Maxwell Intercollegiate at Dornick Hills

[Chris_Clouser]

To my knowledge, I don't think any of our other posters was able to attend, so I thought I might give an idea of how this excellent college tournament went this last weekend.

The tournament itself was a wonderful event with Oklahoma State winning for the fifth consecutive time.  But they had a tussle with the Baylor Bears biting at their heels all the way.  For those that don't know the format is a little different.  The teams of five players play together and the four low scores on each hole count towards the team total. So if you see the scores they seem amazingly low, but that is because if one player mucks up a hole then his score gets thrown out.  Pretty neat format that give a chance for anything to happen down the stretch.  

Other teams included Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Louisiana-Monroe, Colorado, Sam Houston St and SMU.  The excitement was tense as I was going around the course and able to hear some pretty live scoring updates.  For a hole Baylor would lead, then OSU and this continued for most of the final round until OSU took a stranglehold late in the round.  The battle for third was at a fever pitch with five teams within three shots with six holes to go.  Notre Dame (who I followed most of the tournament, got to support the fellow Hoosiers) for example was four behind OU for third when they came to the 18th (their 14th hole of the round) and they hit a shot in from the left rough for eagle and got two birdies.  Just like that they are in 3rd place.  By the time they finished the next hole they were 2 down.  All of the teams put a valiant effort and provided some great excitement.  Baylor's last blast at OSU included an eagle and two birdies on the final hole with everyone applauding them as they walked off of the green.  But the robots in orange seemed to just be too much.  No offense, but they are so precise in how they attack the course.  Just amazing really.

Watch for Johnathon Moore.  He is twice the player that Casey Wittenburg ever was at this stage in his career.  Just amazing accuracy from the tee and unbelievable length.  

As for the other festivities, I was able to eat at one of my favorite establishments three times.  If anyone ever gets a chance to eat at Firesides in Ardmore do not pass it up.  And get the apple tart for desert.  The Jacksons are also great people.  Let's just say my stomach hurt every night because I could not resist the temptations of such great fare.  I got to play the course at Dornick and I must say that every time I see the place I see something else that I missed before.  I appreciate each time I'm there the excellent routing that Maxwell put on this piece of property.  Nothing else would have ever worked.

My host for the weekend, Bob Bramlett organizes an excellent event every year and the people of Ardmore just make you feel like one of their own.  The best part of the trip may have been meeting two old members of the club.  Max Williamson and I each talked several times over the weekend and discussed the course and he was such a jewel to talk with about the history of the course and what subtle changes have taken place over the years.  Also, I met Philmoor Vaughns.  His uncle was the original pro at Dornick Hills, Hamp Veal.  He told me several stories about Hamp and how he was involved with Perry Maxwell and his golf course construction crew.  Also told me quite a few of the early courses that Maxwell worked on that I had not documented to date.  

The count is up to 60 with only a few left from after WWII.

For those that have a copy of the book, if there is an updated version you will see the following courses that were original Maxwell designs.

Mohawk Park (originally listed as a redesign)
Edgemere Golf Course in Oklahoma City (1st public with grass greens in Oklahoma)
Brookside Golf Course in Oklahoma City
Buffalo Hills in Pawhuska
Riverside Country Club in Tishomingo (now called Tishomingo GC)

Beyond this I got to speak with all of the coaches at a dinner, including Asst AD from Colorado Charles Johnson.  Let me just say that he is all class.  The Notre Dame guys were my favorites though and felt like I made some new friends with them.  Also got in some promotion for the book.  So it was quite a good trip.

If anyone ever gets the chance to get to Ardmore for the Maxwell, do not pass it up.  And make sure to eat at the Jackson's restaurant Firesides.  Tell 'em I sent ya!

[Matt_Cohn]

Good memories....!

Chris, it seemed like the scores were quite low this year compared to what I remember from a few years ago. Why was that?

[Chris_Clouser]

Matt,

Ideal scoring conditions.  They had received rain for about three days straight in Ardmore until I arrived last Wednesday.  Then it warmed up a little with very little breeze.  The only wind they got was on Sunday and it was mild at best.  So the course was soft and the greens were taking pretty much any shot.  

Holes like 9, 13 and the other tough ones held up, but the shorter holes like 5, 7, 10, 11 and 18 had no chance with these guys hitting bombs off the tee and only having wedges into the greens.  But if they can hit the shots, so be it.  I actually talked to Bob Bramlett about it on Saturday and he was happy with the course, just there is no way for it defend itself in those conditions.  

Considering that, the individual scores were not incredibly low for the most part.  Just some of the team totals seemed outrageous.  I think if OSU and Baylor had been closer to the pack then it would have been more reasonable.  The one thing that I noticed this year compared to the last time I attended though was that the crowd was much smaller.  Not sure what caused it, but there just weren't that many people there.

[Glenn Spencer]

Chris,

I will bet you right now that Jonathan Moore never wins a Southern Amateur or makes it to the finals of the US Amateur. Why would you say something like that about Wittenburg? Oh, wait your guy is already past the stage of his career where Wittenburg accomplished those feats. Let me know when Moore is the low am the Masters at 19 also, OK? Are you really saying this because of his length?

[Chris_Clouser]

I'm saying it because I saw them both up close for the same tournament on the same course just two years apart.  I think his abilities are greater than Wittenburg's when he was a freshman at OSU.  His length is just one part of the equation but it was more the accuracy.  His putting was a little below Casey's when I saw him play at Ardmore, but that was it.  I think Moore's mental approach is much more solid.  I know Moore doesn't have the accolades that Casey had but I don't see Wittenburg on the leaderboards at too many pro tournaments nowadays.  This is strictly my opinion based on first hand observation.  And Johnathon Moore is hardly "my guy."  The comparisons are being made all over the place or at least they were while I was at the Maxwell tournament.  

I don't know if Moore has ever even tried to enter or qualify for the Southern or US Am or if he ever will, but all I can say is in the setting I saw Moore in this week, he was a far superior player to Wittenburg in the same scene two years ago.  Also I'm pretty sure that Johnathon Moore will not make the mistake that Casey did and leave school after one year.

Sorry if I offended you by making a comment about "your guy."  No reason to get puffed up about it.  

[Glenn Spencer]

Chris,

Watch for Johnathon Moore. He is twice the player that Casey Wittenburg ever was at this stage in his career. Wittenburg is a proven great amateur, we have yet to see this from Moore. I think it is a little early to be calling Wittenburg leaving school a mistake and just let me tell you why. I understand that he is not playing his best golf right now, but he left when he was 'hot' and playing his best golf. A friend of mine was low am at the US Open one year, played on a winning Walker Cup team and was a semifinalist in the US Amateur, second in qualifying at the Western the next. He had some big time offers to leave and begin his career with some nice contracts and money just like Wittenburg. He waited a year to graduate school and had a mediocre year and he was then left with mostly nothing and has struggled to find his way without the help of Titleist or Polo. Imagine how things could be working out for Casey if he had stayed in school and was playing poorly and then coming out. It is all about timing and I think his was pretty good tio get the most money in the start of his career.

[John Yerger]

Glenn,
With all due respect, Casey Wittenberg was the nations top junior player and the summmer before losing in the finals of the US Amateur, won both the Southern Amateur and the Porter Cup. He broke the tournament record at the Porter Cup. Moore, won both the Oregon Amateur and Western Junior two summers ago I believe. He was redshirted his freshman year at OSU. A coach at one of the top programs in the country, who I have known for sometime, felt Wittenberg was very polished at an early age and had limited upside because of it. Moore did struggle his first year at OSU. Pablo Martin', his classmate as you know, is the top college player in most peoples eyes is better than both. To say that Moore is a better player at the same stage is not fair too either. I won't question Wittenberg's decision to leave when he did. I remember watching Justin Rose at Quaker Ridge when he was 16. He was considered the most talented player at the Walker Cup and it took him some time to get established as most know. Wittenberg has physical limitations, his size, that I believe will be hard to overcome. He just isn't long enough for todays tour.

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