Frank;
Hmmmm...Bulle Rock, eh?
What can I say? It's a really good property, which makes me wonder why Dye moved so much earth.
I'm a big fan of Pete Dye, yet in most cases at Bulle, I had that feeling of deja vu all over again (i.e. didn't I see this hole at Blackwolf Run, or Mystic Rock?)
It finishes with the stereotypical Pete Dye 5-3-4 finish, with the 18th being a copy of 18 at TPC Sawgrass/TPC Stadium/Prestwick (SC)/and others with the long right to left cape over/along water, only this one on steroids at 485 yards.
It has large boulders guarding many of the water hazards, which look ungainly in rolling northern Maryland horse property.
All of the longest par fours play steeply uphill, with the shorter 4's descending, making the course play exceptionally difficult.
The greensites tend towards severity,and it's not uncommon to watch a high-handicap game of "ping pong" around the greens.
The split fairway 9th hole doesn't work in concept or execution...
It's lovely, and a number of holes are really very good.
If you're travelling all the way down from NY to get beat up (my biggest complaint with Bulle Rock is that it's humorless and unrelenting), you should at least stop 5 miles further down the road and have some FUN at Beechtree, which is also a challenge, but with more brains than brawn.