Folks,
As many of my friends on GCA know, I have in large part relocated to Kansas City. I am still a member of Olympia Fields (my time as President ended on Memorail Day weekend, so the self-imposed gag order is rescinded), but I got an offer I couldn't refuse from a large law firm down here, and will be spending most of my time in KC, as well as Denver, St. Louis, DC and some time in Chicago. Actually been traveling a lot of the time since I started in May.
I have not had much time for golf, but I have managed to play a few KC courses, incluidng Hallbrook, Shadow Glen, Loch Lloyd, Swope Park and Staley Farms. Have not gotten to KC CC, Milburn or Mission Hills yet. I did a search and there has not been a lot of discussion of KC courses, so a few thoughts:
I was suprised how hilly KC is. The courses exhibit a lot of up and down, which seems to present some idesign challenges in trying to avoid goat hill type play. Also (no surprise here), the zoysia fairways on most of these courses makes the courses play miles longer for a short hitter like me. The firmest, fastest course was also the deadest. Staley has bent grass in the fairways, and when I played it earlier this summer the fairways were signficantly (maybe 50 percent or more) toasted. They are coming back now that temps have gone down.
Hallbrook (Fazio), Shadow Glen (Weiskopg and Moorish) and Loch Lloyd (listed as being redesigned by Tom Watson, but i don't know who worked with him on it) were all fairly penal designs. Hallbrook is far more difficult than the other two, and is very narrow, with trees used to chop usable fairway width and lots of tiers in the greens, making them effectively play quite small. Loch Lloyd had a lot of tiered greens also -- my favorite was about the only one (the 1st?), with a nice mound on one side that affected putts all over the green. Also had a biarritz that sort of worked, though the swale was very large and not real deep. The others seem of the same school, just nowhere near as difficult, but seeing hazards (except for the occcasional water) run perpendicular or at angles to the line of play was rare. Shadow Glen was very beautiful, but the greens seemed to have the least movement of any of the courses.
Cards on the table, Staley Farms was by far the cream of the crop for me. Lots of diagonal hazards, crazy greens (a couple were too crazy, but better than not crazy enough), all of which affect the play from the tee, lots of choices, really interesting and varied green sites with lots of low mown areas etc. etc. In other words, it is really, really fun to play. A little more aerial than I expected, mostly because the hills on the site are used for a few perched up greens, but there is still a ton of opportunity to play running shots or to play away from holes to get close to holes. So far, the course is unique in KC. At some point I will try to post some pictures.
Swope Park is pretty fun too. Interesting routing, and a couple interesting par-5s, one of which is reminiscent of #4 at Bethpage in a much scaled down version. Anyone know what is left of Tillinghast? Is the routing (or parts of it)?
Jeff Goldman