Jeff,
Funny this thread should appear just now. Having played Friar's Head several times this past season, and the others numerous times over the past 20yrs., I made the argument yesterday with a member of The Bridge and Atlantic GC that Friar's Head easily displaces Atlantic from the Foursome. He easn't far
I'll go one step further and venture/predict, that over the course of the next 5-7 years, FH will replace Maidstone in the top triad. Maidstone is wonderful, charming, beautifully situated, and always fun to play, but it has quite a few relatively weak and undistinguished holes that precede and follow its famous ones. FH may well suffer from the same opinion of others, but IMO there are fewer weak holes and many more interesting ones, along with what is certain to be several famous holes; #5,#7,#10,#14, #15, #17...
Just my Opinion, based on multiple plays.
As for driving distance grouping, only in the midst of a Summer weekend or holiday does the drive from FH to Maidstone exceed 45-50 min. That same time is a bottom line 90mph time to Garden City or Piping Rock (have done that exact drive this past summer....each one of the best days of the summer!) In bad Hamptons traffic FH to SH is at worst 1hr, to AGC 1.2hr, toMaidstone, 1.4 hrs.
Other areas certainly qualify no less than equally. Monterey, Melbourne, Westchester, SF, LA, St. Andrews come to mind.
Redanman,
I agree with your assessment of the terminology however I shutter to think that SH, NGLA, and Maidstone would allow anyone of their embers to have joined Atlantic...might be considered gentic heresy!
Corey,
No way on the 20%....not unless they were angling for a special RE deal and even then, I doubt it!