bowled over by Rolling Green

[PThomas]

got to play my first round here recently and all I can say is WOW!

This was my first Flynn course and I hope I get the chance to play a lot more of his......one of the very best parkland courses I have ever played.....up and down hills,  deep bunkers, treacherous greens, a tiny creek that comes into play on several holes, etc........

if you get a chance to play, DO NOT pass it up!

[Mike_Sweeney]

Our friends at Rolling Green have been very good to this board. I hope that we have all been good to them.

That said, I have some inside knowledge  that one of our friends (an email from him   ) is making yet another trip to NY/CT on Friday.

Perhaps he will someday say something nice about our courses that sit outside of the GAP.  

[wsmorrison]

Paul,

I'm very glad you came East and got to play Rolling Green.  While I am no longer a member, it remains one of my favorite courses in the country.  Flynn's routing is extraordinary as is the collection of par 3s and par 4s.  I include 18 as a par 4 as it becomes a horrible hole from the back tee; a classic example of strategic disconnect with length for length sake.  Nine is an world-class par 5.  There are some tree issues but the course is in wonderful hands of Charlie Carr.

Other Flynn designs in the immediate Philadelphia area include Huntingdon Valley, Manufacturers, Philadelphia Country Club, Woodcrest, Concord CC, Green Valley CC (Sean Remmington is the super and GCA contributor), Doylestown CC, McCall Field and Plymouth CC in Norristown.  Merion East is around half Flynn and it is possible the West is Flynn though we may never know.  In the general area, there is Lancaster, Lehigh, Atlantic City CC, CC Harrisburg, Springdale GC and Seaview Pines (9 holes).  Courses in the area where Flynn did redesign or other work include Pine Valley, Gulph Mills, Springhaven CC, Whitemarsh Valley CC, and North Hills CC.

There's lots more for you to see, I hope you return to the area.  I'd be happy to meet for lunch or a drink when next you visit.  

Have you seen the Flynns in your area, Pine Meadow and Glen View Club?

[mike_malone]

 I have played the course a few times and find it pleasurable.

[Mike Policano]

Very cute comment Mike.  And yes, Rolling Green is a pleasure to play.

[PThomas]

Paul,

I'm very glad you came East and got to play Rolling Green.  While I am no longer a member, it remains one of my favorite courses in the country.  Flynn's routing is extraordinary as is the collection of par 3s and par 4s.  I include 18 as a par 4 as it becomes a horrible hole from the back tee; a classic example of strategic disconnect with length for length sake.  Nine is an world-class par 5.  There are some tree issues but the course is in wonderful hands of Charlie Carr.

Other Flynn designs in the immediate Philadelphia area include Huntingdon Valley, Manufacturers, Philadelphia Country Club, Woodcrest, Concord CC, Green Valley CC (Sean Remmington is the super and GCA contributor), Doylestown CC, McCall Field and Plymouth CC in Norristown.  Merion East is around half Flynn and it is possible the West is Flynn though we may never know.  In the general area, there is Lancaster, Lehigh, Atlantic City CC, CC Harrisburg, Springdale GC and Seaview Pines (9 holes).  Courses in the area where Flynn did redesign or other work include Pine Valley, Gulph Mills, Springhaven CC, Whitemarsh Valley CC, and North Hills CC.

There's lots more for you to see, I hope you return to the area.  I'd be happy to meet for lunch or a drink when next you visit.  

Have you seen the Flynns in your area, Pine Meadow and Glen View Club?

thanks for the offer Wayne, cause I plan to get back to the Philly area and play some more of your great courses

I've played Pine Meadow and hope to get to Glen View this fall

[Kyle Harris]

I have played the course a few times this week and find it pleasurable.

[wsmorrison]

I never met a guy that plays as much golf as Mike Malone.  He's fortunate to play most of it at Rolling Green.  You'd think he'd be a lot better at golf than he is.  Then again, you'd think he would have learned a lot more about golf architecture as well  

[mike_malone]

Mike Sweeney,

     I was downright effusive about Yale. I am doing a Westchester/ Yale duo on Friday. From what I hear I expect to enjoy Westchester.

  Unless someone wants to come on here and offer Quaker Ridge for Friday afternoon

[mike_malone]

 Wayne,

    Let's stay on point; RG is much more interesting than I am.

[mike_malone]

 Paul,

    One feature you mentioned that is often overlooked is the creeks. I think there are just two or three. Wayne can enlighten us on Flynn's feelings about water as a hazard , but I love how it is used on this course.

    I wonder if one reasonable response to technology is to bring the creeks more into play today than they were intended initially. Is this contrary to the original intent or intelligent use of the natural features on the course ?

[wsmorrison]

"Let's stay on point; RG is much more interesting than I am."

Mike,

So is FDR golf course for that matter.  

I played golf yesterday with a past president of RGGC, like me a former member.  He's been over several times this year to play and he says the course is doing very well.  I hope to see it for myself in the next week or so.  Did you play with Paul when he visited?

[Andy Scanlon]

Paul:

Thanks for the kind words about RG.  Glad you enjoyed it.  

Andy

[wsmorrison]

Mike,

Consider the former width of the fairways and you'll understand exactly how Flynn meant to use the creeks at RGGC.  

There should be a new back tee on 8 so that the creek is more of a go/no-go proposition for better/longer players.  This would mean a lot more long irons and fairway woods for most players as was intended.  If players laid up on the far left where the fairway extends further down the line of play, it would be better if the left greenside bunker were lowered toward the front of the green and pinched in a bit.  It might balance out the decision making.

[Dan Herrmann]

If RG were in an area other than a golf-rich area like Philly, it'd be that area's best.  It's one of the finest courses I've ever played.  

I hope Mayday's tree 'program' is successful.  And Wayne's right - bring the creeks back into play.  I experienced the creek on #15 (not 10!) the last time I played, and that would never have happened before the programs.

Only thing I really need to know is how the heck Flynn built every hole uphill.  By the time you get to 18, you expect to be at 2000' elevation

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Paul,
Let me tell you something about this club your raving about---The members are very questionable....

My Point(s):

The Caddie Master: Tomato Face


He thinks he is one of the Murray Brothers, when in fact he's been spending way to much time in the Fox Chase/Rolling Green caddie shack on those hot Philly days of late.

The Club President, Mr. Norton


He's GAY! (not that there is anything wrong with that) Rumor has it the club had kicked him out after he went after the poor little, thumbless crippled kid, Jamie Byrne, and now he is president of the local NAMBLA chapter.

The Official Club Know-It-All, Bigoted Drunk, Charlie Logan


This image was from his DUI arrest. (His 5th one in 8 months) He is currently serving his 12 suspension in 12 months from Rolling Green/Fox Chase.

The Ex-Superintendent/Caddie, Walter Kane


After quitting his job in disgust after Charlie Logan called him the "N" word one day while on the links, Walter needed to suppliment his income from both jobs, plus needed to put his dead beat son in a decent college with hopes of an NBA scout seeing him. (when he failed to get into Notre Dame and Boston College after Charlie logan with-drew his support)

Walter was caught holding up a local Philadelphia 7-11. He is now serving time in the deepest and darkest pit of all Pennsylvania....

Al D'Angelo: Timmy's Dad's Scum-Sucking Attorney who has been a great help in ruining the ambiance of the club


Since joining Rolling Green/Fox Chase, Al has fast developed a reputation as the club's resident loud mouth, sticking his nose into other peoples business where it doesnt belong, Al was chastised and fined by the Rolling Green/Fox Chase Disciplinary Board. He in turn sued each and everyone of them as well as the club and won a very handsome settlement which has set Rolling Hills/Fox Chase back 15 years in the red.

Timmy Price's Parents, Richard & Meredith Price


Timmy's dad, Richard Price left Rolling Green/Fox Chase because of embarrasment, shortly after recommending Al D'Angelo to join. He went to work for Arthur Anderson & Consultants, and is now serving two concurrent 12-year terms in Houston, Texas for bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion. He is now known as "Sally" by his fellow convicts who use him as a humidty gauge in prison, by counting the beads of sweat that fall off of his backside...

Timmy's mom, Meredith, after suffering a mass nervous breakdown which led to her loss of complete speech was committed to the Keystone State Mental Hospital indefinitely. She is now supposedly feeling good and even founded a 12-step program for mute-alcoholics called MAA. (Mute Alcohol Anonymous) (They are looking for speakers for their meetings)

Meredith is divorced from Timmy's father.

Dim-witted member Mike Malone


After displaying a very pronouced knowledge of Golf Architecture, Mike decided to open up Mike Malone Golf Course Architects. Known for his "What Me Worry"-school of strategy and tactics, Mike is still waiting for his first job.

[PThomas]

Tommy:  how can such a great golf course be associated with such a crew?

[John Kavanaugh]

If this thread proves anything it shows that access can be a good thing..

[Craig_Rokke]

Hah! Hah!   The cast of RG characters!

When I think of RG, I conjur up the image of a hard-hat-donning Mayday in an Asplundh truck lift bucket, just covered head to toe with sawdust.

In all seriousness, as Dan said, RG contends with a lot of other quality courses in golf-rich Phila.--especially a number of similarly good Flynn courses. So it really does not get as much notoriety as it probably deserves. I think it's a wonderful course. The variety--the number of different looks  the golfer gets--is quite good. As usual for Flynn, great routing and use of the land.

[mike_malone]

Tommy,

   The spittin' image of me until I got glasses!

[Bill Shotzbarger]

The bridge on 14 is the coolest one on a golf course I've ever seen. Anyone have a picture?

[James Bennett]

Bill

Craig Rokke holing a good putt on #14 green, with #13 green in the background behind the bridge.  Might post some more, and Mayday, I am (finally) burning that disk of photos for you).



James B

[Dan Herrmann]

btw, avoid the bridge if you're afraid of heights.  Acrophobia personified.

I wonder how the bridge 'experience' compares to Cape Kidnappers (thought you'd never see a comparison of CK to RG!)

[mike_malone]

To return the shot back to the original intent we should add a tee beyond that cart path . Flynn really had some testing shots in 1926---200 yards uphill with only a narrow spot to run it on the green.

   The best players should be hitting 2 iron or woods.

[wsmorrison]

What work, if any, has been done this year to improve the golf course or is Charlie focused on the turf?  I've talked about a new tee on the hill above the cartpath on 14 since I joined.  I hope it happens.  Maybe it will now that I'm not around It is certainly a better use of added length than on 18.  I'd go back to the trees on 8, back as far as possible on 9, back 20-40 yards on 11, blow-up the new back tee on 17 and lower it to the left of the line of play onto natural grade.  How do you like approaching 4 without the background of trees?  It should be great.  Has there been some grumbling about the tree removal on the right of 5?