Whipporwill (Ross/Banks)

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

This course is layed out on a very hilly piece of property with the clubhouse at the top of a ridge.  From what I understand, Banks superimposed MacRaynorBanks greens complexes on top of the Ross routing.  There are some greens that seem as though they were mostly kept intact from Ross's design.  Generally, the greens have quite a bit of slope and the course is known to play fairly difficult as it is rated 73.7 with a 142 slope from the back tees at a 6636 yardage.  The course had a bunker renovation by Ken Dye and is now going a different direction with a restoration by Tripp Davis--it is easy to tell what holes he has completed or at least worked on so far.
   The 1st hole has a redan like green from left to right.


The 2nd hole is a short severely downhill hole of 347yards


The 3rd hole is really a tough par 4 today.  It is 477 but plays really short if you can carry your drive 270yards.  The 2nd shot is uphill about 25-40 feet in elevation.


Note the size of the mound running along the left side of the green.  A view here from the back of the green

The 4th hole is Short.  This green has some really interesting contours that do not show up in the photo

The 5th is possibly the best hole on the course.  This hole is 455 and the fairway slope tends to neutralize roll off the tee shot.  Also, this is a very severe green with brutally tough corner pin positions


The 6th is a cool par 5 of 538yards.  The tee shot is blind up over the hill with OB right and fescue left.  The 2nd shot is downhill at least 75 feet.  The rock slope adjacent to the green works as a great feature



The 7th is a downhill and then back uphill dogleg Punchbowl




The 8th is a downhill Biarritz that is in need of serious bunker resotration



The 9th is 379 but striaght uphill--tends to play closer to 420


The 10th is significantly downhill to a very severe green.  The further right a drive is hit the better the angle into this very severe green.  Balls hit down the left are hitting approaches towards OB


The 11th is Redan, but the kicker really fails to kick.  The far left pin position can really only be reached with an aggressive arial approach.  Note how deep the greenside right bunker plays


The 12th is an uphill ballbuster.  This is proabably the toughest tee shot on the course.  The safety trees to left probably are the reesult of someone having been beaned on the 14th green from a low left rocket tee ball.


The 13th is one of the best short holes in Westchester




The 14th is a flatout awesome hole.  This has to be among the best holes in MetroNY




The 15th is another up an over hole with a dramatic green



The 16th is an uphill 551 yard par 5 that plays uphill at least 50feet.  This is a very contoured green


The 17th is Eden with a prototypically severe back to front green

The 18th is another downhill followed by an uphill approach.  This is a very difficult finishing hole

[Mike Sweeney]

Generally, the greens have quite a bit of slope and the course is known to play fairly difficult as it is rated 73.7 with a 142 slope from the back tees at a 6636 yardage. 

I was surprised when I read this as I don't remember it being that hard. Whipporwill is a really great course. I have not been to it for a few years but always remember thinking to myself on the 5th or 6th hole that this was a very fun course, and my favorite holes are on that 13-17 stretch on the back.

Similar to Sleepy Hollow, it gives you a diversity of looks. Some farmish holes on 13-17, some parkland and some ravine/gorge/stream holes on the front. Back in the day, they seemed confused as to if they were a Ross or a Banks. I know they brought some of the Banks back and I would assume/hope that Tripp Davis will continue in that direction.

[Mike_Cirba]

Looks terrific...is it spring yet?   

[Jim Nugent]

Robert, I'd be interested to hear how you, as an excellent golfer who has played many/most of the country's best courses, rank them.   

[Phil McDade]

Robert:

I'm not sure I've seen a Biarritz that has such a penal feature (pond) on the backside:



Agree re. the bunker restoration; given that the best pin positions on this type of hole are on the back of the green, would shaving the entire backside runoff, from green to pond, make it an even better hole? Or would that make it needlessly tricked up? How much slope is there from the back of the green to the pond? It looks like a running tee shot toward a back pin position, overly cooked, could result in a ball careening toward the pond...

[David Stamm]

Robert:

I'm not sure I've seen a Biarritz that has such a penal feature (pond) on the backside:



 

The Creek Club does, but then it is surrounded by water.

[George_Bahto]

Not many golfers go over the back of a Biarritz, so I'm not sure the pond is a big issue.

I think Whipporwill could have been Banks' best effort - fun course

two great stretches of holes, as Mike said, 13 thru 17 and I also like the stretch of 5 - 6 - 7 (not even counting the 8th, Biarritz)

gb

[Phil McDade]

David:

I'd forgotten about the Creek Club; good catch. I've had the impression that the Creek Club Biarritz green is ginormous, one of the larger Biarritz greens. I've not played either one, just speculating based on overhead shots and pics.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Robert:

I'm not sure I've seen a Biarritz that has such a penal feature (pond) on the backside:

Agree re. the bunker restoration; given that the best pin positions on this type of hole are on the back of the green, would shaving the entire backside runoff, from green to pond, make it an even better hole? Or would that make it needlessly tricked up? How much slope is there from the back of the green to the pond? It looks like a running tee shot toward a back pin position, overly cooked, could result in a ball careening toward the pond...

Golfers rarely miss long (esp when the hole is a 226 yard par 3, I'm guessing the back pin is closer to 240), most misses are short.


Anyways, I liked Whippoorwill my one time around years ago, and also remember it not playing that difficult, either that or I just had a good day.  Quite hilly, especially on the front.   Isn't the lore that the pond on the par 4 7th is supposedly where Banks' famous steamshovel is sunken at the bottom?

[Phil Benedict]

I've played Whippoorwill dozens of times and agree with most of the comments here.  It's a wonderful course.

Just a few comments:

1) The water behind the Biarritz is not in play;
2) 3, which has been converted to a par 4, is a great driving hole that rewards a right-to-left shape;
3) 13 is a great short par 4 with lots of options.  I've gotten to within a few yards of the green with a driver but have also made a hash of the hole plenty of times by hitting driver rather than a layup club.

Whippoorwill has hosted a bunch of Met events and scores are usually pretty high.  It doesn't look that tough but it is.  Not many flat lies and challenging greens.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

One problem with pictures is that there can be distortions--the water on Biarritz is only in play when a ball is shanked or skulled on the recovery attempt.
  I have had several months to think about Tamarack and Whipporwill--they are so close to each other that they cannot avoid comparisons.

[corey miller]

Robert-
Thank you for  this and your many other mini-reviews of some of the fine Met area clubs that I have yet to see.



In regard to your comment below


"the course had a bunker renovation by Ken Dye and is now going a different direction with a restoration by Tripp Davis"


Clearly the club made an unfortunate choice years ago if they saw the need to hire Tripp so soon after a major project.  But I reject the notion that the original plan was "sold" to them as a "renovation".  Call it what you want, the club was told (and many are not smart enough to figure it out) that the bunkers would look like the original designer.

[Phil Benedict]

Kind of unusual to see the hole located in the swale on the Biarritz, isn't it?

[ed_getka]

Thanks for taking the time to share the pix and thoughts Robert. Looks like a great place to spend a day golfing.

[PThomas]

thanks for sharing your great photos Robert!