...under Courses by Country and under Raynor in Architecture Timeline.
With money at a premium, private clubs need to be sure-footed in their care of their course. Now more than ever, sloppy work or poor use of funds won’t be tolerated by memberships. Yet, clubs that act as good stewards remain the exception rather than the norm.
One rare example of a club taking the time to get each and every move right is Country Club of Fairfield. Since signing on with Renaissance Design and Bruce Hepner in 1999, they have gradually made a series of decisions that yields today’s course, which I think, all things considered, is the best that the course has ever been.
Importantly, the club board knows when to leave well enough alone and the question ‘what would the shepherds do?’ has helped them avoid over-thinking what needs to be done. Consequently, as you will see in photograph after photograph, man’s hand in no way subtracts from Fairfield’s coastal setting. Just look at the first few photos in the course profile – is that a pure golf landscape or what?! At the same time, work continues and two great features will soon be restored. The first is the horseshoe bunker presently being recaptured around the thirteenth green while the left plateau of the Double Plateau green will make its return later in 2009.
One interesting aspect to their work – and I don’t understand why this doesn’t happen more – is that the course is SHORTER today than it was forty years ago. Not many contestants in the 2008 Metropolitan Open probably appreciated this fact given that the average score was 74.83 (i.e. the finest amateurs in the area were nearly five strokes over par per round on this 6,400 yard course). Two of Fairfield’s par fives (the second and the twelfth) were shortened in the 1960s to par fours, which turned out particularly for the best at the twelfth where its open green yields one of the most interesting approach shots on the course. Too many clubs that possess Golden Age courses try to add length and cram tees into the far reaches of their properties. Costs escalate as such clubs pander to the less than 10% of the golfers that play from the back markers. In addition, such tees invariably increase the length of green to tee walks, which stretches out the time it takes to play a round. Fairfield has never fallen prey to such nonsense and with a tight par now of 70, it is a much tougher test relative to par than if it was one hundred and fifty yards longer with a conventional par of 72. In addition, eighteen holes played in less than three hours at Fairfield is
commonplace.
Particularly noteworthy, and a real testimonial to the Club board, is that they instructed Hepner to add shorter tees on two par threes on the back nine. The benefits of the new "shorter" tees at the 14th and 17th were two fold. First, they added variety to the length of the three par threes on the back (previous to the new white tees, the three holes all fell in the 170-180 yard range). The shorter tees also allowed a few more interesting hole locations to be utilized on a more consistent basis. In short
, the shorter tees made the holes more interesting. As Hepner is the first to point out, Fairfield does an EXCELLENT job of managing their golf course for its membership rather than having their course manage the membership! Making the course more enjoyable for more players while still maintaining its challenge for such events as the Met Open is a sure sign that that have struck the perfect balance between enjoyment and challenge.
Here are two photos courtesy of Stephen Ellis, who is helping the club with its club history. If these
don’t make you want to grab your clubs and head straight out, nothing well and you need to find a new sport. The first shows the course’s setting which is nearly impossible to beat and the second features its incomparable Redan (some consider it better than the original).
Country Club of Fairfield has quietly brought their course back to where it is one of the most engaging spots for a game in the golf rich northeast – it is great to be able to share their story now.
Cheers,