Plainfield's 11th

[John_Lovito]

Many of you are familiar with the short par 3 11th at Plainfield.  For those who are not, it is a fun litte hole measuring 140 yards with a bowl shaped green and a false front.  Long and left of the green makes double bogey a real possibility.  This winter the hole has been altered and I think it will be even more fun and challenging.

In the past balls that rolled off the false front would nestle in thick rough on a shelf just above one of the deepest bunkers on the course.  A few weeks ago the shelf and rough were removed and now balls that come up short or have too much spin will find there way into the bunker.  Furthermore, with Plainfiled's fast greens it is easy to invision putts above the hole to a front pin position winding up in the bunker.

For those familiar with the hole (or even if your not) what do you think of the change -- more fun or unfair?  I personally thik it is great.  Hit the green with a short iron and you have a good chance for a two.  Miss the green and a big number is a real possibility.

John

[HamiltonBHearst]

I like the idea.  I generally like maitenance practices that allow the ball to roll into hazards.  

However.  Shouldn't this be a decision made with the advisement of Gil Hanse who did a wonderful job on the course?  Was this a green chairman or Gil?  Has Gil left a plan detailing what the maitenance practices should be for the course on a hole by hole basis?

[John_Lovito]

The change is part of Gil's master plan.  It is an original feature of the course that was removed at the urging of the USGA before either the US Amateur or the US Women's Open, I'm not sure which.  Plainfield has been implementing Gil's work over time.  Next year the 2nd hole will be the focus with three fairway bunkers being restored.

[GeoffreyC]

Bravo John-

Plainfield is doing a great job and the course gets better each time I see it.  I'm glad the members seem to appreciate the work that Gil has done and has allowed the whole plan to slowly transform the course.

[TEPaul]

I remember that little 11th hole really well from a Compher Cup maybe 10-12 years ago. Here's why! It's one of the only 2-3 holes I've ever seen in my life when the ball putted from below the pin almost without fail came back at you. It actually didn't seem to happen everytime but it did about 75% of the time for those in my group on the first putt at least. Somehow we all got by it and went on (a match play competition). It was quite a while ago and I vaguely remember the pin was cut around the right front. Does that sound about right for those who know the hole?

[Matt_Ward]

John:

Arguable, the 11th is without question one of the really super short par-3's in all of Jersey IMHO.

You stand on the tee and glance at a target that appears to get smaller with each time you play the hole. As much as people talk about the problems in being short the real issue you MUST avoid at all costs is pulling your approach to the left of the green. John -- you are so correct about what can happen from that spot.

From there you could bring Seve at his alltime best and give him a 80 degree wedge and there would be little hope in securing an up'n down par.

John -- the changes made are more in harmony with the natural terrain and it eliminates the inane stance / rough you had previously. That situation was more of a contrivance by man's hand -- the new situation is reflective of why the bunker is there in the first place.

Hard to imagine two better holes that are not par-4's that are back-to-back in all of Jersey than the 11th and 12th at Plainfield.

[Brad Klein]

The 11th green at Plainfield slopes at 6%. If anyone built that today they'd be sued. The saving grace is that when you putt across the axis of the slope - that is, when you putt left-to-right or right-to-left - the slope is manageable, sort of. The hole drives me nuts, and with a very short-iron   in my hand it still crawls into my head because it's hard not to worry about where you miss it. It's comparable in many respects to the equally maddening short par-3 14th hole at Brookside in Canton, Ohio.

I wonder if this guy Ross knew what he was doing with these two holes?

[ed_getka]

I support the change and remember the hole quite well. It is a short 3 that requires you to be able to control the ball. Hit it long and have to putt down the slope, good luck. Come up short and roll back into the bunker. Given that you have a short iron in hand, it isn't unreasonable to expect you to hit a good golf shot.
  Probably the one problem I could envision is hitting out of the sand and having the ball spin back off the green, depending on how the bunkers are maintained.
   A great course just keeps getting better. Congratulations.

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

John,

I like integrating greens with bunkers, so I like the change.

[T_MacWood]

I like the change as well. Plainfield is an outstanding Ross design...is it superior to Canton Brookside? I wonder.

[TEPaul]

Actually, if you look carefully at that photo above you can see what probably was a typical Ross cut and fill green and green-end. Look well to the left and right of the green and pick up was original grade, look at the size and depth of those bunkers and perhaps a bit in front of them. That area was probably where Ross and his crew got all the fill to bring the greenspace up and out off the top to that perpindicular ridge. Should he have cut a little more fill to level the greenspace a bit more?

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