The 2nd, 7th & 15th holes at Wolf Point updated

[Mike Nuzzo]

Some time ago I shared the evolution of the 7th hole at Wolf Point - from a bottle hole - to its present state.

Here is a picture and what I wrote on my blog today.



My 2nd favorite picture from earlier this week is above. It is of the 7th green looking back towards the tee. The older posts are somewhere on GCA and on the blog.

Why do I love this picture? The green shaping looks very unusual to me. There is a hump in front with a trough through the middle that drains water to the players left - which makes if far more receptive from the far left side of the fairway. It is a shortish par 4 down wind so the long player can challenge the bunker to try and get very close too - but it would be all carry over native grasses.  (The tee is in line with the larger tree)

The grass being as dense as it is looks beautiful too. One can see the walk mower lines. In this image I see a huge milestone to the project and our efforts.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

It looks fantastic Mike.  Just looking at the picture it is easy to see how many different and exciting putts and approaches could be had at the 7th.  Great to see that the grow in has gone so well.  The fantastic weather has helped it along I'd imagine.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike - my compliments too.

I've seen various pictures of Wolf Point and they all bring the same thing to mind, which is "Now that's what a golf course in Texas should look like".

I drove across Texas a few years back, and from what I can tell, what the eye sees at Wolf Point is exactly what it would expect to see.

I know that's just one part of what makes for a wonderful golf course, but I think it's an important part (as is irrigation, and the work you and Don have done there with designing your own simple system sounds great; and as are bunkers/bunkering, and from what I can tell -- and for my tastes -- you got that just right too).

All the best moving forward

Peter

 

[BVince]

Mike, where is it going to be located on the Texas gulf coast?   The picture of the green site looks fantastic. 

[Kirk Gill]

It looks like there's a bunker lurking out on the left side of the fairway, as you say, the preferred angle to the green. How far is that bunker from the tee?

Mr. Nuzzo - I really enjoy how your pride in this course comes through in your posts. It must be an amazing feeling to see it coming together.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Kyle,
Yes our client has been practicing a bit on that green.
The weather has been good, and a fantastic Don Mahaffey and crew had more to do with the results.

Thank you Peter,
I love your quote.

Byron,
Half way between Houston and Corpus - is that vague enough? 

Here is the view from the other side - one of the biggest bunkers on the course.
That is the cart barn in the background:



Kirk,
The hole is often down wind - the 2 left bunkers are reachable - but I'd have to nut one.
Here is the hole from above (it is gps'd not only a sketch):

[Will E]

I was lucky enough to have Mike show me around Wolf Pointe a couple of months ago. IMHO #7 was possibly the least interesting hole on the course, strategically and visually.

This course has many more looks that I much prefer, that said the pictures do look good and if this is as bad as it gets...

While it's tough to have a real pulse on a course before it opens I'd imagine that there will be many discussions as to Wolf Pointe's best holes.

My money is on #13 and #6.

[Don_Mahaffey]

Will,
I'm with you on #6, I simply believe that it is a great golf hole, and I like 13 too, but...15,16, are very good both visually and strategically. The "creek" holes have an advantage because the ground and look is so nice.

For me, I'm uncertain about the 4th and 12th; you just don't see holes like those everyday.

I could write an essay about every hole...

Even though threads like this don't generate huge interest because Mike is not a name, I hope he continues to go through the course hole-by-hole as we get them ready.
This really is a unique golf course...and deserves to be discussed.

As for the 7th...I think it's going to fall into the "plays harder than it looks" category, where laying back to the proper side may often be better than getting close in the wrong place. We hear this type of thing a lot, but when Mike designed that feature into a downwind hole with a wickedly sloping green, he took the theory into reality.

[RJ_Daley]

I could write an essay about every hole...

Don, of course we are all "counting" on you to do just that, with a photo journey throughout the course.  I have found that Will gets it quite right or generally as I see them as well when he describes a course that I know or have seen.  He hit the nail on the head as far as Erin Hills goes, IMHO. 

[Mike Nuzzo]

The 15th green lays partially on top of a drainage swale - a medium length par 3.  Last year during our 106 year record breaking July (and year) Don said it looked like a river flowing through the green.

We tried hard to make the clearing not look like an ampitheater with a clean semi-circular tree line - it doesn't.  Clearing, plumbing and polishing was all this hole needed.

The hole looks completely different when looking from the tee - not towards the tee as in this image of the 15th green at dusk:



This picture gives a better idea about the scale of the undulations.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Mike/Don,

Can you give me a better understanding of the distances on the 7th hole.  Is the large right bunker reachable off the tee with a driver?  Could a big hitter carry it with the wind at his back?  If a player placed a shot in the fairway just shy of the bunkers on the left what kind of distance are they looking at going into that green?

If this is the least interesting hole as Will said this is quite an exciting project.  I very much liked what Peter had to say.

[Jeff Spittel]

Looks great, Mike and Don. The photos on the blog certainly convey a feel of expansiveness about the place. I think all the Texas CGAers are looking forward to hearing more about the finished product.

[Adam Clayman]

Mike, Looks like you've made quite a medium for the sport. I have a few questions, I hope you'll appreciate and answer:
Could you tell us all how many of the following exist on Wolf Point?

Containment mounds?

Whale Tails?

Capes and Bays?

And lastly, How many shots have you dictated to the golfer?

Thanx ahead of time for any response.

[Joe Hancock]

Mike and Don,

Things are looking really good. Keep it up!

When should I think about a site visit to "inspect" things? Put another way, let me know when The Client has done his(or her) first full inspection, then I'll book a flight.......

Joe

[Don_Mahaffey]

Joe,
I'd say about mid-July when it's about 95 with 90% humidity. That ought to wilt a pale faced Michigander enough so I can stay within a few shots

[Joe Hancock]

Joe,
I'd say about mid-July when it's about 95 with 90% humidity. That ought to wilt a pale faced Michigander enough so I can stay within a few shots

I fared quite well in your heat, buddy. I think with a few whacks at your ankles with my Old Master, and the 4 shots a side you'll be giving me, we should have quite a match........wait a tick...Mike has a picture of me that is far from pale faced.......

The only question I have is there still enough trees for me to run to after an evening of Fish Cancun and a few Negra Modelo's?.......

[John Kirk]

Mike,

Thanks very much for posting these pictures.  That's a lovely park you're building there.

[Don_Mahaffey]

  That's a lovely park you're building there.

Park? Wow, I don't even know how to take that. I certainly don't find it complementary, but you are invited to come hunt hogs with us in our "park". BTW, we don't use guns, and don't get close to the white dog.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Don - I like the park description.

Park:
A wonderful great big green place I used to play when I was young.

Thanks John.
P.S. Don't go hunting with Bobby...


Kyle,
The turning point is around 800 ft. in that image of 7 above.
Yes the large bunker is reachable.
Yes I think a big hitter could carry it.
A wedge from the left bunkers.
I really like how the 7th green looks - so it is hard for me to say least interesting.  It does look least interesting from the tee -- look out...

Jeff,
Yes it is expansive - even more so in person.
Don has on more than one occassion declared that the course is bigger than the acreage we've irrigated -- wrongly I'll add. 

Adam,
There is one containment mound - but it is more of a feature - and it is 1/3 of the way into the green.
Whale's Tail - there was almost one in the dirt, but now that it is built - definately not.
Capes & Bays -- Infierno has some

Dictated shots - there is one green that is quite hard to hit - so maybe one shot?

Thanks Joe,
Do you mean the picture of you with the brown nose or the one where you got the bulldozer stuck?

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Kyle,
The turning point is around 800 ft. in that image of 7 above.
Yes the large bunker is reachable.
Yes I think a big hitter could carry it.
A wedge from the left bunkers.
I really like how the 7th green looks - so it is hard for me to say least interesting.  It does look least interesting from the tee -- look out...

Thanks Mike...

I'm a sucker for the hero shots and it looks like the 7th tee could be just that.  I agree, as I've said before, I think that green looks like a blast.  The options for an approach seem limitless whether they come from a lay up or from just off the front edge.

[tlavin]

Kyle,
The turning point is around 800 ft. in that image of 7 above.
Yes the large bunker is reachable.
Yes I think a big hitter could carry it.
A wedge from the left bunkers.
I really like how the 7th green looks - so it is hard for me to say least interesting.  It does look least interesting from the tee -- look out...

Thanks Mike...

I'm a sucker for the hero shots and it looks like the 7th tee could be just that.  I agree, as I've said before, I think that green looks like a blast.  The options for an approach seem limitless whether they come from a lay up or from just off the front edge.

Mike,

It looks great, but I wonder if you could share your philosophy on the placement of the fairway bunkers on the outside of the dogleg.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Terry,
Thank you.

I wouldn't call them bunkers on the outside of a dogleg.
From the tee I'll be aiming left of those 2 "left" bunkers to the big fairway - trying to hit it as deep. 

It is an aggressive shot to play "inside" them.

Cheers

[Mike Nuzzo]

Here are our newest admirers near the 2nd green.

I'm going to eventually try and get an image like Aidan Bradley's with the cows in the background - for now this one is close enough.

[Bryan Izatt]

I'll bet your new admirers are bullish on the course.     Herewith the missing ].

URL

[Joe Hancock]

Bryan,

Appropriately, that was only 2/3 of a pun...P U!!!! But, since you didn't have too much of a beef over the missing bracket, I'll let it slide this time.