As many of you know, I recently headed north to the great state of Maine for a golf trip and even met up with Mr. Moore for the first round on our trip. Here were the courses on the itinerary in order:
Prouts Neck CC (18 holes - Stiles/Van Kleek)
Belgrade Lakes (18 holes - C. Clark - 1999)
Kebo Valley (18 holes - Leeds/Ross - 1888)
Grindstone Neck (9 holes - A. Handy - 1891)
Cape Arundel (18 holes - Travis - 1896)
We also walked the following:
Abenakee CC (9 holes - ??)
Blink Bonnie GC (9 holes - ??)
To our surprise, the clear winner among the group was Grindstone Neck. The nine-holer is located in Winter Harbor which is an hour's drive north of Bar Harbor even though it is right across the bay. Bar Harbor is generally regarded as the northernmost outpost for the summer crowd in the Northeast so heading north from there gives you a sense that you are "off the grid" which I am sure accounts for much of Grindstone's low profile.
We arrived mid-afternoon on a Friday and had the place all to ourselves. Mid 60's, overcast with a little fog coming off of the bay. Given that our backs were beat up from 45 holes of golf in the previous 36 hours, we decided to play "evens" - just carrying the even numbered clubs plus a wedge and putter in your bag. No woods, no additional wedges. The girl behind the counter was extremely pleasant when we checked in and looked surprised to see anyone playing the course. Only 2 groups had played all day. The greens fee was even better - $15.
Here is the scorecard:
#1 Par 4 345 yds.
#2 Par 4 340 yds.
#3 Par 4 317 yds.
#4 Par 3 138 yds.
#5 Par 4 413 yds.
#6 Par 4 335 yds.
#7 Par 5 457 yds.
#8 Par 4 343 yds.
#9 Par 4 407 yds.
Par 36, 3095 yds.
The following pictures and hole descriptions are from Grindstones website:
http://www.grindstonegolf.com
#1 Par 4 345 yds.
The Big Easy
Without a practice facility, architect Alex Handy designed a wide fairway to accommodate the first drive. A (relatively) large green, which may be carried in the air, or 'rolled' up, makes this an inviting target. Left, right and long are acceptable 'misses'. A short, flat chip from the rough can save par.
My comments:
The simplest and weakest hole on the golf course. As you pull up to the clubhouse, you wonder if the trip was really worth it. Wide open uphill fairway to a small, plain green which is elevated and sloped back to front. The only water views are looking backwards from the tee. Given that you probably travelled hours to get here, the first hole is really just there to warm you up.
#2 Par 4 340 yds.
"Ironbound"
"The tee shot presents a choice. Take the driver and fly the stream bisecting the fairway, or a long iron and lay up short. The second shot is into a green that drops off sharply, left, right and back. Don't miss the Green; heavy rough makes the pitch a real challenge! The view from the Green is spectacular!"
My comments:
Now included in my list of all-time favorite par 4's. Blind tee shot to a naturally undulating fairway with spectacular views of Winter Harbor all the way down to the green which is located on the edge of the beach. A hump short of the green makes the approach partially blind. You now know the trip may have been worth it.
#3 Par 4 317 yds.
"Halibut Hole"
"A sharp dogleg greets the golfer on this hole, and a medium to long iron is what is needed to get to the turn. Stay right, or the tall pines may block the golfer's second shot to the Green. The right side will give an opportunity to 'hit the Green' with a short to medium iron. Again, right, left, and behind the Green leads to trouble. Hard chips, or worse, a visit to Frenchman's Bay! Again, what a view from this Green!"
My comments:
A mid to long iron off the tee to a slightly uphill undulating fairway. The fairway then takes a 90 degree turn left and runs downhill to a green set on the harbor. More spectacular views and the green runs away towards the water. This is the type of funky hole that works on a course this natural. It fits into the topography perfectly and rewards those who show some restraint off the tee and just take what the course gives you.
#4 Par 3 138 yds.
"Dixon's Delight"
"So named for Fitz Dixon, a true native of Winter Harbor, who has 'aced' the hole on several occasions. The key here is pin placement. If the pin is in the upper center portion of this steeply sloping right to left Green, the tee shot must stay on the small, flat left portion of the Green. But, beware, there is no bailout area to the left. It is steeply banked, and will be a challenging up and down."
My comments:
The closest tee I have ever seen to a beach (beating out Amelia Island), just a footstep away. One of my playing partners said we should just throw a few balls on the sand and play it from there which is what I imagine they did long ago. A wonderful par 3 with the green located in a pocket in the woods. The green is wonderful... the front right section is severely canted to the left and the main hazard is the steep bank of the left side of the green down into a spongy section of turf. Bailout right and you have a hard time even holding the green on your chip.
#5 Par 4 413 yds.
"Gentle's Fairway"
"Named after another legendary Grindstone golfer, Jimmy Gentle. A maintenance road goes along the left side, and Gentle decreed that this was 'fairway'. Don't get confused by the winds on this hole. Although 'straight-away', the wind from the bay may be at your back on the drive, but the wind from the harbor may be in your face on the second shot. In any case, a good drive is necessary to have a medium to long iron into a small green, which is 'blind' to the golfer. You will not see the results until you reach the Green! Danger lies left, across the maintenance road. The safe approach is to 'roll' it up."
My comments:
A small creek/trench cuts across the fairway at 200 yds. and is blind from the tee. Slight undulations in this generous fairway abound and a mound obstructs the view of the right side of the green on approaches. You are generally hitting into the wind and I was surprised to see a par 4 of this length on a 9 hole course of this age. A wonderful hole.
#6 Par 4 335 yds.
"The Swimming Pool"
"A wide open tee shot, with the ninth fairway adjoining to the right, tempts the long hitters to 'let out shaft'. Beware of pulling this shot, as Beach Road lurks to the left, with 'The Old Swimming Pool' catching many an errant drive. The second shot is uphill, and the bailout is the right side. The 'false front' of the Green makes pin placement critical. Many a ball has been putted from the back portion of the Green to a front pin placement, and gone 30 yards off the Green!"
My comments:
You play along the coastline but the water does not come into play as a road runs along the left side of the hole. I wish they could move the tee left towards the coast and it would become a legitimate cape hole. The double fairway with 9 lures the golfer to hit away with out a care but after further review you realize that the elevated green is angled and much better approached from the right. Left of the green is severly sloped down into the woods.
#7 Par 5 457 yds.
"The Long Walk"
"The only par five on the course. Don't be deceived! A long drive may yield you the opportunity to 'go for it' in two, but observe the Green! Elevated, with trouble on the left and the Yacht Club or swimming pool parking lots just over the road, only yards behind the Green. By far the hardest Green to hold if you land on it. Your chances are better to get to the bottom of the hill and pitch up for the birdie chance."
My comments:
A blind drive over a mound to a right to left sloping fairway. If you bailout right, you end up in rock outcroppings which are barely under the fairway. The green is slightly elevated and sloped right to left and front to back. The road behind the green makes you pause for going for the green in two.
#8 Par 4 343 yds.
"The Rectory"
"St. Christopher's Rectors reside just above this tee, and they delight in watching the suffering going on below. If there is any guilt in the player, it will be displayed here! The rock hard fairway will extend even a modest drive. The forest to the left says it all: 'Don't go here!' Bail out right, but that's no picnic either. Short second shot, but to a small Green. On many days you may see Bulls Eyes or Knockabouts racing in the harbor from the fairway."
My comments:
Probably the second weakest hole, but the green is a treat to try and hit. Slanted from left to right, it is a tiny target and anything short will run onto and possibly through the green into the high grass.
#9 Par 4 407 yds.
"The Chute"
"A daunting tee shot through a small opening in the century old evergreens. Hit them and you're in a blueberry patch (or worse). You need the 'heavy lumber' to have a chance of reaching the far away Green on the second shot. A slight fade is preferable to a draw (hook), as the sixth fairway adjoins on the right. A farmhouse is across the street on the left and has taken its share of broken windows. A medium to long iron to a large, flat Green is required on the second shot. A worthy finishing hole!"
My comments:
The tee shot is how I imagine the 18th at Augusta all though it is narrower than even that corridor. However, keep in mind that the fairway is the combined fairway with 6 and is HUGE. So the tee shot presents an interesting combination of thoughts... tiny opening, huge target. As long as you get it through the trees you are fine but a low handicapper needs to shape the shot for the proper angle. The undulating fairway leads to a green sloped back to front and left to right.
Other thoughts while they are still fresh in my mind:
There is no irrigation in the fairways (ala Fishers) and they play very firm and fast.
The greens are extremely small and require precise irons shots. I wish more courses utilized this defense but the low level of play allows them to keep them in good condition.
There are no bunkers on the course, but there are a variety of hazards that just appear naturally. Rock outcroppings, spongy forrest turf, wildflowers, beaches, old stream beds, etc. It made me realize just how artificial man-made bunkers look on a course.
I miss truly affordable golf and Grindstone makes me believe a well designed 9 holer could be the savior of public golf in a world where 18 hole rounds are becoming more expensive and more time-consuming as the demands on our time only increase.
No driving range and no practice swings allowed on the tees. Makes things a little tougher and a little faster.
The double fairway between 6 and 9 looks the way I imagine 1 and 18 at The Old Course.
I post this thread with second-thoughts in my mind. I almost wish I could keep this place all to myself.
