Unusual Par 3 - Ross Gem

[dfrey]

I had the opportunity to play Bald Peak Colony Club a few weeks ago.  Everytime I play the 12th hole, I am intrigued.  It is a simple 120 yd pitch shot down hill (usually with a left to right cross wind).   It never seems to play easy though.........if you get above hole, it can be a ridiculous 2 putt.........I actually saw my partner get up and down after hitting the back bank over the green (it flew about 35 yds farther.........he was lucky it was a front pin).  For everyone's perusal:

[Mike_Sweeney]

Dale,

It got a little lost due to Michael Moore's hole in one on the 5th hole Punchbowl at Bald Peak, but there was some talk about #12 too.

http://tinyurl.com/5z6fc

[dfrey]

Mike,

I love the 12th........but absolutely hate the 17th...........I feel that hole is unfair.  The 2 days I was there the pin was back right and front right........no way to run it up and about 10 feet or less to land a 180+ yard shot.........I guess it was meant to be two putted at best everytime out from the middle of the swale in the middle of the game.

[ian]

Dale,

Thanks for posting that great little hole. I will add the "downhill volcano" to my list of unusual and facinating holes to find a place for.

Is the green a severely pitched towards the front as it seems in the photos?

I couldn't understand you criticism of the 17th, there are many holes in golf where a member only sees a birdie a few times a year due to the severity. Usually it is an important part of an overall balance of tough and easy holes, which offers the changes of pace in a round.

[dfrey]

Ian,

Yes, the 12th is pitched severely to the front........as far as #17, I think I've birdied it once in my life as a member (it was a pitch-in as I recall).  My goal is to aim it at the bunker with a cut.......for the scratch player, I guess he/she would try to fade a ball to the right side.....the margin for error is really small though.  Right of the green and long is dead.........I wish I had a close up of the green complex to show the difficulty.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Dale,

I believe that both Mr Moore and I loved that 17 green, which sort of confirms Tom Paul's opinion of diversity of opinions on the other thread. Here is a picture of 9 that does not do justice to the steepness of that hill.

[Donnie Beck]

That is very similar to the 5th hole at Shennocossett

[Mike Hendren]

And the 5th(?) at Memphis CC.

Mike

[T_MacWood]

Is it certain Ross designed Bald Peak Colony?

[Michael Moore]

Yes.

The course publishes a real nice history booklet with some excellent old pictures. Sweeney has one.

[John_Cullum]

And the 120 yard 5th at Savannah Golf Club as well. The green construction is almost identical with the severe tilt and death if long. Savannah's 5th has a little more bunkering and it is not downhill.

[T_MacWood]

Michael
I'd be curious what the booklet says about Ross's work there. The course got a fair amount of publicity in the 20's, but Ross's name never comes up.

[michael j fay]

The hole is known as "Battleship".

We have very strong evidence that Ross built the course but no evidence that he was on site. There are a number of possibilities as to who built it for Ross.

[Michael Moore]

Mr. MacWood -

This afternoon Mr. Sweeney is conducting further research on water parks in the metro New York area for his forthcoming tome The Confidential Guide to Water Parks, which will of course introduce the Sweeney Scale.

Upon his return he will post the facts from that excellent club history.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Mr. MacWood -

This afternoon Mr. Sweeney is conducting further research on water parks in the metro New York area for his forthcoming tome The Confidential Guide to Water Parks, which will of course introduce the Sweeney Scale.

Upon his return he will post the facts from that excellent club history.

I will try and post some info from the BPCC anniversary book when I get back to NYC, but it seems logical that BPCC is a Ross course that he may not have seen much of.

[les_claytor]

Very similar green to #4 (blue)@ Highland Park Muni in Cleveland, OH built by a Ross protege Sandy Alves.  Same yardage about 30 ft. downhill to a L-R angled elevated green about 3000 sq. ft. in size.  Similar bunkering front right and a boomerang bunker from left front size around the back of the green.

Highland Park, my home muni, is an improving track now back in good graces with the golfing public, but a step below Sleepy Hollow and Manakiki. Red 18 is hilly and sporting, blue 18 is more straight forward but longer.  Good candidate for renovations.

[T_MacWood]

Michael M and Mike S
Thank you, I look forward to what ever you post.

Michael J.
What strong evidence do you have?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Mr. Frey,

Here are two other Ross volcano holes (both in NC), the
downhill par 3 6th at Roaring Gap:



and the par 3 4th at Wilmington Municipal:

[Mike_Sweeney]

Tom,

There is little mention of DR in the 75th Anniversary book from 1996. It says,  "the first golf tournament, a exhibition match, was held on August 5, 1922 on a course designed by Donald Ross." That appears to be it. The Club property was originally 5300 acres with 1400 along Lake Winnepaseukee. Some of that has been sold off, and some has been preserved, and the club's property today appears to be the area on the lake. It also mentions that more history can be found in "The Castle and The Club" by Betty Wilkin, wife of early member Colonel Wilkin.

I don't have time to scan pictures  today, and am headed on the family vacation in a day or so, but if you want to see the book, just send me an IM and I can mail it out to you.

[T_MacWood]

Mike
Thanks for the info.

I suspect Michael J Fay will be able to fill in the details.

[JNagle]

Bald Peak Colony Club is in the process of determining how much and over how long they will implement a Master Plan developed a couple of years ago.  To date Todd Polini, Superintendent, has concentrated on tree removal and turf health.  The master plan developed by Forse Design, will eliminate a number of bunkers (very few existed in the first place) rebuild the 5th and 6th greensites, re-grade the 6th and 7th fairways and restore a number of mounds.   Bald Peak may be one of the finest examples of a course with few bunkers but numerous mounds.  A number of holes originally had 3-4' high mounds cutting across the fairways only leaving a small walk through area.

The "Battleship" hole you all speak affectionately of will have the two front bunkers removed leaving a beautifully plateaued greensite.  When discussing Ross holes of this nature, I immediatley think of the 8th hole at The Misquamicut Club.  Wish we could post a photo, it is incredible.

[SPDB]

JNagle - I think you are spot on with the comparison to Misquamicut #8. #7, #8, and the mostly blind #s 12 and 18 are all spectacular. Thank god for Ross' par 69s, you get more of his splendid par 3s.

[JNC Lyon]

What Happened to the pictures of #12?

They were there this morning, but they no longer appear to be on the page. Is this just my computer, or were they removed?