And it has value: 39 bucks weekday, 49 on weekends.
Where is it? Avondale
Name? Inniscrone.
Yes, this formerly private course that had been run the last few years by Forewinds Hospitality (I think) was for sale and I thought
it might be going away. Since last golf season, there was no update to the web page and no answer from the golf shop. So I took a trip
out there last Friday expecting to find that perhaps the course had been abandoned.
But I was thrilled to find a handful of cars in the lot and it was open for business. It had just reopened the day before as I'm
assuming the sale of the course to the township was finalized. Clearly it was being maintained in the interim and it was in
respectable condition. Some of the tee boxes need some work, but otherwise all is fine.
Inniscrone has been covered here many times, and Ran has profiled it here:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/inniscrone1.htmlI think reading his review where many holes are discussed, and coming back to the pics below, or better yet my photo album where 240+
photos are shown (1100 pixels wide, 16x9 format) here:
http://www.myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/Inniscrone/index.htmlwould be informative.
Ok, let's get started. Here's the routing, which is a bit interesting:
And another version of the routing:
EDIT: and each hole now has a diagram as well as being reformatted to 800 pix due to this new web site policy:
#1: a par 4 where you quickly find out how well bunkers are placed at Inniscrone.
Tee view:
Short of the green which has a small false front:
And from over the green:
#2: par 4 with a semi-blind tee shot. Left in the FW is the better play, altough it isn't obvious from the tee.
Tee view:
A large bunker runs up the right side:
A view from just long and left of the green:
Now you must cross a local road to get to holes 3-7. It isn't a long walk at all to get to a neat little par 4.
#3: shortish, slightly downhill par 4 with a few options off the tee, including attempting to drive it to the front left part of the green with a very high and deep draw.
From the tee:
From where a safer tee shot would be, after ~200 yard drive:
A longer, more aggressive line off the tee being more right, gives a view like this to a green that is probably slightly running away from you at this angle:
From behind the rear bunkers:
#4: gosh what a tough par 4 this is, with the championship tee box way off at a different angle.
Back tee view:
Regular tees view, with the safe tee shot to stay on the top level by the 150 pole:
If you wish, a drive can be hit over the hill and hope it stops in a little valley to give this view from about 125 yards out, to a green that really slopes significantly to the left, some people perhaps thinking a bit too much:
A view from over the green:
Next up is a par 3 that feels a little out of place as after teeing off you walk down to the green, then traverse back up the hill to get to the next tee (I know there is a good story about why this hole resulted b/c of some environmental restrictions, but I forget exactly what was originally planned here, although I'm guessing it was some type of very uphill and long par 3).
#5: a short 'drop-shot' par 3 of about 100 yards.
The view from the middle tee box:
This hole used to have a group of bunkers short and left-ish of the green, and one over the green, but those were removed unfortunately a couple of years ago (the Google Earth image above for the routing still shows them).
Here is a pic that shows where to the left these group of bunkers used to be:
This is not the easiest green to hit although for most is just a SW. The last photo shows a little bump right at the front of the green that must be avoided or it can shoot your ball over the green, which is a tough up and down. This next photo from the left of the green shows the bump as well, but it is slightly harder to see. You have to be content with aiming for the flat part of each part of the green depending upon where the flag is located. And the left flag leaves less room for error.
After playing the 5th one must hike back up the hill to get to the next tee, not far from the tee you just played.
#6: a tough par 4 with, according to Ran's profile, one of the neatest green complexes on the course. Most people not into golf architecture would not choose this one, but I do think it is very good.
The view from the tee of this gradually uphill hole that moves a little to the right (the preferred line off the tee is a bit left so to not deal with the trees in right rough):
A really long tee ball in the left part of the FW leaves a view sort of like this one (I just love the bunker like that one to the left):
It is not unusual to have a long iron or more into this green and it sets up for a shot that can bounce on as this pic on the way to the par 5 7th shows:
#7: the par 5 7th is a hole that your better players are probably going to view as a birdie hole. The hole will improve over time, IMO, as the the trees to the right off the tree grow and prevent/impede those tee shots playing the dogleg right hole as the crow flies, which leads to people in the 3rd FW or short of that green getting beaned.
Here is the view from the tee, with the preferred line, IMO, being right down the center of the pic, but you can see the 'shortcut' of the 3rd FW to the right (it really isn't a great shortcut for most as a gigantic bunker short and right of the green comes even more into play):
A good drive lands just to the left of this bunker in the right of the photo (I have been in that one many times!)
If you are playing to reach the green in regulation, a short third like the following is preferred from the left part of the FW to a large green with one very small and deep greenside bunker:
Now you've finished the holes on this side of the street and it is time to crossover (a bit of a walk, but not too bad) and go past the 2nd green to the tee for the par 3 8th:
#8: I guess this could be called some Redan green derivative by Gil Hanse. It plays a very long 230 yards from the tips, and still a healthy 170 yards or so from the next tee box up. You can play right of the pin really if you wish, b/c the green complex is very receptive for a draw from the right handed player landing right of the green, kicking left, and tumbling down to the flag.
The view from the tee:
From well right of the green, this photo shows the mowed down area where you can bounce a shot onto the green:
And here's a pic from just over the green showing the slope at the right side of the green (as well as the 'junk' that must be carried on the tee shot):
Now we move onto a very challenging par 4 9th where a precise line off the tee is important if you value being able to see the pin on your second shot.
Here's the view from the middle tees where the green is visible, as well as the multitude of crossing bunkers about 280 yards off the tee (you want to be in the far left part of the FW here):
If you are successful in being in the left part of the FW, you'll be able to see the flag:
If you are middle or in the right part of the FW, no view of the flagstick is possible, but there is a flagpole behind the green to make lining up the shot less intimidating:
On the 2nd shot, the terrain heaves heavily to the left so a draw to the right of the green can bounce right on:
Did you like the front nine? I know I do. And the back is even better, IMO, although it begins with a par 4 that is very polarizing. I'll post the back nine pics and commentary soon....