Found on the Internet:
The Club is committed to providing you with a unique golf experience.
Toward that end, it is important that you abide by our policies.
We have very few rules, but we are not tolerant of anyone that disrespects those that we do have.
Guests must be accompanied by a member at all times and should not arrive more than 30 minutes prior to their member host.
When the member leaves The Club, so must his guests.
Cell Phones and Blackberries shall be concealed at all times and may be used only in your automobile.
The use of the Club’s fax machine for business purposes is not permitted. (I love this one)
Our expected pace of play for a fourball is three hours and forty-five minutes, so you are encouraged to walk briskly.
Carts are not permitted to be used without the prior approval of the Golf Professional.
When permitted, carts may be driven only on fairways and trails. They may not be driven in the roughs or native grass areas.
It is the players responsibility to properly fix or replace divots and ball marks.
There are no rakes in our bunkers or dunes, so we ask that you smooth your tracks and prints with your feet.
Shirts with collars are required.
Shirts must be tucked in at all times.
Hats must be worn forward.
Bermuda length shorts may be worn.
Cargo shorts or pants are not permitted.
All golf shoes shall be spikeless.
Caddies shall be required at all times. They are independent contractors to the player.
Any photography taken on the course shall be limited to personal use and may not be used for any commercial purposes.
Please discard all trash and cigarette/cigar butts in the appropriate container.
Cash tipping of club employees is not permitted.
Maybe I am crazy
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
North Shore New York
Ahhhh, A.W. Tillinghast again. Never one to be pigeon-holed he in 1917 built three courses - North Shore on long Island, Somerset Hills, the proverbial home course of the USGA Executives and Pleasantville, NY. This according to Tillinghast.net's resources although North Shore has some evidence I have yet to review that he may have built a course called Hermitage in Virginia that same year. I have only played North Shore and Somerset Hills of those potentially from that year. I can say that of all my Tillinghast experiences, these two certainly have the most distinctive, interesting and certainly quirky sets of greens.
Tillinghast was often sent out to consult by the USGA and suggested changes at many a course. If one didn't know better the thought of Raynor visiting North Shore might cross one's mind. Tillinghast certainly did template holes maybe not before but certainly after this . It's just some of his most "red-headed" work and it's just brilliant. Tom Doak has this one wrong in Confidential Guide and in his opinion he insists that the style is Banks, poo=pooing other evidence. It is very easy to suspect that, but given that SHCC is clearly Tillinghast and it is home to Tillie's best Redan, evidence is there. The Redan here shows his hand as well, differing only from SHCC by a more receptive back left portion of the green. Tillinghast.net has the course as an Original Design by AWT and Dr. Bill Quiren has it as a Tillinghast design in Courses of the MGA. Most importantly, the club has the info which I should get back to this summer.
Originally as with many classically designed courses, there were virtually no trees on the property and then the club succumbed to tree plantings as did virtually every club on the eastern seaboard. Now for the last eight years architect Ron Forse has been consulted to reduce the trees and re-build all bunkers. Only number 11 needs any noticeable work at this point.
Below are some photos with more write up to come as I must return for some further study, but these photos do pretty much have at least a thousand words each for now.
Don't forget to click to enlarge.
Crest of hill on gentle opener first. Green is massive and subtle, very hard to read and even harder to capture in a photograph.
Two green, a drive and pitch hole, modestly my pitch wound up at 18 inches and I didn't have to deal with contours relatively tame for North Shore. Second of a nice beginning.
Approach to three green, a different angle into a fantastic Road Hole complex. The angle is off anti-clockwise about 80* but none the less, a magnificent green complex. One of the best Road greens I have seen. It gives no quarter to Piping Rock just down the road.
The usually seen (In America) bunkers substituting for the Road.
A tame Road Bunker .... (isn't that an oxymoron?)
Three from behind
Par 5 fourth (back-to-back - Common with Tillie)green from Five tee
Par 3 Fifth, well over 200 yards across two little hillocks - Brilliant.
Six Tee, an astounding use of a sidehill
Further on
Driveable number Seven from the tee
Seven greensite from the right fairway perspective
Redan number nine (followed by back-to-back par 3 ten - no photo just yet)
Eleven tee - Hagen Drove over the hill on the right in the PGA held here. I for one would like to see that option restored. With today's technology, the hole becomes a bit of a "cart-before-the-horse" - now that's OK, but more options abound the other way. Protecting and hiding the shed is very important. Consulting architect Forse certainly must have some ideas.
Eleven from green showing magnificent land. Tee is approximately over the maintenance shed.
Very sharply uphill Twelfth
Lovely Thumbprint Thirteenth Green
Stupendous fourteenth approach
Modified Biarritz concept green with flower petals defining contours very well.
Sixteen from the very corner of the dogleg
Sixteen fairway contours
Sixteen from green backwards and seventeen tee
Modified Double Plateau concept green
Seventeen green from right showing severe contours. I believe there is remaining green pad for expansion of both plateaux.
This is the 95th anniversary for the club even though the course is not yet there. Originally a 9-hole course was built and Tillinghast only incorporated two or three holes into the routing. .
I shall be re-visiting and researching a bit more, but I wanted to get this first bit out to all of you. This magnificent club has added a large flock of new members and is attractively offering young Long Islanders an excellent entree package in several forms. In some settings elimination of the bond and dues are extended and a three year introduction is offered. A full thirty new families were added to the club last month alone. Even food minimums have been waived in some circumstances although I think it would be very easy to meet almost any food minimum with their kitchen and food staff.
They at North Shore have in addition to the golf course, full-services including a beach, tennis, swimming including a new pool pavilion, the always fantastic food, a magnificent set of classic buildings and of course this top-notch golf course. One can develop a world-class short game here given the architectural demands.
As I have learned current membership has been hit a bit by Mr. Madoff and his terrible shenanigans causing some members to take a leave of absence, but from what I can tell reviewing all articles including last weekend's WSJ piece, North Shore is doing better than reports would have you believe. Last year's membership was over two hundred but currently they number about 175, probably doing about as well as any club so hard hit by Madoff.
Look forward for updates. Raynor it is!
Tillinghast was often sent out to consult by the USGA and suggested changes at many a course. If one didn't know better the thought of Raynor visiting North Shore might cross one's mind. Tillinghast certainly did template holes maybe not before but certainly after this . It's just some of his most "red-headed" work and it's just brilliant. Tom Doak has this one wrong in Confidential Guide and in his opinion he insists that the style is Banks, poo=pooing other evidence. It is very easy to suspect that, but given that SHCC is clearly Tillinghast and it is home to Tillie's best Redan, evidence is there. The Redan here shows his hand as well, differing only from SHCC by a more receptive back left portion of the green. Tillinghast.net has the course as an Original Design by AWT and Dr. Bill Quiren has it as a Tillinghast design in Courses of the MGA. Most importantly, the club has the info which I should get back to this summer.
Originally as with many classically designed courses, there were virtually no trees on the property and then the club succumbed to tree plantings as did virtually every club on the eastern seaboard. Now for the last eight years architect Ron Forse has been consulted to reduce the trees and re-build all bunkers. Only number 11 needs any noticeable work at this point.
Below are some photos with more write up to come as I must return for some further study, but these photos do pretty much have at least a thousand words each for now.
Don't forget to click to enlarge.
Crest of hill on gentle opener first. Green is massive and subtle, very hard to read and even harder to capture in a photograph.
Two green, a drive and pitch hole, modestly my pitch wound up at 18 inches and I didn't have to deal with contours relatively tame for North Shore. Second of a nice beginning.
Approach to three green, a different angle into a fantastic Road Hole complex. The angle is off anti-clockwise about 80* but none the less, a magnificent green complex. One of the best Road greens I have seen. It gives no quarter to Piping Rock just down the road.
The usually seen (In America) bunkers substituting for the Road.
A tame Road Bunker .... (isn't that an oxymoron?)
Three from behind
Par 5 fourth (back-to-back - Common with Tillie)green from Five tee
Par 3 Fifth, well over 200 yards across two little hillocks - Brilliant.
Six Tee, an astounding use of a sidehill
Further on
Driveable number Seven from the tee
Seven greensite from the right fairway perspective
Redan number nine (followed by back-to-back par 3 ten - no photo just yet)
Eleven tee - Hagen Drove over the hill on the right in the PGA held here. I for one would like to see that option restored. With today's technology, the hole becomes a bit of a "cart-before-the-horse" - now that's OK, but more options abound the other way. Protecting and hiding the shed is very important. Consulting architect Forse certainly must have some ideas.
Eleven from green showing magnificent land. Tee is approximately over the maintenance shed.
Very sharply uphill Twelfth
Lovely Thumbprint Thirteenth Green
Stupendous fourteenth approach
Modified Biarritz concept green with flower petals defining contours very well.
Sixteen from the very corner of the dogleg
Sixteen fairway contours
Sixteen from green backwards and seventeen tee
Modified Double Plateau concept green
Seventeen green from right showing severe contours. I believe there is remaining green pad for expansion of both plateaux.
This is the 95th anniversary for the club even though the course is not yet there. Originally a 9-hole course was built and Tillinghast only incorporated two or three holes into the routing. .
I shall be re-visiting and researching a bit more, but I wanted to get this first bit out to all of you. This magnificent club has added a large flock of new members and is attractively offering young Long Islanders an excellent entree package in several forms. In some settings elimination of the bond and dues are extended and a three year introduction is offered. A full thirty new families were added to the club last month alone. Even food minimums have been waived in some circumstances although I think it would be very easy to meet almost any food minimum with their kitchen and food staff.
They at North Shore have in addition to the golf course, full-services including a beach, tennis, swimming including a new pool pavilion, the always fantastic food, a magnificent set of classic buildings and of course this top-notch golf course. One can develop a world-class short game here given the architectural demands.
As I have learned current membership has been hit a bit by Mr. Madoff and his terrible shenanigans causing some members to take a leave of absence, but from what I can tell reviewing all articles including last weekend's WSJ piece, North Shore is doing better than reports would have you believe. Last year's membership was over two hundred but currently they number about 175, probably doing about as well as any club so hard hit by Madoff.
Look forward for updates. Raynor it is!
Monday, April 20, 2009
GAP Matches
GAP matches, the gentlemanly practice of the Golf Association of Philadelphia every spring. Formally known as the Suburban League, it is a phenomenally successful and fun practice of pitting 12 players from each club that enters against 12 opponents from another club.
Six players compete at home and six players away. Each fourball on each course (Three at each paired club) play two single matches and a fourball match. Twenty-four matches each weekend for three consecutive weekends for a grouping of four teams. Then at the end of the regular matches the playoffs ensue with winners (and losers) of each group of four eligible to challenge (and defend).
AA division
Sixteen Elite (yes elite) amateur teams compete in four separate brackets for supremacy which enters that team into the four-way finals. That final is held with three players at home and at each of the three other sites. Each player plays three separate matches at once.
A Division
This grouping has 32 teams in 8 brackets. The top teams get to challenge the weakest teams in AA and their weakest get challenged by top B division teams for ascendancy.
B Division
128 teams compete in 16 4-team divisions. Only 127 teams comprised B this year and Lehigh CC Team 1 (Yours truly) had yesterday off. Thus my chance for good fortune below.
C, D, E Divisions
Again each has 128 teams maximum, but E had only 10 teams this year. The great thing is that however many teams a club can field can compete. Huntingdon Valley, Philadelphia Cricket and Tavistock all fielded FIVE teams this year (That's sixty male players from each of those clubs). THIRTEEN clubs fielded four teams this year.
All told, that's THREE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED and SIXTY EIGHT club players. Every player plays all 18 holes as the format is to gather points. One point front, one point back, one point total for each match, three per fourball. That's fifty four points per Interclub match.
Now the good part. Each hole that you are up after the match is worth a quarter point, so if you win all 18 holes in a match you get 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 1/2 (18/4) = 7 1/2 points maximum possible. This of course never happens, but how badly you beat an opponent adds to your team's point total and helps you win your division.
That's what determines the final outcome in the overall championship - who gets the most points in that four club final death match.
Here's last year's finals
You'll see that winning three matches at home was accomplished by three of the four teams, but quarter points made the difference in crowning Tavistock 1 the overall winners.
All weeks except championship and challenge week has dinner and drinks for all players hosted by the each club.
Six players compete at home and six players away. Each fourball on each course (Three at each paired club) play two single matches and a fourball match. Twenty-four matches each weekend for three consecutive weekends for a grouping of four teams. Then at the end of the regular matches the playoffs ensue with winners (and losers) of each group of four eligible to challenge (and defend).
AA division
Sixteen Elite (yes elite) amateur teams compete in four separate brackets for supremacy which enters that team into the four-way finals. That final is held with three players at home and at each of the three other sites. Each player plays three separate matches at once.
A Division
This grouping has 32 teams in 8 brackets. The top teams get to challenge the weakest teams in AA and their weakest get challenged by top B division teams for ascendancy.
B Division
128 teams compete in 16 4-team divisions. Only 127 teams comprised B this year and Lehigh CC Team 1 (Yours truly) had yesterday off. Thus my chance for good fortune below.
C, D, E Divisions
Again each has 128 teams maximum, but E had only 10 teams this year. The great thing is that however many teams a club can field can compete. Huntingdon Valley, Philadelphia Cricket and Tavistock all fielded FIVE teams this year (That's sixty male players from each of those clubs). THIRTEEN clubs fielded four teams this year.
All told, that's THREE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED and SIXTY EIGHT club players. Every player plays all 18 holes as the format is to gather points. One point front, one point back, one point total for each match, three per fourball. That's fifty four points per Interclub match.
Now the good part. Each hole that you are up after the match is worth a quarter point, so if you win all 18 holes in a match you get 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 1/2 (18/4) = 7 1/2 points maximum possible. This of course never happens, but how badly you beat an opponent adds to your team's point total and helps you win your division.
That's what determines the final outcome in the overall championship - who gets the most points in that four club final death match.
Here's last year's finals
You'll see that winning three matches at home was accomplished by three of the four teams, but quarter points made the difference in crowning Tavistock 1 the overall winners.
All weeks except championship and challenge week has dinner and drinks for all players hosted by the each club.
Good News/ Bad News
Good news: I made an eagle yesterday on #11 at Lehigh. After a perfectly placed drive I hit an 190 yard (downhill, downwind - before I get a random steroid check) 8-iron to a foot and a half.
Bad news: I missed the 8-iron for Albatross. Hit the lip, didn't go in, but at least it was on the high side ....
... from the left side of the top of the hill, close to the second stake from the left.
I've been very fortunate to have two aces, but I have lusted for an Albatross since I learned about them as an 11-year old. Any more it's a race against time I've got to do it while I can still reach par 5's in two. I think my chances of an aced par 3 are gone already ......
Sorry to complain, I guess I'm actually bragging ..... I don't know which is worse.
Bad news: I missed the 8-iron for Albatross. Hit the lip, didn't go in, but at least it was on the high side ....
... from the left side of the top of the hill, close to the second stake from the left.
I've been very fortunate to have two aces, but I have lusted for an Albatross since I learned about them as an 11-year old. Any more it's a race against time I've got to do it while I can still reach par 5's in two. I think my chances of an aced par 3 are gone already ......
Sorry to complain, I guess I'm actually bragging ..... I don't know which is worse.
Logos
Logos are kind of fun, they are immediately recognizable or completely obscure. I wrote an article about shirts a while back and I was going to update it and show some fabrics, details and the like and have put together a few photos, not all ready for updating the article.
I did however take a few favorite logo photos along the way and here are a few.
And here's the best golf shirt money can buy.
I did however take a few favorite logo photos along the way and here are a few.
And here's the best golf shirt money can buy.
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