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rjsimper

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Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« on: October 18, 2010, 01:30:59 PM »
Having a couple of weeks to digest Sagebrush, I still keep coming back to "Wow!". Thanks first off to our very gracious host from north of the border for delivering what was clearly the highlight of a great trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Credit goes to Matt Bosela's earlier thread for providing our first look at this excellent course, so rather than reinventing the wheel with a full course description and yardage breakdown,  I will link that here http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41154.0/ and simply provide my photos and brief commentary.

Conditions were perfect...firm, fast, with greens that were receptive enough to hold a good shot but still incredibly firm and unforgiving to poor shots. Speed and quality of putting surfaces was second to none.

Above all else, this course is fun. Yardages do not matter...they are not even printed on the scorecard. The sagebrush and native areas are not a surefire death sentence, though you can't expect to be granted a reprieve more than 1 in 3 times you tempt fate.

Yes it's remote. Yes, getting there for most of us is a big challenge...but at under 5 hours from Seattle it's not offensive. I strongly recommend that those of you that have the chance make the trip up there. Bring a camera, bring a windbreaker, bring an appetite, and bring a couple of friends for some very fun matches.

(I also have to extend a virtual handshake to Brad Tufts, who managed a 68, 4 under par, in the afternoon round. An impressive round for an old friend)

A morning at Sagebrush begins for many with dragging oneself out of bed at the Quilchena Hotel, where across the parking lot you see this on the ranch:



As you arrive at the club, you park your car, grab a cart, and drive up to the clubyurt, which boasts a fantastic vista, and overlooks the site where eventually the club's cottages will reside



The first hole says good morning in an emphatically brutal way...with an uphill tee shot that needs to be played farther right than your eye would lead you to believe. And with no range to get the muscles loose, one can imagine that the quantity of breakfast balls needed here might be large.



Getting to this point is no bargain, and the third shot isn't exactly cake either. All blind, all uphill, and from the firm, tight fairways of Sagebrush, a partial wedge to open your round is dicey.



The look back, starring Brad Tufts, shows how far you've climbed in roughly 500 yards.



The second hole with its blind fairway, calls for little more than a 225 yard shot off the tee



The look at the green is unforgettable.



And even more stunning late in the day and when Lake Nicola is sitting still



The third tee shot is one of my favorites on the course. Throw it at the left edge of the right bunker, or at the trees in the distance, and let it run forever.



The fourth is a pretty one-shotter.



5th tee challenges you to bite as much as you dare - The fire hydrant (tough to see, but more/less in line with where the road disappears and the edge of the lake in the distance) is about 260 to carry. The white rock left through the fairway plays more like 240. Splitting those two points is prudent.



The 6th is everything a long par 3 should be...250 yards, big, forgiving green, allows for the ground approach, reasonably prospects for recovery. Plays about 230.




7th tee is about as close as you get to Nicola Lake



The principal's nose bunker dominates the otherwise uncluttered layup area.



A true 3 shot hole - the hole dives hard left to the green. Yes, there are power lines....but now we're just getting picky.



The 8th is an excellent hole, bunkerless (I think). The 9th is visible in the land immediately rising beyond the 8th green


From behind, you can see the reverse cant of the fairway.



The 9th tee shot is similar to the first....the farther you aim left, the shorter the carry.



The coolest green on the course, no doubt - horseshoeing around a large trap, and allowing shots to be played in from nearly any angle. The ball in the 2nd photo below landed on the right edge of the green and nearly came back off the left side.




The 10th is a breather. There are tough putts to be had, but mostly a simple, pretty hole



11 is an exhilarating tee shot which demands that you've either played the course or learned the hard way that the line is much farther right than you'd guess. The shot to the green is all carry to get it to the green, but caution against flying it too far and leaving a treacherous putt back toward the fairway





Don't fall into the trap of thinking that 12 is as simple as 10. Though 30 yards shorter, it packs much more bite. The green plays smaller than it appears.



13 is the oft-discussed short par 4 with playing characteristics like the 10th at Riviera. The only option I felt did not exist was the straight layup - no matter what you do you are either going for the green or hitting something that gets you near it when all is said and done. Still, an excellent golf hole.



Nothing to say about the Hideout other than what's already been said - super cool place, super cool concept, and easy to get stuck there (particularly if you've hit a poor shot off the 13th tee and don't feel like chasing it down)





14th tee shot = as much fun as you can have if you are a long, wild hitter. Fairway plays about 200 yards wide, ball is in the air forever, and gorgeous views. A reachable hole if you dare - like the 1st hole, the 2nd shot pinches a bit.



15 calls for 200-220 yards off the tee and a line played up the extreme left of the hole.




16 is yet another fun par 5. Both par 5s on the front are closer to work...both on the back are closer to fun (and both are better birdie opportunities). Tee shot is aimed at the valley of trees on the hill in the distance


Second shot is aimed at the right edge of the green, or farther right - rocks on the hillside



The green is HUGE with some fun contours



17 reminds me a bit of 15, with a blind fairway and a left to right slope - again, driver not necessary




And 18 reminds me of 5, with a similar left to right slope and a dare to bite off yardage if you'd like.



Even though sun sets on the course itself, it's still light over the valley when you finish.

« Last Edit: October 18, 2010, 02:07:35 PM by Ryan_Simper »

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2010, 01:37:59 PM »
Pretty special place isn't it.  :D
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2010, 01:57:47 PM »
Ryan,

You posted the 7th green twice by mistake instead of 8.

This was my second trip there, and I like it more and more with each play. Great host and thanks to Terry and Dick in their vision in creating such a great place.

Thomas McQuillan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2010, 02:19:12 PM »
this has to be one of the most best looking courses in the world. wow indeed.

Carl Nichols

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2010, 02:26:03 PM »
What body of water is the Hideout on -- a little pond?  Extension of a larger lake?

Course looks unbelievable.

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2010, 02:26:58 PM »
Ryan,

It was great to meet you and Brad and to get Sean up there again. I have forwarded a link to your post to Dick Zokol who, I am sure, will appreciate it.

I managed to make 9 trips up there this season and kept loving and appreciating the place even more with each visit. It was especially pleasing to see the reactions of you and other GCAers to the course and the experience. Without exception, everyone loves the place. I particularly enjoy looking at everyone's faces as they see the greens for the first time. I will definitely be back up there next year and look forward to seeing more of you up there as well.

Brad's 68 from the tips with no bogeys was a treat to behold! But then, they had watered the greens the night before?

Bob

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2010, 02:33:52 PM »
Thanks to Bob again for a great day up at Sagebrush.

The course was really fantastic, the highlight of our trip.  I think I would need several more plays of #11 to get the hang of it, as I think I would go further and further right each time.  I don't think I've ever played a course where yardage mattered less.

I was fortunate to fire my good round on a benign wind day, and after the greens were softened a bit.  Of course, soft greens at Sagebrush mean the ball bounces only 4 feet in the air when it hits the green instead of 7!

Can't wait to get back someday!
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2010, 04:11:45 PM »

I thought I should add that Sagebrush is now closed for the season. This year, the course opened on April 22 and as usual, weather conditions over the winter and early spring will dictate the 2011 opening.  Courses in the interior of British Columbia generally close towards the end of October each year. On the coast, most courses are open year round.

Tomorrow, it is off to Victoria GC with Will McEwan to meet up with Jeff Mingay and see the results of his work so far on the second oldest courses on the North American west coast!

Michael Blake

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2010, 04:27:07 PM »
Looks like a difficult walk.
Do they even allow it?

Philippe Binette

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2010, 04:32:31 PM »
The Hideout is on the irrigation pond, which actually is an existing little pond that was made bigger.

Nice pics.

It's not a walkable course (unless you want to play in 5 hours and sweat a bit)

I like how 15th turned out, I thought the forward tee was a little too high and hiding too much of the fairway but it's working well the way it is (was hard to judge without the grass)

Matt Bosela

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2010, 04:41:52 PM »
Ryan: Thanks for the kudos - I'm glad you had a great time!

I only made it out once this year as opposed to Bob's nine trips.  Hoping I can get out west a couple times in 2011 and hope to host some more GCA'ers - it's a very special place indeed.

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2010, 04:56:33 PM »
Looks like a difficult walk.
Do they even allow it?

Are you a tri-athlete?














 ;D
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2010, 05:02:35 PM »
Looks like a difficult walk.
Do they even allow it?

No idea on the official policy, but I will say the following:

1) The green to tee walks are mostly very reasonable.
2) With a caddie, I do not think I would much mind the walk at all. It's hilly, yes, but there are many worse walks out there. Unfortunately, Quilchena/Merritt doesn't figure to be a treasure trove of available caddie talent.
3) The only walk that would be "bad" is from 100 yards short of 11 green to 12 tee.  However Bob, the elder among our group, completed it in style (out of necessity)

I've played hundreds of more walkable courses than Sagebrush. I've played few better golf courses than Sagebrush.

Ryan Admussen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2010, 06:00:31 PM »
Walking is allowed, as is almost anything else you want to do which is the beauty of Sagebrush.

I have about 20 rounds there so far and the excitement I had on my first visit is still there for every round, which is probably why I drive 7 hours each way to get there.

Would be great to have a big GCA event there next season!

Richard Choi

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2010, 06:02:34 PM »
I really regret not walking at least one round when I played there (I blame Leary!). From what I saw, I think you can walk the golf course okay as long as you use the middle tees. Some of the walks back to the tips are quite arduous. It certainly would not be an easy walk though...
« Last Edit: October 18, 2010, 06:26:18 PM by Richard Choi »

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2010, 06:29:33 PM »

Ryan,

We will have to start planning a GCA event for 2011!

If you are coming to the coast, please get in touch.

Bob

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2010, 07:05:19 PM »
I really regret not walking at least one round when I played there (I blame Leary!). From what I saw, I think you can walk the golf course okay as long as you use the middle tees. Some of the walks back to the tips are quite arduous. It certainly would not be an easy walk though...

We only played the back tees because I was afraid that somebody might see your stupid brush tee and Jenkins might get his membership revoked...

Could you walk it? Sure. But if you are playing 36 there, which most people do, why would you other than to prove you could?


Peter_Herreid

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #17 on: October 18, 2010, 07:29:00 PM »
Sean--

don't you know how important it is to be able to boast on GCA that one has walked anything and everything, let alone whether it made it more fun or not, or whether it was even necessary!!!

 ;D ;)

Robert Thompson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #18 on: October 18, 2010, 09:20:41 PM »
The one hole I really wonder about is the first -- an awkward, uphill par-5. Talking to Rod Whitman, he said he needed to get a lot of elevation out of the way early -- but I don't think it is a great hole, and may be the weakest on the course. However, there are lots of examples of first holes that are uphill....
Terrorizing Toronto Since 1997

Read me at Canadiangolfer.com

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #19 on: October 18, 2010, 09:37:59 PM »
Robert,

I would agree, especially from the back tee box. Somebody in our group mentioned whether the hole might be better if the tees were just below the yurt on the hill. Intersting thought, anyway.

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2010, 09:20:09 AM »
I don't think the first hole as a golf hole is weak...but I do think it's pretty damn tough to roll out of bed and hit that tee shot.

When considered as simply a par 5, not as "the first hole" I think it does a great job of challenging all three shots, and offering a reasonable chance at a birdie without being a pushover.

Difficulty-wise, I think that it would be the 2nd easiest par 5 out there except for its placement in the round, which causes me to slot it 3rd.  Ranked 16 - 14 - 1 - 7
 

Will MacEwen

Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2010, 09:28:44 AM »
I don't think the first hole as a golf hole is weak...but I do think it's pretty damn tough to roll out of bed and hit that tee shot.



I think playing across the road has something to do with that - the tee shot feels a little awkward.  

I like it as an opener because two decent shots should leave you a short iron or wedge into the green, which is a nice way to ease into the round when there is no range.  If you mess around with the false front on the green you will wake up pretty quickly.

The cart thing doesn't bother me at Sagebrush - it is a great course, and there are no pace of play issues.  I realized that a large part of my cart aversion is due to the fact that most cart mandatory courses just aren't very good, and they tend to play slow, leaving one feeling as though they have spent the whole day in a cart as opposed to playing golf.

Carl Nichols

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #22 on: October 19, 2010, 09:37:23 AM »
The Hideout is on the irrigation pond, which actually is an existing little pond that was made bigger.

Nice pics.

It's not a walkable course (unless you want to play in 5 hours and sweat a bit)

I like how 15th turned out, I thought the forward tee was a little too high and hiding too much of the fairway but it's working well the way it is (was hard to judge without the grass)

Are there really fish in the hideout/irrigation pond (I assume those are fishing poles on the deck)?  Playing some golf, having a beer while doing a little fishing--what could be cooler? 

Brad Tufts

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Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #23 on: October 19, 2010, 09:38:08 AM »
Ditto on the first hole not being weak.  I see it as a scoring opportunity if it happened later in the round, but as the first hole, you sorta of just have to hold on and try to get your 5.  Perhaps a tee could be situation up near the clubyurt, but you would probably need a bit more fairway to the low side just short of what is there now in case wind dictated the need for a bail spot.

I think #15 might be the weakest (if there has to be one).  It's not easy to pick the right line that will hold the fairway, and the approach is generally just a short iron or wedge.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sagebrush - Wow with a capital W
« Reply #24 on: October 19, 2010, 10:16:36 AM »

Carl,

Yes, the pond is stocked with trout and it is quite a site to see bald eagles and osprey dive from the trees across the way, swoop over the water and grab a fish, all while you are sitting having a beer or fishing yourself. With no pace of play issues, you can stop, have liunch in the Hideout, try some fly fishing for a while and then continue on with your round. Many do just that.

Bob

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