Charlotte CC and Barton Hills (Ross)

[mark chalfant]

These  Golden Age  courses  by Donald Ross  were both  restored  in the last year or so. Has  any golfer on here played either of the  new editions ?  If so, what are some of the most interesting holes and neatest greens.  Also, any improved  North Carolina veiws or Michigan vistas due to tree removal  ?

thanks

[PThomas]

who did the work on Barton H?

[Ed Oden]

I have played Charlotte a dozen or so times since it reopened, including yesterday's "tough day" event.  While all of Ron Prichard's work there is outstanding, the greens are clearly the showstoppers.  No doubt the course will show very well when the US Women's Am visits in a couple of years.  There are a couple of participants on this site who are members at Charlotte.  Hopefully they will chime in.  The tree removal was significant.  But, in my opinion, not as dramatic in terms of the vistas created as at Carolina.

Ed

[Brian Cenci]

Here's some pics I have after recently playing Barton Hills in August.  Overall it is a nice course but from what I heard and saw when playing they aren't done with their re-working.  There are about 9 or 10 holes that have been completed but the remaining holes still haven't been redone.  Unfortunately I didn't really take any pics of the holes that weren't redone because they didn't look as good.  My understanding is that the course received a gift of 1 million to redo some holes and had a timeframe in which to use it, I could be wrong.  So, here are some of the pics:

1st hole:


2nd hole:


4th hole:


think this is the 10th hole:


approach to 18th:


-Brian

[Will E]

Brian
The only new work shown in your Barton pictures are of 1 and 4.
The most dramatic changes are on holes 4,6,7,9 and 12.
This work was done by Ron Prichard in the fall of 2007.

[Matt MacIver]

There are a few greens at the new Charlotte that you are better off missing off the green and chipping back vs. missing on a certain portion of the green and putting -- two par threes come to mind, and probably 18 too.  The greens place the most emphasis on exacting 2nd shots and knowing where to miss...but if I knew HOW to miss...

[George Freeman]

Mark,

I played Barton Hills early this summer and really liked the course.  Restored Ross courses really seem to catch my eye (ala Franklin Hills, Holston Hills, etc). 

Some holes that I really liked: 

The fourth is a really neat short par four.  You can either lay up on the drive to stay atop a hill about 100-150 yds from the green with a good look at it, or drive past the ridge and have less than a 100 yds, however you won't have much of a view of the green.  The green complex is fantastic as well as the bunkers short of the green that mess with your depth perception; and there are some very cool pin locations. 

The fifth is a great short par 3.  Once again, great bunkering and really neat green with some interesting pin locations.

The seventh is a good long par four with an undulating fairway and a really good green.  From a pre-restoration areial, it looks like they reclaimed a lot of green that had been lost over the years.

The thirteenth is a tough long par 4 with another fantastic green.

Ditto for fourteen.

The seventeenth was probably my favorite hole on the course (neck and neck with the fourth).  Great par five with a really interesting drive, and which is reachable with two solid shots, however your second will be uphill and blind.  I think this is the most attractive green complex on the course, it just screems Ross IMO.  Throw in an interesting green with great pin placements, and you've got a fantastic penultimate hole.


I hope that helps...Barton Hills is a very underated course that seems to fly under the radar.  I think with the restoration, that will likely change soon.

Cheers,

George

[Ed Oden]

Since no one posted any pictures of Charlotte CC, I thought I would do so.

#1 is a short par 4.  Not too difficult, but don't make the mistake of going long on your approach! 


#2 is another short par 4, but much more exacting than the first.  The green has several tiers with the front being the highest and the back right the lowest.  Very difficult to get your ball on the correct tier.


#3 is a medium length par 3 to another severely contoured green (actually, pretty much every green is severely contoured so I won't even bother mentioning it any more).


#4 is a long and very difficult par 4.


#5 is a short par 4 with a steep uphill approach to a two tier green.


#6 is a medium length par 4.  A restored creek crosses the fairway and can be reached from the tee, making club selection critical.  Stay short of the creek and you have this uphill approach.


#8 is another terrific long par 4 that plays downhill off the tee with an uphill approach.


#9 is a par 4 that can be a brute from the Championship tees (which add about 75 yards or so to the normal back tee yardage). 


#10 doglegs sharply left with a steep uphill approach.


I think it is interesting that 8 of the first 10 holes are par 4s.

#11 is a medium/long par 3 that is all carry.


#12 is an uphill par 5 that always plays longer than the yardage.



#13 is a long and difficult par 4 that ends with one of the most natural looking green sites I have seen on any Ross course that I have played.


#15 is a medium length par 4.  The drive (which is easily the toughest on the course) must be fitted through a slew of bunkers, both seen and unseen.



#16 is a sharp dogleg right par 4 with one of my favorite approach shots on the course.


#17 is an entitely new par 3.  I've heard some mixed reviews, but I think it is really, really good.


#18 is a long dogleg par 4, downhill from the tee and then uphill to the green.


Hope you enjoy.

Ed

[Art Roselle]

Great pictures Ed.  Thanks for posting them.  I have been too lazy to do it, but yours probably turned out better than anything I would have taken anyway.  I can't wait to see Carolina.  I hear it is great.

Art

[Deucie Bies]

How much has Barton Hills changed due to the renovations?  I have played it numerous times, but have never been a big fan, although it grew on me the last time I played it (Sept. 2006).  I would be curious to see the redesign.  I have always enjoyed Radrick Farms more when I visit Ann Arbor so I haven't made the effort to play Barton Hills the last couple of years. 

[Ed Oden]

Art, Carolina is very good.  But remember, we had a lot more room for improvement than at Charlotte!  Regardless, I'd like to get you out to Carolina so you can judge for yourself.  It will be interesting to see Myers Park's redo.  If they can achieve similar results, it will complete a remarkable transformation in the local golfing landscape in just over a year.  The city now offers a really strong lineup of private courses.

Ed

[David Stamm]

Thanks for posting Ed! Between here and your club and the work done at both, it appears Charlotte, NC is well represented. They both look very good!

[Ed Oden]

David, the changes at both clubs are indeed dramatic.  Hopefully you will make it out this way to see for yourself.  Kris Spence (at Carolina) and Ron Prichard (at Charlotte) each deserve high praise.  Their work is in effect a time machine that allows us today to experience the brilliance of what Donald Ross created many years ago. 

Ed