Cabot Links...the real deal

[Ted Sturges]

Just returned from Cabot.  This is a trip everyone needs to take.  If you go, make sure you take in Thompson's Highland Links (about a 2 hour drive from Cabot).  I have no doubt I will make many trips to Cabot...the perfect place to go when we get a hot summer like this one.

Rod Whitman has done a fantastic job with a great piece of property.  I'll leave the full write up to Ran, but the highlights of the Cabot Links Course to me were:

2!!  Hardest hole on the course and a world class par 5
4!!  One of a handful of awesome 2 shot holes.  The 4th shares a massive double green with the 13th.
8!  A drivable par 4 which plays from an elevated tee right  down toward the sea.  Very fun hole.
9!  Rod has created one of the best holes on the property on perhaps the least attractive part of the property.  Bravo!
10!  My favorite one shotter on the course
11!  A cape hole that looks like it's been there for 75 years
13!!  Hitting the approach shot to this wild double green is one of the funnest shots in golf
14!  Reminiscent of the 7th at Pebble Beach
15!!  Great two shot hole playing north up the beach
16!!  I really think this is one of the great par 4's in the world

Can't wait to go back.

Make your plans now.

Congrats to Ben, Ran, Mr. Keiser, and Rod Whitman.  Another victory for remote golf.

TS

[Mac Plumart]

Ted...

we need more than that.  Pictures, pros, cons, tough shots, best greens, how are the accomodations, etc...if people are going to make the trip up there, they need a full load of ammo to make the trek.

[Ronald Montesano]

Me too, Ted, I'm a doubting Mac as well. Want to make sure that the unmentioned hole reviews didn't go something like this:
1 Worst Starter Since The Edsel
3 Bad Luck Comes In Threes And This Three Is No Exception
5-7  Average out to 6-6-6, the Devil's Triangle of Terrible Holes
12 A Dozen Rotten Eggs Is What This Twelfth Is Worth
17 The Penultimate Peril-Should Have Remained Unmined
18 Worst Closing Decision Since Mackenzie Forgot An 18th At Crystal Downs

[David_Elvins]

Ted...
we need more than that...if people are going to make the trip up there, they need a full load of ammo to make the trek.

Really?  If Ted Sturges says its the real deal, that's enough for me.  I would rather discover the rest for myself.

[Tom_Doak]

Ted...
we need more than that...if people are going to make the trip up there, they need a full load of ammo to make the trek.

Really?  If Ted Sturges says its the real deal, that's enough for me.  I would rather discover the rest for myself.

Hell, Ted thinks Crystal Downs needs to blow up greens.  What does he know? 

Exit question, Ted:  which is better -- Cabot or Highland Links?

[Garland Bayley]

...
Exit question, Ted:  which is better -- Cabot or Highland Links?

Yeah Ted, When do we get Ted Sturges Confidential Guide to golf courses?

[David Stewart]

...
Exit question, Ted:  which is better -- Cabot or Highland Links?

Yeah Ted, When do we get Ted Sturges Confidential Guide to golf courses?

Every Raynor gets at 10!

[David Harshbarger]

Me too, Ted, I'm a doubting Mac as well. Want to make sure that the unmentioned hole reviews didn't go something like this:
1 Worst Starter Since The Edsel
3 Bad Luck Comes In Threes And This Three Is No Exception
5-7  Average out to 6-6-6, the Devil's Triangle of Terrible Holes
12 A Dozen Rotten Eggs Is What This Twelfth Is Worth
17 The Penultimate Peril-Should Have Remained Unmined
18 Worst Closing Decision Since Mackenzie Forgot An 18th At Crystal Downs

Nice lines, but I don't expect anything like that to play out.  This course is hand crafted over many years on a prime site by top shelf professionals to be a gem.  Having read this site for awhile, you know that many courses, heck most courses, are compromised for any number of reasons. But there are some, many being the most revered, that were not the children of compromise.  Cabot appears to be one of these, and the question we should all be excited to see answered is given all the positive forces at play, what wonders have they unearthed for us to enjoy?  If there is even a single clunker I would be shocked, and I think the principles would be, also.

[Ted Sturges]

To Mac:  I have not mastered the art of posting pics here, and I actually took zero pics up there, but I know Ran took a ton, and I assume he'll be posting those soon (but the website pics show a great deal).  You also asked about the rooms/accomodations.  This was the first week the place was officially open for business, so there were a few kinks, but spending 5 minutes with Ben reveals his passion for the place and I have no doubt that they will get all the service stuff right and pronto.  The rooms are very nice, and every room sits up on the hill overlooking the course and the sea.  Pretty awesome.  The food was A++.

To David E:  Thanks...you are a scholar and a gentleman.  

To Tom Doak:  My Crystal Downs bashing seems to be greatly exaggerated.  All I said was that I wondered if MacKenzie would build those same greens today (with today's mowing technologies), or maintain the existing greens stimping at 9 (which is what I think they should do).  I think it's a fair question that provided lots of interesting comments including yours.     Though I loved Highland Links, Cabot is better in my opinion (I liked Cabot a bunch).  I sat down yesterday and listed my personal top 50, which I hadn't done in a few years.  Cabot came in at 16 (Pacific Dunes is 10th on my personal top 50 list).

General comments:  The place is just awesome people.  Like any new course, there are french drain "scars" and the greens aren't as fast as they'll be a year from now, but it is just a wonderful place to play golf and hang out.  Approaching the village of Inverness from the north, you round a corner and all of a sudden, you see the links and it just gives you that "wow" feeling.  Also, Ben was kind enough to drive us up to see the additional 600 acres they own, which is 1.5 miles up the road to the north.  That property is significantly better than the property that Rod's course is on (think Pacific Dunes property with more topography change).  Bill Coore was there finding holes when Ben took us out there.  If Mr. Keiser sticks to his model of wanting each course to have a different architect, I am hoping Tom gets a shot at the third course.  Though it would be tempting to wait for the 2nd (and 3rd) courses to be built before going up there, I would highly recommend going now.  From Indianapolis, it is basically two 2-hour fights and then a 3 hour car ride (easier for me than getting to Bandon).  Start making your travel plans.  

TS

PS:  Zero clunker holes.

[PCCraig]

Thanks for the report Ted. Can't wait to get up there soon.

[Chris Johnston]

Sounds like a great new place.  Also sounds like they got it right.  Can't wait to see it.

Good to hear of Ben's contagious passion.  I love that!

[George Pazin]

Thanks for the report. I might be odd, but I appreciate the brevity - far too often I find myself skimming or even skipping many of the overly long write-ups on here.

I have now amended my ROWL (realistic wish list, for those not familiar):

1) Wolf Point
2) Cabot
3) Bandon
4) everything else

 

Barny D still tops the unrealistic one...

[Bryan Izatt]

If Ted doesn't mind, I'll weigh in on this thread rather than starting another one.  I'm just leaving today after two fine days on the links.  Couldn't have had better weather - hot (for here) and very calm.

I also think it is the real deal, but I think it needs to settle in before we get too carried away with where it ranks.

Ted's description on the standout holes is spot on - with the exception of the 8th (at least in my limited opinion).  The 8th just didn't fit my eye - too punitive.  It's the fairway or death.  And, it is not driveable for us mere mortals.

Mac,  I'll post some pictures to help you out.

Ronald, I can assure you that the other holes are all good too.  I'll get to them later.

David,  stop reading if you want to discover it yourself some day.

My first views were from the beach road that separates 10 and 11 from the rest of the course.  First a view looking back down 9 from the Workshop.




Looking down the road over the halfway house/canteen to the 11th green and the salt pond.




The beach below the course.




A look along the boardwalk, the 13th hole and the Resort up on the hill.




The beach alongside the 15th as seen from the end of the boardwalk.




The patio overlooking the 18th green.  I foresee lots of kibbutzing from the patio crowd to players on the 18th.  I hope Ben has insured all those windows overlooking the green.  They can't be more than 20 yards away from the edge of the green.




Hole by hole pictures to come as time permits.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Looks awesome, great pictures Bryan. I am going to be there July 10-12.  If anyone else will be there and wants to join me on the course then pls send me a PM.

[George Pazin]

Wayne, can your suitcase fit an average size guy?

Thanks for the pics, Bryan.

[Ted Sturges]

Ted's description on the standout holes is spot on - with the exception of the 8th (at least in my limited opinion).  The 8th just didn't fit my eye - too punitive.  It's the fairway or death.  And, it is not driveable for us mere mortals.

Bryan-  I agree it is fairway or death at the 8th...but that's the beauty of the hole!  If you wanted to keep your ball in play, you could reach the green with a 4 iron and a short iron.  That fairway was plenty wide to recieve a 4 iron.  I hit 3 wood, 3 wood,  hybrid and 4 iron, trying different ways to play the hole.  My best driver would have gotten to within 40 yards of the green, so that wasn't the play for me.  But, playing in a Four ball match, I put it in play and my partner (a long hitter) had a go with the driver and got to within 10 yards of the green.  I thought the hole was tons of fun!

Please post more pics when you can.  Thanks!
TS

[Dan Herrmann]

O Canada!

[Don Hyslop]

While I agree that if you miss the fairway on the 8th hole you are in serious trouble to the point you may have a difficult time finding your ball, it was still one of my favourite holes. Knowing I couldn't drive the hole, a hybrid and pitching wedge delivered a nice par.

Take a look:  http://cabotlinks.com/golf/hole-by-hole-tour/P7#page-body

[Bill_McBride]

Me too, Ted, I'm a doubting Mac as well. Want to make sure that the unmentioned hole reviews didn't go something like this:
1 Worst Starter Since The Edsel
3 Bad Luck Comes In Threes And This Three Is No Exception
5-7  Average out to 6-6-6, the Devil's Triangle of Terrible Holes
12 A Dozen Rotten Eggs Is What This Twelfth Is Worth
17 The Penultimate Peril-Should Have Remained Unmined
18 Worst Closing Decision Since Mackenzie Forgot An 18th At Crystal Downs

Dear Cynic,

You are most likely thinking of Cypress Point for 18.  The home hole at CD is quite a strong finisher.

[Mac Plumart]

Dear Critic of Cynic...

Rumor has it that Mackenize showed a final routing of Crystal Downs that only had 17 holes.  Hence, Cynic's joke.

 

[Bryan Izatt]

Before starting I usually pick tees based on length, usually around 6,400 yards.  That led me to the green tees.  It only later ocurred to me that it is a par 70.  Ooops.  Second day I played the silver tees at just over 6000 yards.  Certainly more manageable.  My wife played the royal blue tees at 3,700 yards.  Great job Ben and Rod.  On the back nine she rebelled upon seeing that they were only 1600 yards and moved back to the orange tees.  Some holes were too long from there, but she was thrilled to make all the forced carries.

The first is a fairly benign opening short par 4.  Ben describes the hole as follows:

"This short par 4 plays toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The tee shot is blind with the fairway running left to right against the slope of the land. Three fairway bunkers are cut deep into the dune on the right and a tee shot near or over these bunkers opens up the green nicely. A fairway bunker blocks the path to the infinity green at approximately 300 yards. Another pot bunker guards the left side with a third bunker set short of the front right portion of the green. The green itself slopes front to back away from the player and is open in front. Given how the putting surface slopes away, it may be best to play a running approach. Margaree Island and the Gulf of St Lawrence provide a memorable backdrop to the day’s first hole."

Like most holes, anything off the fairways is dead (lost). The fairways are very wide through most of the course, but if you stray you'll pay.

From the back tee the angle is more difficult off the tee.



From a more forward tee the line is more straightforward with Margaree Island providing a target.  The out and back mowing pattern is quite noticeable.



The fronting bunker on the second shot is somewhat short of the green providing some deception.  And, I can attest that the green runs away and is very firm, being new.




A look from the front of the green.  It slopes away more than it looks.




The greens are noticeably slow currently.  I would have guessed maybe 4 or 5.  Ben says they are stimped daily and are running at 6 to 7.  I'm sure they'll get faster as the course matures and grows in.  Many of them will be a real handful when they get up to 9 or 10.  Above 10, I think that some would be brutally difficult.

[Tom_Doak]

The greens are noticeably slow currently.  I would have guessed maybe 4 or 5.  Ben says they are stimped daily and are running at 6 to 7.  I'm sure they'll get faster as the course matures and grows in. 

No wonder Ted likes it so much!! 

[Bryan Izatt]

The second is potentially a brute of a par 5.  Alistair MacLeod, the B&B owner where we stayed tells me it usually plays into the wind, but he has had a number of eagles there, so it is a doable hole.

Ben describes it as follows:

"This hole was designed to play as the course’s longest par 5 and is one of the most difficult holes at Cabot. The tee shot plays downhill but then the ideal second shot must climb uphill onto a large dune. The second landing area has a pot bunker set into the middle of the fairway. The right hand portion of the fairway ends leaving a short iron approach over a ravine to a fall away green. Left of the middle bunker, the fairway flows seamlessly onto the putting surface, setting up the golfer for a short pitch, or better yet a pitch and run. The green nestles up against a large dune from where one can see vast stretches of the links."

Although the fairway is wide, it slopes off to the right so the effective landing area is smaller.  Missing either side is dead.






The uphill second is totally blind and far higher than it looks in the picture.  Playing without the yardage guide there is no way to know where the green is on first play.  It turns out to be offset right with a death zone in front of it.  My one helpful suggestion to Ben would be that, like Scottish courses, he should erect barber poles on blind shot for guidance.  Trying to play Melvyn "thinking Golfer" type golf, I took a guess on where to hit it up the hill and pushed it far right of my intended line.  Surprisingly the green was offset way right and my ball was on it.  Sometimes you get lucky.



Hitting the second shot up straight leaves a chip as third shot at right angles to the right.




Looking back down the fairway to the tee.




The green from the side.

[Don Hyslop]

The opening shot video on opening day courtesy of the Cabot Links Facebook page.

Cabot Links
It's hard to believe that one week ago today, Wallace Taylor kicked things off with the opening tee shot. At the age of 93, Wallace could have been forgiven for moving up a tee but, when I asked him, he would have none of it. With three waggles, he smacked one down the middle and carried the menacing bunker. The man who made his debut on August 19th, 2010 on our Facebook page with his putting course on the beach – and told me in our first meeting that he was waiting for us to finish the golf course – proved the perfect fit. We were thrilled to have Wallace and his family in attendance to make the day even more special, so here is a little video of the proceedings.
-BCD
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151875642570291

[Bryan Izatt]

The  fairways are generally enormously wide which I presume leads to potentially strategic angles for playing the holes.  I have to admit that in two plays I didn't see too much obvious strategy in the holes.  More study would be required.

Ben's description of the third, a longish par 4:

"A long downhill par 4 that plays into the wind. The fairway is set in a valley, angled left to right. The landing area features a large fairway bunker to the right with a smaller, deeper one set into the hillside on the left. Though the landing area is wide, the green favors a left side approach. The green itself is long and open in front and slightly elevated with a bunker front right and another back left. Two solid shots are required to reach the green in regulation."

A view from the tee.




The second shot.  The views oof the hills in the distance is awesome.  I found it difficult to get a sense of distances on the course - probably partly due to the enormous scale of the surrounding vistas.




From closer in.  The small ridge in front of the green makes running the ball up more difficult.




Looking back over the green to the tee on the ridge.