A Hidden Creek Question......

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now to get into what seems like a lot of posts on Hidden Creek, but I do have one small question for the lot of you that have played it this past Monday, or the lot of you who have played it in the past. (This is more or less my first time to even look at the internet in like five days, and I'm not going to waste one more minute until maybe late tonight)

One question......

When playing Hidden Creek what did you shoot (exact score or if you even bothered keeping score) and, how (and I want honesty now) did it reflect on your opinion of the course?

I only want honest answers. If you can't be honest, don't bother even participating in this question. (And yes, I do think some of you would be less then honest in relation to score!   )

[wsmorrison]

Tommy,

Great to see you!  Look forward to a dedicated Philadelphia trip in the not too distant future.  Either that or you will be barred from ever returning to the right coast.  The government issued Marine from Locust Valley, NY will see to that!

I asked Mike Malone what he shot relative to his handicap and how many hazards he got into on those "too wide fairways."  I've yet to hear his response.  Inquiring minds want to know!

For what its worth, I got into plenty of hazards, particularly off the tee and on the par 5s which I thought I'd play very well on (I did in the past).  I was 7 strokes over my handicap.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Tommy,

I did play very well that day, which was a Good Friday in April 2 years ago. I shot 81 (handicap bounces around 9-10) on a cold morning and did not play as well that afternoon during a friends outing over at Sand Barrens. I am playing Hidden Creek over Memorial Day with some friends, so it will be interesting to see the course in prime season.

The lower scores for the average player at courses such as Hidden Creek, National and Friars Head are often due to the fact that very few balls are lost off the tee on those wide fairways and corridors. Stroke and distance are the mental killers for me. Of course I just shot 89 the other day with the same ball at Mountain Lake, which is also wide off the tee for the most part, so it is not just always losing the ball.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Tommy-
Travel safe.

86 with 2 birdies and more doubles - I usually don't keep score, but it somtimes helps to remember holes.
I found a lot of hazzards.

My handicap - ?
I have way more GCA rounds, than rounds near home.  My rounds have been quite spread this year between 75 and XX?!?

[John Kirk]

I shot a 77.  I am a 3 handicap, so net 74.  I didn't think I played very well.  Perhaps I lucked out and hit the ball in the right place.  I am not a terribly accurate driver, but a good iron player.  I did not putt all that well.

I came away thinking the course was quite easy, and deserving of a low slope rating.  However, it seems other mid handicappers struggled.

[TEPaul]

I can honestly say I didn't miss a shot but I cannot honestly tell you what I shot. I can also tell you that Bill Coore's overhand short game is pretty danged good. It also looks like Crenshaw's putting stroke may've rubbed off on him too. For the record, host Pat Mucci shot a 67 at Hidden Creek in one of his first times around that golf course. Another observation of mine would be not to play Kelly Blake Moran for a lot of money with the handicap he used that day. That swing is a giveaway to me.

[John Foley]

I shot a generous 87 thanks to a few birdies. Given my current game I was actually pretty happy. With as poor I was hitting my Driver, it should have been much higher. In some places, the wonderfull width at HC wasn't wide enough.

[mike_malone]

87-13 hdcp.What I shoot never affects my view of the course. Shot great on front at Indian Creek, bad on back----loved the back

   Tommy,

     The next time you must walk the bridge at #14 Rolling Green and we can discuss the movie!

     

[cary lichtenstein]

I shot 79, 41 on the front and 38 on the back.

[Dan Herrmann]

My index is currently 12.1 (probably a 14 or 15 hdcp at HC), and I shot a 90.  I admit that the greens got me.  I was hitting the ball fairly well, but the subtle countours on the greens got the better of me.  If I had been putting well, I'd have been around 82-84.

We were spending more time looking at the architecture, especially around the greens, than worrying about pure scoring, which was great - that's why we were there.

We had a great time.

[Mike_Trenham]

My score was about 84 which is pretty typical for me lately but well above my index of 6.1.  Only one double bogey no birdies.

On Monday I thought my game effected my ability to remember the course better.  Simply I had one of those rounds where all I made was bogey with two putts.  When this happens to me things can begin to blend together for me.  I think the fact that almost all of the holes are seperated especially in the middle of each nine made it difficult to remember each hole.  Also my concentration was more on the construction details then taking each hole in as a whole.  

I have to admit I agreed with Jason Blasberg that it would be nice to be able to see across to some of the other holes while playing.  This however does help create deception as you can easily not know if you are headed east or south.  If an alarm had sounded and I had to get to the clubhouse I would of had to follow the holes back or forward.  Aronimink gives me the same feeling, yet Pine Valley does not but I have played Pine Valley more than these two courses.

[Willie_Dow]

Tommy - as Wayne said, it was great seeing you again.

Shot 48/47 with four 3 putts, one 1 putt.  Garry and I lost one down to Lloyd's almost holeing out his second shot on the last hole.

Because of the back tees on the front, and the regular tees on the back I averaged the Course Rating/Slope for the Member tees plus the Championship tee to come up with a 71.3/129 for posting.

Does the VP for GAP ok my post ?

Willie

[Dan Herrmann]

Willie - when I posted my score at French Creek (a GAP member club), the 'pro preferred' tees were in the computer already for Hidden Creek.

[Jerry Kluger]

Tommy: You guys had the scorecard, what did I shoot?

[Lloyd_Cole]

Tommy, great to see you! I hope you are having fun in L.I.
We were playing a 4 ball, so with some generous gimmes I had 78 - 5 = 73. I especially enjoyed the fact that the ball could often be found in the low foliage under the trees, and I'm biased because I was very lucky with a couple of escapes from said foliage. I cannot be objective about a course when I'm playing a match - I can't even remember all the holes, I'd need to walk the course for that.
As an aside I played my first open singles in Massachusetts at Stockbridge GC and took 89!!! and I thought the course was pretty fabulous.