[jonathan_becker]

A few friends and I recently went to the Rock Creek Cattle Company and I thought I would share some photos of how the course currently looks.  We played 72 holes and these shots are randomly picked from each round with one photo per hole.

The temps were close to 90* in the afternoon so the ball really flew and the majority of the course played fairly fast.  It was a great combination for fun golf.

Enjoy – and that’s mostly directed towards Jim Franklin and Shivas!!  


#1 par 4





#2 par 4



#3 par 5



#4 par 4



#5 par 4



#6 par 4



#7 par 4





#8 par 3



#9 par 4



#10 par 5



#11 par 4

My buddy Ryan tees off



#12 par 3



#13 par 3



#14 par 4



#15 par 4



#16 par 4

Ryan again



#17 par 3

From below



#18 par 5

[George Freeman]

Thanks Jonathan!  Course looks fantastic.

Can you give us a couple paragraph opinion on the course??  Would love to hear your thoughts.

[jonathan_becker]

George,

For starters, the two main things have stuck with me since the visit are the great variety of par 4s and the ever-changing vistas that frame the holes.  Background vistas are nice and all, but at RCCC, they are impossible to ignore!

Many people have said this before and they’re not kidding in that the par 4s are all unique and they are the strength of the course with my favorites being 4,7,11, and 16.  On quite a few of the holes, the ground movement rolls over multiple ridges that create landing areas around humps and bumps.  Off the tees, it’s necessary to figure out what kind of approach you want to face because blasting driver all day may give you shorter shots….but with blind views!  And tee shots that need to be placed to gain the better view will contend with either a bunker arrangement or a longer route.  It’s all great.

In regards to the scenery, I don’t think I’ve ever played a course where the backdrop changes so much.  You could almost group the scenery by holes 1-3, 4-8, 9-12, 13-15, and 16-18.  It’s a visual feast and quite a journey throughout the routing.

[Carl Nichols]

13 looks cool, too

[Jim Franklin]

The course looks GREAT! I was either at Pine Valley or Merion while you were there and I was JEALOUS. These pics made my day. Thanks for sharing.

[Carr Harris]

Rock Creek is truly a special place in the world of golf.

I feel that it may be the single best match play course I've ever seen.

We had four scratch players and our 4 ball matches saw everything from birdie and eagle binges to holes being halved with double bogies.


I wish I would've played better but with Becker out there dressing like Doug Sanders, It was hard at times to concentrate on the match 

[Paul Jones]

Great picture.  Thanks for sharing.

[Cliff Walston]

Thanks for sharing these.  Some course just fit your eye, and for me, RCCC just looks amazing.  Hopefully I will get to see it in person one day instead of just drooling over pictures such as these. 

[Ron Csigo]

I wish I would've played better but with Becker out there dressing like Doug Sanders, It was hard at times to concentrate on the match 

Please walk over to his desk and smack him upside the head NOW!   Those pants are ridiculous! 

Carr/Becker - What do you think of the white sand in the bunkers?  Heard it was brought in by the truckload.  Looks good in the pictures.  I could not imagine RCCC with the brown sand ala Ballyneal.

[jonathan_becker]

Ron,

Those pants are ridiculous and sometimes a shirt/pant color explosion comes out to play.  It's not all the time though considering I have a million white golf shirts.

As for the sand, after reading all the old threads I thought it was going to be more jarring to the eye in person.  It didn't bother me though and it looked fine.  If I had my choice, I would go with something darker, but it's not a big deal.

[jonathan_becker]

I was either at Pine Valley or Merion while you were there and I was JEALOUS.

Now THAT'S saying something! 

[Carr Harris]

Ron,

As for the sand, after reading all the old threads I thought it was going to be more jarring to the eye in person.  It didn't bother me though and it looked fine.  If I had my choice, I would go with something darker, but it's not a big deal.

I totally agree Re: The sand.

If i hadn't already known beforehand that it was non native sand, I would've never known the difference.

[Jim Colton]

The Ben Cox raffle strikes again! Glad everything worked out for you, Carr.

[Jed Peters]

Huge fan of this place as well--from the people that run the place to the golf course; everything is TOP NOTCH.

[Carr Harris]

The Ben Cox raffle strikes again! Glad everything worked out for you, Carr.

Thanks Jim,

When a pick in the middle of the pack nets you a place like RCCC, you know it is one hell of a raffle!

Becker's technicolor pants nonwithstanding (unfortunately he took off his red vest before we could grab our cameras), we had as good a time as possible.




To echo what Jed just said, they take care of their guests there as well as any place I've ever been.

[Carl Nichols]

Ron,

Those pants are ridiculous and sometimes a shirt/pant color explosion comes out to play.  It's not all the time though considering I have a million white golf shirts.

Imagine if Kyle Henderson lent you his hat.

[Dan Herrmann]

Damn, that's one beautiful golf course!

[Kalen Braley]

In terms of "diversity" of holes on a course....it really is way up there.  I can't think of any two holes that either play or look like another one on the course.  As usual, the par 4s are very very good...especially 14, 15, and 16...nothing short of top shelf!  And thats saying alot cause 4-7 is also a terrific stretch, as is 9 and 11.

[Jim Tang]

Jonathan -

Great pictures and thanks for sharing.  How much width do the fairways have?  Can you sort of swing away off the box or have to dial it down a bit?  What is the turf like?  Does it play firm, or more like a typical private course, soft?

I have relatives in Montana and have been there several times, although it has been awhile since I've last visited.  The vistas to be had in Montana are extraordinary, so I can only imagine what the views you allude to are really like on that course.

[Tom_Doak]

I am taking most of my family out there in August for a few days, and I'm excited to get back.  In fact, my daughters and wife have even brought up that they want to play golf ... which they have not suggested in years.

Jonathan's pictures are very good, but just like the pics of Dismal River this week, it's really impossible to do justice to the scale of the place on a computer screen ... we need HDTV for places like that.

[jonathan_becker]

Jonathan -

Great pictures and thanks for sharing.  How much width do the fairways have?  Can you sort of swing away off the box or have to dial it down a bit?  What is the turf like?  Does it play firm, or more like a typical private course, soft?

Jim,

The fairways are plenty wide but you have to aim small.  The movement and the falloffs on some holes will feed your ball into the fescue.  Plus, the topo (with the mounds or dunes or rocks or whatever you want to call it) will jut in on some holes.  Even during rounds when a few of us made some birdies, we all were in the fescue at some point during every round.

The turf was great.  Nice and firm except the fringes were a little soft in spots and tended to grab the ball at times.  That would be my only complaint and it's probably due to the bluegrass.  The fairways and tees are bluegrass and the greens are providence creeping bent (according to our forecaddie).  And then obviously the fescue rough.   But, it's not a big deal regarding the grass as it doesn't really change my opinion of the place.

[jonathan_becker]

Tom D,

To prove your scale comment, here's a shot on 14 from the back tee.  This 548 yard par 4 looks relatively flat when in fact it's beyond downhill!

 

[Jim Franklin]

I am taking most of my family out there in August for a few days, and I'm excited to get back.  In fact, my daughters and wife have even brought up that they want to play golf ... which they have not suggested in years.

Jonathan's pictures are very good, but just like the pics of Dismal River this week, it's really impossible to do justice to the scale of the place on a computer screen ... we need HDTV for places like that.

Your family couldn't pick a better place to want to pick up clubs again. The course looks to be maturing nicely. I will be interested in your thoughts after you play it again.

[Kalen Braley]

To this day, this pic remains my background on my PC!

[Michael George]

The course looks GREAT! I was either at Pine Valley or Merion while you were there and I was JEALOUS. These pics made my day. Thanks for sharing.

Honestly.  What is your secret?  No matter what Spike says, it can't be the shoes....

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