East Lake Golf Club

[Bill Satterfield]

Earlier this week I had the great pleasure of joining up with fellow GCAer Mac Plumart for a round at East Lake Golf Club.  Mac was a fantastic host and great guy to tee it up with - thanks Mac!  The course and overall experience was fantastic.  The clubhouse is one of the most impressive odes to golf I've been able to set foot in.  The course features gentle elevation changes and great variety in the layout.  I enjoyed how the course features quite a few trees but they are thin enough that you can view several of the holes from varies points on the golf course.  I didn't get to play Oakmont before the deforestation that went on there, but if it played then like Sahalee plays now, I'm sure I would not have enjoyed it near as much.  Most courses could benefit from thining out their trees! 

I really enjoyed the variety of the par fives and the water hazards on the course delivered a good mix of aesthetics and challenge.  The course also features a couple of par threes that play slightly uphill which doesn't happen often enough as far as I'm concerned.  The layout was challenging but not brutal.  The course had forgiveness and several greens featured the ability to chase the ball up onto the putting surface.  For those that have played it, I'd like to hear their take on some of the holes that they find interesting.  I'll comment on two holes that were of interest to me:

#9 - This was probably my favorite hole on the course.  From the tee you can see the start of the fairway, but without some experience you may not know what the "best" line to take off the tee is, although it is apparent the fairway starts flowing to the left.  If you bust a good drive then you can catch the downslope in the fairway that will afford you a crack at reaching the green in two by carrying a large pond.  If you are going to layup, most players will still need to carry the pond in order to leave themselves a 75-150 yard approach.  Well short of the green on the left side is a fairway bunker that will engulf shots playing "too safe" from the water on the right side of the hole while a pair of bunker rest on the right side of the green.  I like how the fairway "flows" as it travels away from the tee and dives downhill and to the left around the water hazard.  It then cuts back right towards the green and takes a late cut back to the left where the opening to the green is.  If you layup, the left side opens up the green quite well but brings the fairway bunker into play when laying up to that spot.  Laying up to the right brings the water hazard more into play when picking that spot and affords the golfer a wider green to attack but loses forgiveness depth-wise with his short shot.  I really liked this hole!

#17 - This hole was a bit diffirent from "conventional" architecutre in my opinion.  Water covers the entire left side of the hole and the opening to the green comes from the far right side of the putting surface.  Generally, if a player is willing to challenge the trouble (the water along the left side in this case) then he is rewarded with a more appealing approach to the green.  However, on this hole the golfer is left with an approach over a fairly deep bunker to an elevated green that is quite shallow.  The bummer about going to the right is that you can bring heavy rough into play and approaches that go long will find a watery grave.  However, overall is seems as though challenge the trouble up the left side doesn't offer much of a reward.  I love to hear some takes on this hole as well.

I'll attach some photos of these two holes for frame of reference.

East Lake #9 tee



East Lake #9 fairway



East Lake #9 water



East Lake #17 tee



East Lake #17 approach from right side

[Mac Plumart]

Thanks Bill.  It was a darn fun day.  Thanks for taking the time.

I won't comment on the thread for awhile, due to my previous voluminous posts on East Lake.  But I will say this, you described East Lake as a pleasant round of golf during our round.  I think you hit it right on the head.  It is a great experience, a great walk, and very solid golf.

[Bill Satterfield]

Oops, I posted the wrong pic for #17 tee.  Hopefully this is the correct one:

[Mac Plumart]

Yep...that is 17.  Don't hit it left!!

[Sven Nilsen]

Watching the pros hit their second shots into 15 during the Tour Championship is a blast. 

[Chuck Brown]

Where was the Jones family summer home at East Lake?  Is it still standing?  Was/is it within sight of the golf course?

[Mac Plumart]

Bill...

I totally agree with you on 9.  Great hole.  Every shot has interest.

On 17, I think our discussion on the course really hit home on some good points.  I've heard people who've played East Lake before the fairly recent rennovations say that it was a better hole before.  I think the green was more right...kind of where the tee box for 18 is now and the fairway was more right.  Maybe that made for a better hole, but here is the kicker in my opinion...

Where the hole is placed on the course, that is the penultimate hole, makes its danger all the more intriguing.  Especially considering it is a Championship Course where the Tour Championship is decided.  As you can see from the tee shot, that carry over the water into a slim fairway is not the easiest shot.  And with the bunkers on the right, don't miss there either.  Now let's factor in the new tee box which might be in play for this years Tour Championship will make that carry from tee to clear the water 280. 

Bill, as you mentioned playing up and to the right of those bunkers opens up the lane to the green and avoids a carry over that deep bunker, which engulfs the entire front of the green, into a green that is usually rock hard where the back fringe quickly drops right off into the water.  But if you choose to play that angle and avoid the bunker carry, beware the flyer out of the rough.  Right?  You will be wet, no doubt about it.

But playing down the fairway still leaves you that bunker carry to the rock hard green with water behind it.

Pick your poison.

Now, is this a good hole?  Frankly, it is debateable.  But if the Tour Championship (or the match you are playing on any given day) is on the line coming down the stretch the routing of the holes will certainly put some interest on each and every shot...and this pressure won't end until the ball is in the cup on 18.

At least those are my thoughts.

[Mac Plumart]

Good article on East Lake at this address..

http://www.theaposition.com/Articles/26/912/1/Inside-East-LakeFacts-amp-Myths

In fact, it was written by one of our esteemed members, Derek Duncan.

I am smiling ear to ear watching the Tour Championship!!   

[BCrosby]

Where was the Jones family summer home at East Lake?  Is it still standing?  Was/is it within sight of the golf course?

Chuck -

There were rumors for years about where it was located. There are three or four different houses caddies will point out, depending on the caddy. I was told recently by someone who would know that the Jones family house (they were renters) was located in what is now a little park across Alston Drive, left of the 10th fairway.

Bob

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