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Jay Flemma

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Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« on: February 11, 2014, 04:57:10 PM »
I think we caught superintendent's revenge day ;D  The pin on seven was just horrifying!  On the right edge of the back shelf that cascades down off the green into that collection area!  (They were zone B that day). My partner took three to get it up the hill.  The there was the back pin on 15 too:)  Sheer murder if you were right of the green playing sideways to that hole location.

Right before I went out to play, two fellas had just finished, and they said to me "watch out for the pins today, they are dynamite!" and he was right.  We still had a ton of fun - it's always great to revisit an old friend.  The course was in great shape despite the drought and those greens are fantastic.  We had a great time.  Is it me or is Rustic tougher than it looks?  One guy said, "you can eat up the first 13 holes," but I'm not entirely sure he's right about that - you'd still have to be an expert to score well there with all those green contours and surrounds.
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Alex Miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2014, 05:15:14 PM »
I think we caught superintendent's revenge day ;D  The pin on seven was just horrifying!  On the right edge of the back shelf that cascades down off the green into that collection area!  (They were zone B that day). My partner took three to get it up the hill.  The there was the back pin on 15 too:)  Sheer murder if you were right of the green playing sideways to that hole location.

Right before I went out to play, two fellas had just finished, and they said to me "watch out for the pins today, they are dynamite!" and he was right.  We still had a ton of fun - it's always great to revisit an old friend.  The course was in great shape despite the drought and those greens are fantastic.  We had a great time.  Is it me or is Rustic tougher than it looks?  One guy said, "you can eat up the first 13 holes," but I'm not entirely sure he's right about that - you'd still have to be an expert to score well there with all those green contours and surrounds.

Ah yes, the B pin placements. I've had it the last few times out there and have found it to be the most challenging set! Did they put the pin on the front right corner of 14 too? That's a tough little spot as well.

It took me a number of plays to figure the course out, but now I score well there! More than most courses you have to think backwards. There are so many holes where you cannot afford to be in the wrong spot even if you've reached the green in regulation (think pin-high but 40 ft away on 2, 4, 11, or 18). On most courses that's usually manageable for a par, but at Rustic you'd do well to play those holes in +2.

Because of this driving is actually important despite the wide fairways! Putting the ball in the right position is going to be very important to scoring well, but most step onto the tee there and don't give it enough thought.

And finally, putting with the canyon effect is going to make everything a bit tougher. If you manage to play when it's blowing down the canyon be VERY cautious when above the hole.

Jay Flemma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2014, 05:24:52 PM »
You're dead on with how tough it is leaving yourself forty footers there, Alex.  And you;re dead on when you say you have to properly plan out every shot in order to be in position to have a birdie putt.
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

DMoriarty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2014, 05:30:26 PM »
Alex, the pin on 14 was left front, in the swale, so not bad.  18 was a fun pin, right back.  

Overall, I thought the pins were fine.  Nothing too scary, unless you happened to end up over the green on 15. (don't ask)  That pin on 7 is well used.

I'd say only 3 or 4 holes were pinned in what might be considered difficult pin positions.  A number were pinned such that course knowledge and correct angle mattered, but this is always the case.
Golf history can be quite interesting if you just let your favorite legends go and allow the truth to take you where it will.
--Tom MacWood (1958-2012)

David_Elvins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2014, 05:39:39 PM »
We still had a ton of fun

This makes me curious.  It sounds like you mean you still had tons of fun DESPITE the difficult pin positions.  Surely you had tons of fun partly BECAUSE of the difficult pin positions?
Ask not what GolfClubAtlas can do for you; ask what you can do for GolfClubAtlas.

Alex Miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2014, 06:02:27 PM »
Alex, the pin on 14 was left front, in the swale, so not bad.  18 was a fun pin, right back.  

Overall, I thought the pins were fine.  Nothing too scary, unless you happened to end up over the green on 15. (don't ask)  That pin on 7 is well used.

I'd say only 3 or 4 holes were pinned in what might be considered difficult pin positions.  A number were pinned such that course knowledge and correct angle mattered, but this is always the case.

"Well-used"

What is your opinion on that pin? Is it well-used because it provides a break in the more easily accessible string of holes on the front nine or do you just like that pin? I'll share my thoughts after you do  :)

DMoriarty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2014, 06:19:08 PM »
I meant that they seem to use that pin location quite a bit.  So I know not to risk missing right  and it doesn't seem scary to me.

I like the pin.  It it makes for a fun putt if you bail out to the center of the green.  And it is possible to aim left of it and to get the ball to kick through the swale.  That said, I wouldn't mind it if they moved it around a bit more.  For example one rarely sees the pin directly on the other side of the swale from that back right pin.  And front right might be as hard or harder.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2014, 06:21:40 PM by DMoriarty »
Golf history can be quite interesting if you just let your favorite legends go and allow the truth to take you where it will.
--Tom MacWood (1958-2012)

Alex Miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2014, 06:22:26 PM »
I meant that they seem to use that pin location quite a bit, so I know not to risk missing right, and it doesn't seem scary to me.

I like the pin.  It it makes for a fun putt if you bail out to the center of the green.  And it is possible to aim left of it and to get the ball to kick through the swale.  That said, I wouldn't mind it if they moved it around a bit more.  For example one rarely sees the pin directly on the other side of the swale from that back right pin.  And front right might be as hard or harder.

I see, that makes sense. I think I'd like to see the pin in the swale and on the right front of the green more. Still bummed I never played the original 7th...

DMoriarty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2014, 06:28:20 PM »
I like it when it is in the swale occasionally, but putts in the swale are brutally fast.   Typical Rustic.  Seems easier to approach when it is in the swale, but it is almost impossible to stay on the green if you are below the hole, and putt from above the hole in the swale might be one of the faster putts on the course.  

The original green was a true gem.
Golf history can be quite interesting if you just let your favorite legends go and allow the truth to take you where it will.
--Tom MacWood (1958-2012)

Jay Flemma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2014, 11:16:46 AM »
We still had a ton of fun

This makes me curious.  It sounds like you mean you still had tons of fun DESPITE the difficult pin positions.  Surely you had tons of fun partly BECAUSE of the difficult pin positions?

Of course it was "because"...unless it was you who were snakebit:):) One of the staff called the B pins "diabolical".  You love 'em...until it's you who takes the walk of shame, then they suck...but then they bite your opponent and they're great again:):)  I love the Killer Bs...they're the same pins for everybody!
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Jordan Standefer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2014, 11:33:57 AM »
Overall, I thought the pins were fine.  Nothing too scary, unless you happened to end up over the green on 15. (don't ask)

Because Alex and I (and our other playing partner) had this very discussion as we were playing it, I have to point this out.

I think a chip to a back pin from behind #15 might be the scariest shot on the course.  With how fast that green can be, you have the possibility of watching your ball descend three tiers and roll 20 yards off the front.

Dwight Phelps

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2014, 01:00:10 PM »
It seems like there are always some tough pins out there at Rustic.  I've only played 3 times, but the pin's been on the back tier on 15 in each case.  The back (or right) tier on 7 green was used once, as well.  I've also seen the back left on 11 every time, which I'm just a terrible sucker for going at.

The one I haven't seen yet but imagine each time I step on the green is the left-hand tier on 8.
"We forget that the playing of golf should be a delightful expression of freedom" - Max Behr

Bill Vogeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wow! The pin placements at Rustic Last weekend!
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2014, 10:10:06 PM »
Played it on the 9th for the first time. Loved the green complexes.

It was a ton of fun to play