Topp's Travels 2011 - Updated in Post 220 - Cabo Coda

[Jason Topp]

After our tour of the Northland clubhouse, John, Dan Kelly, Ben Kodadek and I jumped in the car and raced to Big Fish in Hayward Wisconsin to squeeze in a round before dark.  Dan made the mistake of trying to follow me.  I immediately tried to help him out with last second lane changes and by shooting through yellow lights to test Dan’s driving skill.  The test for Dan became more complicated when, due to road construction, the route through Superior, Wisconsin resembled the rout of a cheap rollercoaster at a county fair.  

Somehow we arrived at Big Fish and were greeted with hot air that could cure a sore throat if one just sucked it in through a straw.  Because of the heat and because of recent massive rains, Big Fish was soggy and the golf course was empty.  We negotiated a match between Dan and I v. John and Ben.  Fortunately for my side, Ben decided to employ the strategy of missing 50 yard wide fairways by 50 yards.  Big Fish is a wide course, but Ben proved that there is not enough width to constrain the wayward golfer.  

The short 9th:



The green at the short par five 13th:



I employed a unique strategy at the 13th.  After a drive in the fairway, I hit out of turn (as Mayhugh was attempting to hit) and smothered a duck hook.  The hook slammed into the sidehill, bounced right, ran through the rough at one of the lowest points on the course and wound up a foot or two from the hole.  This photo looking back shows the brilliance of the strategy:



Mayhugh made some noise about forcing me to replay the shot.  I suggested the walk from Hayward to Eden Prairie was long and the biting insects were fierce.  Not a hollow threat given the drive to Northland the night before sounded like we were driving through a hail storm.

Picture of 17 showing the rolling nature of the land on the back 9:



After our match we had a 3 hour drive in which bugs and deer provided ample obstacles.  I got to introduce John to my wife and kids accompanied by the smell of sweat, golf, insects, bug spray and Culvers.  They knew those smells and suggested a shower.

[Jason Topp]

Town & Country is squeezed into 100 acres on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Paul.  Given John’s love of quirky courses in the UK, I knew this course was a no-brainer for our itinerary.

A simple look at the scorecard tells you Town & Country is unique:
   4 (324) ,3(110), 3 (163), 5 (490),4 (354), 4 (468), 4 (354), 4 (366), 4 (414) Out= par 35 (3026)
   4 (377), 3 (186), 5 (533), 4 (283), 14 (230), 15 (552), 16 (521), 17 (522), 18 (170)   In = par 37 (3355);

Total = par 72 (6400).

The numbers alone are interesting.  You have two par threes early in a row early in the round.  After 6 par fours in a row from 5-10 you only have one left – the 13th – and that is of the driveable variety.   You finish with three par fives in a row and a par three.  As a kicker, the yardage listed for the front and back nines does not equal the total yardage listed for the course.   

Numbers alone do not come close to giving a sense of Town & Country.   Many of the holes make no logical sense but are a hoot to play. 

The first tee:


Looking back at the 110 yard uphill 2nd.  Front pin is difficult because of green slopes.  I think I was in a better position hitting this chip than John was on the middle of the green:



The 4th hole plays down to a valley and then back up with a blind second on a short par five:


The 5th is a down and back up 350 yard par 4 with a steeply sloped back to front green.  I have seen putts go back down the hill when the greens are crispy.  It looks like they added some rough to prevent that experience:



The distance equation changes abruptly on the 468 yard par four 6th.  A good drive leaves you this view for your second.  The challenge lies not only in guessing the line and hitting the ball hard enough to reach the green.  You also need to hit your second high enough to clear the slope:



This is the view Mayhugh had for his second at the 415 yard 9th.



I watched his shot from this vantage point.  I swear I heard John complaining a bit as his shot flew in the air.  It landed 30 yards short of the green ran left and disappeared.  Needless to say he won the hole.



The 10th is one of the best on the course – 377 yards to a green benched into a hillside.  75% of balls that hit the hill right of the green stay there. 



A closer view of the green:



The 15th is the first of three par fives in a row.  Even though the hole is 552 yards long, a ball that gets past the crest of the hill 100 yards short of the green has a chance to get there.  Wedge shots are also interesting because you need to either choose to fly it down or use the slope.  Oblivion lurks behind the green if you are too aggressive or wind up hitting a shot in between those options:



The par 3 finisher.  Like the finish at the PGA tour event last weekend, such a hole can prove to be a dramatic method for deciding a match.

[Jason Topp]

Our cat offers congratulations to John:



The puppy did not seem so impressed:

[Rick Shefchik]

Jason, those were exceptional photos of Town & Country -- among the best I've seen, and very representative of the course, which I find extremely fun to play.

The photo of the par-3 18th hole does suggest an extremely narrow chute off the tee, however, and it's really not the case. I had to look closely to be sure it was the 18th. The hole plays about 145 yards, and it's not nearly as claustrophobic as this photo makes it seem:



The green is the toughest part of the hole -- very steep from back to front, and very, very fast.

[Jason Topp]

Rick. You are right about 18. I would normally edit the photo to get a better representation but was too lazy this time.

[Lou_Duran]

Our cat offers congratulations to John:



The puppy did not seem so impressed:

So Minnesotan!

I flew into MSP a couple weeks back and was amazed at how many courses I could see from the landing pattern.  One looked expansive and modern, in beautiful condition (they all looked lush in comparison to drought-strickenTexas); I suspect it was Hazeltine.  I was surprised to see several courses with mostly oval greens.

Seeing these wonderful pictorials and living vicariously through the travels of Mssrs. Mayhugh and Topp, it occurs to me that rather than having spent so much time studying on the Scarlet course at Ohio State, I might have invested a bit more of it in the classroom.  Great stuff!   

[Jason Topp]

White Bear Yacht Club

After our round at Town & Country, John and I made our way to the north metro to play White Bear Yacht Club.  I had never played White Bear before and eagerly looked forward to the course.  I suggested we walk, which proved to be a significant task in mid 90’s heat and high humidity.  We grabbed a cart after 9.

At 6471 yards the course provided ample challenge in the Minnesota State Am that finished the day before we played.  I expected the greens to be wild and was a bit disappointed early in the round to find them relatively docile.  Nonetheless the tee to green contours made the opening holes interesting and the greens got wilder as the round went on.

Many of these pictures will be from a wonderful photo gallery of Minnesota golf I found on this website and obtained permission to post here:  http://7minutemiles.com/v/golfing)

The First Tee (405 yards par 4):



The 133 yard 3rd:




3rd Green with  552 yard 4th in the background:



The first tee shot over a road on the 441 yard 5th.  I have played other courses with roads but never one with as much heavy traffic as this one.



The 9th is a wonderful 514 yard par 5.  

From 200 yards or so:



Looking back to 9th green from the clubhouse:



Side view of the 11th green – a 183 yard par 3 with a wild slope on the right side:



12 Tee (383 par 4) – 2nd road crossing.  This picture makes it look more daunting than it is.  However a very low tee shot could easily nail a truck.



Approaching 12:



Looking back on 12 – substantial front to back slope on the green:




Green on 14



15th green (423 par 4).  There is a hump in the middle of this green so shots actually kick right to this pin.  Also the shot is blind for most:



Tee shot on 18 (343 par 4)

[Jason Topp]

Sorry about the screwed up pictures.  I will fix later today. - DONE

[Shane Wright]

Jason,

Thanks for sharing the WBYC pictures.  I believe I played it the same week as you.  I think it is worth another topic with some discussion from Mr. Doak.  Our host indicated that Tom Doak generally comes back once a year to WBYC for various reasons.

First off, I feel like WBYC is one of my favorite and most interesting courses I have ever played.  I had some discussion with another GCA'er about the wild fairways but what I don't understand is how lower budget courses (i.e. Muni's) can't have the same interesting features found on the greens at WBYC.   What I also loved was the fact that at approximately 6500 yards, driver is still very necessary for longer hitters on many holes.  The yardage is deceiving with two par 3's at 130ish and some 500 yard par 5's. 

Why can't a deceiving approach like #9 be built where it looks like you can run the ball right to left when in fact it goes the other way creating a really fun pitch back to the green.

Why can't greens like #12 be built - closely mown approaches with a green sloping away from the fairway pretty severely, calling for a delicately played shot landing short of the green. 

Why can't greens be built like #14 where from the fairway it looks like a two tiered green perpendicular to the player when in fact it is at nearly a 45 degree angle making the approach really fun, and very appropriate for a 340ish par 4.


As with most any great golf course, the pictures can't capture the true contours. 

I found WBYC to be fascinating and left wondering and wishing that new lower budget public courses in the future could pay the same amount of attention to detail around the greens and surrounds.  We get to see it at so many of the great privates and upper scale publics, but it would be nice to see some modest places in the future use some of the same awesome features. 

Thanks for sharing

[Jason Topp]

Why can't a deceiving approach like #9 be built where it looks like you can run the ball right to left when in fact it goes the other way creating a really fun pitch back to the green.

9 only rolls right if you can fly it that far!

[John Mayhugh]

Jason,
Very good selection of holes at WBYC.  One correction: the green you referred to as the 13th is actually the 14th.  A huge spine running through that green.  Really a fascinating set of greens at White Bear.   Not only some extreme contours, but the variety hole to hole is wonderful - none of the greens seem anything like any of the others.

My favorite was probably the front to back slope on the 12th. 

[Dan Kelly]

More WBYC pics here, if anyone's interested: http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w132/kellys17_photos/

[Jason Topp]

With the passage of time, the heat and the deterioration of our games, the trip was starting to become a blur by the time John and I visited Minikahda.  John and I played with a couple of other visitors and played from the back tees which for me meant I had a nice contrast to playing the middle tees a month before.  For John it meant he was hitting longer irons into closely guarded greens.  Both of us attacked without much success.  

Minikahda is a special place and here are a few pictures taken by John:

11 Green - par 3 of 180 yards



13 Green (par 5  574 yards) - the background was surrounded by trees prior to the work on the course 5-10 years ago:



13 from behind.  The layup presents a number of interesting options given the slopes and the small creek 75 yards short of the green.



15 green (391 yard par 4).  The bunker to the left looks intimidating from the fairway but is well short of the green.  Note the differing mowing patterns near the bunkers.  As I understand it, long grass has been removed over time because of member complaints.  I love the way the long grass looks but understand the frustration of playing from it.



18 green with a view of Lake Calhoun opened up in the background.  Once on the green, the view of downtown appears:

[Jason Topp]

A couple of detail pictures by John:

You can imagine taking your horse carriage to this entrance at the clubhouse:



Plaque near the first tee recognizing Chick Evans' US Open Victory:

[Shane Wright]

Jason, great pics.  Minikahda is most definitely a special place.  I absolutely love the look of the long grass.  I wish they would keep it everywhere on the course.

I could be in the minority, but I have always felt like #13 is one of the best par 5's  anywhere.  For a long hitter, it is reachable in two but has a blind 2nd shot to a green fronted by a creek.  It is a difficult but fair layup.  And not a gimme 3rd with that green and the contouring.  The bunkering in the fairway off of the drive is great and the width is appropriate for the hole.  I just love it.  It is always at the top of my mind when I think of great par 5's. 

Your thoughts or anyone else?

[Jason Topp]

I could be in the minority, but I have always felt like #13 is one of the best par 5's  anywhere.  For a long hitter, it is reachable in two but has a blind 2nd shot to a green fronted by a creek.  It is a difficult but fair layup.  And not a gimme 3rd with that green and the contouring.  The bunkering in the fairway off of the drive is great and the width is appropriate for the hole.  I just love it.  It is always at the top of my mind when I think of great par 5's. 

Shane: 

When I think of Minikahda, the 13th is the first hole that comes to mind.  The green complex, the slope and the creek make the 2nd shot interesting for a wide variety of players and the creek is so small that it is not overly penal for the beginner.  The fairway bunkers added in the last 10 years or so makes the tee shot much more interesting and the tree removal makes the green a much more pleasant place to be compared to the feeling of being in a swamp that existed ten years ago. 

[PCCraig]

Jason:

Thanks for posting pictures from your round at Minikahda. I played there earlier in July this year and enjoyed my round a lot. Overall the course is nearly the ideal "club" course in that it's very playable for most golfers from the middle tees, while being a tough test from the back tees...all while being interesting regardless of the tees chosen as the green complexes are very good.

As much as I liked the 13th hole, I was just as big of a fan of the 12th. As I said earlier in this thread I also think the 3 holes on the other side of the road are actually underrated as I've heard they were nothing holes, but I found them to be fun and feature a couple really good greens.

[Dan Kelly]

The green complex, the slope and the creek make the 2nd shot interesting for a wide variety of players and the creek is so small that it is not overly penal for the beginner. 

Are crossing-the-creek/laying-up-before-the-creek 2nd shots on par-5s a Ross specialty?

Two of those at Northland -- right?

[Jason Topp]

The green complex, the slope and the creek make the 2nd shot interesting for a wide variety of players and the creek is so small that it is not overly penal for the beginner. 

Are crossing-the-creek/laying-up-before-the-creek 2nd shots on par-5s a Ross specialty?

Two of those at Northland -- right?

Good question.  I do not remember any holes fitting that description at other Ross courses I have played.

[Doug Wright]

Jason,

I've played Minikahda several times both before and after Ron Prichard's restoration and it is indeed a very fine course. I actually think the 9th hole is the best par 5 on the course. It is reachable but if you're short the skyline green is very hard to hit and really a challenge to putt if you're above the hole. The par 3s are a bit inconsistent, The 3rd is absolutely outstanding, a beautiful classic Ross green site, and the 11th is really excellent too; the 6th and 8th are a bit of a letdown, however. The stretch of 9-13 is terrific and the best part of the course. The work that Ron Prichard did (and the club let him do--with 700+ trees removed) to rework the bunkering and restore/expand the greens to their original sizes (eg 10, 12 and 13) was great. Ross's use of the bisecting ridges on holes like 4-5 was really interesting. I'm not a fan of the 15th-17th holes across the road--not part of the original Ross design--in part because the topography is so flat and different from the main part of the course.

[Bruce Leland]

The green complex, the slope and the creek make the 2nd shot interesting for a wide variety of players and the creek is so small that it is not overly penal for the beginner. 

Are crossing-the-creek/laying-up-before-the-creek 2nd shots on par-5s a Ross specialty?

Two of those at Northland -- right?

The 4th at Northland features this dilemna for the shorter driver of the ball today.  Dan, the creek on the 11th comes into play off the tee for most players depending on the wind and is the primary consideration in club selection for the drive.  I don't recall many attempts at carrying the creek on 11 but with todays balls and clubs the flat bellys probably give it a go.

[Dan Kelly]

I'm not a fan of the 15th-17th holes across the road--not part of the original Ross design--in part because the topography is so flat and different from the main part of the course.

Doug --

Rick Shefchik can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you will learn from his upcoming book that those three holes -- or, at least, three holes on that flat ground -- PREDATE Ross's arrival on the scene, and were part of the original, 1899, Robert Foulis/Willie Watson nine.

Dan

[Jason Topp]

Oak Ridge
   
     I can now report that running around playing 36 holes a day in high heat and humidity is not the best way to get ready for your club’s member guest.  John and I made the short drive from Minikahda to Oak Ridge and more than justified our handicaps.  Although our play was generally mediocre, our Waterloo came in alternate shot when we turned a decent nine into a 43 by finishing double/triple on the 17th and 18th.  Both scores represented a true team effort.
   
     If you want a full discussion of Oak Ridge, check out my In my Opinion Piece.  For this thread, I thought I include some pictures taken in September, 2005 that do not show much about how the course plays but reflect the serene setting of the course in the evening.

1 green from 18 tee:

Approach to the 485 yard par five 5th:

12 green from 17 tee:


14 green from left:


16 green from 17 tee:

[Rick Shefchik]

I'm not a fan of the 15th-17th holes across the road--not part of the original Ross design--in part because the topography is so flat and different from the main part of the course.

Doug --

Rick Shefchik can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you will learn from his upcoming book that those three holes -- or, at least, three holes on that flat ground -- PREDATE Ross's arrival on the scene, and were part of the original, 1899, Robert Foulis/Willie Watson nine.

Dan

According to my research for "From Fields to Fairways: Classic Golf Clubs of Minnesota" (available next spring from the University of Minnesota Press), when Watson and Foulis designed the original nine, holes 2, 3, 4 and 5 were located across the dirt road then then known as Excelsior Avenue, where current holes 15, 16 and 17 are now. The original 5th hole was eliminated when the course was expanded  to 18 holes in 1906 by founder C.T. Jaffray and head pro Robert Taylor, and -- embellished? polished? tweaked? refined? -- by Tom Bendelow the following year.

[Doug Wright]

I'm not a fan of the 15th-17th holes across the road--not part of the original Ross design--in part because the topography is so flat and different from the main part of the course.

Doug --

Rick Shefchik can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you will learn from his upcoming book that those three holes -- or, at least, three holes on that flat ground -- PREDATE Ross's arrival on the scene, and were part of the original, 1899, Robert Foulis/Willie Watson nine.

Dan

According to my research for "From Fields to Fairways: Classic Golf Clubs of Minnesota" (available next spring from the University of Minnesota Press), when Watson and Foulis designed the original nine, holes 2, 3, 4 and 5 were located across the dirt road then then known as Excelsior Avenue, where current holes 15, 16 and 17 are now. The original 5th hole was eliminated when the course was expanded  to 18 holes in 1906 by founder C.T. Jaffray and head pro Robert Taylor, and -- embellished? polished? tweaked? refined? -- by Tom Bendelow the following year.

Rick,

Interesting. Did Ross do anything to those holes?