Yesterday I had the pleasure of playing (well 13 holes before t-storms) the CC of Waterbury. While I've put up some threads before on it, actually playing it and seeing some of this history (they have a 100 year book) in writing helped. The course is about to hold the Connecticut Open next week and curiously is going through an irrigation system change. It was burnt out (I liked that!) but there was a fair amount of green desiccation given the problems with the Northeast weather. A few fairways were mottled as well. I could care less about this as the greens rolled nicely but the arts and croissant country club set may have their issues. It doesn't matter as next year the course will be back in prime shape and GREEN I'm sure.. It is a very cunning par 69 like Wanamoissett at just shy of 6400 yards. Course plays longer just like Pasatiempo given the routing along the property.
From the air (I saw an aerial in the grill room), the property is quite tight, yet Ross made terrific use of it and you never feel cramped although the course is bounded by some busy roads (you are sheltered by them). There are some terrific elevation changes as this is a rock strewn rolling hills and Ross builds the drama by having you at the top of the property on the 9th hole (the only par 5) and then back again by the clubhouse. The course was blasted out of granite and there are chocolate drops that I assumed were buried rock on a few holes. In the last few years 900 trees were felled (according to the maintenance crew guy I rode with who drove me in from the storms) and every bunker has been rebuilt and a few added (Ross had very few bunkers on his plan). I believe Brian Silva is the consulting archie. One interesting thing about Waterbury is there was an original 18 hole course there before Ross came in May 1927-- he was actively on site coming once a month the history book says. His task was to build 11-12 new holes and integrate some of the former holes in the new design. The original 18 was composed of nine holes built in 1908 and another nine in 1920. The ubiquitous fire that seems to afflict all old clubs claimed the clubhouse and they lost all details about those old holes. No one knows who designed them, they believe members actually laid them out. CC of Waterbury wanted to make sure the club would be taken seriously and that is why they hired DR. They are proud of the fact he made so many on site visits as the reckon in 1926 he had 3,000 people working for him on various projects. As per the holes (I think Tom MacWood wanted to know who did what)--
Holes 1-3 are all Ross
Hole #4 part Ross- he wanted it to bend more to the right but land could not be purchased
Holes 5-7 are pre Ross--He just amended some of the bunkers and greens. The 6th is a delicious uphill par 4 that reminded me of the 4th at Plainfield. It has what appears to be Church Pew like bunkers on the left from the tee. It feels drivable at 307 yards and I played with a pro who is playing in the Conn. Open and he came up just short. The green is very cool and I'm not sure it is Ross, his notes say the present green (the old one) was to be used--it is shaped like a lays potato chip and has a cool hump on the right side that can fling balls to the back of the green if you use it. Michael Fay put this hole in his Ross book and it might not be Ross at all! Regardless, it is a wonderful hole.
The 7th looks like the 14th at Shinnecock in its layout but it actually twists left to right to a corkscrew fairway which narrows to 8 yards. A very difficult driving hole to get in the right position. One has a hanging left to right lie then to a green which is open in front but someone plateaued. This was one of my favorite holes on the course. Curiously hitting driver here is the wrong play as you need to play for position with the softest of fades.
8th is Ross- A neat short par 3 style hole where long is the only safe play.
9th- Short par 5 (the only one) with a massive downhill tee shot. The hole is only 484 yards long but the green is protected left by a stream and pond. It is a wonderful half par hole and the tee shot is a joy to watch fall out of the sky. The hole is mainly Ross
10th- Back up the hill you just played down. Ross wanted it to dogleg a bit more to the right but the property didn't suit. 250 yards out is a large protuberance or chocolate drop that is massive. The right play is to lay-up in front of it--your second shot is severely uphill to a skyline green..
11th- Mainly Ross- A very sharp dogleg right that plays downhill and is short and seductive enough to make you think it is drivable.
12-13- Existing holes
14-18 Ross.. The 15th thru 18th play back and forth. The only evidence that the routing is a bit tighter than one thinks.. I only got to tour these holes given the coming rain but they all looked solid and fun.
Overall, if you are in Connecticut and can't play Yale, Fishers Island, this is a most worthy place to play. A very enjoyable round and similar in ethos and spirit to Wanamoissett.
Very cool pix and Donald Ross notes at:
www.ccwaterbury.com