THE PLACE:
The first thing that hits you about Mid Pines is the decades old veneer of cigarette smoke everywhere. In the lobby, in the dining room, the common areas and the rooms. One can only imagine the gaiiety.
As it is I seem to own this wing to myself. A fabulous room with a view over the 18th green. The place is rather ghostly, right down to the grand piano that plays itself in the dining room.
Here at the end of summer before the season picks Mid Pines place is beautiful and forlorn.
THE COURSE:
Don't ask me to explain this, but the overarching feeling I have is that there is some sort of interface between the sublime routing of the course and the compostion of the holes themselves. There's some sort of soft geometry out there that after one go-around I can't quite put my finger on. For you music fans it's like 60's Miles Davis. Everything just fits.
Not a tough course by any means. I hit my irons indifferently and scored 2 strokes off my best.
The shapes and countours of the greens.. you're saying to yourself if they could do this in the 20's why can't they do it now? What is out there is truly timeless.
Best holes:
#2 really fine par-3 about 175 slightly uphill. Maybe the toughest carry on the course over a pair of bunkers.. depending on pin location.
#6 never seen such a green complex. left side defended by a ravenous bunker. right side by a rise. the two meld together as if one. amazing how it works.
#7 probably the toughest hole here. card says 383 but it plays so much longer. and you don't even notice because the lengthy climb is so subtle.
#12 tilted green complex with bunkers on either side fits perfectly with the shape of the hole. perfect example of the wonderful subtleties at Mid Pines.
#13 great long par 3 (235) that uses contours in a way that makes it feel like a 2-shotter
#17 ran's pictures don't quite do it justice. you either go right over the bunkers, or you have a real problem. if you clear the first of the two greenside bunkers you still have a little valley to contend with. one of those things you're just not used to seeing.
#18 your inclination is to keep your drive close to the treeline left, but as it turns out area right will give you a better lie, if a longer shot. great hole.
Looking forward to playing tomorrow, even if in rain gear. Missing TR is a drag, but whatever.
THE CAR
Must decide tomorrow whether to junk it and take a rental back to Atlanta or pay for a new engine. Service dept. was closed for holiday so I really don't know. Car is a 99 Camry that keeps causing me problems. Ideas?