the 1st 2 hours that AM) even though no members teed off on it during that 45 minutes The course though is very nice, reasonable in length and variety with the layout having you play more downhill from tee to green and more of the uphills occurring between the greens and the next tee.

Mount Snow. Very similar feel to Stratton (same course architect, Geoffrey Cornish). The front nine has more elevation changes than the back nine - basicallly the 1st couple holes of the front 9 plays downhill and then its plays back up the rest of the way to the turn and the back 9 is generally flatter. The back 9 is also quite scoreable if your hitting it well and makes it lots of fun!

Haystack. Ever so slightly my favorite of the 3. A bit shorter and definately tighter than Stratton and Mount Snow. I just enjoy the layout and for some reason everytime I tee it up there I play well (probably why I like it slightly more than the other 2 ) The majority of the elevation gain/loss also occurs on 5 or 6 holes with the remainder playing suprisingly flat for a "mountain course"

Jay, one thing not to fall Mount Snow area deceptive golf tease victim too, is The Sitzmark (the course where you see 2 holes off to the right of Route 100 maybe a mile North of the turnoff for Haystack) While to 2 holes you see from Rte 100 look like okay par 4's, the other 16 that are behind the treeline and across the river are SHORT (75-150ish yard) par 3's. On the positive, they've got a fun outdoor bar there

Enjoy using the clubs in the MS area

Thanks for the info Doc!

I think I will get to play at least Mt. Snow and Haystack before the end of the season!

 

[campgottagopee]

Sweet pix Doc, thanks for sharing

Sunday starts the first of 4 "fall round-ups" for the month of Oct----yee hah!!! I friggin love fall capt-n-crews, nothin but drinkin and swinging your tits off just in case you hit it. :beer:

 

[ChileMass]

Dr. Jeff -

Terrific pictures - what a gorgeous course. Nice shootin', too......

 

[campgottagopee]

Anyone see that 14 y o chick shoot 7 under yesterday on the LPGA Tour---WTF!!!! I didn't realize the game was that easy.

 

[riverc0il]

Picked up my two pairs of skis being repaired at Sport Thoma in Lincoln today and decided to hit two courses that I have longed to play since I started: Sunset Hill in Franconia, NH and Profile Club in Franconia, NH. Sunset Hill is a very small 9 nine hole resort course (oldest in NH as I recall) that is slightly longer than your typical executive course. Profile Club is a private club that opens its greens to the riff raff early and late season, also nine holes.

Sunset Hill was a nice course but not as nice as I expected. Hole lengths were in limbo length in which four was generally too much but three was generally too few for par. The par 3s played long and the par 4s played short except for the first hole. Many of the greens were "tucked into corners" which made playing a hold long a horrible problem. Aside from the first two out and back holes, holes 3-9 tended to go out and then meet back in the center of a field. It was a fun course to play.

I really enjoyed the downhill par 3 hole 6 which had a very large tree blocking the green from the tee. And the long par 3 uphill hole 8 with a hole tucked into the left rear was crazy good but with a green covered with leaves... led to a bad score despite a good drive. I would play this course again if passing through (for only $15 on a weekend no less) but I wouldn't make it a point to drive back up to play. Views of Cannon and Lafayette were great, Washington and the Presis were socked in.

Profile Club. WOWOWOWOWOW! This course was FRIGGIN AWESOME!!! I most definitely WILL be back to this course early and late season as much as time allows. I would rate this as the best course I have every played out of the 16 or so courses I have done (including some nice private resorts and good designers such as Donald Ross). I have been making this part of NH my playground for half my life and I thought I had seen everything this area had to offer. But the views of Lafayette and Cannon were absolutely stunning from Profile Club... with just prior to peak leaves, no less. WOW!

The course was crazy good starting off rather gentle with a very easy par 4 first hole, moderately easily par 4 second hole, and a throwing darts at it moderately easy par 3 third. Then all bets were off. This course really "rolls". No huge up and downs but the only flat spots on the course are holes 5-7. But flat is relative as hole 5 takes a huge uphill dog leg to the right after a wide open and flat driving area. No way you can Eagle hole 5 unless you have a 300 yard drive, holy crap. Hole 4 has its green in a hidden down hill area that drops off and the gong is a profile of the old man, nice touch.

The stunner of the day was the last hole. I may never stand on a more beautiful hole in all my life and I wish I had my camera. From the back tees, you have a mandatory carry across a small pond. A moderate widow between trees frames a picture perfect view of Cannon dead on with no obstruction and the club house sitting underneath with the hole slightly to the left. Words can not describe that view, WOW! If I had a camera, I easily would have taken my best landscape picture of my life, it was a perfect setup, damn.

The place was a little confusing to play for the first time but I made it around okay. Never played a course where the tips were white and blues were closer, so I was playing from the tips without realizing it until the 5th hole. Actually, sometimes the blue tees were further back. They switched it up a bit as to have the second nine play differently than the first. Tee boxes were these narrow little things no wider than 6-8 feet, pretty cool. Overall, I had a blast and all for only $15! Midweek rates were in effect but even full weekend rate with a cart was something like only $35 for 18.

Any ways, it is only open to the public for the first and last month of the season or so (give or take). But I highly recommend this course if you are up in NH while they allow the public in. This place has major charm and looks like barely anything has changed since the place opened a century or so ago. I happen to like 9 hole courses A LOT and I suspect many people miss some great courses because they are not 18. This course will give any 18 hole course in NH a run for its money and then some and the views can not be beat except MAYBE by the Mount Washington. MAYBE.

 

[drjeff]

Nice pics.

heading to maui for the honeymoon next month, have a date with the plantation course. can't wait.

The Plantation Course is one AWESOME course - I've played it 3 times and I still have absolutely no clue as to how the guys of the PGA Tour tear that place up every year in the Mercedes Championship. Bring you camera as the views there are awesome as well!

 

[riverc0il]

Well, this thread is just about dead for the year. I had a scramble get canceled this past Sunday even though the weather ended up turning out to be fine up here (just really damn cold). Maybe a reschedule to November 1st which is getting rather late for my tastes, especially considering that I already packed up the clubs prior to the reschedule being considered! But I will place once more if it happens.

Last week I finally played Ragged Mountain's golf course in Danbury, NH. I had been considering a season pass there due to really cheap prices ($350 with a cart as I recall) but I heard it was a tough courses so I wanted to play it first before buying a pass. I ended up getting a driving range pass instead (which I did not get my monies worth on, a half dozen lessons would have been a better investment). But I am glad I did not get a pass at Ragged without having played it first. Yikes! This course is occasionally downright unfair and drjeff's warnings were spot on!

The pro shop guy took my $15 for a round of 9 with cart (man, I love the fall!!!) and recommended I check out the tee recommendations by handicap. I knew I shouldn't "be a man" about it, so I was reasonable and took the blue square tee boxes instead of the green circle which was recommended for handicaps over 100 (hey, that was actually one tee forward of where I normally hit from! I wasn't about to hit from the front tee boxes, I am not that bad!!! oops.........).

Got a little high on my horse on the first hole almost making par but settling for a bird. Had swing issues on the second hole, my fault. And got a bogey on the third. All was going well. Then I proceeded to loss more than a full box of balls after I crossed the road. This course is just mean! Accuracy is a must. I was ready for some hazard carries, but you also need side to side accuracy too. The par 3 seventh hole was ridiculous as you were in the hazard if you missed the green in almost any direction. And then the par 4 hole 8 was nuts.... VERY thin sliver of grass to land your tee shot. The course punished inaccuracy severely and the "easier" tee boxes may be closer to the green but still require accuracy.

It didn't help that is was freezing out and I lost my swing a bit. But the course almost seemed unfair to someone just wanting to go out and have a good time. And I played the easier 9 holes, I can't even imagine what the back 9 were lack. I saw the tee boxes for the 10th hole on my way back and couldn't believe how narrow a window the back tees had to hit from, wow! This course started off fun but by the end, I couldn't wait to head home!

 

[drjeff]

Well, this thread is just about dead for the year. I had a scramble get canceled this past Sunday even though the weather ended up turning out to be fine up here (just really damn cold). Maybe a reschedule to November 1st which is getting rather late for my tastes, especially considering that I already packed up the clubs prior to the reschedule being considered! But I will place once more if it happens.

Last week I finally played Ragged Mountain's golf course in Danbury, NH. I had been considering a season pass there due to really cheap prices ($350 with a cart as I recall) but I heard it was a tough courses so I wanted to play it first before buying a pass. I ended up getting a driving range pass instead (which I did not get my monies worth on, a half dozen lessons would have been a better investment). But I am glad I did not get a pass at Ragged without having played it first. Yikes! This course is occasionally downright unfair and drjeff's warnings were spot on!

The pro shop guy took my $15 for a round of 9 with cart (man, I love the fall!!!) and recommended I check out the tee recommendations by handicap. I knew I shouldn't "be a man" about it, so I was reasonable and took the blue square tee boxes instead of the green circle which was recommended for handicaps over 100 (hey, that was actually one tee forward of where I normally hit from! I wasn't about to hit from the front tee boxes, I am not that bad!!! oops.........).

Got a little high on my horse on the first hole almost making par but settling for a bird. Had swing issues on the second hole, my fault. And got a bogey on the third. All was going well. Then I proceeded to loss more than a full box of balls after I crossed the road. This course is just mean! Accuracy is a must. I was ready for some hazard carries, but you also need side to side accuracy too. The par 3 seventh hole was ridiculous as you were in the hazard if you missed the green in almost any direction. And then the par 4 hole 8 was nuts.... VERY thin sliver of grass to land your tee shot. The course punished inaccuracy severely and the "easier" tee boxes may be closer to the green but still require accuracy.

It didn't help that is was freezing out and I lost my swing a bit. But the course almost seemed unfair to someone just wanting to go out and have a good time. And I played the easier 9 holes, I can't even imagine what the back 9 were lack. I saw the tee boxes for the 10th hole on my way back and couldn't believe how narrow a window the back tees had to hit from, wow! This course started off fun but by the end, I couldn't wait to head home!

Riv, I empathize with your 1st Ragged experience! Personally I think that they should market a package there with green fees, cart, and a therapy session, especially the 1st time you play that place!(I know I was just semi coherently mumbling to myself on my entire ride back home to CT after my 1st trip around Ragged ) Generally narrow, mountain, hazard ladened, target style golf courses will give the vast majority of any ability golfer fits And that's likely why the golf course there will likely one day close, it's just way too much golf course for the majority of golfers to remotely enjoy. Back about a decade ago when it was built and open, there were a bunch of those style golf courses opening, and especially for the ones that are located in somewhat remote areas, many have closed, and if they haven't they're not being maintained to nearly the condition that they originally were. In a golfing sense, Ragged is kind of like a ski day at say Mad River or Magic. It's a bit quirky, it's generally tougher than your normal day, and it's most definately NOT for everyone! Unlike the Ragged Ski Area which can be very user friendly to the majority of the masses, the same can't be said of the Ragged Golf Course.

 

[Warp Daddy]

H'mmm after reading both reviews here --Note to self ---Ski Ragged , Don't GOLF IT

 

[drjeff]

H'mmm after reading both reviews here --Note to self ---Ski Ragged , Don't GOLF IT

Warp, if you were to ever play Ragged, hands down the best way to approach it, is to put your ego away (and put your big clubs away) and play it tee to green as basically a series of par 3 tee shots (i.e. play for the conservative parts of the fairway, not the far parts of the fairway) will usually take a really good score out of play, but it will also prevent a HUGE score from shwoing up.

Target golf courses can be easy, if you play them like the designer intended, which is hitting tons of lay up shots all round. Where the designer normally ends up beating you, is so many folks get frustrated with all the conservative play and eventually break down and start using too much club which brings more trouble into play than having a longer club for the next shot normally would. Some of those architects are really, really mentally twisted sadists :lol:

 

[riverc0il]

I actually usually do really well on golf courses that force people to play "smart golf". Since I don't play with woods or a driver at this point (and won't play them until I am consistent with them), I enjoy courses that take the long ball advantage out of play. Holes with a dog leg around 170 yards are my favorite!

But Ragged is less "smart golf" but more "precise golf". Even a very slight mis-hit causes big problems. Normally, a ball that was mis-hit might go into the rough but at Ragged that same mis-hit goes out of bounds.

Good comparison to Magic. But even Magic has trails like Magic Carpet and great intermediate cruisers. The tough thing about Ragged Golf is even the easier tees don't help much because the problem areas are still there, you just get to club down and have a better chance at avoiding a bogey due to fewer yards. But the obstacles are all the same.

 

[drjeff]

Managed to get out yesterday (Monday) for what could very well be my last round of the year. If that's the case, well then it was a GOOD end to the golf season! About 40 degrees with a 5 to 10mph North wind when I teed off just after 8. An hour and 52 minutes and 77 strokes later I was done!(I LOVE having a wide open 18 infront of me!) Inspite of having to wear a few layers and keeping the winter golf gloves on both hands, I was swinging quite well, and putting GREAT!

Made long (20 and 35 feet) birdies on #'s 9 and 18 so that finished off both 9's in a great way! From here on out, if I get a decent weather day and I'm home and not too many other things to do, well if there's no snow on the ground, my course is open until at least December 1st, so who knows. Otherwise my '09 golf season ended on a solid note, and I could be quite content with that until sometime in April/May

 

[Warp Daddy]

Nice finish to the season doc !!!

I put my sticks away. Sadly I did not get out since my medical incident in July -----BUT am feeling great and looking forward to skiing again.

 

[riverc0il]

I already put my bag away and started hiking and skiing. I came to the realization while doing some local hiking this past week that I golfed too much and hiked too little this past summer. Much as I enjoy golf, I will need to reallocate my time a little better next season and hit the trails more often.

 

[campgottagopee]

11/8--Oh what a day we had here in CNY, 70 degrees, sunny, NO wind and not a cloud in the sky so the calls started going out sat nite. Ended up myself, The Pro, Double J, Dr Vodka, Johnny Blaze and Tricky Ricky all played in a 6-some (membership has it's privlages) for our usual skin game. Lots of hootin for good shoots and lots of ribbin' for the bad ones. Only 4 skins out--Dr. Voda and Double J each had 2, but it really doesn't matter because we drank it all at the bar anyway. Hopefully NOZT the last round of the year but if it is what a good time!!!

 

[Trekchick]

This sign was spotted at a golf club:

1. Back straight, knees bent, feet shoulder width apart.
2. Form a loose grip.
3. Keep your head down.
4. Avoid a quick backswing.
5. Stay out of the water.
6. Try not to hit anyone.
7. If you are taking too long, please let others go ahead of you.
8. Don't stand directly in front of others.
9. Quiet please... while others are preparing to go.
10. Do not take extra strokes.

Very good. Now zip up your fly, flush the toilet, wash your hands, go outside, and tee off.

 

[drjeff]

This sign was spotted at a golf club:

1. Back straight, knees bent, feet shoulder width apart.
2. Form a loose grip.
3. Keep your head down.
4. Avoid a quick backswing.
5. Stay out of the water.
6. Try not to hit anyone.
7. If you are taking too long, please let others go ahead of you.
8. Don't stand directly in front of others.
9. Quiet please... while others are preparing to go.
10. Do not take extra strokes.

Very good. Now zip up your fly, flush the toilet, wash your hands, go outside, and tee off.

Yup, the same sign hangs over the urinals in the men's lockerroom at my course

 

[riverc0il]

I already put my bag away and started hiking and skiing. I came to the realization while doing some local hiking this past week that I golfed too much and hiked too little this past summer. Much as I enjoy golf, I will need to reallocate my time a little better next season and hit the trails more often.

Well... when life gives you lemons....

Bag came back out today for one more round of the season. And what a round it was, I broke 100 for the first time! I stll can't believe it!

I played Pheasant Ridge in Laconia (or Gilford, maybe?). Not many courses still open and I had not played Pheasant Ridge before and the price was right at only $25.00 walking for 18.

The front 9 of this course is really great design, totally my type of course. I blew up on both the par three 2nd hold and the par three 8th hole. Both par threes going over the same pond. Really a bummer as these were the two easy par threes on the course. And then I posted snowmen on holes 9 and 10. But other wise, I played bogey golf with only the occasion double thrown in and I made one par. Not bad for a month off since my last game.

The back nine were really boring "back and forth" open style holes but had nice views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Not my cup of tea.

Beautiful blue bird day with not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was just warm enough to be comfortable playing in a long sleeve tech shirt. Without the blow ups and poor play on the par 3s, it is amazing to think I could easily have come close to breaking 90.

 

[drjeff]

Well... when life gives you lemons....

Bag came back out today for one more round of the season. And what a round it was, I broke 100 for the first time! I stll can't believe it!

I played Pheasant Ridge in Laconia (or Gilford, maybe?). Not many courses still open and I had not played Pheasant Ridge before and the price was right at only $25.00 walking for 18.

The front 9 of this course is really great design, totally my type of course. I blew up on both the par three 2nd hold and the par three 8th hole. Both par threes going over the same pond. Really a bummer as these were the two easy par threes on the course. And then I posted snowmen on holes 9 and 10. But other wise, I played bogey golf with only the occasion double thrown in and I made one par. Not bad for a month off since my last game.

The back nine were really boring "back and forth" open style holes but had nice views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Not my cup of tea.

Beautiful blue bird day with not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was just warm enough to be comfortable playing in a long sleeve tech shirt. Without the blow ups and poor play on the par 3s, it is amazing to think I could easily have come close to breaking 90.

Solid work on the 1st time 100 breakage there Riv!! Let's hope that it's good enough for the golf gods to accept that the '09 Northeast Season golf season is now done and allow old man winter to bring in the white stuff!!!