[Michael Dugger]

Well, I never thought I'd be saying such a thing but Tom Doak and his crew have their work cut out for them if they hope to surpass D M Kidd's Tetherow with their Wicked Pony course.

Took two loops around Tetherow on Monday.  Before I go any further I want to mention how this was the least snobby club I've ever been to.  Martin Chuck, Director of Golf; Caleb, one of the Professionals, absolutely down to earth and cool guys.  If they happen to peak in on this thread, you guys are awesome.

What a golf course.  I mean it.  I think it's better than Pronghorn Faz and Chambers Bay.  Variety of golf holes, check.  Solid conditioning, check.  Thrilling hazards, check.  Options, check.  Stunning terrain, check check check.....

Entering the facility kinda reminded me of Bandon Dunes.  You turn off the main road and meander up a road cut through a large bluff.  Apparently a forest fire gutted the property so you've got a lot of burnt out snags dotting the landscape.  Once you crest the bluff you are greeted by a Bandon Dunesesque clubhouse. 

A large portion of the golf course is layed right out in front of you.  The clubhouse occupies the highest point on the property.  Putting greens down from that and driving range pretty much right in front of the clubhouse.  Totally killer range with all sorts of targets to hit towards.  They didn't have Pro V's for range balls like Pronghorn but I'll give 'em a pass there

So #1 and #10 shoot down the hill, #9 and #18 come back up it.  We took carts and a caddy the first go around, forgoed the caddy the 2nd.  (Just don't really like 'em, though our guy was totally fine.)  This course would be a solid walk, no doubt, but it could be done.  Plenty of up and downhills, a few walks between holes like getting in and out of "Kidd's corner," which occupies holes #3-#6

I'm going to let the images do most of the talking, keeping my comments to a minimum.  I will say this, I dislike the "eyebrows" that apparently the folks who've played the Castle Course have mentioned disliking as well.  These two courses look a whole helluva a lot the same to me, which is both good and bad.  It's like golf course architects nowadays need SOMETHING to leave their distinctive mark and this is Kidd's mark.  I got screwed quite a few times by these things.  When a well-hit shot caroms about and nestles up in this "hay" that's right about the time I'm gettin' pretty hot.  I can see a need for a few of these, for example I've never had a problem with the central grassy mound hazards on Bandon Dunes #5, but something like the 8th hole at Tetherow is literally dotted with 25 or so of these things.  ENOUGH!!!!

There are some really neat holes on this golf course.  I've never seen anything like #6 which I'm still not sure is a good or bad thing.  A very unique hole.  #17 is an epic one shotter through the quarry.  I was told that hole was sitting there the whole time, local mountain bikers use to "drop in" and play around in there.  I was also told all the sand for the bunkers was brought in from Florence.  It played nicely....

A la the Doak Scale, I'd give #1, #6, #7, #8, #9, and #15 a !  #10 and #17 get !!

Weakest holes probably include #5, #11, #14 and I just hated #16.  The staff in the clubhouse said they may have to rework that hole.  It's the #2 handicap, so I get it's suppose to be tough, but it's too blind.  A lot of blind shots out there.  3 wood off the tee is highly encouraged in a number of places.  You can get a lot of bounce and roll out there. 

I'll field questions if you've got 'em.  If you are even mildly intrigued and may find yourself in Bend, get to Tetherow soon, it's epic.  An easy Doak 8.  Oh, and since I'm sure he looks in, Tommy N......you would LOVE this golf course.

Clubhouse

 

Weird glass thing....

 

#1

 

#1 green

 

Driving Range

 

Broken Top looming in the background.  On a clear day there are a lot more mountain views.

 

Incredibly detailed pin sheet

 

#2 tee, blind up over a hill

 

#2 fairway, beginning of the grassy eyebrows.

 

Driving towards #3 and "Kidd's corner," a looksee at #6 green.  BRUTAL pin on this day.....

 

#3, one shot hole



#4 tee shot

 

looking back on #4.  A very contoured green.

 

#5 tee

 

#6 tee.  Wild hole.  Drive 230 straight or hit a sweeping draw to the left.  Not sure if it's a unique gem or trying too hard.  Looks awfully busy and is almost overstimulating.

 

#7, about 200 yds downhill

 

#8 tee, Kidd's plot of land is to the left.  So if you hate the course hit a big hook up there!

 

Zooming in on #8.  Tough pin on this day.



#9 a three shot hole

 

#9 again

 

#10 is a drivable par 4, all downhill, very cool hole. 

 

#11 doglegs right.  A narrow driving hole, almost feels out of place with the rest of the course.

 

A peak at the 11th green.  Another grassy ridge blocking the entrance.

 

Another look at the 11th green

 

#12 is a medium long two shot hole.  Some of the deepest and most hateful pits of death down to the left for the really snap hooked drive.  Looks like a skateboard half pipe in there it's so deep.  Awesome hazard

 

Zoomed in on #12

 

Look at 13th green from landing area.  A reachable but very narrow par 5.  The play is conservative. 



Cool integration of hazards into the native terrain 

 

One shot 14th hole, relatively vanilla compared to everything else.

 

Drive on #15.  A neat hole.

 

More #15, the correct play is left of the central bunker, short of the water.



Drive on #16

 

A peak into the green on #16.  You can only really see the green from the perfect spot in the fairway.  But with so much trouble everywhere, it's really too much. 

 

#17, nothing needs to be said here.....played about 165 yds at elevation



#17 

 

#17 zoomed

 

Looking back on #17

 

This is near the 18th tee and looking southeast.  You can see the clubhouse to the right.  Those players are about to tee off on #11.  This is where the hotel and resort will be located, along the bluff.....

 

Zooming in on the same place

 

Here is a peak up the 18th fairway from the LZ, a par 5.  Kinda weak finishing hole IMHO.

 

Another of the 17th from rd #2

 

Zoomed on the 17th from rd #2

 

A peak at the driving range, 9th green below.



Leaving after two rounds.  Moving left to right is the 9th hole, the 18th and the 10th.  The 11th can be seen way down to the right..

 

[John Kirk]

Great work, Michael.  Thanks for the effort.  Paging Art Fuller...

[Phil McDade]

Mike:

Great pics; a few thoughts:

-- I like the overall look of the course, blending rough terrain in and around the fairways and greens.

-- You have somehow managed to hide the concrete cart paths in your photos -- are they noticeable on the course, or that inconspicuous?

-- The jarring look of the boulder-manufactured walls near water is a poor contrast to the natural look of the rest of the area, which sort of looks like a forested area recovering from a major burned-out fire of about 10 years ago.

-- As for specific holes, the pin position on #6 looks downright silly; the landing zone on #12 looks hard to find (miniscule)  -- is it?

-- Holes #2, 5, 10, 16 and 17 look quite cool and neat to play. I even like #11, but I also like the occasional hole that throws you for a loop that contrasts with the rest of the course. The approach on #11 looks quite interesting and fun to play.

[Jim Colton]

Thanks for sharing.  Up until this point, I had only seen the very photogenic 17th.  The course feels like an explosion to the senses.  On some holes, it's hard to take it all in.

High man in your group has to walk across the pit of glass.

[Jason McNamara]

Wow... almost too much going on there.  Almost.

Any idea what 17 looked like before the course was put in?  (Specifically wondering about those side 'walls.')


Edit:  Duh for me.  Thanks Kalen.

[Kalen Braley]

Wow... almost too much going on there.  Almost.

Any idea what 17 looked like before the course was put in?  (Specifically wondering about those side 'walls.'

Jason,

From the original post by Michael

#17 is an epic one shotter through the quarry.  I was told that hole was sitting there the whole time, local mountain bikers use to "drop in" and play around in there

I must say this is a pretty unqiue looking course and looks to be a blast to play.  I'm a lover of quirk and there appears to be plenty of it.

[Michael Dugger]

Mike:

Great pics; a few thoughts:

-- I like the overall look of the course, blending rough terrain in and around the fairways and greens.

-- You have somehow managed to hide the concrete cart paths in your photos -- are they noticeable on the course, or that inconspicuous?

-- The jarring look of the boulder-manufactured walls near water is a poor contrast to the natural look of the rest of the area, which sort of looks like a forested area recovering from a major burned-out fire of about 10 years ago.

-- As for specific holes, the pin position on #6 looks downright silly; the landing zone on #12 looks hard to find (miniscule)  -- is it?

-- Holes #2, 5, 10, 16 and 17 look quite cool and neat to play. I even like #11, but I also like the occasional hole that throws you for a loop that contrasts with the rest of the course. The approach on #11 looks quite interesting and fun to play.

Cart paths are visable on a lot of holes.  But not terrible

#12 LZ is plenty adequate, it's just the angle of the image misleading you.

I am not crazy about the rock wall either.......

[SPDB]

Driving towards #3 and "Kidd's corner," a looksee at #6 green.  BRUTAL pin on this day.....

 

This position looks extreme - effectively like a green of a couple hundred sq. feet. Can you tell us a little bit more
about #6 and the front left pin?

Nice pictures. Thanks for posting.

[Peter Pallotta]

Michael - thanks for posting.

Jim - I had the same reaction, i.e. the course feels like an explosion to the senses.  It's like the Star Trek parallel universe episode, with TPC Sawgrass and Tetherow subbing for the two Captain Kirks...

Peter 

[Richard Boult]

wow!  posted at http://delicious.com/golfclubatlas.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Beautiful eye candy. I am not sure it works as a golf course, the green slopes look too much and the hairy bluffs look too random...... sort of brilliant except not really red the script.

[Ulrich Mayring]

You took a caddy and a cart??

Ulrich

[Michael Dugger]

Driving towards #3 and "Kidd's corner," a looksee at #6 green.  BRUTAL pin on this day.....

 

This position looks extreme - effectively like a green of a couple hundred sq. feet. Can you tell us a little bit more
about #6 and the front left pin.

Nice pictures. Thanks for posting.

Couple hundered sq ft?  Not sure if it's even that big.  I assume you meant to say front right pin, correct?

Obviously, this is/was a "special" pin.  Essentially the play was to error on the side of coming up short.  But no matter where you hit your tee shot you could not see the flag, something I did not like at all.

I played short right the first round and was okay.  The second round I pulled my approach to the left side of the green.  Hit a good putt right where I wanted to but when it hit the slope it raced by and off the green.  There is NO WAY you could keep it on the green.  No way.....

[Michael Dugger]

You took a caddy and a cart??

Ulrich

Yes, I think the caddy is to "guide" you around and served a lot as a forecaddy.

[Jed Peters]

That golf course looks fuggin' incredible.

[John Kavanaugh]

I can't believe this great game I have played for forty years has come to this.  Aesthetic overt manipulation for the sake of minimaximalism.  I puke in my shoe at the sensory overload.

[Ryan Farrow]

Damn sure ain't subtle. John, I like the way you think..... When I agree with you.

[cary lichtenstein]

Looks like a lot of eye candy, busy, but probably not so from eye level as walking slowly reveals itself and we are looking at a lot of pictures one after the other. The contrast between the green surrounds and the hay colored elephant grass does bother me a bit, but I like the creativity here. For once, this course is probably better looking in person that the pictures.

I would say however, that I'd like to tee off 1st on this course, because the course will become so backed up as play progresses, it could take forever to play once you get behind a serious gambling group looking for lost balls.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Cary, I played Tetherow last week and I can tell you that as you get to ground level there are places where you really have no idea of where to hit the ball. 

In retrospect, the way to play the course may be with a hy-bred and a 3 wood.  While the course is spectacular to look at, there are holes where confusion reigns.  #6 and #16 may be the best examples of this. 


I would love to play it again to determine whether it is a work of genious or confusion.

[Kyle Henderson]

"It's far easier to tone down over-done work than to upgrade dull work." -Ross Watson

[Jim Nugent]

The course looks incredibly cool to me in the pictures.  The real test is how it plays, and I don't believe the pix can tell us that.  Michael thinks it's fantastic.  Very interested to hear what others who play the course say, especially those who play it a number of times (the TOC syndrome). 

[Bruce Leland]

Michael, Great pics and review.  I'm a bit dizzy from the second walk through the pictures.  I have to agree that the rock walled lake looks out of place. 17 looks to be a great 1 shotter but in the photos looks very busy from the tee. 

From a construction and maintenance aspect I understand the holding ponds but do they look natural at all in this setting?  The water in view from 6 tee looks the most natural to me.

The eyebrows look to be a bit overdone but all in all I'd tee it up there in a heartbeat just to experience visual pachinko golf at least once in my life.

[Jim_Kennedy]

It might be fun to play, and less obtrusive in person, but looking at the photos makes me think that  "Overblown" would be a better name for this place.

Why do so much when less would work as well?

[Scott Weersing]

Observations from the pictures:

It looks like a Kidd course. Links style, wild greens, and a variety of holes. How come Kidd can't route or find or create a great No. 18? (See Bandon Dunes and this course)

The bunkers look great but we are now seeing lots of courses, for example, Chambers Bay, with bunkers like these.

No. 17 looks fake. It looks like a Fazio hole where Fazio dug it all up and created it in a hole. I know the land was there already but it doesn't fit with the rest of the course.

If there are blind shots, then the course reminds me of a Strantz course. Can we put Kidd and Strantz in the same camp, group?

If there is no wind, can this course be a great links course?

What are the playing options, green fees, access?

[Tommy Williamsen]

I can't believe this great game I have played for forty years has come to this.  Aesthetic overt manipulation for the sake of minimaximalism.  I puke in my shoe at the sensory overload.

I have to go with John here.  I probably am not as colorful, but it sure looks as though there is way to
much going on.  He seems to have tried to hard to make the course unique.  Maybe it looks different in
person but where do you hit the ball?

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