Tallgrass Country Club

[Chip Gaskins]

Does anyone know much about Tallgrass Country Club on the northside of Long Island?  I am looking for an afternoon round next Thursday and am thinking about trying this Hanse design out, however when I look on Google Maps in Shoreham where it is supposed to be located I don't see a golf course?  Has anyone played it? 

Thanks for any help/feedback...

Chip

[Bill_McBride]

Try the search function, there have been several interesting threads over the years.

[Joe Bausch]

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.932492,-72.887897&z=16&t=h&hl=en

[Kyle Harris]

Definitely worth a look. I enjoyed playing there even in a 5 club wind.

Probably the windiest round of golf in my life, the company of Mike Cirba, Jason and Mrs. Blasberg certainly helped.

Pity Jason isn't around anymore. His leaving was such a misunderstanding.

[Rick Sides]

Chip,
Check Google.  I was able to see it on Google Maps.  Where are you coming from?  It looks like an awesome course.  Be prepared extra travel time.  Long Island trafiic is nuts!

[Chip Gaskins]

Bill-

Thanks, I suppose I haven't gotten used to the search function working.  The old site wasn't very good at this, the new one seems better.

Joe-

Thanks for the map.  I can clearly see it now, it just doesn't show up as green like other courses do.

Rick-

It will be mid-day, mid-week, and I will be coming from Southampton...I assume midweek traffic would be OK.

Sounds like everyone really liked it, so I am booking it now.  Thanks

[Carl Nichols]

Chip:
Are you playing any other courses on this trip? 

[Rick Sides]

Chip,
Do you live in Southampton NY or Southampton NJ?  Let us know how the round goes. It looks great

[Nicholas Coppolo]

I've played it twice in the last month or so.  Good course, a little shaggy and soft on the approaches the last two time I played...not a moisture issue as much as a turf issue, may have been resolved by now.  Lots of interesting holes...8 is one of the toughest par 3s I've played, it a reverse Redan that usually plays around 185 to an elevated and very narrow green.  Par 5s are fun.  Not a big fan of the man-made ridge and the interior out of bounds it mandated for some reason but its not a deal breaker, and makes 2,  11 and 15 interesting.

[Chip Gaskins]

Rick-

I live in Washington DC....I will just be driving from Southampton, NY.

Carl-

I have a few more, but the infamous John Kavanaugh told me to "not smoke before sex"

[Tom Dunne]

Chip,

Tallgrass is good but not great--it's reminiscent of Rustic Canyon but not in the same league as a design. Definitely some cool Hanse green complexes. Not a very interesting piece of property--former potato field. Course is a lot more fun without the eponymous Tall Grass. I usually play it once a year, around this time, and it's always good fun, though my experience of a handful of rounds there square with Nicholas Coppolo's take-- it usually doesn't play as f&f as it probably should. One of my favorite holes there is the short-four tenth.

I was actually thinking of heading out there on Friday--too bad I'll miss you by a day.

[BCyrgalis]

Chip--

I'm a Long Island guy, and I'll vouch for Tallgrass.  It's a fun course, with some really good holes, and when the wind is up, it can be a bear.  That being said, I've also got some issues.

Considering it was built on an old sod farm, sometimes the undulations that run through both the fairways and greens seem ... well, let's get cliche and say they can seem contrived.  In an attempt to create some blind shots, like that of a rolling seaside links, they moved a lot of land, and at times it's quite noticeable.  As mentioned before, there is also a big man-made ridge and huge valley that creates an interior out of bounds.  That whole area stinks, and although it comes into play on only a couple holes, it detracts from the overall feel of the course.  

With that, there's also many good holes, and the overall feel is still one that makes for an enjoyable round.  The tall fescues make it aesthetically pleasing and a couple short par-4s are terrific.  I guess at times since it opened about 10 years ago, it was rated as one of the best in the area.  It's a fun tract, but one of the best it's not.  

[Pete Lavallee]

I think it is well worth the visit just to see how the architect tackled giving movement to what was a dead flat sod farm. The creation of a large ridge that affects several holes seems much more interesting than trying to sculpt 18 individual holes. Much of the strategy found at Rustic canyon is on display there. The large areas of fescue were way too thick in 2002 to play out of; the Marshall suggested playing them as lateral water hazards, which is really contrary to the spirit of the game. I found it both interesting and fun.

[Mike Erdmann]

Played it today with Bill Vostinak.  Definitely worth the trip out that far on LI.  IMHO an underrated course with some really fantastic greens.  Course wasn't maintained in F&F conditions, especially the approaches to greens, but definitely worth the trip nonetheless.