GCGC's low profile blindness

[TEPaul]

I hacked it around GCGC today and it really struck me how many of the holes have totally blind fairways from the tees. I don't remember that feature being so prevalent last time I was there and so I asked our good old caddie and he said it was because the fescue was up just enough. From the tee you could see zip of the fairway on #3, 4, 7, 8, 17, and there was some significant areas of other fairways on the tee and other shots you can't see well because of the fescue.

I love that feature about that golf course!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

 One wants to be especially blind when he passes #12.

I remember clearly closing my eyes as hard as I could when I passed it quickly as possible on my way to the next tee. Seeing a hole like will turn a guy like me to stone quickly. In fact, they should call the hole, "Medusa."

It would seem to me that if someone had the power to influence, he would utilize it and urge the membership to rebuild what was once there. Especially when he is clearly in an affordable position to do so. (Hint-Hint)

Long live Garden City Golf Club.

Long live the original #12.

[Mark_F]

Tom Paul,

Why do love that particular feature about GCGC?

I take it from the post that there are several totally blind fairways.  Does this mean that there are some that are only partially so?

And if there are, are they less interesting to play?(than the totally blind)

[Craig Sweet]

TE PAUL...the tall fescue is blocking the view? Damn! Another case of technology slowing down a round of golf! Quick...get rid of your Pro-V1's and buy a push mower!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mark Ferguson,

With fairways up to 60 yards wide, the blindness, which is caused by topography in some cases, fescue in others, adds a neat dimension to the golf course.   A golf course that could be deemed relatively flat.

I like the feature because it adds a degree of uncertainty, despite the wide fairways.

On holes like # 3 and # 7 you can see the flagstick, but not the fairway.  However, if you chase the flagstick on # 7 you'll probably wind up in deep rough.

TEPaul,

When the fescue is up, # 10 fairway isn't visible, yet, you can see all the way across the golf course to the 16th tee.

Tommy Naccarato,

At the moment, # 12 is low on the totem pole, but, not off the radar screen.

One of the biggest impediments to restoring that hole is the failure of the work on the 5th and 14th greens.  They never came in well and there's a fear that the same could happen at # 12.  I've suggested rolling up the green in labeled sod strips, doing the subsoil work and then laying the labeled sod strips back as they were previously aligned.  This has been done before, successfully, at other clubs and there is no reason to think that it can't be done at GCGC.

This summer's heat and humidity set back any restoration work a good year or three.   GCGC has been closed for a few weeks due to the problems with the greens.

I believe that Tom Doak was on the property yesterday and/or the day before.

[TEPaul]

"TEPaul,
When the fescue is up, # 10 fairway isn't visible, yet, you can see all the way across the golf course to the 16th tee."

Pat:

I seriously doubt they grow the fescue on that course any higher than it is now (that would be pretty hard to do without trees coming back in ). You can see a bit of the right side of the fairway on #10 but not the rest.

[TEPaul]

For some reason I always thought the radical mounds on both sides and behind the original #12 green were greenspace. I guess I thought that because the old aerial of the old hole makes it look that way. But there's a on-ground photo of the hole (from 1939 I think) in the diningroom that clearly shows those mounds were not green space. When you see how steep and high they are you can tell that would not be possible to do back then or today. How to mow those mounds to today's green speeds if they were green space used to be a reason I thought the restoration would be hard to do but that's not a factor as they never were green space, apparently. They were mowed in low rough and they must have acted like bolsters. They also appear to be about five feet high, at least (there's a golfer standing on the green in that 1939 photo in the diningroom) and their bases are not very broad. No question at all that that green with those mounds was a very radical feature for any time. I'd love to see them restore it---it would obviously be very controverial again but very notable, and it was a feature from the famous architects---Emmet or Travis---the club seems to admire so much.

[ed_getka]

That is cool that the fescue is grown up to provide some blindness. Adding some uncertainty to the play is a feature I really enjoy seeing on golf courses. I don't remember that being the case much when I was there a few years ago. Although I suppose the grass isn't up year round.

[T_MacWood]

"I suggested rolling up the green in labeled sod strips, doing the subsoil work and then laying the labeled sod strips back as they were previously aligned.  This has been done before, successfully, at other clubs and there is no reason to think that it can't be done at GCGC."

Pat
There is precedent for that GCGC as well. That is what Travis did when he redesigned the greens way back when.

TE
I have not seen the photo from 1939, but I have seen a photo of old 12th green circa 1950 and the mounds were within the putting surface in that photo.