[Kalen Braley]

Peter,

The site of the Idaho Club used to be a public course called "Hidden Lakes" which was appropriate enough.  The original course used to be entirely on the flat bits of property and holes like 12, 13, and 15 still follow more or less the hole that existed before in that routing.  If you look at the aerial of the place, you can still see some of the other holes as mother nature slowly starts to reclaim them.

The land across the road is indeed all new holes to the property.  While they are tough, they are some of the prettiest one found out there so its kind of a mixed bag I guess.  And the terrain is a lot more undulating which creates interest as well.

No doubt the course is a brute....probably tough enough to host a US Open!!   

[Sean Leary]

Surprised the slope and rating isn't even higher than it is based on Pics. Mark, Is it way harder than Aldarra, which has similar slope rating and par? Looks a lot harder.

[Mark Saltzman]

Surprised the slope and rating isn't even higher than it is based on Pics. Mark, Is it way harder than Aldarra, which has similar slope rating and par? Looks a lot harder.

Sean,

I found TIC considerably harder than Aldarra.  It is probably the most penal golf course I have ever played. 

I played well at Aldarra, and very poorly at TIC so I may be biased.

The big difference is that Aldarra makes it tough to make birdies and pars, but a bad shot usually only causes bogey and in some cases you could still escape with a par.  At TIC, a bad shot is a lost ball and possibly an X.

The only other thing is that I think the fairways at TIC are wider than at Aldarra.  If you're playing OK you can score, but if you're playing crappy you need lots and lots and lots of golf balls.

[Peter Ferlicca]

Sean,

I played Aldarra four times and could never break 80, so that will give you some bad reference.  Idaho Club is MUCH TOUGHER of the tee than Aldarra is, but once you get around the greens there is A LOT more going on at Aldarra.  Like Mark said, if you screw up at Aldarra you will most likely get a bogey or double, but at the Idaho Club if you hit a bad shot, it is usually a lost ball and then ends up being an X.  Idaho Club also played shorter for some reason, at Aldarra a simple 400 yard par 4 seems like it is 450 yards everytime.  I like Idaho Club, but I would play Aldarra probably 7 to 3 if I had to split 10 rounds.  As you can see I don't judge golf courses on how I play them, because I have gotten beat up every time I play Aldarra. 

[Andy Troeger]

Sean,
I would think Idaho Club is tougher for the vast majority of golfers. The greens and angles at Aldarra might challenge the best players more than Idaho Club's penal nature because they wouldn't be the guys making X's.

[Kalen Braley]

So I played Idaho club again today to get a 2nd look and thought I would add a few comments:

1)  The course is just as difficult as I remembered it from the 1st time.  The one thing I didn't really pay attention to so much is many of the greens are very much small, which further adds to the difficulty.  To boot they are very well protected so if you miss a bit offline you are often punished severly in a hazard.  The stretch of 7-10 is just brutal as pretty much every hole requires a forced carry off the tee of 190 yards or more.  To boot there is  nowhere to miss left or right on these holes...you must be straight.  10 is especially brutal as it plays to a 210 yard carry....uphill!!!

2)  The place really is stunning in its beauty and location.  Its a pity the course is just so damn hard though because I would play it more often.  Its just no fun to lose 10+ balls....like I did again today and be bludgeoned with difficult shot after difficult shot.

3)  While I did play 10 shots better than last time...I still didn't break 110. 
In our group:
The 3 handicapper shot 89
Me (13.6) shot 116
The 10 capper shot 122
The 17 shot 127.

ITs crazy how much the course just kind of sucks the life out of you after awhile due to the difficulty.  You almost don't even care anymore....and on the 15th hole, the #2 handicapper, our group was a combined 18 over par...just on that one hole.   (This includes one of us making single bogey)  I can't imagine getting a membership at such a place to face such difficult shot requirements.

[Mark Saltzman]

In our group:
The 3 handicapper shot 89
Me (13.6) shot 116
The 10 capper shot 122
The 17 shot 127.

Kalen,

It's a good thing you weren't playing for $$$ with Peter Ferlicca and he busted out another 69.  He'd give you 16 shots and whoop you by another 30!

Seriously, I know what you mean about the finishing stretch.  You get through12-14, which is flat and sort of easy and then wham, 4 insanely hard holes in a row (OK, 17 isn't crazy, but the other three are).  I'd hate to have to finish a club championship with those four holes.... "I finished at +26 after two days.  Bill's on 14 at +18, it's gonna be a close one!"

[Kalen Braley]

I took a huge number on #14 today, but I was hitting my long irons pretty poorly all day so I guess I deserved it.  15 thru 18 is an absolute beast though.  In our group of 4, there was 7 scores recorded in the double digits over those last 4 holes...and only narrowly missed 8 after I drained a 20 footer on 17 for a 9! 

Overall its really a shame because the course is in such a nice spot!

[Mac Plumart]

Kalen...

WOW!!!  The course looks beautiful and HARD.  But those scores are jaw-dropping in terms of the implied difficulty. 

I'm with you regarding the comments of getting members to join and/or enjoy being a member at a course that difficult.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen...

WOW!!!  The course looks beautiful and HARD.  But those scores are jaw-dropping in terms of the implied difficulty. 

I'm with you regarding the comments of getting members to join and/or enjoy being a member at a course that difficult.

Mac,

Agreed on both fronts...if ur going to get whipped, best to be by a beautiful beast rather an ugly one.  The fall colors were just starting to come out yesterday and within 2-3 weeks it'll get its 1st snow and be shut. But the temps have started to drop and the air was heavy so the balls were just going nowhere....which made those long carries even more difficult.

But next year I will be back....I will not shirk my annual trip to measure my game.  2 years ago I was in the 120s, this year 110s, maybe next year I can break 110!

[Pete Blaisdell]

Kalen
  Beautiful photos but not a course I would enjoy. I do not like to be critical of any course but this type of design is simply counter productive to the growth of the game.
  The most difficult course in New England is twenty miles from my home at the base of Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH. It is called the Shattuck Inn and your pictures and comments are similar to an experience at the Shattuck. Brian Silva design, it opened in the early 90's and has been through bankruptcy, forclosures and a parade of owners, I remember giving the US Marshall's service directions once so the 16 wheelers could confiscate the mowers and other items. To give you an idea of how difficult the track is, Charley Bolling, who spent some time on the PGA Tour, held the course record for a time at 77!!!The NHGA conducted the State Mid-Am at Shattuck a couple of years after it opened and I set the course up at 5,700 yards for 84 players and in the first round FIVE players broke 80. Three groups ran out of balls.
  Seems the Idaho Club is on a par with the Shattuck. Don't know why courses like these are built. Looking at your photos for a second time, I don't believe I have ever seen so many forced carrys. The 69 that your friend shot is most impressive.

[Kalen Braley]

Pete,

It is indeed tough....and I too am absolutely baffler how Peter F shot that 69...indeed amazing.

I too wonder how long this course will be able to stay open and whats keeping it afloat.  It does allow public play, but can't imagine based on the limited times available that those green fees are anywhere near enough to keep it goingt.  It had been over 2 years since I was there last time and nothing has changed, so they don't seem to be spending the money otherwise....which is a good thing I guess.  Its a real pity the clubhouse burnt down a few years back because it was in a very nice spot.  The current club house is now about 1/4 mile from both the driving range and 1st tee.

By my count, you have 17 forced carries....all but 2 holes have one. And 18 has two of them for good measure! 

P.S.  The second time around 15 really seemed to be the closest, (and only hole) that compares to TPC Sawgrass 18 I've ever played.  Long and narrow that doglegs left around a large body of water with nowhere to bailout to the right.

[Andy Troeger]

Kalen,
The hole at Sawgrass isn't nearly that difficult. You can hit it right at Sawgrass and at least pitch back to the fairway. I would say the fairway might be wider too, although not by a ton.

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen,
The hole at Sawgrass isn't nearly that difficult. You can hit it right at Sawgrass and at least pitch back to the fairway. I would say the fairway might be wider too, although not by a ton.

Another difference (at least in my mind) was that at Sawgrass I had no inclination to cut-off the corner... I knew I just had to keep it right. At TIC, the hole seemed much more like a traditional cape where you were asked how confident you felt and how much you wanted to cut-off.  I was wrong as I failed to carry on the line I chose, but that is a difference, I think.

[Sean Leary]

Pete,

It is indeed tough....and I too am absolutely baffler how Peter F shot that 69...indeed amazing.

Even more amazing if you have seen him play... Just kidding Pete.

I have played The Shattuck and Idaho Club looks WAY better.....

[Kalen Braley]

Thanks for the clarification guys on Sawgrass.

So here's how I played it yesterday, from the blue tees at ~410 yards.

1st shot - Tee shot was pulled left of where i was aiming in the water.
3rd shot - Still on tee.  Semi foozled the 3 wood but still managed to find the fairway, but only went about 150 yards.
4th shot - Another 3w, pulled yet again.  But I got to take my next shot about 40 yards closer near the hazard.
6th shot - Hit a beautful 3w this time...10 yards short of green.
7th shot - hit a routine chip but with a back pin still 30 feet short.
8,9,10 - Three jack for a 10....and that wasn't even the worst score in the group,

The 17 capper took a 12...just brutal!!

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()