Geoffrey Childs Makes Me Play Split Rock

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

It took him seven years but Geoffrey Childs finally convinced me to play Split Rock, a municipal golf course in the Bronx, N.Y. It's a John Van Kleek solo design with some fantastic greens and very much worth the time. Yes, I know it's a municipal golf course but if you can get there on a weekday so as to avoid 5-hour rounds, you won't come away disappointed. I promise.

Here is my full review: http://anthonypioppi.com/golf/golf/280/great-municipal-golf-part-2-split-rock

[Noel Freeman]

Tony, would you describe the course as mainly intact as built or has it undergone a fair amount of restorative work over the years?  I know Neil Regan is a big fan.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Noel:

It appears to me it has been pretty much left alone. Geoff says RTJ did some work on two holes. If he is correct, the one bunker that was added is woefully out of place.

Anthony

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

According to the esteemed Dr. Childs, "RTJ Jr. company did some work that included addition of a misplaced fairway bunker on #13. They reshaped a few bunkers including the one on the left of the green you made birdie. They regraded the fairway on #17 which had severe right to left slope so that balls would now more easily stay on the fairway. Similarly they regraded the approach area in front of the stream on the par 5 12th. All that grading and bunker work was in the same league for quality as Roger Rulewich did at Yale. I guess they had the same teacher."

Anthony
 

[George Pazin]

Nice review, thanks for sharing. If I may hazard a guess, it would be that the locals have a ball and don't much care what they may be missing thousands of miles away.

I hope Geoff is well, miss him posting on here.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

George:

My reference was to the locals in the NY area. When you say hazard a guess, is that lateral hazard?

Anthony

[Jaeger Kovich]

Thanks Anthony, I've been trying to point people to this place for years.

[Paul_Turner]

I live about 10 mins from here now.  

The 14-18 finish is particularly noteworthy with some outrageous greens.  But I think the 11th is probably the standout green...really unusual.  Only about 50% of the greens have a lot of contour there, so I wonder if some were softened at some point. 

8th is a dumb hole though.

And actually for fun, I think that the sister course Pelham Bay is better, although much easier.  It has similar wild greens but with far fewer trees . A real open feel to it with with some big sprawling bunkers too (like 11th on Split Rock in Tony's pic).  There are some severe (but charming) greens including the 4th which must have a 5 foot false front!

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Paul:

According to a New York Times article that I came across, Van Kleek renovated Pelham so those are probably his greens, as well. Maybe Geoffrey can convince me to play there next year.

The 8th would be much better if the left was cleared of trees so that you could challenge the corner.

Anthony

[Neil Regan]

Tony,
  Very good article. The greens at Split Rock include some of my favorites. I go there fairly often late ( after the last groups) just to play maybe 9 and mostly putt.

  If I play the front, I putt around on #s 5, 6, 7!, and 9!.
The back is even better. As Paul suggests, #11 is a !!, and 14 thru 17 are all at least one !.
For me, though,it's the 18th green that stands above all the others, as good as they are. Back to front, front to back, side to side, all putts are good fun on that green.
But it's also a different style. The "wild" contours on most of the other greens lead to fun and difficult putts with the chance of missing hugely, and they also reward good placement of the approach shot. But the interior contours are "modular" (for lack of a better word). Thinks of the derby-hat mound in the center of #15, or the 2 mounds that you mentioned in #11, or the valley on #17. Though they are certainly placed strategically, they are not very much tied to the approach or surrounds or each other.
Several of the greens have what I call "integral" contours (for lack of a better word. Help me here, you're the professional writer.)
These greens offer long, sweeping putts that can be made, that you are sure you can make if given another chance.
Numbers 5, 6, 9, and 16 all have putts of at least 75 feet with the target being the perfect drop-off point to ride a big contour to the cup.
Number 18 has this too, except the putts can be very smooth, continuous 5-breakers. It more than reminds me of the greens at Winged Foot.
I have no evidence, but I would bet that if Tillinghast didn't design that green, than someone who knew and loved Winged Foot did. (And I think the greenside bunkering, the push-up front and the fall-off back, so similar to a Winged Foot green and all different than the rest of the course, make me more sure that my hunch is right.) If the 18th green at Split Rock were transported to Winged Foot, it would fit in perfectly. I have putted there so often long after the last golfers have gone that the staff used to go home and let me park the cart and leave the keys. (I know you love that long walk, Tony, but this is The Bronx and not very many years since the last dead body was found on the course.)

PS I think there is a typo in your article. The cross bunker that you picture is on the 11th hole.

[Neil Regan]

PPS
Geoffrey and I often discuss this superb course. I am glad he finally convinced you to go. Uncle George, you are next. 

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Neil:

Thanks for your insight. I've only played the course once so you have a much better grasp of the intricacies that I do. I agree with your assessment of the contours. There are some that are modular (I'm using your word until I can find a better one, it there is a better one) while others are integrated into the surrounds. The two styles are not foreign to fans of Seth Raynor. Think of the 12th green at Fishers Island. The large slope on the left is directly tied to the approach while the knob in the back middle stands my itself.

Since I have ever only walked Winged Foot I cannot comment on your assertion about the 18th but it sounds plausible to me. John Van Kleek's Double Plateau green at Split Rock is nod to Raynor, (except that it is at the end of a longer par-4, especially since the approach is up hill, and not at the end of a shorter par-4 where Raynor most often put them), so why would Van Kleek not attempt to recreate a A.W. Tillinghast Winged Foot green?

Thanks for your comment about the walk. I find it interesting that the revered Dr. Childs did not mention that to me.

Thanks also for finding the error in the reference to the crossbunker.

I think we should try and get a group of Split Rock fans together at the course.

Anthony

[Noel Freeman]

PPS
Geoffrey and I often discuss this superb course. I am glad he finally convinced you to go. Uncle George, you are next. 

Hey Neil, thanks for forgetting about me all these years.. Was it something I said

[George Pazin]

George:

My reference was to the locals in the NY area. When you say hazard a guess, is that lateral hazard?

Anthony

Not sure what you mean, I meant my comment as a purely positive one. I think there are a lot of people who find pleasure in the simple things. I've always loved the characters you meet on any golf course, but muni golfers tend to have a spin more like my own.

[Neil Regan]

Hey Neil, thanks for forgetting about me all these years.. Was it something I said

Hey Leaper,
 No amnesia here. Looking forward to good days.

[Mike_DeVries]

Pelham-Split Rock is a great 36-hole muni.  The golf is very good, affordable, and they play a lot there.  As has been noted, the greens are the highlight of both courses and offer some very nice putting and recovery options -- they could be really good if the margins were reclaimed properly to add lost pin locations and more challenge to get at some of the harder "Sunday pins."  The work I did there in 2010 was minimal but effective: redone tees at Pelham #1 and #5, new tee on SR #5, some cart path/drainage work on SR #9, and some work for the wedding garden near the clubhouse!  They don't have a lot of money to spend and the super, Tony Hooks, has left for a private club much closer to his home.  I am not sure what the status is for doing work in the future, as Tony was very good and got things done, but I hope to have a chance to assist them some more in the future.

[Jim_Kennedy]

As Mike noticed, the greens had some big margins.  



I think this bunker at SR was the work of John's brother, Rees Van Kleek.  




An old friend of mine grew up playing the two courses and he'd always take me down there, either late or early season, to play. I haven't been there since he passed away.

 

[Scott Stearns]

Gents-

This thread inspired me to use today's great weather to go and play the Pelham course-the ony one open today.  I had a great time there and found the greens very challenging despite wintertime green speeds. 

Lots of fun, at a muni price and just 20 min from Manhattan.  And iam sure some good seafood in the summer about 5 min away.