A really enjoyable few days in the Hoosier state. An early start Friday at Harrison Hills and bookended with more Liddy at Trophy Club. Plenty of fun in between. Just a few highlights…
Harrison Hills: The original Langford holes are wonderful. Great land, strategic off the tee, rolling terrain, and severe greenside bunkering to say the least (see #15). Jud and I played 32 holes (for only $52 total) before the rains arrived; Chris Sturges arrived after we played 10 holes. The three of us dropped balls into the 30-foot deep bunker right of #15 green to see if we could get out; only Jud managed to get it up on the fringe.
St Elmo’s Steakhouse: “Easy does it,” I warned Jud before he dug into the signature horseradish-laden shrimp cocktail. A warning he did not heed.
Broadmoor: A wonderful Ross routing with interesting green complexes. It’s the kind of course you could play every day – just as long as you repeatedly don’t find yourself over the green to a short-sided pin. The course was in great condition and the greens rolled nicely, especially after a deluge the night before. It was definitely quite a change from putting on the recently aerated greens at Harrison Hills the day before – akin to going from shag carpet to tile. The last grouping, Jud and I had an up-and-down (the score and the play) and very enjoyable match against Bill Steele and John Mayhugh. We went from dormie on #17 tee to eeking out a half after a big up-and-down on #18 from greenside.
Dinner and presentation: It’s been said above… Great conversation with fellow GCAers and the Broadmoor staff as well as an insightful presentation and Q&A with Bruce.
Nightcap: Beers in the Officer Homes adjacent from The Fort with the guys -- until 1 a.m. How time flies.
The Fort: A big, brawny course that was a slog at 6,750 yards for my short tee ball and 14 hcp. Good conditioning. Uninspired greens that were easy to “over-read.” Memorably, I followed up a birdie on #5 with a few laughs on the par 5 #6: Didn’t reach the fairway from the greatly elevated tee shot over a gorge. Then pulled a hybrid over the hill that I didn’t see but Jason described as bouncing off the wood railing, a mound of rocks and the cart path before settling in the rough. After a competitive front nine, Jason Thurman and Chris Sturges pulled ahead on the back to defeat me and Rich, 2-UP.
Trophy Club: Playing as a six-some in four hours? Yes, it’s possible. And definitely one of the most fun rounds I’ve had. I didn’t even mind playing poorly and being out-driven by a good 50+ yards each hole by Josh, Jason, Bill and Chris. Josh, beyond lacing each tee shot with a parabolic-light ball flight, is an expert at spotting the shots I sprayed into the rough -- or off the rocks as I did on the par 3, 14th hole pictured above. Thankfully, my 60* wedge seemed to be working most of the day around the greens.
A big thanks to Matt for his yeomans work with all the planning.
Nobody brought a camera?
A few photos of the courses ... before my iPhone battery died, which happened all too often.
Harrison Hills(The original Langford holes are #1, #2, #13-#18)
Hole #2 – 195 yards, Black Tees / 188 yards, Brown TeesHole #10 – 423/392HH website: A pond guards the entire left side with trees guarding the right side of the hole. A good straight drive will leave a golfer with a mid to long second shot to a very long green. The right side of the fairway is guarded by a tree that must be avoided or your second shot might be a punch shot. A par is a very good score.
Hole #12 – 195/182HH website: A long par three. A big oak tree guards the left side of the green. A deep bunker guards the right front of the green. If you hit the green, which is usually firm, you are left with a pretty simple putt.
Hole #13 – 523/495From Ran: While playing the hole, the authors had little idea that this straightaway, uphill three-shotter was originally a dog-leg right two-shotter (the old 4th), for the 13th plays quite well, with its blind second over a hill to the well-bunkered green
Hole #14 – 321/305HH website: Don't go left off the tee box. A straight drive will leave you with a blind second shot over a hill down a hill to thin green that slopes from back to front. You must miss the two very deep greenside bunkers. A par will be achieved with a good drive and if you hit the green.
Hole #15 – 356/336The 15th is the most dramatic and dangerous. The narrow green is perched on top of a hill with deep bunkers left and right. After seeing this hole, the 16th at PGA West (Stadium) seems tame!
Hole #16 – 411/402HH website: A long uphill drive with a downhill second shot to a par four. Miss the fairway bunkers off the tee and you are left with a sidehill/downhill second shot to a green that has a false front. The green slopes from front to back. A par is a very good score.
Hole #17 – 151/143HH website: An uphill short par three. You can't see the putting surface from the tee and you must miss the deep bunker on the left. If you hit the green most of the time you can make a par.
Hole #18 – 557/543HH website: A long par five that leads you towards the clubhouse. Stay straight off the tee. It is a very hilly par five with sidehill and downhill lies throughout. Miss the fairway bunker with your second shot and you are left with a short chip to a green that slopes from back to front. Don't go past the pin or you will have a very fast down hill putt.
Broadmoor Hole #1 – 433 yards, Gold Tees /422 yards, Blue Tees Hole #2 – 410/400 (top-shot bunkers off 50 yards off the tee) Hole #3 – 383/375Hole #4 – 147/137Hole #5 – 433/423Hole #6 – 391/383Hole #7 – 340/334Hole #8Hole #9 – 527/507The Fort Hole #2 – 323 yards, Gold Tees / 311 yards, Blue TeesHole #4 – 479/438Hole #5 – 170/159Hole #6 – 511/496 Hole #7 – 542/531Hole #9 – 482/423Hole #10 – 311/305Hole #12 – 479/434Hole #13 – 407/396Hole #15 – 471/448