recommended: Kinloch

[PThomas]

got to play this beauty while on the family vacation last week in VI

first the non-course stuff:  a great staff and beautiful locker room...and a great practice area including a wonderful area to work on the short game

the course: first of all , it's VERY well conditioned

the first word that comes to my mind when I think of Kinloch is options....dual fairways and a creek that runs diagonally play key roles on many of the holes

old style too in that you can roll the ball on

my favorite holes:  7, a long par 3 down a hill

9, a wild dogleg right leg par 5 to the right with that creek slicing down the hole

15 - a great short par 4 that I would need to play several times to figure out, and that can be played several ways as well

16 -- the difficult long dogleg left par 4, water all down the left

also of note:  a stretch of par starting at 9 as follows:  5,4,5,4, 5

if you are out that way and have the opportunity to do so, you should!

[Lester George]

Paul,

Thank you for the kind words.  Come and play again soon, recommend fall for the colors and astonishing turf conditions.  The staff there IS second to none.  

Lester George

[PThomas]

your welcome Lester

I can only imagine how beautiful Kinloch is in the fall...which happens to be my wife's favorite time of the year.....mmmmm........

[Anthony_Nysse]

I played Kinloch about 2 weeks and was blown away-I put it in my top with Shinnecock, Bethpage, Maidstone, Friars Head and ahead of The Honors Course-Best Turf conditions I've ever played on-flawless

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Don Herdrich]

i agree with the statements on Kinloch's conditioning.

with regards to Honors Course, I have not seen such poor conditioning in years or ever.........I was up there a month ago and found it very sad......I hope they have it up to par come Mid Am time........

[Anthony_Nysse]

It's been a tough spring/early summer for all having to grown warm season turf-zoysia/bermuda...just look at Pinehurst

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Mike Hendren]

with regards to Honors Course, I have not seen such poor conditioning in years or ever.........I was up there a month ago and found it very sad......I hope they have it up to par come Mid Am time........

This warrants elaboration, please.

[Don Herdrich]

I have played Honors more than 3 dozen times since its inception.  Every single time the course was in elaborate condition.  My latest trip about a month ago, I was appalled at the conditioning.  It may be due to a tough early spring, but there were several areas of burn out.  The rough was patchy in parts.  The greens were far less firm and fast as I remember.  Talking with some members, there is a cause for concern also.  With such a high profile event coming in the US Mid Am, they want the course in tip top shape.  I hope they get back to where I remember it.

[Adam_Messix]

Don--

I was at the Honors a week ago and the conditions were excellent.  In talking with David Stone, the cold spring had an impact on the growth of the fairways.  They are fine now, just a little bit of winter kill around the greens that is in the process of being fixed.

Interestingly enough, the greens were quite a bit slower than what I usually see them, but MUCH firmer.  Most of the thatch is out of those greens and they are going to be VERY hard for the US Mid Am in September.  They're also getting the rough prepared now, it's dense and pretty deep.

As far as Kinloch goes, it's great.  Charlie Staples and Vinny Giles and Lester George deserve a lot of credit for putting together a great place.  I look forward to getting back there this fall to see Kinloch and what Lester is doing at the Kinnaw Club (sp?).  

[Jimmy Muratt]

The great thing about Kinloch is that it is progressively more enjoyable with repeated playing.  There are a lot of subtle features around the greensites that you do not notice the first time around.  Three of my favorite holes now that are a little more subtle are #5, #10, and #12.

#12 is a very difficult long par 4 with a terrific bunkerless greensite placed naturally on top of a small hill.  

It's the whole package at Kinloch that makes the place so great.

[PThomas]

Jim -- I probably didn't mention 12 cause I made double there

[Anthony_Nysse]

Sometimes golfers have to understand that superintendents don't have control over everything. We can fertilizer, water, mow and spray, but if the weather doesn't help, then it's really hard to grow warm season grass. The soil temps need to be at 70 or high to activly grow warm season grass. Up until about 3 weeks ago, we were really struggling to get our bermuda to fill in-Thank God we didn't overseed our fairways cause the courses that did are really hurting!! Mother Nature dictates our jobs, sometimes golfers forget that.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Mark_Rowlinson]

My son was lucky enough to play there on his recent American trip.  He adored it, but his number one for the whole trip turned out to be Pacific Dunes.

[Jimmy Muratt]

Paul,

Doubles tend to happen very quickly on #12!!  Even with a good tee shot, the approach is very demanding, especially when the pin is all the way back on the depp green.  If you're going to miss, the best place to leave your approach is short of the green.  Up & downs from there are much easier than if you're long or crooked.

#5 is a really fun par 3 that definitely demands your attention.  The wind nearly always blows from left to right off the water on that hole and the green is well defended.  Putts from above the hole are lightning fast, it's very easy to three putt.

[ed_getka]

Mark,
   The most mind-boggling thing about Giles' round at PD was that he went out at 6pm on a glorious day and was the only one on the course.

[johnk]

Excuse the dumb question, but where is Kinloch?  Of course, I thought it was in Scotland, but after reading the thread, I'm left wondering exactly what people are talking about...

[DTaylor18]

It's in Richmond Virginia and is a wonderful place.  I love everyhting about it form the course, to the staff, to the mens' grill.  It's a lot of fun to play and i enjoy every visit there.  The conditioning is always immaculate and there are some fun holes.  i think it has two of the most fun short holes i've played, yet balances out some long tough holes too.

[Jonathan Cummings]

I could make a strong argument that besides a fine golf course, Kinloch has the best pro/DOG in the form of Phil Owenby in the nation.  Phil's level of effort and devotion to the course, members, guests, vision is second to none.  I also have been lucky enough to play Kinloch a number of times and have written an article/review about Kinloch for WGM/GS.  I've spent time talking to Phil and he's pure quality.

I imagine we could start the world's longest thread on the "best pro in America", but it would be hard to convince me otherwise that Kinloch's Owenby would be beaten out.

JC

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Here is the interesting 11th hole with alternate fairway options.

.

Here is a pic of the 12th that was mentioned above.

[Sam Sikes]

Jonathan,

i couldn't agree more about Phil Owenby, and staff.  It is without a doubt the most well run enterprise that I have ever been associated with.  We are so lucky to have a guy like Phil at the helm of an up and coming golfing marvel.

[Tim Taylor]

Charlie Staples also owns the club to which I belong (Hidden Creek in Reston, VA). There is an aerial photo of Kinloch in our locker room, just inside the door. I have been known to stare at that photo for long periods of time trying to figure out how I would play some of those holes. Their website also has some beautiful pictures for those that are interested - www.kinlochclub.com

I hope I'm lucky enough to play there someday.

TimT

[James Edwards]

How feasible is it to hit to the right fairway on 11?

[DTaylor18]

That's a greeat question.  Every time I have played it, it seems like it is not in play at all.  It cuts about 30 yards off of the hole, but it's a relatively short par 5 anyway.  I have never seen anyone intentionally go right on #11 and i doubt many do.

[James Edwards]

Dan,

Yes, and even in a picture, that comes across loud and clear...  The right bunkers look so far out of play and their sheer size and scale dwarf the fairway -  

It wiould have been interesting to see the fairway go out as far as the bunkers and just reverse the structures - bunker to where the fairway is now and fairway to where the bunker is currently to create a huge decision of left? or right?

[DTaylor18]

Yes, good point, i agree.  That's why i prefer #9, which is also a split fairway par 5, but on that hole the right side is definitely in play.  I don't think the risk-reward is there on #11, but on #9 it definitely makes you think.  #9 has more options than most holes you can paly anywhere.  Your tee ball completely dictates how you play the hole.