Changes To Kingsley Club

[Andy Troeger]

Ed,
The second time around I thought I stuffed my short-iron, my ball landed probably 5-10 feet from the pin (front center), however it had a fair amount of cut spin on it and the wind pushing it further that way...hence it was not anywhere near the green by the time it finished.

Granted, playing with Dan and Mike, I could have listened to them and played to the back of the green, but I'm too stubborn to listen to good advice

[Gordon Oneil]

Jim
I do have a new buddy in mind.  We've known each other for about a year and a half and met as he was examining my wife while her feet were in the stirrups.  I think my wife got a bit impatient as we talked golf for a while after discovering our mutual passion (or former passion for me).
Subsequently, we became buddies and over the course of a couple of months last year he delivered my third child (first daughter).  To thank him, I took him to play golf.  To thank me, he took me to the Tuesday practice round at last year's Masters.
So I guess he gets first shot at the Peninsula Cup...
Besides, although it doesn't seem to be a prerequisite to play Kingsley, he hits it a million, billion, trillion miles.  And pretty straight too.  Too bad this scratch amateur invitational isn't a scramble.
Andy
I didn't mean to re-open old, painful wounds by bumping this thread.  I was just trying to get some feedback on the golf course etc.
Besides, I don't know you well enough to mention what an absolute mess you make of the second hole each and every time you step on the tee....

[Andy Troeger]

Gordon,
No worries, I'm more just making fun of myself for no good reason than anything.

And heck, I eagled #1 and birdied #3 that round too  

[Gordon Oneil]

Birdies, eagles and a sense of humor as well...
I hope that I haven't put a hex on myself that will come back to haunt me every time I play the second in the tournament in August.
Or at least that it doesn't affect my parter...
Looking forward to playing this golf course that looks and sounds like an immediate gem.

[Andy Troeger]

One of the highlights of the day certainly had to be the first six holes of the second round, where I made an eagle  , birdie  , par  , bogey  , double  , and an X   (not in that order!)

Gordon,
From my post earlier on the thread--reply #23. When you play golf like that (and while I don't make that many eagles, all the others are fair game on a regular basis), you have to have a sense of humor or you'd go nuts. I can hit darn near any shot from anywhere anytime (unfortunately there seems to be a wider array of bad shots in the arsenal than good ones).

[Gordon Oneil]

Sounds like we learned the game from the same teaching pro.
Can't play this game, well or not, seriously or not, without a sizeable sense of humor.
Any other pearls of wisdom, experiences, opinions, thoughts or stories you are willing to share (or that you have already here and can direct me to) about this place that no one seems to be able to find anything negative to say about?
BTW, my favorite wild start to a round story is the way my Pop played the first two holes at Lahinch our first time over there.  On one, into a "fresh" wind they called it, near tropical storm we call it down here in South Florida, he played like a plumber, driver, three wood, mid iron, a couple of wedges and putts each for a triple bogey seven.  Number two plays back in the opposite direction, straight downwind and downhill if I remember.  Driver, seven iron to five feet for eagle.
I do recollect bringing my partner (dad) back down to earth by reminding him it "still was just one over par after two" to me...
He still tells people I'm a pretty damn good son, don't ask me why.

[Andy Troeger]

Out of a little over 200 courses played I consider Kingsley to be in my top five, so I can't find anything negative to say about it.

There have been a fair amount of other threads mentioning Kingsley in the archives that you might be able to do a search to find (maybe on google using the specific domain golfclubatlas.com, I've never tried that but I've heard it works!) I wouldn't be surprised if there are pictures, but if not www.kingsleyclub.com I think has some good ones.

[ed_getka]

Gordon,
   Kingsley is not perfect, but there are only a few modern courses I would put ahead of it. #9 is a controversial par 3 that some like and some hate. I like it.
   The start of the two nines used to be an abrupt contrast, but with the trees taken out and some bunkering added here and there, and #17 being widened in the tee shot landing area, I think it is even better than before. #11 seems like a bit of breather par 3, but it simply has trouble keeping up with the other 4 brilliant par 3's. #13 is a short par 4 that some don't care for the green. I could spend a whole day out there with a shag bag hitting approaches to different pins. #14 par 5, I don't find there is much to be concerned with on the second shot (I seem to be in the minority on that one). #18 fairway tilts pretty hard down to the left so lots of tee shots end up down on that side (still a great finisher though).
Mike and everyone at Kingsley knows how much I love this course, so most of what I am pointing out is devils advocate kind of stuff.
    When you finally get up there you will have to let us know what you think.

[Gordon Oneil]

Andy & Ed
Thanks for the insight.  Although I should be able to squeeze in two practice rounds serving the dual purposes of tournament preparation and golf course enjoyment, part of me wishes that my first trip to Kingsley was strictly enjoying the golf course while whacking it around.  
Rather than adding them all up, while adhering to the rules of golf.
Still, I do think I might be able to find a way to have some fun, somehow.
All bs aside, anyone have any thoughts/insight on how Kingsley might be set up and how it might play differently under "tournament conditions?"  From what I have read here, Kingsley's set of greens is a strength of the design (a design that doesn't seem to have many weaknesses at all).  To those who have played the golf course, how might the course be set up with regards to conditions, pin positions (oh yeah, hole locations; the Masters is only weeks away), greens speed, firmness of fairways/turf, etc?
Once again, thanks for not only putting up with but actually answering my questions.

[Brian_Sleeman]

There are so many great pins there, but one that I haven't yet encountered that you're sure to see is the back left on #13.  Make sure you pitch a few balls back there during your practice rounds as it's a shot that you will not want to be attempting for your first time in a tournament.

[Jim Franklin]

Thanks Gordon for the update. I hope to see you out there and play a practice round. My wife's OB is not that good of a golfer, but we have three too. Now I need to find a partner . Maybe my man Shivas is available .

[ed_getka]

Gordon,
    Dan Lucas is the man to talk to about set-up. I cannot imagine them doing anything differently. Dan ALWAYS has Kingsley in the Ideal Maintenance Meld (IMM) copyright Tom Paul.
   Regarding #13. Practicing pitches into a bathtub from 50-100 yards would accomplish the same thing. The tub needs to be oriented so it is skinny from your approach.
   Also, you can count on having fun there, some people think the course is hard, but until a couple of people told me that it never occurred to me. I LOVE that place.

[Dan_Lucas]

Other than setting the pins a little tougher because it is a 2-man best ball event (and only one score counts) the course will play pretty much the same as always. You will see the back left pin on 13 and a few others where a par is a relief, but we try to balance things out to keep it fun for the players not a 5 hr. grind.

We try to double cut greens to perfect ball roll so they might be half a foot faster than normal. But other than that it's business as usual.

[TEPaul]

Joe Hancock, Mike DeVries, Jeff Mingay and Dan Lucas:

I just saw this thread.

You guys have been doing WHAT at Kingsley Club?

This golf course is how old---just a couple of years and you guys are already in there REDESIGNING the place???

Have you guys learned nothing from history???

Have you NO RESPECT for the original architect and his work?

Mike DeVries, you of all people should be ashamed of yourself!!

Did you even have the decency to speak with the original architect about this before you went in there and started changing his original work???

MY GOD, I'm SHOCKED! This could set architectural preservation back over thirteen months!!

[Jason Blasberg]

Tom Paul, isn't it just appauling?  

All this redesign is no good for my blood pressure.

[ed_getka]

Tom Paul,
    Think Pinehurst #2 and Donald Ross.

[Mike_DeVries]

Jim
I do have a new buddy in mind.  We've known each other for about a year and a half and met as he was examining my wife while her feet were in the stirrups.  I think my wife got a bit impatient as we talked golf for a while after discovering our mutual passion (or former passion for me).
Subsequently, we became buddies and over the course of a couple of months last year he delivered my third child (first daughter).  To thank him, I took him to play golf.  To thank me, he took me to the Tuesday practice round at last year's Masters.
So I guess he gets first shot at the Peninsula Cup...
Besides, although it doesn't seem to be a prerequisite to play Kingsley, he hits it a million, billion, trillion miles.  And pretty straight too.  Too bad this scratch amateur invitational isn't a scramble.

Gordon,
Sounds like you have a good friend (and player) in your potential partner -- I emphasize the friend before the player because it is a competitive event but most everyone who plays in it is a golfer who enjoys the game first and foremost, along with the camaderie of the others.  It sounds like you would enjoy the event and contribute to that aspect of it.

Please do sign up!
Mike

[Mike_DeVries]

Other than setting the pins a little tougher because it is a 2-man best ball event (and only one score counts) the course will play pretty much the same as always. You will see the back left pin on 13 and a few others where a par is a relief, but we try to balance things out to keep it fun for the players not a 5 hr. grind.

We try to double cut greens to perfect ball roll so they might be half a foot faster than normal. But other than that it's business as usual.

Gordon and others,

Dan is spot on with the assessment of the course set-up.  Regarding the back left pin on #13, didn't someone jar it for an eagle in the Cup last year, Dan?!?  

Spending time in the practice rounds at the greens, getting to know where to be or not be, will be very helpful to any player, because local knowledge can be very helpful in preserving, saving, or making a score.  Partners that understand each other and communicate well on intentions can do really well.  I think the course is very "scoreable" -- maybe that has to do with my own knowledge but I find it considerably easier to score well at Kingsley than Crystal Downs, which I know as well as Kingsley.

Mike

[Mike_DeVries]

Joe Hancock, Mike DeVries, Jeff Mingay and Dan Lucas:

I just saw this thread.

You guys have been doing WHAT at Kingsley Club?

This golf course is how old---just a couple of years and you guys are already in there REDESIGNING the place???

Have you guys learned nothing from history???

Have you NO RESPECT for the original architect and his work?

Mike DeVries, you of all people should be ashamed of yourself!!

Did you even have the decency to speak with the original architect about this before you went in there and started changing his original work???

MY GOD, I'm SHOCKED! This could set architectural preservation back over thirteen months!!

Tom,

We are all irreverent jerks and couldn't care less about the original intentions of the designer!!!!  

What is really happening is that some of the original intentions on the back were modified during the construction (mainly in regards to trees) and we are thinning out areas for turf conditioning on the back nine and the rhythm & flow of the golf course from the front to the back.  I am very pleased with the results and the response has been universally popular.  

We constructed a new back tee on #10 that is above the practice tee and adjacent to the entrance road turn that goes to the chipping green and cottages.  This was always considered an option if more length was desired on the hole (other options included just placing the markers for the back tee on the end of the practice range tee).  The yardage is about 425-430 now, I believe - I don't have the exact yardage.  There is another longer tee at the top of the entrance road above the parking lot that plays 465 -- if something doesn't change with the technology, we may have to build that one soon.

What isn't changing is the firm and fast conditions that Dan maintains the golf course at on a regular basis -- it is your IMM at its best in the States!  Tom, why don't you come out and play in the Cup with Rick?!?

Cheers,
Mike

[ed_getka]

What isn't changing is the firm and fast conditions that Dan maintains the golf course at on a regular basis -- it is your IMM at its best in the States!  

Amen to that. Now if I could only convince my wife to move to Michigan.

[TEPaul]

"Tom,
We are all irreverent jerks and couldn't care less about the original intentions of the designer!!!!  

Well, it most certainly seems so. I can't imagine what Mike DeVries is going to say about this. He'll obviously be hopping mad and I can't say I blame him. But I'm DEEElighted to hear the IMM is working great.


"Tom, why don't you come out and play in the Cup with Rick?!?"

Good idea. I'll call him up and suggest he should ask that guy Tom Paul to play in it. Then I'll call that fellow Tom Paul myself and tell him he should think about doing it if he's asked. He's so sedentary these days he may not want to do it but I think I can probably convince him.

[Jason Blasberg]

Mike DeVries:

For a first time visitor, what's the best month of the year to visit Kingsley?

Also, what's the playing Season, late April-early Nov.?

Jason

[Gordon Oneil]

Gordon,
Sounds like you have a good friend (and player) in your potential partner -- I emphasize the friend before the player because it is a competitive event but most everyone who plays in it is a golfer who enjoys the game first and foremost, along with the camaderie of the others.  It sounds like you would enjoy the event and contribute to that aspect of it.

Please do sign up!
Mike



Mike
I'm going on the website right now to fill out the blanket entry online.  At some point today (I am currently between today's two little league managing assignments) I will follow that up by filling out the invitation I received and dropping it into the mail (with a check of course) no later than Monday.

Yes, my partner is a good player and a great guy and somehow I manage to trick most people into thinking the same about me.

It feels pretty good having an event like this to look forward to; its been quite a while since I looked forward to playing the game at all.  Thanks for your insight and I'm sure we'll get the opportunity to meet one another in August.

Finally, thanks everyone.  In addition to the jinx I put on myself by teasing Andy about the second hole, I now know that there is reason to fear the back pin on number 13, months before I have even set foot on the property.  

In reality, I'd like to think I'm not quite that much of a mental midget (oh yeah, to be PC these days that's "mental little person").

Replying to you from South Florida where the current weather is a mostly sunny 77 degrees with a steady 10-15 mph wind,

Gordon

[Mike_DeVries]

Good idea. I'll call him up and suggest he should ask that guy Tom Paul to play in it. Then I'll call that fellow Tom Paul myself and tell him he should think about doing it if he's asked. He's so sedentary these days he may not want to do it but I think I can probably convince him.

Hey, Tom, you could always get your own ringer if Rick doesn't show any interest -- your irreverence would really show him and then we could have a long, irreverent, b$#@$hfest!

Cheers!

[Mike_DeVries]

Mike DeVries:

For a first time visitor, what's the best month of the year to visit Kingsley?

Also, what's the playing Season, late April-early Nov.?

Jason

Jason,

Yes, you have the season correct, with questionable days on the ends of the season, of course.  July and August are gorgeous here, May has the early season anticipation of wanting to get back out on the links as much as possible, June has super long days, Sept. is less crowded and beautiful, and Oct. has the color and some wonderful clear, sunny days.

Any day is a great day at Kingsley -- I count myself as completely lucky and blessed to be able to experience it every time I am on the property.

Best,
Mike