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Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« on: September 09, 2012, 04:55:14 PM »
Saw a Facebook post from Golf Cape Breton: "Beautiful day at Highlands Links! A big Cape Breton welcome to the 20+ Golfweek raters here today!"

So - did anybody here experience one of my favorite courses ever?

Adam Lawrence

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2012, 05:19:20 PM »
Nothing to do with Golfweek, but I'll be there on Tuesday!
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2012, 07:01:51 PM »
I arrived today and leave a week Monday.

I'll be on the 6th hole working all week - orange rain suit with shovel or rake in hand - try not to hit me please!
The final bunker work will get done this week.

With luck I'll go touch up the dragon and fireball on #5 and play with the Laird's mouth on Friday or Saturday morning.

Last visit, for how long depends on the outcome of this winter.
With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2012, 09:41:21 PM »
Cabot Links grew on me each of three rounds there. Highlands Links, long one of my top-10 all-time favorites, was in awful shape and completely mismanaged but was still enchanting. More tomorrow when I post an account on Golfweek, with photos.

Robert Thompson

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2012, 11:28:44 PM »
Awful shape? I'd heard it had a good year. What was the issue? I know they had tons of rain there lately...
Terrorizing Toronto Since 1997

Read me at Canadiangolfer.com

Brad Klein

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Guy Nicholson

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2012, 01:00:37 PM »
I'm confused too ... what was your comparison point, Brad? HL has obvious and perennial challenges with maintenance but when I was there last month it was in vastly condition than it was when I saw it in 2011, notably better than it was during previous visits in 2003 and 2008 and totally headed in the right direction with bunkers and tree removal.

Stephen Davis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2012, 01:08:26 PM »
Interesting take. The more I hear about Cabot the more intrigued I become. On another note, it is sad to hear that a course as good as Highlands Links is reported to be has fallen into disrepair.

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 01:29:03 PM »
Interesting take. The more I hear about Cabot the more intrigued I become. On another note, it is sad to hear that a course as good as Highlands Links is reported to be has fallen into disrepair.

Stephen, I can't speak to the conditions the day Brad et. al. played Highlands, but I was there 3 weeks ago and even after a torrential downpour, the course was in plenty good enough condition to be thoroughly enjoyed.  My biggest complaint was the softness (again, though, this was after a downpour), which meant that the wonderful ground contours were taken out-of-play.

Brad, what do you think of the routing?  I think most courses that are praised for their routings are commended for their terrific use of terrain in a constrained space.  I suppose the same could be said of Highlands, as the space on which the course could be routed was constrained, though it is was over a large area.  Can you (or anyone else) get by the long transitions and call Highlands one of the great routings in golf?

Stephen Davis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2012, 02:26:34 PM »
Interesting take. The more I hear about Cabot the more intrigued I become. On another note, it is sad to hear that a course as good as Highlands Links is reported to be has fallen into disrepair.

Stephen, I can't speak to the conditions the day Brad et. al. played Highlands, but I was there 3 weeks ago and even after a torrential downpour, the course was in plenty good enough condition to be thoroughly enjoyed.  My biggest complaint was the softness (again, though, this was after a downpour), which meant that the wonderful ground contours were taken out-of-play.

Mark,

Thanks for adding this. Living in Oregon, I know how differently a course can play when it is wet. I am anxious to someday enjoy playing here as well as Cabot.

Joel_Stewart

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2012, 02:41:06 PM »
Does anyone find it remotly exciting that Mike Keiser along with Kemper Sports may bid on running Highland Links?    That's the speculation Brad said in his article.

Garland Bayley

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2012, 02:47:54 PM »
There probably were no stoppers in the hotel sinks.
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2012, 03:26:35 PM »
Highland Links has one of the greatest routings in the world, with the long walks part of what makes it so overwhelming. Plus the use of natural, intense contours as an integral part of the strategy. You play brutally long, uphill defile holes like the par-5 7th, followed by the exciting, anticipatory up-and-over blind short par-4 8th. It has an extraordinary collection of par-3s, everything from an 8-iron to a 3-metal. And then you have these convex ramps into a green like the 13th where the shelf to work the fall in is about 5-yards wide, with anything left of it steered that way or to the right of it steered the other way.

The walk itself, as Lorne Rubenstein described it in his epic speech when the place was rededicated in the late-1990s, is a classic historical march through the Scottish Highlands, starting inland, moving along the lower-lying beach, shifting through marsh, then up into the mountains and back. It is a stirring journey, one you miss entirely if you ride a cart.

Having said all that, the maintenance standards, rain or even dry, are just too heavy-handed, with not enough ground roll, not enough turf cover, too many dirt areas along the tree lines, and too many tees enshrouded in shade. plus you never get to play the river there (10th green is a classic example) because of the trees they've allowed to overgrow. But for the tee shot on the 11th, where the carry across the stream is inconsequential, you never actually confront the Clyburn as an integral design element. As an aside, the ranger-ing is non-existent, there's inadequate staffing of basic amenities. But the real issue is that the maintenance program does not allow the genius of the architecture to be properly playable. I'm not talking about the need for lush green cover; just firmer, faster playable ground. Yes, the greens are in very good shape, but not the tees, fairways or roughs.

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2012, 03:34:53 PM »
Thanks, Brad, I enjoyed that.

If the longest club you hit on any par-3 was a 3-wood, then you must have picked up some distance since we played earlier in the year!

Brad Klein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2012, 04:11:54 PM »
Mark,

Most of us played the white tees, and on the longest par-3, the 12th, from 205 into a crosswind roped a 3-metal to 12-feet and missed the putt. Otherwise hit 8-iron on 3rd; 7-iron on 5th; 8-iron to 10th and another 3-metal (futilely) to the 17th.

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #15 on: September 11, 2012, 08:04:15 PM »
Brad - thanks for the info..

To me, it seems like items that can be remediated with TLC and time?

Ian Andrew

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #16 on: September 11, 2012, 09:10:45 PM »
Timing is everything at Highlands Links.
There is very little drainage, so it all comes down to when they get rainfall.

The course was great in July, best its been in five years.
Its really wet this week with all the rain they've had.

The Clyburn is a serious problem on the 6th and 12th


With every golf development bubble, the end was unexpected and brutal....

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2012, 12:18:27 AM »
Brad thanks for sharing your thoughts. I only wish I could have been there.

Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #18 on: October 14, 2012, 03:54:22 PM »
A recent vist from Matt Ward:

I just returned from being at Highland Links and need to add a bit more clarity to some of the topics raised.
 
1). Getting to Highland Links is a tough chore -- it's about 2 1/2 hour drive from Inverness for those going to Cabot Links
as well. The roads are slow and winding and you don't have the benefit of doing 55+ mph for the bulk of the drive.
 
2). The isolation is complicated by a short playing season - late April to late October is as far as it goes and that's being
kind in the event Mother Nature decides to do otherwise.
 
3). The overall turf quality needs a major overhaul -- tees are spongy and not cut -- grass coverage is also sparse and a number
of the tees are not level. The fairways are also similar -- turf is quite uneven and because of the inherent moisture you often get
veal cutlet size divots.
 
4). Keltic Lodge is in need of a major makeover - it's tired and needs to be spruced up on all fronts. The lodging is a key component because it's critical
to keep people near to the course for multiple days and plays. One other thing -- having no pratice area is also a downer -- in modern golf today a practice
facility is a must item but the land area doesn't provide for one.
 
What Tom Doak said in CG about HL certainly still applies. However, and it cannot be minimized or understated -- the turf quality is what is retarding the design
element the course possesses.
 
What many people don't realize is that Highland Links started as a 9-hole course (Holes 1-4 and 14-18). Thompson built those holes under budget and
then received permission to build the remaining holes. The central issue is that par-5 6th is in need of a fairway that must be raised from its present
position. The close proximity of the sea has meant a soggy consistent mess for a landing area.
 
There are likely a number of areas that would need to be completely re-sodded and no doubt that cost can be quite prohibitive.
 
On the flip side you have locals who expect green fees to be kept as is and the ineptitude of the government to handle what has been a long issue
of inaction has grown to massive proportions.
 
Thompson's design is loaded with design elements of the first order. The rolling terrain makes for some incredible shots throughout the round. But you
can't have green speeds which require SHOULDER TURNS to get the ball to the hole. I am not advocating anything close to Oakmont or Augusta type greens but the
inherent design contours are thrwarted because of the presentation that exists now. On the bunker front -- the quality of the sand needs to be examined. It is heavy and quite frankly more akin to dirt than sand.
 
The main issue in looking for an outside group is the scope and nature of the involvement from the group that may be chosen. I don't see the investment as being anything less than a major ticket item in terms of costs. Would such a company see a return on their money? Tough question to answer -- clearly they would not if the green fees could not be increased.
 
The other factor is if a company does come in -- would they do anything to take away from the design itself? If the design remained intact then the quality of the holes would surely rise considerably. The sheer details are there -- but woeful turf conditions do nothing to bring them alive. I don't play golf conceptually -- I play it in actual terms.
 
The issue is quite straightforward -- too many people need to take off the rose-colored glasses and see the course for what is NOW. I salute much of the work previously done but the turf issues are central to maximizing what the design provides. Frankly, I see Highland Links in the same vein as Apache Stronghold. Unless a clear and
sustained effort is made -- the two courses I just mentioned will be more of a "what if" than a what can be. A true pity indeed.
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Mark Saltzman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #19 on: October 14, 2012, 04:35:58 PM »
I know Matt has seen a lot and I respect his views, but I wonder how he can make such definitive statements on conditions based on a single visit.

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #20 on: October 14, 2012, 05:09:11 PM »
It sounds as though the government is not doing much to maintain the course while looking for a new operator.  That could end unfortunately for all parties.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #21 on: October 14, 2012, 06:21:24 PM »
I know Matt has seen a lot and I respect his views, but I wonder how he can make such definitive statements on conditions based on a single visit.

I know next to nothing about Highland Links except for its reputation as a soggy course.  Don't know if its true or not, but given the North American penchant for soft courses and with HL being singled out as particularly troublesome I do admit that the rep has kept me from ever making a serious attempt at visiting.  Reps in golf are hard to shake.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #22 on: October 14, 2012, 08:29:52 PM »
Sean - When I played HL, it was definitely not soggy.

Keep in mind that it's part of a National Park with all that entails.  Think what a golf course would look like in, say, Yellowstone.  You'd have most employees not enthralled with golf and would probably see it as the antithesis to their mission statement.

For example, the mission statement of the US National Park Service states, ""the Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations . . . by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

Gary Slatter

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #23 on: October 14, 2012, 08:49:05 PM »
the 6 days that my wife and I spent at Keltic Lodge and Highlands Links were excellent, the course was fast and firm (but you could see areas that needed TLC, on the course, with service, and in the hotel).  Each day we played with two strangers and I am proud to say we drove the 8-mile course each day, with left us strong enough to enjoy the chowder after golf.

Sadly, we have not been back since 2001.  However plans are in the works for Cape Breton in 2013.
Gary Slatter
gary.slatter@raffles.com

Kris Shreiner

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Re: Raters trip to Highlands Links (Golfweek) - How did it go?
« Reply #24 on: October 15, 2012, 07:33:44 AM »
There are A LOT of layers that contribute to the current conditions at HL. What seems to have been the biggest flaw in the operation of both the course AND the hotel is the notion that poor annual investment in either was/is acceptable. The place IS a national treasure!

Much like our own badly neglected National Park sites, it's an easy mark for the government beancounters to slash in the budget whenever they feel moved. The BIG difference is that the course/hotel is a MAJOR revenue producing asset. More than any other type amenity that is generally found on park ground, no matter where it is located, worldwide. For this reason, it needs more CONSISTENT funding to maintain it,especially in today's fierce golf/recreational destination market.

Things HAVE been moving in the right direction...slowly. Ian and his dedicated team have done a superb job so far, on VERY modest outlays.
That said, beyond this notable improvement effort, a consensus needs to be reached, based on decades of proof, that the current approach HAS NOT worked. They need to put together a small team of talented folks sharing a common, COLLABORATIVE vision. Work together, using both local AND outside expertise, craft and execute a short-term 5-year and long-term 10 year plan. With SOLID financial support from a joint Canadian government/private funds partnership, it can then be brought up to a quality offering that that be sustained.

Cheers,
Kris 8)
"I said in a talk at the Dunhill Tournament in St. Andrews a few years back that I thought any of the caddies I'd had that week would probably make a good golf course architect. We all want to ask golfers of all abilities to get more out of their games -caddies do that for a living." T.Doak

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