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M. Shea Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« on: December 20, 2007, 08:09:29 PM »
Friars Head will host the Metropolitan Amatuer and the Country Club of Fairfield will host Metropolitan Open next season.

These promise some great fields and will be interesting to see how these two will stack up.

I personally can't wait to see how Friars Head holds up in Stroke play. I may just stay an Amatuer to see what I can do  ;D

For those of you who have played the courses--how do you think they will hold up to the high level of play?
« Last Edit: December 20, 2007, 08:10:00 PM by M. Shea Sweeney »

Patrick_Mucci

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2007, 08:11:36 PM »
Mike,

The MGA gets great venues.

The speed of the greens and the velocity of the wind will greatly influence scoring

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2007, 08:19:59 PM »
Mike,
You planning on giving those lessons for free?
at least they'd be worth it then..... ;)
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2007, 08:41:29 PM »
I think it's great Kenny has allowed the MGA to hold a tournament at FH.   I'm sure Kenny knows how he wants to set the course up, although the wind is very important and could determine if the scores are low or very low.  Regardless, the best player will win.

Greg Stebbins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2007, 10:05:14 PM »
Don't forget about the IKE at Mountain Ridge this year.  Once again the MGA gets great courses for its championships.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2007, 10:15:25 PM »
Somebody had a thread recently about bunker steps and mentioned Friars Head #14.  There's the photo!

It looks like the ball that rolled to the bottom of the green could have wound up either in the bottom bunker or in the fairway if it had rolled another six feet!

Both those par 5 "up escalators" have huge wild greens.

#2 and #11 are the "down escalators."

Great design of those transition holes, using the par 5s for the transition each time, taking the golfer from the upper to lower level (#2/#11) and lower to upper (#7/#14).

John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2007, 11:11:56 AM »
Bill,

Funny, but it occurred to me that Pacific Dunes uses par 5s (3, 12, 15) as the flat holes, taking you between rumpled dunes areas.  Opposite  routing strategy, and I'm sure it has something to do with the nature of each plot of land.  

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2007, 11:20:49 AM »
Man, I would love to see what Aidan could have done photographing Friars Head on a day like that!

If the greens are fast, it could get very ugly at Friars Head....  They must have some of the craziest greens have I seen in a long time.  7 and 14 are particularly wild!

For example, our very own Jeremy Glenn dropped a ball here, on the 14th green:



The ball rolled down here:



And stopped here!  See what I mean?



By the way, these are the stairs from which the pictures were taken.  Pretty cool stuff.



YP
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Lou_Duran

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2007, 12:22:49 PM »
I am just curious, but what are the requirements to qualify for these tournaments?  Membership in a Met member course?  Handicap?  What range of qualifying scores generally make it to the tournament?

Tom Huckaby

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2007, 12:25:50 PM »
I am just curious, but what are the requirements to qualify for these tournaments?  Membership in a Met member course?  Handicap?  What range of qualifying scores generally make it to the tournament?

LOL!  Love it.  I have to admit that was my first thought when I read the first post here also... amid also wondering if they give some special dispensation to out of state field-fillers with zero delusions of grandeur....

 ;D

Lou_Duran

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2007, 12:56:13 PM »
Thomas,

I have long ago disassociated myself from such delusions.  I wasn't even thinking about my son in Manhattan because, unfortunately, his work and place of residence only allow him some 8 or 10 annual rounds.

But back in the glorious days of my youth, I might have considered such a challenge.  Coming from modest means, I have used similar opportunities to play courses not otherwise available to me.

Occasionally, like in the Columbus District Golf Association, I accidentally qualified for the District Amateur and got into the Open (Columbus CC, Muirfield Village, respectively).  Typically, however, I picked the best qualifying courses to play, not necessarily those where I would have a better chance of qualifying for the tournament.  The serious tournament players always did the opposite, qualifying at their home courses or at others they were very familiar with.

By the way, the CDGA requirements, as I recall, included membership at a member club (the Scarlet and Grey Golf Club was mine at a student cost of $100 per year), and a handicap of 4 or 5 for the Am, and 2 or 3 for the Open.  The Texas Golf Association had similar membership and handicap requirements, though the level of play was substantially higher.

Jay Flemma

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2007, 01:59:45 PM »
It'll be really fun too see a tournament at Friars head...and just as much fun munching a sandwich on the bluff overlooking the ocean on the back nine.  Watching approaches on 17 will be interesting... :D

Tom Huckaby

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2007, 02:26:25 PM »
Understood, Lou.

As for me, my tournament participation in the last 20 years (outside of my beloved home club Santa Teresa) has always turned COMPLETELY on the quality of course.  That is, if I see something being held on a great course, I start to plan my marital lobbying attack.  I remain completely delusion-free about competitive prospects, my sole and only goal being to try my best to avoid embarassment.  I typically fail.  But the quality of course then helps me to overcome the embarassment.

Thus the questions about the MGA event.  Dare to dream.

 ;D

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2007, 02:42:48 PM »
Bill,

Funny, but it occurred to me that Pacific Dunes uses par 5s (3, 12, 15) as the flat holes, taking you between rumpled dunes areas.  Opposite  routing strategy, and I'm sure it has something to do with the nature of each plot of land.  

John, I'd have to look at an aerial, but aren't 3, 12, and 15 all one big contiguous meadow?  #4 would be a continuation, but one with a pretty abrupt edge!

Matt_Cohn

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2007, 04:25:11 PM »
OMG, color photos of Friar's Head!

John Foley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2007, 04:56:42 PM »
I'm w/ Matt - how about a few more Friars's Head photo's.
Integrity in the moment of choice

John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2007, 05:10:08 PM »
Bill,

Funny, but it occurred to me that Pacific Dunes uses par 5s (3, 12, 15) as the flat holes, taking you between rumpled dunes areas.  Opposite  routing strategy, and I'm sure it has something to do with the nature of each plot of land.  

John, I'd have to look at an aerial, but aren't 3, 12, and 15 all one big contiguous meadow?  #4 would be a continuation, but one with a pretty abrupt edge!

Yes.  I wouldn't call it a meadow, but certainly a much flatter part of the property.  Maybe it's a meadow.

I was just commenting on how Friar's Head par 5 take you either up to or down from the dunes, where Pacific Dunes par 5s take you from dune to dune.  Perhaps it's the same philosophy.

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2007, 05:22:26 PM »
Bill,

Funny, but it occurred to me that Pacific Dunes uses par 5s (3, 12, 15) as the flat holes, taking you between rumpled dunes areas.  Opposite  routing strategy, and I'm sure it has something to do with the nature of each plot of land.  

John, I'd have to look at an aerial, but aren't 3, 12, and 15 all one big contiguous meadow?  #4 would be a continuation, but one with a pretty abrupt edge!

Yes.  I wouldn't call it a meadow, but certainly a much flatter part of the property.  Maybe it's a meadow.

I was just commenting on how Friar's Head par 5 take you either up to or down from the dunes, where Pacific Dunes par 5s take you from dune to dune.  Perhaps it's the same philosophy.

Are you guys talking about the potato field that Ran's review says C&C shaped beautifully?
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

John Kirk

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #18 on: December 21, 2007, 05:27:00 PM »
Yes Garland.  At Friar's Head, holes 2 and 11 take you down to the flatter portion of the property, some of which served as a potato field.  Holes 7 and 14 take out of the field and back into the dunes.

I did not think the greens at Friar's Head were too sloped.  They were just right.  A great set.

Mike Sweeney

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #19 on: December 21, 2007, 10:04:54 PM »
Quote from: Tom Huckaby link=board=1;threadid=32561;start=0#msg643138 date=1198265185}

Thus the questions about the MGA event.  Dare to dream.

 ;D
[quote

Huck and Lou,

Here are the 2008 qualifications and schedule. There are also events at Hollywood and Bayonne next year. All of the Met events are very competitive. In the case of the MetAm, there are 5 qualifying sites before you sniff Friars Head, and many of the best players are exempt . You can keep a handicap at Bethpage, http://www.stationersgolf.org/ or similar.

http://www.mgagolf.org/mga/tournaments_frame.html

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #20 on: December 21, 2007, 11:20:32 PM »
Bill,

Funny, but it occurred to me that Pacific Dunes uses par 5s (3, 12, 15) as the flat holes, taking you between rumpled dunes areas.  Opposite  routing strategy, and I'm sure it has something to do with the nature of each plot of land.  

John, I'd have to look at an aerial, but aren't 3, 12, and 15 all one big contiguous meadow?  #4 would be a continuation, but one with a pretty abrupt edge!

Yes.  I wouldn't call it a meadow, but certainly a much flatter part of the property.  Maybe it's a meadow.

I was just commenting on how Friar's Head par 5 take you either up to or down from the dunes, where Pacific Dunes par 5s take you from dune to dune.  Perhaps it's the same philosophy.

Are you guys talking about the potato field that Ran's review says C&C shaped beautifully?

Above discussion is about Pacific Dunes' par 5s also being transitional holes, but in a different manner.

AndrewB

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #21 on: December 21, 2007, 11:36:43 PM »
What range of qualifying scores generally make it to the tournament?

The Met Am is always one of the tougher regional events to qualify for, usually requiring a lower score than the Met Open.  The field of the Met Am is restricted to allow for 36 in one day the first day before going to match play and, with many exemptions, there's usually only five to 10 qualifying spots at each site.  Level par usually has a decent chance to make it, but certainly not a guarantee.

If my information is outdated, I'm sure Stebbins will correct me.
"I think I have landed on something pretty fine."

Phil_the_Author

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #22 on: December 22, 2007, 05:52:20 PM »
I am amazed that a topic with "Country Club of Fairfield" in the title would not have a single statement made about the club, the course or even a single hole other than the announcement of the tourney awarded in post #1!

Hey guys, I know there are some out here who enjoy the course a great deal as you've contacted me about the recent Tilly documents discovered in your archives...

It almost makes me want to NOT write about them in the nexr issue of Tillinghast Illustrated!

Telll us about your wonderful course...

Darren deMaille

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2007, 06:07:22 PM »
A few year ago the CT open was at CCF and I think even par won the tournment but the wind was up.  CCF is putting in a new sprinkler system to water the rough which is usually dead in august.  Windy + High Rough = US open venue despite playing only 6300 yards.  It will be interesting to see how the met sets up the course.  I hope to be there as a contestant.  

Tom Huckaby

Re:Friars Head and the Country Club of Fairfield
« Reply #24 on: December 24, 2007, 10:57:28 AM »
Mike/Andrew:

Thanks for the info.  So OK, turn out the lights on even dreaming about this for a guy like me - this is an Andrew/Matt Cohn/Jamie Slonis-type event...

Oh well, it was a fun short-term dream.

 ;D


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