I recently played Beechtree golf course with Kyle Harris on a warm fall day (32 degrees)
. As is common knowledge, the course has indeed closed its doors so I thought I would post some 2nd-to-last day pics. I won't go into the details on the course as its already been discussed here at length, but I will include some observations:
1) A wedge, much less an iron, hit to a frozen green will not hold, putting a premium on the bump and run game which was an absolute blast to play on this course.
1a) Attempting traditional blast shots out of frozen bunkers is also an exercise in futility.
2) Beechtree is a great example of minimalism in how it flows with the gently rolling landscape.
3) Kyle has some wickedly good short bump and run game, up to and including putts from dozens of yards off the green.
4) Its a shame a course like this is NLE as its good fun to play and from best as I can tell one of the best options to be found in the general DC/Baltimore area.
5) Prior to this, I've never played a course with such low profile bunkering. Bunkers from 150+ yards away frequently looked like small rumples in the ground and when you get close they are several hundred square feet in size. Needless to say there was quite a bit of visual deception going on.
6) The 17th hole is an excellent golf hole that should be templatized if already hasn't.
7) A golf shop that is one day away from closing its doors will not have much for sale.
Both Kyle, golf course superintendant extradionarre, and myself could not figure out for the life of us why they enforced a frost delay on the 2nd to last day.
9) The fairways on this course are by far and away the widest of any course I've played..I couldn't beleive how much space there was out there. Yet sadly, I still only managed to hit half of them off the tee.
Without further ado, on to the pics of the course.
#1 - Par 4 - A firm handshake to open. From the tee.
The approach in where left is dead, although long and left opens up.
#2 - Par 3 - The obligatory tee shot over a pond hole.
A look at the slooping green from the left side.
#3 - Par 4 - A shortish par 4 that can be attacked.
The approach in.
#4 - Par 3 - This hole is tougher than it looks. A well struck shot is required to hold this green despite being very large.
#5 - Par 4 - A gentle dog leg left green where Kyle managed to find the Dr. Childs bunker.
The approach in looks benign but missing left or right makes for a tough up and down.
#6 - Par 4 - I couldn't quite figure out why the bunkers are left as there really is no advantage to going over there. I found the right rough and still had a clear look in. Perhaps some trickery is afoot!!
The look in on the approach to a semi-falling away green.
#7 - Par 5 - A perfect of example of how a short 5 only really needs 1 strategically placed bunker to work really well. Tee shot is a bit of bite as much as you can chew.
The approach in with the bunker protecting the green about 30 yards short. Not to say the bunker right was bad, just didn't see it as necessary.
#8 - Par 5 - Second of back to back par 5s. Better bust a big one to have any hope of getting home in two here.
The layup really made you think as these bunkers were right in the way of where one wants to layup to.
The approach in from short and right of the green.
#9 - Par 4 - Visually just an outstanding hole that plays good too.
The approach in after a indifferent drive, longer hitters can go over the bunker.
Back 9 to follow shortly.......