Since I started off the previous thread (which certainly veered off different directions) re: Wannamoisett, I thought I would follow up with these impressions from last Thursday...
First of all, it rained very hard for the final 13 or so holes of the round. I have no idea of how the course therefore played relative to its usual presentation, other than to say that was only a very slight slowing in the downhill putts at the end of the round compared to the beginning, certainly not enough to make a significant difference in whatever the Stimp reading may have been. Standing water was not an issue. I suspect the rough may be somewhat lower than usual, only in that I was able to get mid-irons on a few shots, and pitching out sideways was not mandatory because of the rough--only when I nailed it into the trees!
Everything you folks pointed out about the routing is absolutely true--I loved the way that the single dominant hill was used to such effect; 5 different greens and 5 different tees, by my count. As a mid-handicapper who is admittedly struggling off the tees right now, I felt the need to use driver off every tee except #7 to get sufficient distance on these numerous 390yd+ par 4's, and, after the heads up from the professional staff and the folks on GCA, I made a concerted effort to stay below the hole (not always successfully, as you'll see), which is key at Wannamoisett.
There is really little way to express how much "pull" there is in these greens. Personally (and I stress this is my opinion) I would call the greens sloped or "canted", more so than contoured, as I thought the greens did not have the wild heaving "contours" of a Prairie Dunes, e.g., probably because they are smaller. Given the compactness of the routing, this seems just right to me...
A few pix:
#2 green from the shelf in the fairway
I was 25 ft. above (to the left from this angle) the hole, and the slope is straight down to the hole. The first putt nearly stopped on the left edge of the hole, before trundling down 14 ft past...
#3 green
This 40 ft putt from above the hole broke about 6 ft right to left and downhill
#5 fairway, from way over to the right
The bunker with the biggest influence is probably the centerline bunker just above right-center in this picture. Big hitters must make sure not to go in this one off the tee (311 yds, I think), and shorter hitters absolutely must clear this one with any approach, a problem when coming out of the rough
If clearing the center line bunker, this is the view of the false front #5 green. Note the back hole location as the visual is that of no green at all to hit to...
I loved the hidden "pot" bunker on the backside of the more obvious lefthand bunker on #5
#7 hogback fairway
Tripp Davis mentioned that dealing with this slope was key in handling the approach to...
...which feature the tricky false front, and onee of the most contoured greens on the course...
Peter