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Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
VIP Day at Common Ground
« on: August 13, 2012, 08:28:31 PM »
I managed to catch part of the first round of U.S. Amateur medal play at Common Ground, before heading to the airport to head home at the end of a two-week trip.

Most of the star attractions were playing at Common Ground this afternoon, which was bad luck of the draw as it was very calm this morning but the winds kicked up pretty good this afternoon.  Still, the gallery had the class of the field, as Jack and Barbara Nicklaus were out to watch their son Gary, a reinstated amateur.  He had only played a few holes before I had to leave, so I didn't get a critique of the course from Jack, but I will write him a nice note and see what he thinks of it.

The best shot I saw all day was from GCA member Andrew Biggadike, a two-bounce approach into the front left hole location on the par-4 16th.  I can't imagine there will be many birdies there today.  Andrew shot 68, and if he plays as well tomorrow, he should have a good chance to qualify for match play.  There were a handful of 65's posted this morning at Common Ground [and one 64 at Cherry Hills], and I would guess those will hold up as the best scores of the day.

Greens were unbelievably firm and about 12 on the Stimpmeter.  Even these players had to allow for a 10- to 15-foot first bounce when they hit the green, so even though the hole locations were not tucked, the course was playing pretty tough.  About half the field drove it through the green on the 349-yard 8th hole, downwind; a few drove it through the green on the 394-yard 9th, which is also 25 feet uphill.  These guys are very good.

Mark Bourgeois

Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2012, 08:36:53 PM »
How did the overshooters score -- wait, good G-d, 394 yards! Is that a typo?

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2012, 09:27:33 PM »
How did the overshooters score -- wait, good G-d, 394 yards! Is that a typo?

That's not a typo.  It's at altitude, it was downwind, and these boys can rip it.

We watched several groups play #8.  The pin was front left, behind the bunker, so you could not leave yourself a straight-in approach from the fairway ... you had to hit over the green or play wide to one side to get an angle where you could hold the shelf where the flag was.  Of maybe 12 players through the back of the green, we saw two threes (one by Jordan Spieth who hit a beautiful little bump-and-run wedge up the slope), one bogey, and a bunch of fours, some of which were pretty wobbly.  Unless you drove it pin high to the right, it was a very tough little pitch from 30 yards, and nobody got it inside ten feet from over there.

Ross Harmon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2012, 11:52:30 PM »
Nice. I was thinking about heading over today, but didn't get around to it. Tom - was hoping to "run into" you this weekend at Cherry Hills... a little surprised that you didn't stick around. But, I know you're a busy man.  :)

Should be a fun weekend. I plan to walk all 36 on Sunday, any other GCAers planning on that? Maybe meet up?

Doug Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2012, 12:53:04 AM »
How did the overshooters score -- wait, good G-d, 394 yards! Is that a typo?

That's not a typo.  It's at altitude, it was downwind, and these boys can rip it.

We watched several groups play #8.  The pin was front left, behind the bunker, so you could not leave yourself a straight-in approach from the fairway ... you had to hit over the green or play wide to one side to get an angle where you could hold the shelf where the flag was.  Of maybe 12 players through the back of the green, we saw two threes (one by Jordan Spieth who hit a beautiful little bump-and-run wedge up the slope), one bogey, and a bunch of fours, some of which were pretty wobbly.  Unless you drove it pin high to the right, it was a very tough little pitch from 30 yards, and nobody got it inside ten feet from over there.

Tom per the other US Am thread I caddied today at CommonGround for one of the GCA competitors Brian Colbert. I thought the course played great and was in great condition to challenge the players—firm but fair. Despite what you said, I thought several of the pins were “tucked” including the pins on 3, 4, 8, 16, 17 and 18 (not that that really matters to these guys). The pin on the upper right shelf on the par 3 6th was particularly tough. Brian, a nice young (and talented) Australian in our threesome and I had several discussions about the course, including how to get to the aforementioned 6th pin (hit short and bounce it up the hill?) and play the 8th (the Aussie astutely suggested going over the green was better). My guy Brian was short left on 8 and wisely decided to play 10 feet left rather than risking a too-short wedge into the long rough on the hill just short. None of our group made a birdie on 8 despite everyone being 30 yards from the hole. Brilliant. I also thought the front right pin on the par 3 14th was great. The subtle movement on the greens gave our players fits. The 13th hole played the toughest on average on day 1, and the closing stretch of 13-17 had some of the highest averages to par on the course. No surprise there.  I think CommonGround held its own very well today  vs. the best amateurs around.   
Twitter: @Deneuchre

Doug Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2012, 12:57:33 AM »
I managed to catch part of the first round of U.S. Amateur medal play at Common Ground, before heading to the airport to head home at the end of a two-week trip.

Most of the star attractions were playing at Common Ground this afternoon, which was bad luck of the draw as it was very calm this morning but the winds kicked up pretty good this afternoon.  Still, the gallery had the class of the field, as Jack and Barbara Nicklaus were out to watch their son Gary, a reinstated amateur.  He had only played a few holes before I had to leave, so I didn't get a critique of the course from Jack, but I will write him a nice note and see what he thinks of it.

The best shot I saw all day was from GCA member Andrew Biggadike, a two-bounce approach into the front left hole location on the par-4 16th.  I can't imagine there will be many birdies there today.  Andrew shot 68, and if he plays as well tomorrow, he should have a good chance to qualify for match play.  There were a handful of 65's posted this morning at Common Ground [and one 64 at Cherry Hills], and I would guess those will hold up as the best scores of the day.

Greens were unbelievably firm and about 12 on the Stimpmeter.  Even these players had to allow for a 10- to 15-foot first bounce when they hit the green, so even though the hole locations were not tucked, the course was playing pretty tough.  About half the field drove it through the green on the 349-yard 8th hole, downwind; a few drove it through the green on the 394-yard 9th, which is also 25 feet uphill.  These guys are very good.

PS  Tom from the other thread:  GCA highlight of the day to make Messrs. Doak, Urbina and Iverson happy--on the 500 yard par 4 5th EVERYONE in our threesome hit their drives into the very small hairy grassy knoll that sits in the right center of the fairway about 300 yards out. Brian and I had a good chuckle about that walking to the drives--nice design work Renaissance Golf! To prove that Attitude is Everything, Brian made par from the grassy knoll; the other two made bogey.

Twitter: @Deneuchre

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2012, 01:52:52 PM »

PS  Tom from the other thread:  GCA highlight of the day to make Messrs. Doak, Urbina and Iverson happy--on the 500 yard par 4 5th EVERYONE in our threesome hit their drives into the very small hairy grassy knoll that sits in the right center of the fairway about 300 yards out. Brian and I had a good chuckle about that walking to the drives--nice design work Renaissance Golf! To prove that Attitude is Everything, Brian made par from the grassy knoll; the other two made bogey.



Doug:

That story will make Eric happy -- the mounds were his idea.  Originally I thought he meant that they were to be mowed at fairway height, so the spot of rough there was a surprise to me.  But I guess you can get away with something like that if it's far enough from the tee and if you only do it once.  David Kidd tried to do the same sort of thing on a bunch of holes at the Castle Course at St. Andrews, and most of them have been removed.

Thanks for the report on the course.  You are right that there were some hard hole locations, they just weren't 3 paces from the edge of the green like we were talking about on another thread yesterday.  With the firmness of those greens, they didn't have to be.  Heck, in the afternoon round, the marshal reported that only one player had been able to keep his tee shot on #14 in the front right section where the pin was, even landing the ball ten yards short of the green, because it was so firm and was playing downwind.

Good luck to your man today at Cherry Hills.

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2012, 01:54:47 PM »
Nice. I was thinking about heading over today, but didn't get around to it. Tom - was hoping to "run into" you this weekend at Cherry Hills... a little surprised that you didn't stick around. But, I know you're a busy man.  :)


Ross:

I was on the road for the first 13 days of August -- Adelaide, Melbourne, New Zealand, Dismal River, and Common Ground.  I'm home for 3 days, then off to Montana for my family's summer vacation, and then off to Bordeaux the day after I get home.  So, by my standards, I did stick around!

Ross Harmon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2012, 09:18:38 PM »
Nice. I was thinking about heading over today, but didn't get around to it. Tom - was hoping to "run into" you this weekend at Cherry Hills... a little surprised that you didn't stick around. But, I know you're a busy man.  :)


Ross:

I was on the road for the first 13 days of August -- Adelaide, Melbourne, New Zealand, Dismal River, and Common Ground.  I'm home for 3 days, then off to Montana for my family's summer vacation, and then off to Bordeaux the day after I get home.  So, by my standards, I did stick around!

Tom - enjoy your well deserved family time both at home and in Montana!

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2012, 09:56:09 PM »
Congrats to Andrew Biggadike, who advanced to the match play portion of the competition after a 73 at Cherry Hills today.  And good luck in the matches!

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2012, 10:20:10 PM »
Is the construction on I25 making it difficult to get to the parking lot at the University of Denver?

Doug Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2012, 10:57:12 PM »
Is the construction on I25 making it difficult to get to the parking lot at the University of Denver?

No.
Twitter: @Deneuchre

Wayne_Kozun

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2012, 11:14:51 PM »
then off to Montana for my family's summer vacation
Gonna raise you up a crop of dental floss?

Raisin' it up
Waxen it down

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: VIP Day at Common Ground
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2012, 11:53:45 PM »
Thanks Doug

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