Wintonbury Hills GC | Photo Tour & Review (Bloomfield, CT)

[Nick Campanelli]

My father, a friend, and I decided last minute to head out to Wintonbury Hills GC in Bloomfield, CT this past Sunday for a quick 18.  We were surprised to find that the course was being prepped for this week’s ING New England class, a Future’s Tour Event.  The course was in awesome condition, and we lucked out with decent weather.  The camera came along too.  

There have been a few threads on this site that discuss Wintonbury Hills GC (Dye) in relation to its neighbor Gillette Ridge GC (Palmer), but I have yet to see a photo tour of this muni.  Enjoy.  

Below are descriptions and pictures of the routing and individual holes on the property.  I have also attempted to rank the holes 1-18 based on strategy, aesthetics, and overall character (my scores on each hole did not influence the ranking).

See www.timliddy.com for course description on Tim Liddy's website.

COURSE SPECS
TEE                YARDS     RATING (M/W)     SLOPE (M/W)
Black                 6711      72.3 / 78.4      130 / 141
Green                6283      70.0 / 75.9      128 / 134
White                5678      67.3 / 72.5      122 / 123
Yellow               6005      66.7 / 68.6      113 / 111

Architect: Pete Dye / Tim Liddy (2005)

[Nick Campanelli]

The Google aerials below were taken during winter.  To help out, I enhanced the aerials by outlining the holes, trees (green), and wetlands (brown).  For the purists on this site, I also included a raw aerial.  Enjoy!

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 1  
Par 4       377 / 367 / 330 / 315 
Hcp         13 / 9
Rank       17

Short opener that favors a drive down the left side of the fairway.  The farther right off the tee, the less level the lie for the approach.  Drives missing the fairway slightly left will bounce left toward the hazard.  The green slopes slightly right to left, and a small swale bisects the green mid way perpendicular to the approach.  The safe miss is right of the green.  This hole usually plays into the wind.    

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 2
Par 4          365 / 365 / 357 / 295
Hcp            7 / 7
Rank          11

Uphill dogleg left par four that usually plays into the wind.  The ideal line is directly over the lone bush in the wetlands fronting the tee.  Anything left of that line will likely find rough or one of the eight traps.  The farther right the drive, the longer and more shallow the angle of approach will be to a small, three tiered green that slopes back to front.  The safe miss is short as the green falls off left and right.    

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 3  
Par 3         163 / 139 / 125 / 107
Hcp           17 / 17
Rank          6

This short par three is harder than it looks on the card, and usually plays into the wind.  The hole’s primary defense is its large, two tiered green that has little to no level area.  The two tiers are connected by a large slope back to front (which is where today’s pin location was).  The mound left of the green will help repel missed shots onto the green.  Right is dead if the pin is located on the center slope.  

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 4  
Par 5         526 / 512 / 467 / 413
Hcp           1 / 1
Rank          13

The course’s first par five favors a drive down the left side of the fairway.  The layup should also favor the left side of the fairway, leaving a level pitch to a green that slopes front to back and right to left.  Players that choose to go for the green in two can use the hill right to feed the ball onto the green.  The safe miss is short as the green falls off left and back.

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 5   
Par 4    333 / 327 / 320 / 302
Hcp           9 / 11
Rank           13

This short par four favors a drive down the left of the fairway, leaving an open look for the approach.  The rough left is not a bad miss.  Drives left to the right will contend with an island bunker, a lone oak, and will leave a delicate approach to a small green that slopes back to front.  The safe miss is short left as the green falls off back left and right.  Traps guard the front right. 

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 6  
Par 4        430 / 400 / 355 / 325
Hcp          3 / 5
Rank          2

The sixth is my personal favorite on the front nine.  The player is given options off the tee.  Playing left of the first center trap leaves an approach level with the green, contending with out of bounds if the drive misses left.  Playing right of the center trap is the safe play off the tee, but leaves a semi-blind approach to a narrow green that is set into the hill left.  Approach shots missing the green left will be left with a tricky downhill chip that risks running over the green down into a deep collection area.  

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 7  
Par 3       255 / 200 / 152 / 108
Hcp        11 / 15
Rank       12

The seventh usually plays with a right to left wind.  The favored shot is a draw to a large green bisected by a swale mid way perpendicular to the tee.  A kickplate short right of the green will help feed shots onto the green.  The safe miss is right or long, leaving a relatively level recovery.    

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 8   
Par 5        564 / 543 / 489 / 418
Hcp          5 / 3
Rank        14

The longest hole on the course is probably the most reachable of three par fives on the course as the eighth usually plays downwind.  A hazard runs down the entire length of the hole, catching any shots that miss left.  Players using driver off the tee will contend with four small traps at the landing area.  If negotiated properly, the player will have a choice.  The proper layup is short of three traps right, leaving an 80yd approach.  Players going for the green in two will have to contend with traps left and a mound right.  The narrow green slopes back to front and right to left.  Recovery from the greenside rough right is nearly impossible if the pin is on the right half of the green.  The safe miss is short left.

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 9   
Par 3        190 / 170 / 143 / 110
Hcp          15 / 13
Rank         3

The last of three short holes on the front, the ninth is a tricky short hole that usually plays a club longer due to a hurting wind.  The green on this par three has a lot of movement back right to front left.  The two pot bunkers short will catch any miss hit shots short.  Collection areas and swales between the pot bunkers repel shots that come in with too much spin.  Being below the hole is very important to scoring par on this tricky hole. 

[Nick Campanelli]

back nine coming this afternoon....

[Ronald Montesano]

Excellent template for how to present a course.  I played WH once, during its first year of operation.  It is nice to see the course settled and grown in.  You and I have a similar taste for holes.

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 10  
Par 4       412 / 402 / 360 / 335
Hcp        12 / 14
Rank       18

The tenth is a straight away, mid length par four that is lined right by a hazard.  A drive down the left side avoiding three traps leaves a favorable approach angle to a green flanked right by two traps.  The two tiered green slopes back to front.  The safe miss is left, leaving a relatively level recovery chip.  This hole, like the first, usually plays into the wind.

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 11   
Par 4       443 / 400 / 359 / 290
Hcp         4 / 6
Rank        7

This uphill par four is one of the hardest on the course.  Like the sixth, there are options off the tee.  The safe play is left of the principle’s nose traps center to a generous lower fairway, leaving a mid iron, uphill, semi-blind approach.  The aggressive play is right of the center traps to the higher fairway, leaving a shorter, uphill approach to a three tiered green that slopes back to front.  The green itself is one of the more difficult on the course.  A collection area right and false front will repel shot that miss right or short.  A steep slope left will kick approach shots away from the green.  Par is a good score here.     

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 12  
Par 3         168 / 162 / 148 / 134
Hcp           18 / 18
Rank          15

A downhill approach with a short to mid iron is needed to a generous green that slopes gently back to front.  Missing long, left, or right on this hole will require a talented up and down for par.  

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 13  
Par 5          551 / 521 / 470 / 440
Hcp            6 / 2
Rank           4

The last of the par fives in one of the strongest holes on the course.  A drive down the left side of the fairway leaves a level lie for the approach or layup.  The farther right the drive, the less level the second shot will be.  Like the 4th, this par five appears to have a bank down the right side that will help feed shots down onto the green.  As you approach the green, you realize that the bank gives way to a large collection area right of the green.  The green is sloped away from the collection area, right to left from the fairway.  I would argue the up and down from the rough or bunkers left of the green would be easier than from the collection area.  Very cool green complex. 

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 14  
Par 4          455 / 415 / 370 / 320
Hcp            2 / 4
Rank           1

I hate using this term, but the fourteenth is Wintonbury Hills’ signature hole.  This beautiful par four runs parallel to Tunxis Reservoir, which catches any shots that veer offline right.  The safe play is down the left side of the fairway, catching a steep slope that feeds balls down to the center of the fairway.  Drives missing left in the woods should play a provisional (thickest stand of vegetation on the course).  A good drive will leave you a mid iron approach to a small green that slopes back to front.  The safe miss is short left.  Approach shots missing right of the green are left with a very difficult up and down for par.  

Note: The lone Oak backing the green is the tree in the course logo.

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 15  
Par 4        427 / 397 / 364 / 314
Hcp          8 / 10
Rank         8

Like the fourteenth, a drive down the left side is favorable, leaving an optimal angle to a deep green angled left to right.  The entire hole is lined by wetlands right.  The green itself slopes slightly back to front and right to left.  This unique green has a narrow front (where today’s pin location is) and opens up generously toward the back.  The safe miss is left in a large, rolling bailout area.  Saving par from a miss right is nearly impossible (I figured this out the hard way both times I have played there).  

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 16  
Par 4        408 / 368 / 348 / 312
Hcp          10 / 12
Rank         9

This unique par four is one you remember after the round.  The drive off the tee favors a fade that starts in line with the distant Heublein Tower on Tunxis Mountain.  The farther left the drive, the more blind the approach will be.  A large mound hides the front left portion of the green.  The green is sloped front to back and left to right.  Approaches missing right will likely find one of five pot bunkers.  Approaches missing left will be find a difficult downhill chip to a green that runs away.  The approach is definitely one that requires accuracy.  Another hole where par is a good score.       

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 17  
Par 3           230 / 190 / 150 / 125
Hcp            14 / 16
Rank           5

Usually playing downwind, this redan-like, long par three favors a low draw that runs onto the green.  The green itself is sloped right to left and slightly front to back.  A collection area (not visible from tee) and bunker are situated to collect shots missed long and right.  Missing short left is almost a guaranteed bogie.  Par is an excellent score on this hole.  

[Nick Campanelli]

HOLE 18  
Par 4         414 / 405 / 371 / 342
Hcp          16 / 8
Rank         16

A drive down the left side of this generous fairway is favored, avoiding two traps that sit in the left rough.  The wetlands right shouldn’t come into play (unless you’re having a really bad day).  The green is angled left to right, and is sloped slightly left to right.  A kick plate on the front left corner of the green will help missed shots feed onto the putting surface.  The safe miss is left of the green.  

[Ronald Montesano]

It's interesting to note that you are not shy about using the term "weakest."  Is that too general an adjective to apply to a golf hole?  What contrast makes certain holes "the weakest" or "one of the weakest?"

[Nick Campanelli]

Ron, looking back I guess I didn't realize that I used the term "weak" that many times.  My use of the word was simply an attempt to say that the hole didn't excite me before, during, or after i played it.  When I stand on the tee, I prefer a hole that challenges the mind and makes me think where i need to hit it (I know im not the only one who is like this).  A few holes at Wintonbury (1,10,18 come to mind immediately) look wide open and didn't seem to offer a challenge.  In some cases, there was little penalty for missing the target, whether fairway or green.  Those holes were labeled "weaker" than others.  The term "strong" or "stronger" was used to describe holes that had the opposite affect.

To address your question about whether the adjective is too vague or general.....i would say yes.  I tried to limit the subjective remarks within my descriptions, and using simple words such as "weak" or "strong" seemed to help without blatantly saying "I liked" or "I disliked the hole."  I tried to leave myself out of the review....easier said than done.

[Ronald Montesano]

Here was my motivation for those questions...without striving to sound like a sycophant, I was really impressed by the presentation of your thread.  Looking back at it, the only weak (ha ha) parts might have been select sections of the narrative.  I think that it's worth an edit on your part...take a look at the descriptions that might need a bit of verbal massaging, for then you'll have a first-rate review on this site (more than I can brag of!)

[Tags:]

Tags: