News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.

Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Down

JMorgan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #25 on: July 13, 2006, 06:14:59 PM »
Jay, that's a beautiful biopic.  



Logged

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #26 on: July 13, 2006, 07:05:53 PM »
Hey Sean, what about that pitch to #13?  :o
Logged

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #27 on: July 13, 2006, 08:13:44 PM »
Quote from: Tim Pitner on July 13, 2006, 04:59:26 PM
... but I like my courses to be somewhat isolated and there's something about a glorified gated community that I just can't warm to.

Swear to whomever, when you are on MPCC, you really do feel  isolated ...
« Last Edit: July 14, 2006, 01:29:54 AM by Mike Benham »
Logged
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #28 on: July 13, 2006, 08:25:15 PM »
Quote from: Tim Pitner on July 13, 2006, 04:36:43 PM
MPCC may well be a terrific course, but I'm not sure I understand all the gushing about this hole (not to take anything away from your ace, Mr. Huntley) . . . I'm certainly not saying it's a bad hole, but can someone enlighten me as to why it may be great.  

Here is a much better photo of #11 ...

Logged
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #29 on: July 13, 2006, 10:11:21 PM »
My first reaction was that Tobacco Road, or Caledonia which I also like a lot and which came first in progression, was Mike's best course or at least the most representative of his work.

But, on second thought, MPCC is an example of Mike's growth over the years, and the combination of artistry and restraint.  And it's truly sad we didn't get to see more examples of that growth.
Logged

Ian Andrew

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #30 on: July 14, 2006, 12:24:15 AM »
Without a doubt I perfer MPCC over Tobacco Road. Restraint was a great choice of words from Tom. I think Mike did a great job of still showcasing his unique strategies and features, while showing the intelligence to allow the backdrop to be the star of the show. The horizontal swing of the fairways is some of the best I have seen ever from any era.

Tobacco is so bold that it remains more important architecturally and historically to me, I would send a student to Tobacco to learn about architecture; but I still think he built a better course at MPCC.

I know this is a strange take, but I think he learned some valuable lessons at MPCC and the next one would have been even better.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2006, 12:26:39 AM by Ian Andrew »
Logged

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #31 on: July 14, 2006, 12:38:55 AM »
I think Brad Klein had it half right. The 18th at the Shore (the old seventeenth of the Baldock Course) is a monumental let down from the rest of the holes out there. The walk back to the club-house is less than satisfactory from my viewpoint.

However the current 17th hole, the successor to the original 16th, is one that grows on you after several playings. I have played out there with some awfully good players and a couple of very good GCA'ers have come to grief in the ditch cut right against the green. The contours and greenspeed of the hole are something to see.

When playing the Shore, I think back to Mike out there in the early morning until dusk, with his spray-paint can and flags changing lines and contours willy nilly and thinking this man is obsessed with perfection...which he was. It will be a long time before we see another like him.

Bob
Logged

Jim Nugent

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #32 on: July 14, 2006, 02:58:41 AM »
Bob -- could you make 18 better, and if so, how?  Same question for Doak, Brauer and the other architects on the board.  
Logged

Jay Flemma

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #33 on: July 14, 2006, 11:13:09 AM »
Bob, really glad to get your thoughts on this thread.  Is 11 your favorite hole since your ace happened there?  What are some of the holes you like the most?

Hey Sean Arble!  Good to see an ROW Buda Cup guy on the thread too.  Doesn't the bathtub green at 13 kinda grow on you after a few playings?  I admit, I loved it from the first, but I can see people getting frustrated the first time around because drive is blind, green is blind, fairway is crazy shape - you really can have a "where the hell do I go" moment much akin to Stonehouse.
Logged

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #34 on: July 14, 2006, 11:27:13 AM »
Jay,

The 8th and 15th win the Oscars for me.

Bob
Logged

Tom Huckaby

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #35 on: July 14, 2006, 11:38:13 AM »
Bob - but of course now that it's been graced with the photo above ON TOP of your ace, the 11th is absolutely beyond reproach.

Interesting, my fave holes on the Shore are also 8 and 15, but I'd also include 13 as I just LOVE that approach and that green, and 7 as a really world-class strong par three.  I kinda like the short par 4 #5 also... and 6 is a very cool short par five with another killer green... jeez, tough to narrow it down!

That being said, I'm still more addicted to the Dunes... I could play 8-14 there forever and never tire of any of them...

TH
Logged

Steve Pieracci

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #36 on: July 14, 2006, 01:15:35 PM »
# 15 at the Shore
Tom had some fun from the back of that left bunker :)



Logged

Tom Huckaby

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #37 on: July 14, 2006, 01:20:41 PM »
Steve - great pic!  That's one of my fave approaches on the golf course.  I kinda dig that background, and man that is a cool green.

And yes I did have some fun... I got it out all right, but completely forgot about the Pinehurst-esque falloff at the back.  My artfully played sandshot that had me thinking I'd have a 15 foot putt un-artfully trickled down the slope into the rough.  I was indeed chagrined.   ;)
Logged

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #38 on: July 14, 2006, 01:44:56 PM »
Quote from: Jim Nugent on July 14, 2006, 02:58:41 AM
Bob -- could you make 18 better, and if so, how?  Same question for Doak, Brauer and the other architects on the board.  

Jim,

If I could have any imput I would fell the trees to the left of the path and make it a true dog-leg. Re-position the bunkers on the left of the fairway and get rid of the hideous hump that is the left part of the green.

For those that have played the hole,please help me out here.


Bob
Logged

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #39 on: July 14, 2006, 01:47:30 PM »
I haven't seen the new 18th hole so I can't comment, I've just stopped the car and been out to walk about nine of the middle holes.  I've only been in Monterey one day for golf in the past five years and I was playing elsewhere ...
Logged

Tom Huckaby

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #40 on: July 14, 2006, 01:49:39 PM »
Bob:

I'd concur with that - if they removed all the trees on the left and cut it as fairway all the way past where the path is now, it would be one hell of a golf hole.  Then heck as long as they have the chainsaw out, cut down some trees on the RIGHT and run the path up that side.  Not sure how feasible that is, but making this a wide fairway with some choices involved would improve the hole tremendously.

I'd even remove the bunker in front if I were king... make that a slick tightly cut fairway false front and you'd really get the scratch squirming, while allowing the bogey the hope of running the ball up.  Think about how testy - and interesting - shots from over the green would be like that as well.  Make this a classic bunkerless golf hole... I can't recall if there are any fairway bunkers - nice short-term memory, huh? - but if so, remove them.

Thankfully I am not king.  I'm sure Strantz must have thought of all of this and there must be good reasons NOT to do any of it.

TH
Logged

Scott_Burroughs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #41 on: July 14, 2006, 01:50:47 PM »
Steve,

Methinks that is a pic of #13 at the Shore, not #15.

Bob H.,

My thought on a good finisher at the Shore would be to bring back the old #18 that is now the range.   ::)  Isn't there still a range over by Dunes #1?
Logged

Tom Huckaby

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #42 on: July 14, 2006, 01:55:22 PM »
Scott's right - that is 13 - shame on you, Pieracci.

Re restoring the old 18, well... what hole do you remove, or do you leave it at 19?  Also remember you'd be deleting one of the world's greatest short-game practice areas, and shrinking the range back to its old sufficient but unremarkable size.

Mike B. and I were just discussing that MPCC now has one incredible, fantastic practice facility.  I'm not sure it's worth it to delete that to restore the old 18th, as neat as that hole was - and it was neat, kind of a road hole only with the road ob right next to the green.  It also logistically worked a heck of a lot better, ending right next to the clubhouse as it did.

So Bob, there was good reason to end this way, correct?  That is, there was a non-golf course reason to make this into the world's greatest short game practice area, wasn't there?

TH

Logged

Scott_Burroughs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #43 on: July 14, 2006, 02:01:05 PM »
Quote from: Tom Huckaby on July 14, 2006, 01:20:41 PM
Steve - great pic!  That's one of my fave approaches on the golf course.  I kinda dig that background, and man that is a cool green.

Quote from: Tom Huckaby on July 14, 2006, 01:55:22 PM
Scott's right - that is 13 - shame on you, Pieracci.

Shame on you, Huckaby, for first agreeing with him!   ;D ;)
Logged

Tom Huckaby

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #44 on: July 14, 2006, 02:04:57 PM »
Now now Scott, I was commenting on the picture.  I didn't even read his text until you pointed it out.

I remain pure.

Just don't ask me if there are any fairway bunkers on 18.

 ;D
Logged

Steve Pieracci

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #45 on: July 14, 2006, 02:07:31 PM »
Quote from: Scott_Burroughs on July 14, 2006, 02:01:05 PM
Quote from: Tom Huckaby on July 14, 2006, 01:20:41 PM
Steve - great pic!  That's one of my fave approaches on the golf course.  I kinda dig that background, and man that is a cool green.

Quote from: Tom Huckaby on July 14, 2006, 01:55:22 PM
Scott's right - that is 13 - shame on you, Pieracci.

Shame on you, Huckaby, for first agreeing with him!   ;D ;)

OOPS :o  You ae correct.  
I don't have a pic of 15.  Sorry
Logged

Brent Hutto

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #46 on: July 14, 2006, 02:20:05 PM »
Quote from: Steve Pieracci on July 14, 2006, 02:07:31 PM
I don't have a pic of 15.  Sorry



Here you go, Steve. Glad to oblige. I hope I'm right about this being the fifteenth, I'm terrible with hole numbers. It's one cool green though.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2007, 03:27:32 PM by Brent Hutto »
Logged

Jay Flemma

Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #47 on: July 14, 2006, 02:26:27 PM »
Yes, that is indeed 15.  I like 10 too...great pic fomr BEHIND, but Bob H is right 8 and 15 (and 11) win oscars.
Logged

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #48 on: July 14, 2006, 02:26:59 PM »
The 18th is an awkward drive and if your name is Ed and you play a slinging hook, you hope you have won your match before you get to the 18th.

It is not a difficult hole if you can hit a 280 yard, slightly fading tee ball up the hill ... ;)

The unfortunate aspect of #18 is that it is so different than the other 17 holes on the Shore.  The openess and width of the previous holes could not be duplicated for the home hole which is a pity.

As a possible alternative, make #18 a short (driveable for the long hitter) 310 yard par-4.  Push the tee boxes back as far as they go, place the green complex at the base of the upslope (to the right of the existing tree and large fairway bunker) and you might have a hole that would be an exciting finish, even more so with a match or game of Wolf on the line ...

Logged
"... and I liked the guy ..."

George Pazin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Mike Strantz -which is "his best" - The Road or MPCC
« Reply #49 on: July 14, 2006, 02:51:41 PM »
Maybe Mike chose to not refine the 18th, in homage to MPCC's classic neighbor.

 :)
Logged
Big drivers and hot balls are the product of golf course design that rewards the hit one far then hit one high strategy.  Shinny showed everyone how to take care of this whole technology dilemma. - Pat Brockwell, 6/24/04
Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Up
Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back