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Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (holes 1-15 now up)
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2012, 01:05:23 PM »
#16.  Par 5 (578 yards).



View from the beginning of the fairway:



Approach shot view:



From the hill over the green on the way to 17 tee:



#17.  Slightly uphill par 3 (179 yards).



Tee view:



From left of the green:



From long and right of the green:



#18.  Par 4 (454 yards).



Tee view:



Approach shot view:



From just short of the green:



From an elevated position right of the green:



Ah, that was fun.

A more recent photo album of Applebrook is here:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Applebrook/index.html
« Last Edit: December 25, 2019, 02:51:39 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Jim Sherma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #26 on: March 17, 2012, 10:42:13 PM »
Really good looking track. Built to encourage walking, fun looking shots while not looking crazy difficult while being certainly a good looking test of many decisions and shots.

David Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #27 on: March 17, 2012, 11:11:05 PM »
Great tour of a very underrated course.  Every time I see pictures of it it looks in great shape and it certainly was the day I was there.
"Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent." - Judge Holden, Blood Meridian.

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #28 on: June 24, 2012, 11:35:08 PM »
I think "underrated" might be understating. I thought that Applebrook was a top-notch course. Certainly to me better than those borderline top 100 courses that are all so similar in quality. I thought it had so many unique features that I could see making this a really fun way to play day in and day out...(Even if 14 here is a mirror of 14 at Rustic)

Amazingly good greens for a week where it's been regularly above 90 degrees.

3rd hole I agree with Joe that I'd like to play it again (and again and again).

Also felt like the 18th green complex was pretty intelligent, giving players a fighting change to recover from the short right bunker by using the backstop.

Not a huge fan of the 16th

Agree also that there is no point to cutting the corner on 2...half shot to an elevated green with OB long = bad idea

All in all a great place that impressed me beyond my expectations.

mike_malone

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2012, 01:11:00 PM »
 Golf is supposed to be fun; Applebrook is great fun; Applebrook is a great golf course.
AKA Mayday

Mike Viscusi

Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #30 on: June 25, 2012, 02:48:12 PM »
Applebrook is phenomenal and very underrated.  I think it stacks up very well amongst a number of the area's top classic courses.  All four of the par 5's are fantastic and a lot of fun to play.  The par 4's have so much variety throughout.  Say what you will about #3 but it always makes me think when I'm standing on the tee.  18 is a great finishing hole - tough, fun and aesthetically pleasing.  I think my favorite feature of the course though is the green surrounds, particularly on 6 and 18 (although nearly all of them are fantastic).  It's also a great walk.  I don't think there is a weak hole in the bunch (although I don't particularly care for 17 from the tee).

If I had to find fault, I would say that the surrounding houses detract from the experience a bit.  There are no houses on the course itself, but there is a row of mansions that border #3 and a large cluster of carriage homes to the left of 17 and 18.  Considering how few trees there are, those houses are in view on a number of holes and directly in the sight line on several shots (6 tee and 11 tee being the two that stand out the most to me).

FWIW, I think Applebrook is significantly better than French Creek.

JESII

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #31 on: June 25, 2012, 03:26:03 PM »
That little fairway bunker on 16 looks to have more grass around it than I remember...and I should remember! I cannot miss that thing no matter where I aim...

David Federman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #32 on: October 17, 2018, 11:06:09 AM »
Played Applebrook yesterday on a cold, windy day, but sunny day. Course was still soggy from all the rain we have had these past weeks. Never the less, the course was fabulously fun and challenging. This was my third Hanse course that I have played. Inniscrone was my first and, although there were certain holes I found interesting, for the most part, I just plain disliked the course, despite playing it more than once. I also played French Creek on a day that I was playing terribly off the tee which colored my view of the course with its numerous forced carries. I am certain I would have appreciated its attributes a great deal more had I been able to decently drive the ball that day. However, Applebrook was by far the best of the three and one of the best in the golf course rich area around Philadelphia. As has been described, the course is just plain fun. It has a great variety of short and long par 4s, 3s and 5s. It is a great walking course (for which it was designed). We played from the the Orange Tees (regular member's tees, I believe) which on the card measure 6280, but was playing (in the wind, cold  and sog) more like 6700. The quick transition in our weather from summer to fall (it was 45 degrees at tee-off) made it difficult to adjust for a significant drop in club distance, leading to underclubbing  on some approach shots and the course playing longer than the card. Loved the green complexes, the variety of ways the course presents itself in terms of strategy, and the need to think one's way around the course. In fact, there was nothing I did not like about this course. Would love to return - especially when it is playing firm and fast (although despite the sogginess of the fairways, the greens were quite slick). If you have the opportunity, definitely run, don't walk to play this gem.

Dan Boerger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #33 on: October 17, 2018, 11:29:58 AM »
I played it a couple times this year and fully agree with your assessment. Great variety of holes and with it being virtually treeless it can be very challenging when the wind is up.
"Man should practice moderation in all things, including moderation."  Mark Twain

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #34 on: October 17, 2018, 11:49:48 AM »

Edit:  broken links now fixed!

I'll try at some point to update the links at the beginning of the thread that no longer work (darn server change!), but here is a link that works for all the pictures:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Applebrook/
« Last Edit: December 25, 2019, 02:42:24 PM by Joe Bausch »
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #35 on: October 17, 2018, 01:40:48 PM »
Thanks for bringing this back up, David F


I played Applebrook in 2001, along with a trip to Merion, Gulph Mills, NGLA,  Shinnecock, and a cartaround at a nearly finished Friars Head with Ken Bakst.  Flying in and out of NYC the smoke was still rising from the ex-Twin Towers and I had recently played Bandon and Pacific Dunes and I got a smackdown from some-members of this site when I said that I thought that Applebrook was as good if not better than Pacific Dunes.  I still believe so.  The "Foxy" hole was the closest I've seen to the one at Dornoch which I've seen for 40 years.  I remember well the 3rd when TE Paul commended me when I 2-putted from about 20 feet which was treacherous.


Yes, there was (and is?) a waterfall on the 18th(?), but that trumped the other very interesting parts of the design.


Why does it not get love from this site?  Lack of access, maybe?  If I ever get back to playing golf in Philly (unlikely since the wife will want to show me around her two years there at Penn), but if I did I'd put Gulph Mills/Merion/Applebrook and flip a coin.......


Rich


Rich
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

David Federman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #36 on: October 17, 2018, 02:46:56 PM »
Yes - still a waterfall, but, of course, it is not in play and is unobtrusive. It connects (is the source of?) with the very, very narrow, meandering "creek" that runs through the course.


What makes Applebrook special, in IMHO, is that it is a modern course, with the playability of a classic course. A hallmark of the modern course designs are their sharp edges and penal nature. Inniscrone comes to mind. Early Pete Dye comes to mind. Lack of strategic options come to mind.


Most every hole at Applebrook has a risk/reward/conservative choice. As an example, the wonderful par 3 9th hole. With the pin towards the back, a player can challenge the flag, but risk sending one's tee ball into the death valley on the left, while a cautious player can aim for the front of the green, leaving a long uphill two putt for par, but avoiding the certain bogey or worse on the left. Likewise, the short par 4 3rd hole is a simple 3- wood up the left side of the fairway, leaving a short wedge with a good angle into the green. A bigger hitter can aim straight for the green, but a miss will cost dearly, leaving a difficult chip (or worse) from a bad angle onto a severely sloped green from back to front. 


I have always been drawn to the classic courses and their playability.  There is nothing tricky about them - everything is right there in front of you. Likewise, Applebrook has that quality, yet it has modern features which distinguish it from the classics. A modern classic.





Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #37 on: October 17, 2018, 03:06:39 PM »
Excellent post, David.  Thank you.


There is a very old/modern fashion feel to Applebrook, which is a very different feel than most new courses, perhaps due to its privateness.  Maybe this is why the course does not get any props on this site.....


Rich




Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (all holes up)
« Reply #38 on: December 25, 2019, 02:52:18 PM »
Broken links in this pretty good photo tour have been fixed.
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (broken links now fixed!)
« Reply #39 on: December 25, 2019, 05:55:59 PM »
I think the front nine is my favourite nine that Gil and Jim have built. They have higher profile work on better sites that will always get more attention. But for me, this nine just fits the land it resides on. It's as much about what they didn't do as what they did do very well.
« Last Edit: December 25, 2019, 05:59:44 PM by Ian Andrew »
"Appreciate the constructive; ignore the destructive." -- John Douglas

David Harshbarger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Applebrook GC (Hanse): a photo exploration (broken links now fixed!)
« Reply #40 on: December 25, 2019, 10:10:59 PM »
Thank you for repairing the links to this fine and photogenic course.  There's nothing overtly flashy about the course but golly it looks like it would be an absolute blast to play, and to play again and again.


Any time I see teeing grounds connected to the preceding green I know know know that designer was thinking of the future golfer when they made that decision.  You do that because you know someone is going to walk from that green to this tee, and that someone is really going to appreciate that the two are tied together.  I'm sure Gil and team get little karmic thank yous coming back to them on every Sunny Day in Philadelphia. 


Also, like with Rustic Canyon (are the Dave's still around here on this site?), this course surely has layer on layer of secrets and subtleties that reveal themselves only to the most observant, and only over a long time. 
The trouble with modern equipment and distance—and I don't see anyone pointing this out—is that it robs from the player's experience. - Mickey Wright