Putting your best tee forward

[Shane Sullivan]

Over the Christmas break my husband and I spent four great days playing the two courses in Spring City, China.  One of the courses is a Robert Trent Jones Jr design.  The holes are terraced into the mountain side all the way down to the lake and then back up to the club house.  

The entire course was challenging but fair (a lot of the terracing plays as a water hazard so hitting the fairway is vital).  

The course has the best stretch of holes I have ever played, wonderful examples of forward tee placement:

7th hole – A great par four with a risk reward decision to make.  A choice like this happens about once every four courses I play.    

The tee shot plays over a gorge with a shorter carry to the left (leaving a longer approach shot).  Playing to the right could see your ball roll a long way down toward the green - perhaps within feet with a good bounce and a bit of run.  I am somewhat ashamed to say that I chose the safe option all three rounds choosing to drop a second ball to try the harder shot - which I only made once.    

8th hole – A short par three.  It’s not often that club selection is so important for me - choosing the right club actually meant the difference between being short, pin high or in the lake.

9th hole – A short but narrow par five.  I was able to reach it in three (with a chip shot on the last day!) but that required hitting a decent drive and a brave second shot to a narrow, hazardous landing area – a second risk reward situation in three holes!

Perhaps a stretch of holes like this is a common occurrence for most golfers but take it from me – it just doesn’t happen from the forward tees.  

Mr Trent Jones Jr – a real ladies' man and my new hero.

[Joe Hancock]

Shane,

Great report and helpful insights for those of us who get the chance to make a difference for you golfers.

If it hasn't been extended to you yet, welcome to GCA and keep us informed of what's happening in China, as it pertains to golf architecture.

Joe

[Adam_F_Collins]

There is only one hole I know of where the best tee is the forward tee. It is at Grandview Golf Club in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a Cornish and Robinson design, I believe.

The par 3 16th hole is over a marsh to a tiny green. The back tees are level with the green, and straight across. But the forward tee is well elevated and on an interesting angle.

From the back sets, the hole is poor. But from the front, the hole is playable, enjoyable and more beautiful.

[Matt_Sullivan]

So, how many husband and wife teams on GCA? I feel obliged to reply to my wife's post!!

The interesting thing about these three holes was that the options from the ladies or forward tees were the same as the options from the back tee. I play most of my golf with my wife and it is remarkable how rarely this happens.

Many of the other holes evidenced the same concern for how the competent ladies player (my wife is a 15 hcp) would play the course. A little bit of thought on where to put the ladies tees really added to her enjoyment of the course.

And course operators and designers take note -- it made it much easier for me to convince her to play 36 holes a day!

From the, ahem, male perspective, the RTJ course at Spring City (in Yunnan, the SW of China) is the best course I have played in China and one of the best in Asia. Given the difficulty of the terrain (as Shane says, it is set on a series of terraces down a mountain towards a lake) the design is pretty remarkable. Lots of interesting, challenging holes, most of which take advantage of the up and down terrain and present various strategic options. If anyone is interested in a fuller review, let me know

[Norbert P]

Matt, 1499 GCA agents just fell in love with your wife.

 I think back to Mackenzie, really trying to make forward tees interesting and not just easy. To RTJ Sr. with his runways of tees; he may be scorned for it but he did elevate the awareness of various golfers. Then, of course, Alice Dye; where's a voice like that these days?

BTW... I tried to teach my lady to golf but all I got was 42 stitches.  I probably deserved them.

[Adam Clayman]

Couldn't find a related thread so, I will attach this link here.

Edward strikes again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glRceeUND0

[Dan Herrmann]

I thought that playing 9 holes during The Fifth Major at Dismal River from up front was a great idea.