In My Opinion Friars Head is...

[Ryan Farrow]

arguably the greatest piece of art ever created.

I was blown away with some of the pieces at the Philadelphia Museum of Art yesterday and absolutely in awe of Friars Head today. Pouring down rain and 30mph winds be dammed, it was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Does anything compare to this in the golf world?

-Poor NGLA was my new favorite course for about half a day. I feel bad for its brief spot on top, wish it could have been longer.

[Carl Nichols]

Sounds like a great day (or two days), notwithstanding the weather.

[Ben Sims]

Ryan,

Why did you like Friar's better than NGLA?  I'd love to hear your take.

[Bill_McBride]

Ryan, the down and up routing is truly inspired.    When I told Tommy I thought the par 5s were "the escalators," he told me, "You get it!"  What do you think about that?

I also loved #5 and #10.

[Ryan Farrow]

Ben,

I came into NGLA with very high expectations. And I was not disappointed. I have seen/played courses like Oakmont, Seminole, Riviera but National is just on another level.

I only say Friars head is better because words can not describe how incredible that site is. And how well it was preserved/enhanced/ put on display. I remember seeing that big blue water tower  when I first walked on 14 tee and only noticed it 1 more time when I was distracted momentarily, soaking in the view turning around in a circle while admiring my surroundings.

[Ryan Farrow]

Bill, I'm not following the escalator thing, maybe I just don't get it? 

1. takes a lot of balls to design
2. & 3. are pretty sweet
4. WTF?
5. I agree... that is sweet.

Solid up to 8

9. Wow
10. I stood on the green and probably did about 3 or 4 360's with my Jaw dropped on the ground.
11. Sweet
12. IMO the only kink in the routing. Another par 3?
13. I just kept thinking.... I saw pictures of a few holes, where are they! I think they are coming up. I love how you have no idea what you are in for. No hints are given about what is to come during the first 12 holes but you know, its probably going to be good.  But its still a big mystery.
14. to 18. ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME?


Someone tell me how this is not the greatest golf course in the world.



-off to bed. Bethpage tomorrow.

[Steve Kupfer]

That stretch of 14-18 is truly an unbelievable concluding run.

How does the new clubhouse look? I assume its finished?  

[Ben Sims]

Ryan,

I don't think I have any higher expectations for any course the way I do The National.  Thanks for adding your take.  Friar's sounds amazing from the lucky few I've talked to that have seen it.  I have read Ran's review of Friar's a half dozen times or so, and I'm still amazed at how C&C position green complexes within dune systems.  That picture of the 14th green makes me salivate, and reminds me of the 15th at Bandon Trails.  The #9 green looks very fun too.  

Being a big fan of NGLA, have you seen Old Mac yet?  I think you would like it.

[Steve Kupfer]

Bill, I'm not following the escalator thing, maybe I just don't get it? 

1. takes a lot of balls to design
2. & 3. are pretty sweet
4. WTF?
5. I agree... that is sweet.

Solid up to 8

9. Wow
10. I stood on the green and probably did about 3 or 4 360's with my Jaw dropped on the ground.
11. Sweet
12. IMO the only kink in the routing. Another par 3?
13. I just kept thinking.... I saw pictures of a few holes, where are they! I think they are coming up. I love how you have no idea what you are in for. No hints are given about what is to come during the first 12 holes but you know, its probably going to be good.  But its still a big mystery.
14. to 18. ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME?


Someone tell me how this is not the greatest golf course in the world.



-off to bed. Bethpage tomorrow.

Bill, I assume you mean the staircase to 15 after the brilliant uphill par 5?

[JC Jones]

Isnt it one of the 2 courses Doak would give a 9 that have been made since The Confidential Guide came out?  Sand Hills, noticeably, not one of those 2...

Scratch that, its the only one.

Second edit, Sand Hills was in the last edition of the TCG.  Still, to be the ONLY course that he has seen in the last 13 years that is a 9, pretty impressive.

[Mike_Cirba]

Ryan,

Congratulations...sounds like an awesome trip!

As regards your question about best in the world...have you played and/or seen;

Pine Valley
Sand Hills
Cypress Point
ANGC
Royal County Down
Shinnecock
Pacific Dunes

Just trying to get a reference point...

I agree Friars's Head is terrific.

[Bill_McBride]

By the "escalators," I refer to the par 5s (#2, #7, #11, #14) that take you down from the upper level dunes/forest environment into the old potato field holes, and up again.  Each nine has a "down" escalator (#2 and #11) and an "up" escalator (#7 and #14).   I thought that was pretty inspired routing, love the old in and out ("Clockwork Orange" reference?) a la Cypress Point, and thought the uphill par 5s were particularly great.

[Ed Oden]

Ryan, not sure I'd go quite so far as to declare Friars Head the greatest course in the world.  But I couldn't argue with anyone who felt it was in the discussion.  The course really is that good.  Personally, I think Shinnecock and probably NGLA are better tracks.  But I can honestly say that if I were given a choice of returning to any course I have played, Friars Head would be near the top of the list.  

Steve, interesting that you bring up the clubhouse.  I haven't seen the finished product.  It was under construction when I was there.  But to me the clubhouse was the ONLY thing about Friars Head that didn't fit.  It was way too over the top for me and seemed totally out of character with the course and the property as a whole.  Easy for me to say as a visitor that isn't interested in any of the facilities the members are likely looking for, but I much prefer the simple buildings and old pro shop near the entrance.  They just seemed so much more in keeping with the feel of the place than the monstrocity of a clubhouse.

Ed

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The clubhouse:



An escalator:

[Mike_Cirba]

This is the first I've seen of the clubhouse.

My gut is that Ed Oden is correct that the orignal low-key pro-shop and simple amenities on the outside periphery of the property was better.

With all due respect to the wonderful vision and execution by Ken Bakst, et.al., at Friar's Head, itt's sort of like replacing Ben's Porch with a giant distracting clubhouse.   

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Mike,

The original low key clubhouse:



Another view of an escalator:



Another view of the new clubhouse:

[Jaeger Kovich]

I thought the club house was incredible. When I played, we finished in near darkness. The club house just loomed over 18 green like a castle, with the stone and yellow lighting. It seemed totally original to me.

#4, 7, 9, 10, 15 where my favorite holes

#4 - is totally influence by a tiny mound on the front of the green (played a low-chip that carried off the back slope to 2 ft)
#7 - the green (am still laughing at my first putt that went 10 ft backwards)
#9 - try to cut the short par-4 off, the chance to hit a shot out of the native area is to me what the game is about
#10 - the green
#15 - the ocean, the carry (saw some sandy bare footprints on the green and no flagstick... apparently this wasn't the first time someone stole it either)

If you get a chance to eat on the outside rooftop patio and spend time at the practice facility, let alone play the course, you are going to love the place... after thinking about the thread on playing TOC the first time and asking if it was spiritual... I'm not sure if you could call my trip to friars head spiritual, but I have never felt so connected in my mind to the history of the game as I did there.

[Mike Sweeney]

I only say Friars head is better because words can not describe how incredible that site is. And how well it was preserved/enhanced/ put on display. I remember seeing that big blue water tower  when I first walked on 14 tee and only noticed it 1 more time when I was distracted momentarily, soaking in the view turning around in a circle while admiring my surroundings.

Ryan,

You seem to ask/focus on two separate elements in your post(s) above:

1. Greatest piece of art mainly due to the site and integration into the site (and I take this in terms of golf).
2. Greatest golf course.

Limiting myself to the US, I would chose Cypress, Fishers and Sand Hills over FH from an artistic standpoint via the site.

In terms of a golf course, I think the word "greatest" demands 18 great to all-world golf holes. The only three that do that in my mind are National, Pine Valley and Sand Hills.

The 14-18 stretch is great at FH, but in a match play it still loses on the 18th hole at Merion (14 + 15 to FH, 16 and 17 to Merion),

I have not seen the Bandon courses and Shinnecock just misses both categories above by a nose. All of the above should be viewed in observance that I AM a big fan of FH.

[Jim Nugent]

I would love to see more photos of Friar's Head.  The pix in the profile are B&W, and I have a hard time getting a sense for what the holes really look like. 

[Matt Day]

the clubhouse looks like it's come straight from the set of The Munsters

[Cristian]

Mike,

The original low key clubhouse:



Another view of an escalator:



Another view of the new clubhouse:

Who are going to run the club? The Adams Family?

[Niall C]

any chance of seeing more photos of the course rather than the clubhouse !

[Emil Weber]

I've played neither course but I guess what makes Friar's Head better than NGLA for some is probably that FH is a lot more beatiful and artistic in construction. Am I right Ryan?

[Stephen Britton]

Does anyone have a link to a previous Friars Head thread that has photos of all the holes?

Or better still can someone post photos of all the holes?

This course looks awesome and I've heard so much about it but I've seen very few photos. 

[Emil Weber]

Stephen:

Ran's review of Friar's Head is pretty detailed with hole-by-hole descriptions and numerous photos of each hole.