Gil Hanse's Tall Grass was a nice affordable day

[Jay Flemma]

OK so its not quite Rustic Canyon or the Rawls Course, but Tall Grass had some really interesting angles of attack on alot of holes, a solid set of greens (a little slow) and a good routing despite being on a godawful piece of property to start with.  (A flat sod farm).

Hanse built a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  The small squarish property stymied him into a couple of tight spots and there are alot of short par-4s, but on the hole, there are lots of moments where hazards are in the direct line of flight, you can play the ground game a great deal (Neil Regan, where are you?!) and the prices for everything from greens fees to lunch are fair.  Its an easy walk, except in 98 degree heat.  

The design was strong.  The natural setting was not one of the high points, but he greens were interesting, especially 14.  There is good horizontal movement to the fairways.  Conditioning was just fine.

How come it gets no press here on GCA?  On the whole it reminded me of the great job Kelly Blake Moran did at Lederach...also shoehorning some really terrific holes and intellectual greens on an irregularly shaped, cramped property.

Hey!  KBM!  Big shout out to you.  My playing partner, a buddy who likes to dress like a freaking peacock on the golf course was all pimped out in white and Burnt Orange for "U Texas"...except of course for the OVERSIZED SUPERMAN BELT BUCKLE.  Oh well, it beat July 4 when he wore that gaudy monstrosity of a USA flag superimposed over a hole from Mauna Lani with red shorts and a Captain America Belt Buckle.  Lord help me.

[David Mulle]

I think that Tall Grass is one of the best public golf options on Long Island.  The first time I played it I had no idea who Gil Hanse was and I was quite skeptical when I stepped on the first tee because there are so many bad "links" style courses in that part of Long Island.  I now try to make it point to go play Tall Grass whenever I am out on Long Island.  

Jay, do you have any favorite holes, least favorite?

I am big fan of the short par 4 6th hole.  There is a bunker running down the left side and the more you challenge the bunker, the better line you have for your approach into the green.  I also think the redan 8th is a strong par 3.  The 14th is a fun short par 3 with a well protected green that has interesting contours.

The holes that I did not think worked as well were the 7th, 13th and 15th.

I am interested in what people think of the 17th.  It is a long blind par 3 with not much trouble around the green.  It always struck me as a less severe version of the Himalayas.  

[Jason Blasberg]

How come it gets no press here on GCA?  

You just need to dig deeper . . . Tall Grass has many admirers here including me . . .  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I concur with much that is being said here. A fun course and one that doesn't get a lot of talk for what it is. The people running it now have done a good job in maintaining it too. And with that, some images when Dr. Childs, NAFFER and Adam Jessie and I played there last. (I've been there three times and would always go back for more)

I feel that Gil went with a more CB Mac (not so much Raynor) feel for some of the holes on the course, and it works in my opinion. Nothing ground shaking as far as a rating, but good enough to get the job done on a July afternoon on Long Island.

I'll let some of the others describe the scenes, because I'm tired and I'm going to go to bed!

3rd Green

The Nader 8th. Other then the unfortunate placing of the cart path, an excellent reverse Redan. There was simply no other place to take the path I'm told.

The Approach into the 9th with the clubhouse in the background.

The 10th

Left greenside bunker on the 10th.

From the tee of the 12th

The 14th--one of the best modern Short Holes I've ever played. A pretty modified horse shoe on this one too. We stayed on there and putted around it for a good five or ten minutes. One of the best greens on the course.

Showing the 14th green, from the right side near #15 tee.

[Mike_Sweeney]

I am big fan of the short par 4 6th hole.  There is a bunker running down the left side and the more you challenge the bunker, the better line you have for your approach into the green.  

This one I disagree with you on. The point of the hole is to go for the green or not off the tee. Behind the green is a pretty steep drop off, so the risk reward is not really there, at least for me. Thus it is a 200 yard shot with a wedge hole for me.

The holes that I did not think worked as well were the 7th, 13th and 15th.

7 and 13 both played differently when there was "Tall Grass", but I still like some the angles off the tees. The grass was cut back and down to keep play at a better pace. 15, I think is a pretty good par 5 with again, some good angles over the water.

I am interested in what people think of the 17th.  It is a long blind par 3 with not much trouble around the green.  It always struck me as a less severe version of the Himalayas.  

I also like 17

The awkward holes for me are probably 16, a very long dog right 4, with an internal OB at the right side landing. People were playing the 16 tee shot into 17 tee, thus a dangerous situation.

Also, 18 I still can't figure out where to put the drive?

Architecturally speaking the cool thing than Hanse did was to build a boomerang or sorts where holes 2-5 playing the high side of a dune, and holes 12-15 play on the low side of the ridge. It appears that he moved the dirt first to make a "natural dune" and then built the holes. Probably was cheaper that moving dirt on each hole, and the course has a "natural feature" that gives it some personality.



I think Golfweek will probably need to get Montauk back on their NY public list when it is renovated. And while Tommy will not put a foot on LI National, it is a pretty interesting course too and a good contrast to Gil Hanse where Jones III moved lots of dirt on each hole of a similar and basically flat potato farm.

[Mike_Sweeney]

The 10th

Left greenside bunker on the 10th.

This is a really interesting hole with three option off the tee:

1. 5 or 6 iron off the tee short and right of Tommy's bunkers in the top pcture thus leaving a good angle into the green.

2. Challenge the bunkers and hit 3 wood or driver to a small landing area that kicks balls into the right rough.

3. 3 wood or hybrid left of bunker to a tougher approach over the left green bunker.

The green is very narrow and deep, bunkers on left as per picture, Pinehurst runoff area on the right. Very easy to make double here.

PS. The new management is much better than the old.

[Jay Flemma]

I'm collecting my pix and will report back on the holes I liked after work.  I wasn't too crazy about 6, although I understand the strategy and the fact the site "painted Gil into a corner" at that end of the property.  I liked 9, the par-5 where I had to carry the bunker in the dead center.  I thought one and two were really good starting holes.  Nice angles on one, and good options on two.  From the fwy, the green looks almost like a lion's mouth complex, but when you get to the other side you see its an optical illusion.

I'll write more later, but there were lots of good holes at a fair price.

Jason, I ran "Tall Grass" in the site search engine and came up with only a little - hence my wondering why we dont talk asmuch about it.  Perhaps its also cause people sometimes spell it Tallgrass while other say Tall Grass...

[Tommy_Naccarato]

I really like the 6th. I think it's unique and quirky in that corner. Also a very subtle green that will make you want rip your eyes of their occular cavities because the breaks are evil.

I disagree with Sweens about the 16th. At first I felt the same, but it got me thinking, what's wrong with a hole making a golfer feel clumsy or out of place. It's a penal hole to some degree, notso much by the hazards themselves, but the way the hole just sort of gets into your face--makes you have to hit a shot(s) which makes you feel uncomfortable.

Nothing wrong with the green either.

I feel the 17th is sublime but excellent.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Tommy,

I think this variety of opinions on holes is interesting about Tall Grass. It goes beyong this crowd, as my oldtime regulars from LI National had a variety of opinions on Tall Grass. Some thought there were too many short Par 4's and thus preferred LIN. Others saw whaat I saw and preferred Tall Grass.

I am curious, what is your opinion of 18, specifically the drive? I am never sure where to hit it, which I recognize may be a good thing.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Mike,
I've been in the big bunker each time I've played the course. I find it to be perfectly placed. It simply doesn't suffer fools which of course might explain why I have never bettered double-bogie there

Actually, it is a demanding drive with little idea of where to place the tee shot, but I do think that more playing it, one would understand their own personal better line to the hole.

[Mike_Cirba]

It simply doesn't suffer fools....

Matt...er...Tommy,

Oh, Nevermind!  

[Jay Flemma]

BV or anyone else)...might it also bear more than a passing resemblance to Rustic Canyon?

[Jay Flemma]

I saw a drop...oh well...hi ho Silver!  Away!

P.S.  Years later the lone ranger took the time to look up Kimosabe and learned that it meant "back end of horse"
--Gary Larson...

[Matt_Ward]

Jay:

Next time your on the Island be sure to check out Spring Lake GC in Middle Island. Many people embrace Tallgrass but there are a few other options on the Island from the public side of the aisle that would be worth exploring.

Ditto the work of TF at Oyster Bay in Woodbury.

[Dave Bourgeois]

Matt,

Speaking of LI golf options, do you have an opinion on Harbor Links?