Rock Creek - Doak in MT

[Tim Bert]

I love the way the photo from the tee of #8 makes it look like there is little if any room in front of the green, but the photo from the green appears to have plenty of room to miss short.  Does it look that way to the naked eye standing on the tee?

It reminds me of Bandon Trails #2 in that respect.

My counterpoint would be that the little fuzzies on the back side of the front left bunker look a little strange to me.

#16 look really cool.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm in Salt Lake City and only a 6 hour drive away.  I'd be more than willing to make the drive.  

[Matthew Hunt]

Is there any picture of what the land was like to start with?

[Tom_Doak]

Matthew:

I did have Larry Lambrecht go out there a couple of years ago right as we were starting construction, so we should have some pretty good "before" pictures of many holes.  Not a hole like #8, though, because there was a solid tree line in front of the tee.

Tim:

That's what #8 looks like from the tee.  There's actually something like 60 yards of fairway short of the green, but it's hidden by the rocky bank of the creek which is raised up on the far side.  You can't see the water in the creek from the tees -- it's about twenty feet down the bank to water level, except in the spring -- but it rushes across the hole from left to right and then turns and goes down past the right side of the green.

And the fuzzy edge of the left-hand bunker was news to me.  Many of the bunkers at Rock Creek tie into native rough (and serve as a buffer to the rocks), but it looks like they are trying too hard to be consistent there.

[rchesnut]

Tom, the pictures look great, I can't wait to get out there and play it.   I know that they're planning on building some houses out there, will any of them come into view from the course?  And did the lots have any impact on your routing decisions?  The beauty of that area is just amazing, I'm wondering how much of an effort was made to maintain that sense of remoteness and natural beauty on the course?

Rob

[David_Elvins]

Tom Doak,

The bright white bunker sand looks great to me in the photos shown.  Was it hard to source?  Did you consider any other colour options?  

Thanks.

[RJ_Daley]

The photos of the course that I've seen look like the golf course is a real 'butte', pun intended.

But, they also suggest to me that this course, like Sutton Bay, is a course that I'd want to play with 12 of my regular and favorite club set, and about a 4 iron and 9 iron, steel shafted, and the cheapest ones I could by at 'play it again' sports shop.  Both Sutton Bay, and this course looks like it is in some pretty hardscrabble rough areas and hitting out of those rocky and boulder strewn roughs is tough on good clubs.  Also, tapping on rocks to alert rattlers...  

[Garland Bayley]

I just checked with my wife and she officially has no interest in moving to MT  

That's OK Tim. All of our wives have at least one such grevious fault.

[Brett Hochstein]

Great stuff. a few thoughts and q's

I was also wondering about the sand.  Is that a native tone to the area or near area, or is there a greater reason to that sand choice?  The bunkers look great; they tie into the surrounds much like a few great Michigan courses.

Michigan people do not drive slowly.  I've heard off-duty highway cops say, "we don't really pull anyone over unless they're doing 90."

That slope on 16 looks like madness.

Most importantly, and I'm a bit surprised no one's brought this up, but it was very interesting to hear Ron's point to start the topic, specifically that the depth perception played a big role in strategy and play.  Is this not what Mr. Doak had talked about in a Golf Digest interview? Maybe it wasn't GD, but he had talked about the impact on vision, slope, and play.  I feel this is a thread topic in itself, and it is certainly something I have thought strongly about and tried to figure out its true impact not just on the golfer's score but also how that player's emotions are impacted without regards to golf.

[Garland Bayley]

...The beauty of that area is just amazing, ...

Hate to burst your bubble, but it really is quite pedestrian. Try heading north towards Glacier NP and you begin to see the real stuff.
 

[Tim Rooney]

Tom,did the uncompleted downhill,streamside Par 3/#17 finish  Spectacular as the rough grade setting personified?