Leading Contenders for Best New in 2002

[MTWilkinson]

It rhymes!

Now that we've analyzed and critiqued GD's Best New Results for 2001, what courses are opening between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002 that would be considered "leading contenders" for Best New in next year's survey (and why)?

[Rick Phelps]

Just got my request for nominations for the '02 list.  GD has changed the deadlines for course openings to May 1, 2001 through April 30, 2002 for next year.  Perhaps this may open the door for The Kingsley Club or others to be considered in the next go around.

Do any of the raters in the treehouse know how that will affect courses that opened before this year's July cutoff, but after next years May 1 date?  In other words, will courses that opened between May1, 2001 and July 1, 2001 be eligible for review again?  Maybe I should ask Ron W.

Rick

[Don_Mahaffey]

In Scottsdale, Whisper Rock may get some consideration in the private category. The Scott Miller design at Fort McDowell Indian Reservation looks like it may be a good one (not limited by turf or water restrictions), I believe it is opening this month. In So. California, Rustic Canyon is sure to get a lot of press, it will be intersting to see if the raters back up the hype, I think they probably will. In the Coachella Valley, the Country Club of the Desert will have the Clive course and the Dye course in the private category. The Clive is very visual with lots of eye candy, sort of Disneyland meets golf in Palm Springs. If you like waterfalls you'll love it. The Dye course is very interesting and I believe it will be highly rated. Pete built some interesting fairways with regards to humps, bumps and mogals and the greens look very interesting. They are on the small side with quite a bit of  movement and lots of tiny, and I mean tiny, pot bunkers scattered around. From what I've seen and heard, those are some that may get some notice in my part of the world.

[Rich_Goodale]

Even though it's the only eligible course I have so far played, I would be surprised not to see Applebrook in the Best Private category.

[Travis_Hood]

Would a Casino Boat in Southern Indiana qualify as resort?

If so, Belle Terra Casino and Resort could fit the bill.  Designed by Tom Fazio, it has some of the biggest greens I've ever seen .  Inclimate weather really took its toll on grow-in, however, a good spring and this baby deserves a closer look.

[Ran Morrissett]

I can't imagine Rustic Canyon won't be one of the two or maybe three best courses to open - regardless of category - next year and it will blow apart the best public awards.

I guess Friar's Head won't quite be open and I don't know if enough GD panelists will know members to actually get to see it in its first year anyway.

[Matt_Ward]

A couple to watch:

The Bridge (NY) / private

Friar's Head (NY) / private

Whisper Rock (AZ) / private

Twisted Dune (NJ) / public

Bulle Rock #2 18 (MD) / public

Hidden Creek (NJ) / private

The Wolf at Pauite Resort (NV) / public

Rick Phelps:

Interesting question -- I agree Ron W is the man to ask.  

[Craig Van Egmond]

I will be playing the Wolf Course at Pauite resort this Sunday so we'll see how it goes.

I am looking forward to Rustic Canyon probably the most of the 2002 courses.

[Mike_Cirba]

Matt,

I understand that Bulle Rock II is some ways from opening, perhaps in 2003.  

I also understand that those involved with the project are pretty excited at the possibilities.

I'm not sure if the pure golf, walking oriented, no amenities approach of Twisted Dune can effectively compete with some of the upscale, service-oriented, glitzy competition, but I know I'd love to see it.  I know you'd agree Matt when I strongly recommend to others to sling a bag on their shoulder and go play it!

[George Pazin]

Matt Ward -

Make sure you get the word out to the GD Raters on Applebrook, or the GCA Police will come get you.

Seriously, I think you should add this course to your list - I look forward to your review.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

For those of us that have missed it in any previous posts where are some of these courses referenced above located?

Specifically Applebrook?  Rustic Canyon?

Whats new in my neck of the woods...

Reunion GC - Hoschton, GA (Right behind Chateau Elan) Just opened 2-3 weeks ago.  PUBLIC  Mike Riley design, haven't played it all yet, but played some of the front, and then I rode around it before I ran out of daylight looked good.  Same ownership as Woodmont across town) (770) 967-8300  

Wolf Creek GC (Down by ATL Airport?) PUBLIC Mike Young I think it opened several months ago.  (404) 344-1334

Reynolds Plantation - Rees Jones new course open  I have not gotten down to see this, but I sure see them hyping in in the golf magazines.

Capital City - Crabapple - Tom Fazio Alpharetta area?  Dont think it is open but supposed to be sometime in 2002.

Bear’s Best - Suwanee, Nicklaus, I have heard a lot about this over the last few years, to open 2002.

Morgan Dairy GC - PUBLIC (SE of ATL down towards Macon??) designed and constructed by a superintendent dont know the name.  Done on a very low budget but with good results according to some people I talked to supposed to be pretty good affordable course.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Shafesbury Glen GC, Myrtle Beach area.  Clyde Johnson design,  supposed to be a tribute to Tillinghast and Winged Foot.  (843) 369-1800  I was interested if anyone has seen this one yet.  I just recently read about it being a tribute to Tillie and if it is true to that I am sure there are some fanatics here that would love to see it.


Anyone seen any of these?  Or know of any more in SC/ NC/ GA area?

Turboe

[RJ_Daley]

Rick's and Travis's responses leads me to wonder about something related to when the rating window on a new course should be open, so to speak.  Not all parts of the country in terms of growing conditions of weather and soil are equal.  Why should there be a relatively uniform window of a certain calander year that determines when the course is fairly grown in to be submit to the raters critiques?  There is an inordinant amount of pressure in the economic-competative climate to get courses open before they are properly grown in.  I played a Bob Lohmann course two days in November that I think officially opened last May.  It has a complex mix of interesting grading in fairways and green surrounds, and a diverse grassing plan that includes a heavy emphasis on native prairie themed roughs, yet are in deed seeded fescue polystands of different cultivars.  It takes time to mature these grasses to do this course justice. It won't be at a satisfactory level that I personally would feel comfortable with until perhaps next summer.  Why should there be a hard and fast rule that if it opened last May, it should go under the rating microscope now rather than next year?  

I suspect the same thing should be considered for Rustic Canyon.  I saw it in late August in pre-grassing stage on about 80% with a bit more finish grading to be done on the rest.  I'm sure they will have a great super and will really crank it up for grow-in over winter for a late spring or summer opening.  But, from what I can see, it really won't be fairly presentable next summer to hold up to rating standards, IMHO.  I'm not saying it won't be very nice to play by next summer.  But, if I had so much as Gil and Geoff invested emotionally in what I firmly believe will be very special, why not give it a whole year to grow in fully?

Additionally, why should a course that spends a great deal on wall to wall sod from an outfit like California washed sod, be at an advantage over a more deliberate yet artfully crafted grow-in from seed.  This also reflects on the craftsmanship of the super, that I think should have a stake in the accolades of a new course's high rating.

I think that owners and archies and supers should be allowed to declare within reasonable time of about two years, when they actually want the course submitted to rating.  

[Scott_Burroughs_]

Bulle Rock's web site has a 2003 opening for #II.

How about Wolf Creek's sister course, Falcon Ridge, set to open early next year, though it's supposed short length, just over 6100 yards, might be a strike against it.

What about Bull's Bay, Mike Strantz' newest (and first private course), set to open this month I think.

I don't know when Trump National in Westchester County, NY is due to open, but it's in GD's back yard.

Old Chatham, a private Rees Jones near Durham, NC, opened in September.

I'm not sure when Pinehurst #9 is due to open.  I think it's the Nicklaus design, unless that's #10 I'm thinking about and Rees got #9.

[SPDB (Guest)]

I would think that The Ridge at Back Brook would be on the docket for 2002 voting. Also Lamington Farm probably won't make it, so look to 2003. If these courses are good as is being reported, NJ could become Fazio's best state (incorportating Galloway).

[George Pazin]

Daryl -

Applebrook is in Philly, near Malvern, I think.

Rustic Canyon is somewhere in southern Cali, I guess kind of LA-ish. Tommy could tell you exactly where.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Rustic Canyon is in Simi Valley, NW of LA, where Lost Canyons is also located.

Bull's Bay above is in Mt. Pleasant, SC, where Strantz lives.

[Doug Wright]

Nicklaus's Summit Course at Cordillera, which opened in August, might get some run in the high end public category due to the location and cache. And though Rick Phelps is modest, I have heard good things about his new Devil's Thumb course, a reasonably priced muny in out of the way Delta, Colorado.    

[Rob_Waldron]

Bulle Rock deux stopped construction earlier this year. Pinehurst #9 is on the back burner while the Spa is completed. CCA only has so much $$$ to spend on a single property! Others in the Mid-Atlantic area due consideration:

Stonewall in Lake Manassas VA (Next to RTJ)
Upscale DF Designed by Tom Jackson
Opened Fall 2001

Patriot's Glen in Elkton, MD
Affordable DF Designed by Jeff Mathai
Opened Fall 2001

Hidden Creek in SO Jersey
Private Designed by Crenshaw & Coore
Open Spring 2002

Beacon Hill in Leesburg, VA
Private Designed by Johnny Miller
Open Spring 2002

Belmont CC in Ashburn, VA
Private Designed by Palmer Design
Open Fall 2001

The Golf Club at River Marsh
Hyatt Regency Resort in Cambridge, MD
Resort Course Designed by Keith Foster
Open Spring 2002

Musket Ridge in Myersville, MD
DF designed by Joe Lee
Open Fall 2001

This is just a partial listing. Raters in the Mid-Atlantic wwill be kept very busy next summer!!
 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Why did Bulle Rock, part deux stop construction?  Do you mean for the winter, or maybe for good?  Or just because the $ ain't coming in like it used to.  It doesn't exactly break my heart that a place that charges too much for their current courses is having financial difficulties, although that was discussed ad nauseum on another thread.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'm a magician.  I'm both a newbie and a junior member on the same thread!  

I know why, but who'll be the first to figure it out?

[Tom Huckaby (Guest)]

I'm gonna try to word this as tactfully as possible.

OK, while it's a given that among the participants on this board few courses are more anticipated and likely will be more warmly received than Rustic Canyon, do you REALLY think it's gonna get all that much press?

I swear I mean this as no offense to Hanse or Shackelford, each of whom I hold as golf heroes/icons... I just find it hard to believe out in the real world RC is gonna get all that much hype, other than as a curiousity as a much smaller budget course near the big-budget Lost Canyons...

Someone please educate me here.

I truly can't wait for RC to open and the minute GS or GH or someone declares it playable, heck yeah I'm making the five hour drive.  But is it really gonna get press?  I hadn't thought so....

This is just a "perception" question.  I fully believe it will be worthy of placement on any ranking anyone constructs.  Actually making it on the ones that exist... well....

TH

[Mike_Cirba]

Rob,

You're not kidding that the rater's will be hopping in the mid-Atlantic!

I live just north of Philly, and in a 2.5 hour radius (not including NYC or LI) I have about 22 courses on my play-list as either having just been opened or opening in 2002.  19 of them are public.  

Talk about a banner year!  Sheesh.  

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Anyone heard anything about what Bulls Bay is supposed to be like?  Is it fairly over the top like most of Stranz's stuff or a little more mello for the private membership than trying to attract the public.  Opening this month huh?? Maybe just in time for my New Years in Charleston!

Scott,

Were you talking about Wolf Creek near ATL?  If so where is Falcon Ridge located?  Who did it?  Is it open?

Thanks,
Turboe

[Paul Richards]

I've heard the new Black Sheep, designed by David Esler,
out near Sugar Grove in Illinois, is going to be very strong.

It's a 27-hole complex, private, and men-only.

Looking forward to seeing it.

[Chris Kane]

It may not be eligible becuase of its location, but what about the new Moonah Links (Australian Open site for 2003) near the National.

I saw the course nine months ago when it was nearing completion, from atop the hill where the marketing complex was located, and it looked very nice, but as for how it plays, I have no idea.  The 18th hole (575m) shouldn't have any problem defending its par.

Has anyone played it yet - it only opened on Saturday to the public - and if so, does it stand up to the hype?