Baltusrol - Plainfield twinbill

[Craig_Rokke]

On another thread, Larry Largent discussed his future trip to
Phila. to play Merion, which he won at auction. Well, I find myself in a similar situation, in that a buddy and I came out
on top at Villanova's auction for rounds at Phila CC, Baltusrol,
and Plainfield.

At first I was ecstatic, yet I also felt a pit in my stomach.
(Geez, have I got some explaining to do at home!)  
As you can imagine, charity golf rounds don't typically come cheap, but we were also wary of getting shut out. Needless to say, we made quite sure that didn't happen--perhaps a little too well. My alma mater wishes they were so lucky.

Anyway, after reading Ran's write-up about Plainfield, I can't wait to head north on the turnpike next year. It looks like the course makes marvelous use of some excellent topography, and it also sounds like Hanse and Co has restored some of the course's lustre.

For the Jersey guys who are familiar with Baltusrol and Plainfield: How did the PCC restorations turn out? How do you compare these two highly regarded golf courses? Despite some of the high-calibre play Baltusrol has hosted, is it still enjoyable for an average golfer like myself? Are these courses close enough for both rounds in a day? Decent hotels/restaurants if we stay over?

Thanks for the help!

[Patrick_Mucci]

For the Jersey guys who are familiar with Baltusrol and Plainfield: How did the PCC restorations turn out?
Nicely.[/color]

How do you compare these two highly regarded golf courses?

I don't.

They're different.
They sit on different sites and were crafted by different architects.
Both are highly enjoyable and challenging to play.[/color]

Despite some of the high-calibre play Baltusrol has hosted, is it still enjoyable for an average golfer like myself?
Yes, very much so, unless you listen to a cadre of bashers and predispose yourself prior to seeing for yourself.[/color]

Are these courses close enough for both rounds in a day?
YES.[/color]

Decent hotels/restaurants if we stay over?

Plenty[/color]

Thanks for the help!

You'll have fun, that's a nice combo to play.
Canoe Brook, North and South are five minutes from Baltusrol.
If you could spend two days I'd suggest trying to get in 36 at Canoe Brook one day.

Let us know what you think after you've played them.[/color]

[Wayne Freeman]

Craig-  congrats.  You're going to have one of the best times of your life.  All 3 courses are terrific.  Plainfield is very tough, but great to play.  I was there last year the day after the sectional PGA tournament and I think only 1 guy broke par in 3 days.  Baltusrol gets beaten up here at times, but I found it a true joy-  take in all the history and ambiance there-  you will not be disappointed.  I was there the day after the 100th U.S. Amateur and talk about difficulty!  Loved it.  Philly CC is vastly underrated IMO.  I thought it was fantastic and worthy of hosting major tournaments which it of course has done.  Think about buying Jim Finegan's books about golf in the British Isles in the pro shop there.  He will inscribe them all personally for you.  

[AndrewB]

Are these courses close enough for both rounds in a day?

Are you not going to get to play the Upper at Baltusrol too?  If that's possible, I highly recommend playing both courses there and playing Plainfield on a separate day.  The Upper has a lot of character to it, more so than the Lower I would say ...

I haven't played Plainfield so I can't offer any comments on it.  But, from what I've heard, you're in for a treat.

I agree with Patrick_Mucci that if you can spend some more time in the area to play Canoe Brook you'll enjoy that as well.

[Joel_Stewart]

Plainfield is very tough, but great to play.    

I'll second that, Plainfield is frigin hard so bring your A game.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

For the Jersey guys who are familiar with Baltusrol and Plainfield: How did the PCC restorations turn out?
Nicely.[/color]

How do you compare these two highly regarded golf courses?

I don't.

They're different.
They sit on different sites and were crafted by different architects.
Both are highly enjoyable and challenging to play.[/color]

...

You'll have fun, that's a nice combo to play.
Canoe Brook, North and South are five minutes from Baltusrol.
If you could spend two days I'd suggest trying to get in 36 at Canoe Brook one day.

Let us know what you think after you've played them.
[/color]

Pat-

  You've played Baltusrol and Canoe Brook more times than I have; however, do you think Craig would be better served, in that he might be able to see a greater diversity of architecture, what we in NJ have to offer, and if access is not an issue, if he passed on Canoe Brook and instead stayed north on 577 and played Essex County-East?  It only adds about 15-20 minutes to the drive (although, you've been in NJ longer than I have   )

My feeling is, he would have the opportunity to see a very, very good Ross, a very, very good Tillinghast/Jones, and a very, very good Tillinghast/Raynor/Banks.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Yes, those two can be played in the same day.  Just don't leave your bag on the caddie rack when you leave to go to the next course....

[Jerry Kluger]

I'm surprised that Somerset Hills isn't being brought into the discussion.  A really fun day of golf would be Plainfield and Somerset Hills - they are two wonderful courses that quite simply are fun to play and would be fun to play over and over again.  Baltusrol Lower has a tremendous history and is well known as a championship venue, but the Upper to me is much more fun.  If you want to see good quality contemporary golf in that general vicinity then I would suggest Trump National.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doug,

If he had a week to spend he could see a great number of good courses with variety, but, I thought he was looking for clubs located close to Baltusrol and Plainfield.

Jerry Kluger,

Somerset Hills is nice but not 5 minutes away like Canoe Brook

[Matt_Ward]

Craig:

Congrats on your success.

Ditto the comments made by Bill V / re: Plainfield and Baltusrol Upper. The Lower gets the hype and publicity but the character found on the Upper is much more dynamic and diverse than its big brother layout.

The final hole at Plainfield is a so-so closer and originally it was meant to be the 16th hole.

Frankly, I can't believe the club leadership went bonkers over the fact that Digest dropped the course 50 spots. It was a massive over-reaction by the club because if anything it was Digest that blew it in terms of the significant restorationwork carried forward by Gil Hanse / George Bahto.

Not only did the club lose perspective but it played a good part in causing their superb superintendent to leave for Liberty National.

If you are looking for another course option that lies between Baltusrol and Plainfield I would add Echo Lake in Westfield. A fine Ross layout that has hosted the USGA Boys' and Girls' National Championship. Bruce Carson does an outstanding job in terms of the turf and the land / holes are often underrated by many here in the Garden State.

IMHO, Plainfield is one of the 50 best courses in the USA you can play and flies way below the radar once you go beyond 75-100 miles from the club. Enjoy your time there.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Doug,

If he had a week to spend he could see a great number of good courses with variety, but, I thought he was looking for clubs located close to Baltusrol and Plainfield.

Pat-

  I know, which is why I recommended ECCC.  It is an easy drive from Baltusrol, don't you agree?   It also has the added benefit of the third (different) architect (Raynor/Banks) and provides a third different type of course to play, that being one featuring "template" holes and a great work by George and Gil.  Just my thoughts, though.  

[Mike_Cirba]

Craig,

You'll likely end up really respecting Baltusrol Lower and really loving Plainfield.  As Bill V and others mentioned, the Upper course at Baltusrol has a bit more character and interest, but the Lower is a bullet-proof test of golf with more than a little intrigue along the way.

Plainfield is simply one of The Donald's very best courses, and the par fives are truly magnificent.

[Wayne Freeman]

Craig-  I'm with Mike here-   you just can't pass up Lower Baltusrol is you can only play 18 there -- it's just got too much history and too many majors -  how could you tell anyone that you were there once and didn't play the championship course!  

[Craig_Rokke]

Guys-

Thanks for your insight. Hopefully we'll be able to extend our
Baltusrol stay to include a 2nd 18. It will be my first real exposure to a top-shelf Tillinghast, so I'm happy about that

Plainfield sounds like a special place, though. That's the one I'm most eager to see. Even a little subtlety like the 9th green, and its relationship to the clubhouse, will be of interest.
For the comments concerning Plainfield's difficulty--can anyone comment more specifically?

I've noticed the relative lack of consensus for the order of most New Jersey top course lists...at least after #1. For many, it must come down to style preferences. Definitely looking forward to seeing two of the best.

[DTaylor18]

Craig, i think you hit the nail on the head with your comment on style preferences.  There are a lot of great courses in NJ and there is a wide variety in style.  Thus, one's list would show their personal preferences.  Foe me, Plainfield is tough to beat because it is challenging but not unfair, has many interesting holes, and some great greens. Most importantly, every time i have played with my friend there, I have had a blast.  It is one of my favorite places to play.

In temrs of difficulty, it is nothing like Baltusrol Lower.  You can play pretty well there and wonder why your svore isn't lower.  It has some of the toughest par 5's I've ever played on a Ross course and the greens are challenging. You'll geta great taste on the first hole, wow what a green.  There are still some changes being made to the course that iwll improve it even more, especially on #18.  You will definitely enjoy it!