Hidden Creek pictures

[rhansen]

For those of you who would like to see a few pictures please go to our web site at www.hiddencreekclub.com. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were here on July 1st for our grand opening. All the members are enjoying the course very much. We hope to update the website with more pictures in the near future when we get them from the grand opening.

[Mike_Cirba]

Roger,

Some really nice pics that are illustrative of the naturalness of Hidden Creek!

I was showing my dad some pics recently, which I had taken at a number of courses I'd played (including Hidden Creek).  When I came to the Hidden Creek pictures, without any idea where they were taken, or any prompting from me, he simply said, "Now...THIS looks like a course I'd enjoy playing."

That about says it all.  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Mike, Be careful how you use the word naturalness here. there are too many that DON'T understand it.

Bravo Roger, Bravo!

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Great photos, love the grass around the bunkers.

[Brian Phillips]

Jeremy Turner and I turned up at Hidden Creek unannounced and asked if we could look around in June this year.  The only problem was that it was the first member-guest day!!

However the staff directed us to Mrs. Hansen and she looked after us.  Gave us lunch and then organised a tour with the Super. Jeff.  Jeff drove us around every hole in and out of the member/guest tournament.  We even drove past Mr. Hansen in the rough!!

The course looks absolutely brilliant, the bunkering and the greens are an inspiration to all budding architects.

I hope that the course is a success and the members enjoy it.  Good Luck Roger and family and thank you for the patience you and your staff showed us on the day.

Hard, fast, brown fairways Jeff!!

Cheers

Brian Phillips
Norway

[brad_miller]

Roger, thank you for the link, the updated pics look wonderful. Good luck with all related to the club. Looks like a fine place for a game.

[Ran Morrissett]

The gambling 3rd looks like a lot of fun - can a ball be bounced on to the green from the left?

The art of building bunkers is alive - nothing rushed about the construction of those bunkers on the inside of the 12th, is there?!

Does the picture of the one shot 14th remind anyone else of the general feeling of an inland course around London? Throw in 12, 13 and 15 and I'm reminded of West Sussex, a great favorite, the kind of course that one would never tire of playing.

[Roger Hansen]

Brian, Sorry that you were not able to play that day. We had a fun member guest but I was in the rough most of the day. Thanks for telling everyone. Roger

Jeremy Turner and I turned up at Hidden Creek unannounced and asked if we could look around in June this year.  The only problem was that it was the first member-guest day!!

However the staff directed us to Mrs. Hansen and she looked after us.  Gave us lunch and then organised a tour with the Super. Jeff.  Jeff drove us around every hole in and out of the member/guest tournament.  We even drove past Mr. Hansen in the rough!!

The course looks absolutely brilliant, the bunkering and the greens are an inspiration to all budding architects.

I hope that the course is a success and the members enjoy it.  Good Luck Roger and family and thank you for the patience you and your staff showed us on the day.

Hard, fast, brown fairways Jeff!!

Cheers

Brian Phillips
Norway

[Paul_Turner]

Ran

I see the resemblance (particularly New Zealand GC).  Tom Paul mentioned in another thread-I think it was the Hirono one-that C&C were looking for that heathland style.

[TEPaul]

Ran:

Can the ball be bounced in from the left on #3? Good question. In a vague way I hope not as I'm fairly sure that the ball can be bounced in from the right as the golfer is challenging that enormous quarry bunker if coming in on the right side!

Would that make sense to you? I think it does to me as that would make approach option ramifications a bit more distinct from one another!

[TEPaul]

Ran:

Funny you mention #14! I've been looking at that hole for a year or more now coming into being and clearly at first it was a hard one to form a real take on. It's a very unusual presentation from the tee--a most minimal one in fact! I would say any first time player would have to stare hard at that hole to figure what exactly he should or could do on it. And judging from the enormous run-up and the length and formation of the green there should be a ton of different things to do for success or marginal failure! But I hope it's the type of hole where there may be so many possibilities as to almost create confusion. #14 is gradually rising as near my favorite hole out there and there are so many other good ones for a variety of reasons.

Personally I feel Hidden Creek is going to have to really rely on ground firmness to truly shine--much more than other courses. I believe that's the way C&C designed it and Roger and Jeff Riggs understand that full well and are into accomplishing that long term!

As Hidden moves toward really fast and running conditions both "through the green" but particularly that "firmness" on the green that only dents a little instead of "pitch marking"  the course is just going to get better and better and play all that it's designed to be.

I can imagine it at max screaming firm conditions on both which will show the golf course as a really sophisticated ground designed course!

It's not supposed to be a high visual impact Wow factor course (more a low profile color contrast course). Sure some of the time natural rainfall will make it soft and long but how can you not love a course that will have that variation in personality on playability?

In a way it's not too different than Hanse's wide open tee shot--second shot concentrated Applebrook that also will depend on really firm conditions on both for its design to shine.

In my mind Hidden and Applebrook almost can't get TOO firm and fast--they'll both be best when absolutely SCREAMING!! And ironically for the good player that's when both of them will play the most challenging by far!!