Huntington--Emmet's best restored course

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Last year there was a huge buzz over the awesome work that has occurred at St. Georges.  Any restoration work is great work, but the grandaddy of this was an in house project began years ago which has done wonders to reveal more than just Emmet's grand features.  Those who have played the course will tend to remember the bold holes like 7, 10, 13-16. The brilliance of the work is how the subtle features have been revealed which is wonderfully foound on the par 3 3rd.  This hole plays around 180 from the back tees.







 

[Robert Emmons]

Robert, Enjoyed watching you eagle 15 in the tourny last time....RHE

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Another wonderful example of the restoration is the short 8th hole.  This is another great green complex which Huntington has an abundance.

[Tim Gavrich]

Robert--

Huntington looks like a blast.  If you've not made it up that way, you might find it worthwhile to head up to Copake Lake to play Copake CC sometime.  It's an Emmet course restored nicely a couple years ago by Mark Fine and Scott Witter.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45571.0.html

[mark chalfant]

Robert,

Thanks for photos, the course has an amazing variety of stellar green complexes. It packs a big wallop despite its  6,300 yard length. Glenn Creutz, CGcs  has done a great job with the vintage texture of the maintanence meld. The deep bunkers and the recaptured putting surfaces also add to the experience.

FUN
UNIQUE
TIMELESS

Tim,  i hope you can join us

[Tim Gavrich]

Mark, I wish I could but am afraid I am currently too far south (South Carolina) to be able to make it to Long Island for Thursday's event.  Another time, for sure; I hope to see more of Emmet's work before too long.

[Robert Emmons]

Thanks all for enjoying a nice but windy fall day with us at HCC. We look forward to the next time...RHE

[Michael Whitaker]

Robert - I have not played many Emmet courses, but if Huntington is representative of Emmet's work I'm a BIG fan. The course rewards a good player who can control the distance of his approach shots (as we saw with RMD today) but, it allows the wayward golfer (me?) a reasonable chance at recovery. I was really impressed with the presentation of the course... Glenn has got everything dialed in. As Mark and I discussed on the way home, you have an outstanding set of par threes. And, the variety of fours is stellar with 6 holes from 405 to 445, 3 in the 380 range, and 3 in the 335 range. As for the fives... the 553 yd "Road Hole" is worth the price of admission.

It's hard to believe that this course was laid out (virtually as is) 100 years ago!!! Or, that most of the green complexes date to the 1920's. It almost has a modern feel in places.

As I've said before, I can't believe the number of quality courses there are within an hour's drive of New York City. Huntington CC is another example of the amazingly high level of golf on offer.

I hope one of the guys took pictures so we can discuss more of the holes.

[Michael Whitaker]

RMD - #3 is over 190 yards, not 180. The par threes at Huntington are 192, 212 (uphill), 140 (with a tough back to front green), and 186 (uphill). Not an easy one in the bunch.

[Tim Martin]

Special thanks to Mark Chalfant and member Robert Emmons for organizing a fabulous day out at Huntington CC. Huntington is just another example of a suburb golf course that fly`s under the radar out on the island due to the heavy weights that get all the press. Glenn Cruetz could not have been more gracious in explaining what has been done restoration wise and what some of the plans are going forward. He advised that the native grasses have been cut back due to the time of the year and that the course is softened somewhat without this feature. As Mike said you have a great mix of holes with some truly memorable shots. The 16th(406 par 4) was a particular favorite for me where you play from an elevated tee to a fairway that cants somewhat right to left and leaves you with a blind second to a mammoth green that is roughly 11,000 square feet. I hit two good shots and was left with a putt of at least 75 feet to a late pin. Although I wanted to go right back to the first tee to do it again the clubhouse tour and 5 star lunch were the perfect way to end the day.

[Dave Falkner]

You love you some lunch dont you Tim?

[Tim Martin]

You love you some lunch dont you Tim?

Mr. Falkner- There is nothing a fat guy like me loves more than to put great golf and food together. Nirvana takes different forms for different people and the medium rare cheeseburger yesterday sealed the deal. You are no slouch in the sausage consumption department yourself.

[Joe Bausch]

You love you some lunch dont you Tim?

Mr. Falkner- There is nothing a fat guy like me loves more than to put great golf and food together. Nirvana takes different forms for different people and the medium rare cheeseburger yesterday sealed the deal. You are no slouch in the sausage consumption department yourself.

Don't sell Mr. Falkner short, Tim.  He's a tremendous slouch.   

[Dave Falkner]

You love you some lunch dont you Tim?

Mr. Falkner- There is nothing a fat guy like me loves more than to put great golf and food together. Nirvana takes different forms for different people and the medium rare cheeseburger yesterday sealed the deal. You are no slouch in the sausage consumption department yourself.

Don't sell Mr. Falkner short, Tim.  He's a tremendous slouch.   

Hey I resemble that remark!!!!

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

And for the dramatic, the 13th which plays to 419 yards from the back tees and features an undulating 2 tiered green.  The tee shot is downhill to an undulating fairway and then back uphill about 20 to 30 feet in elevation

[michael damico]

And for the dramatic, the 13th which plays to 419 yards from the back tees and features an undulating 2 tiered green.  The tee shot is downhill to an undulating fairway and then back uphill about 20 to 30 feet in elevation

Robert,

I have never seen this course, nor am I an aficionado of Emmet courses, but I do (kind of) understand the architect's of that time and their philosophies. In that regard, how is this a restoration if one of the simplest changes to the 13th (mowing lines) is not employed by the super? I am perusing through this and understand it's in house, which I take as a superintendent who is attempting to restore what he sees on an original plan (possibly under the supervision of an architect, one of which has probably done ALOT of work on Emmet courses). Please don't take this as another harassing post, but that beautiful fairway bunker should not be surrounded by two passes of a 250 mower; the fairway line (and not just the night/day mowing pattern) should AT LEAST come right up to the entrance of the bunker, if not went around it on the original drawing.

I stopped into Stafford CC, in upstate NY last week (a Travis course) and took a ride around with the superintendent. When we weren't discussing hockey, we were talking about his ideals and what he has done (or attempted to convey to the members and most importantly, the green committee) to 'restore' the course. Of course, there is also an architect involved in this process, and I'm sure has helped nudge him along in his ideals...a guy you may have heard of: Ian Andrew. Everything there is done in-house and they pride themselves on having an original Travis course (minus the 9th green - which is a TRAVesty, to say the least)

I mean, this hole looks AMAZING. The problem here is the strategic element has been sucked out of it. That one, tiny fairway bunker is placed there for a reason. Now, if I were to hit a perfect drive and place it right next to that bunker, or skirt it for the ideal angle into the green (eventhough the length of the LA may be outdated now), I would be hitting from a lie in the rough. What's the point of that?

There is much more to a renovation than just mowing patterns. Of which, something as simple as mowing lines can immensely 'restore' a design.

just my two cents...

[Robert Emmons]

Mike,

The funny thing is, that mowing pattern is after the restoration and most closely resembles the original. Before the resto the fairway went around that bunker to the left....RHE

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Another one of the great par 3's is the 186 yard 14th.  When I first played the course in 1989, the green was a tiny circle and I don't think the back tier was even in play.  Because of extensive tree cutting and being located a high point, the wind is always a factor.