The Ridges in NJ?

[George Pazin]

I was talking to a friend recently, and related that another friend of ours considers this the best course he's played in NJ, and he's played everything 'cept PV. I was surprised because it didn't ring any bells. The friend I was talking to wasn't sure about the name, but it was something including Ridges, and it's supposed to be ver new.

Any idea on which course my friends are talking about, and, if so, how good is it?

[Jason Mandel]

George,

Must be thinking of the Ridge at Back Brook.  I believe its a Tom Fazio that opened in the past year or two.

Jason

[George Pazin]

Thanks, Jason, I'll do a search on that.

[Matt_Ward]

George:

The Ridge at Back Brook is a TF design and has been discussed previously here on GCA.

I like certain aspects of the course but when one of the national pubs had the course listed as top ten Jersey layout, if memory serves, I simply had tro chuckle because it just seemed as people were gravitating to it because it was new and forgetting just how high the Jersey golf bar really is.

The layout is though on some interesting land and there are a few holes of note -- two of the par-5's -- on the front and the closing hole are indeed well done by Team Fazio.

George -- if this friend really believes that The Ridge at Back Brook is beyond the likes of Plainfield, Ridgewood, Essex County, Hollywood, etc, etc, then clearly he has a different understanding on what constitutes quality golf than myself and many others.

[George Pazin]

Thanks, Matt, I knew you would know the course.

Interestingly enough, I did some searching on here and found that The Ridge at Back Brook is the course Mike Cirba discussed in the original Fazio and Anti Strategy thread!

My friend in question tends to favor hard over everything else. And I think he's very anti quirk.

He prefers Spyglass to Pebble because of the iceplant.

 

[Matt_Ward]

George:

Frankly "difficulty" is not really the core of what makes The Ridge at Back Brook. Yes, for the guy who can't hit the Kansas State line from Oklahoma I guess it would be defined as hard but countless other courses could fill that bill if the bar of player was that low.

Unfortunately, what can often happen is when a "new" course enters the scene -- The Ridge and even Hidden Creek, which comes quickly to mind, is how fast people will push these layouts up the food chain and never for a moment even think about what ALREADY EXISTS in that same state or area.

If you friend favors "hard" then have him play the old Sunny Jim's (now called Medford Village) in central Jersey. It was designed to be that and is for a good number of players.

[Jerry Kluger]

From what I've heard, Trump National is the better TF course.

[Mike_Cirba]

From what I've heard, Trump National is the better TF course.

By about sixhundredgazillion percent.

[Kyle Harris]

From what I've heard, Trump National is the better TF course.

By about sixhundredgazillion percent.

That much anti-strategy, eh Mike?

[Jimmy Muratt]

Here is a link to the Ridge at Back Brook's website for anyone interested in learning more about the course.  The have a good hole-by-hole tour.

I haven't played the course but the most interesting holes from the tour appear to be 5, 7, 8, 9, and 18.

http://www.theridgegc.com/rdgcourse.html

[Steve Lapper]

A note of interest:

R@BB and Trump have both carry very similar reputations among NJ golfers: "VERY HARD TO SCORE ON." While I'd agree that Trump is the better designed course (had a much more attractive property to work with), both courses pride themselves with keeping rock-hard greens surfaces that reject many well-struck lower trajectory shots. R@BB maintains abundant and often immediately adjacent high fescue as well. Recent local or regional tournaments at both have yielded abnormally high scores when compared to the older, less severe courses.

Joel Moore, the owner of R@BB has had some membership issues, but continues to support presenting a very challenging reputation. Trump, on the other hand, makes no secret of his desire to see the PGA Circus come thru his backyard. Interestingly, doesn't this just further validate the Fazio Legend of Desgining Pro-Level difficulty? Maybe this is another way of saying "Anti-Strategy?"

[Jerry Kluger]

Steve: My understanding of the "anti-strategy" which is so disliked by many is that it forces the golfer to play the hole a particular way or pay a very heavy price versus challenging the golfer to play the hole a certain way and be rewarded for a well executed shot but be penalized if not successfully done. Someone please correct me if my understanding is incorrect.

[Mike_Cirba]

Steve: My understanding of the "anti-strategy" which is so disliked by many is that it forces the golfer to play the hole a particular way or pay a very heavy price versus challenging the golfer to play the hole a certain way and be rewarded for a well executed shot but be penalized if not successfully done. Someone please correct me if my understanding is incorrect.

Jerry,

Not quite, although that is sometimes implicit as a result.

The term "anti-strategy" was used to describe holes where it is best from a positional standpoint to give wide berth to any hazards.   Doing so, "chickening-out" if you will, led to a more advantageous angle for the next shot.

Conversely, challenging a hazard, let's say from the tee to challenge a fairway bunker, led to a much tougher angle of approach, often oblique.  

This is the exact opposite of what we often think about in terms of strategy, where one who successfully challenges a hazard, or bunker, or takes a tight line against a creek, or OB, or whatever, is rewarded with an easier next shot.

Instead, with the guy who goes around everything is the guy who comes out smelling like a rose.   Thus, the term anti-strategy.

[Jerry Kluger]

Mike: Your explanation makes it even more absurd than I had understood it to be - I would redefine it as "anti-golf" as it takes all thought and strategy out of the game and what is left then, not the game as it was meant to be played.