Holes 10-18 of WW Rolling Oaks now up : my recent trip to Brooksville, FL

[Tony Weiler]

Nice pics, Joe. 

[Adam Clayman]

Joe, Ben, Re 18th hole.
 I have never felt let down when playing the 18th. The diagonal cross carry is a sound principle found on some of the greatest courses in the world. As a closer I think it works well here because while there are other strategic decisions made throughout the round, none are like this one. The hole reminds me of several Pete Dye holes as well as one of the early holes at CPC.

[Ben Kodadek]

AC,

But....a blind diagonal cross carry?

[Joe Bausch]

Can I 'show off'?! 

I love the short par 4 15th at PB.  Of the maybe 12 times I've played there now, I had previously driven the green three times but yet to make an eagle.  On my first time at PB this spring, I hit a big drive but missed the run-up area by about 5 yards to the right and got caught up in some thick junk in a waste bunker and was lucky to make four.

My last day there I hit a drive solidly but a bit crooked, and it ended up in a bunker left of the green but pin high, maybe 30 yards away.  You can sort of see the ball in the bunker to the far left below:



One of my partners had played the hole using the FW to the right and had hit up to the green.  The pin this day in sort of front left.  I ask my friend whether I could play my bunker shot a bit long and hope to bring it back off the hill and get close.  He didn't think the slope will allow it.  A ranger is up on the hill in a cart, and he hears the conversation.  He confirms that shot will not work and that I have to play a shot just over the hill let it barely get out of the fringe and roll down to the hole.

Well, I hit my spot on the fringe with the ~20 yard sand wedge, and two bounces, and about a 30 second long roll later the ball goes in for a two.  This wasn't quite how I ever expected to finally make an eagle on that darn hole!  Golf is a strange game at times.   

[John_Cullum]

AC,

But....a blind diagonal cross carry?

It's not a forced carry. You can play to the right

[jonathan_becker]

Joe,

Nice story about #15.  

You are correct about the shorter hitting having problems with the hole.  This is one of the few drivable par 4s where the safer play is to go for the green....especially if the flagstick is back left.  Even missing the ball to the right up in the bunker on the hill is an easier shot than coming from the left fw with a small wedge.  At least from the right bunker you've gots tons of green to work with and you don't have to land the ball on the downslope.

[jeffwarne]

AC,

But....a blind diagonal cross carry?

Geez, and all this time I just aimed for the green stuff.
There are a couple let down holes out there, but 18's not one of them

[Adam Clayman]

Ben. I'm confused that you call it blind. Could you clarify that?

[Ben Kodadek]

From the "MENS" tees, it plays 376 yards.  If one were to hit the ball over 215 yards, the hole becomes a "blind" tee shot.  I'm not saying that every tee ball is blind.   However, if one were to slightly challenge the hole, you will not see the ball down.

[Joe Bausch]

AC/JDub, seems like one time I need to play 18 at PB from way back.  I think there is more strategy off the tee from way back.   

Now it is time for the pics from Rolling Oaks.  Some of these are from early 2008, others just a couple of weeks ago.  The ones where the greens look less the perfect are from recently.

First, here is the routing of Rolling Oaks, which sits just more or less east of Pine Barrens:



#1:  I think a slightly tougher opening hole than at PB, this par 4 plays 422 yards.







#2:  par 3 (204 yards).







#3:  very scenic par 5 (542 yards).













#4:  dogleg left par 4 (374 yards).







#5:  slight dogleg right par 5 (503 yards).











#6:  funny little par 4 (341 yards) where a precise tee shot is needed (a gigantic live oak partially guards the green left).









#7:  plays long uphill par 4 (440 yards).







#8:  beautiful downhill par 3 (174 yards).







#9:  from the back tee this is a toughie, a 458 yard par 4 playing slightly uphill to a two-tiered green.

[Sean Leary]

It was amazed at how different the two courses felt. Hard to believe they are right next to each other.

[Ben Kodadek]

AC/JDub, seems like one time I need to play 18 at PB from way back.  I think there is more strategy off the tee from way back.   

Now it is time for the pics from Rolling Oaks.  Some of these are from early 2008, others just a couple of weeks ago.  The ones where the greens look less the perfect are from recently.

First, here is the routing of Rolling Oaks, which sits just more or less east of Pine Barrens:



Whoa....being taken out of context.  One up from the tips is called "MENS" on the card.   Not   inferring that anyone was playing up.  Just my take on the hole.  Please confirm that if one decides to take a line that is not absolutely prudent you will see the ball land....


#1:  I think a slightly tougher opening hole than at PB, this par 4 plays 422 yards.










#2:  par 3 (204 yards).







#3:  very scenic par 5 (542 yards).













#4:  dogleg left par 4 (374 yards).







#5:  slight dogleg right par 5 (503 yards).











#6:  funny little par 4 (341 yards) where a precise tee shot is needed (a gigantic live oak partially guards the green left).









#7:  plays long uphill par 4 (440 yards).







#8:  beautiful downhill par 3 (174 yards).







#9:  from the back tee this is a toughie, a 458 yard par 4 playing slightly uphill to a two-tiered green.

[Joe Bausch]

Now the back nine at Rolling Oaks.

#10:  par 5 (566 yards) to an elevated green.









#11:  down then up par 4 (409 yards).









#12:  short par 4 with trouble all to the right (378 yards).







#13:  par 3 (213 yards).







#14:  slight dogleg left par 4 (412 yards).







#15:  No 1 handicap dogleg left par 4 that plays uphill at the end.









#16:  long downhill par 3 (234 yards).





#17:  dogleg left par 4 (360) that requires a precise 2nd shot to a green that seems to run away from you.









#18:  S-shaped par 5 (503 yards).









That's it for the courses I visited!

[John_Cullum]

I believe 11 thru 17 at Rolling Oaks is about as good a stretch of 7 holes in a row as you will find anywhere

[Dub_ONeill]

The loss of the very large tree on the right edge of the fairway on the 18th hole of Rolling Oaks has really changed the hole.  In the past a tee shot anywhere right of center in the fairway left a very awkward second shot that had to either be cut along way around this tree (and started at some very unappetizing stuff) or played over it (a shot I did not have).  Now that it is gone you can drive the ball anywhere in the fairway and have a straight shot up the hill toward the green.  It has made the hole way easier.  It used to be difficult to understand on the tee how far left you had to hit the ball (towards the junk) to have an optimum second shot.  I liked the hole better when the tree was there. I thought it was really its defining element.

[jonathan_becker]

Joe,

I went to World Woods 2 days before I had to be in Gainesville for a few weeks of work.  I went solo with no tee time and upon my arrival was greeted with 4 groups of senior ladies that had just teed off on PB.  Needless to say, I was disappointed.  My original plan was to play as many holes as possible on PB, but now that wasn't looking good.  The starter ended up talking me into going over to RO and playing the back 9 to start.  Hey, I guess it was better than being cold and not playing in Ohio.

After playing the back 9, I was very impressed.  I had seen so many photos of PB that I couldn't believe that such a drastically different yet great course was right next to it on the property.  The elevation changes were great and the holes fit well with the lay of the land.  The "Rolling" part of RO is true indeed.  It was nothing like I had ever played in Florida.

On #15 I made a putt from the far left fringe to a front right pin for a 3.  It was pure luck and just over 100 feet.  Easily the longest putt I'd made in probably a decade.

I ended up playing 18 at PB in the afternoon and 18 more at PB followed by the front 9 at RO the next day.  Even though PB is a better course with a little more variety, RO is not to be missed.  I'm so glad I played it.  With what you get in the quality of courses, not to mention the ridiculously awesome practice facilities, 3 practice holes, and par 3 course, it's really hard to beat the value of WW.

Thanks again for putting up photos of every hole.  This thread is a great resource for newbies to WW.... and it would have been much more handy for myself back in November.   

[Sean_A]

Joe

Thanks for the pix.

I am impressed at how the archies managed to create four distinctive courses in such close proximity.  It is a great pity the quarry holes of the first course were not shared around the round.  It would be nice to work in and out of this quarry at least a few times because the remainder of the holes don't look like they are up to much.   

From the pix, PB look to be the nicest course, but the RO and DS look to have a lot of good holes.  Which are your favourite two courses and why?

Ciao

[Joe Bausch]

Sean, I'd have to give the nod to both the WW courses, although I'd be more than happy to play Dunes and Brooksville again.  The latter two are very good value and each have some very good holes.  I love most of the quarry holes at Brooksville, and I really like the set of par 3's at Dunes.

But PB and RO are more interesting and varied in my book.  I lean a bit to PB as I like their par 5's a bit better than RO.  In particular I like the 4th and 14th at PB.  I've made birdies on each, but I've also taken a few hockey sticks and maybe a Frosty too.