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Paul Carey

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #25 on: March 06, 2014, 07:37:53 AM »
Steven,

"PS Thanks for introducing me to Shiner Bock.  I will have to look for it here in Wisconsin!"

Shiner just doesn't taste the same outside of Texas.  You will have to make a few more trips back to the lone star state!

Steven Blake

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #26 on: March 06, 2014, 08:37:28 AM »
Paul,

Well if thaf means I need to come to Texas more then I am down!

The one thing I forgot to mention was I played Champions the day before Wolf Point and got to meet Jackie Burke Jr. and hangout in the men's lockerroom.  So I had 2 great golf experiences on back to back days.

It was my first visit to Texas and I can say the people are 1st rate and very hospitable.

I truely hope Mike Kieser looks into having Mike design a course. I think central Wisconsin would be a good place to start!

Steve Blake

Charlie Gallagher

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #27 on: March 06, 2014, 09:38:15 AM »
Steven,
   I played Champions too when I visited Houston and was treated to the wonderful hospitality that abounds in that great locker room. Enjoyed the course and the 19th hole a lot. Cypress Creek is a good, solid, championship course. Lots of bunkers in play off the tee and a fun walk. Challenging and interesting, with lots of history.

Steven Blake

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #28 on: March 06, 2014, 10:57:33 AM »
Charlie,

Champions was a blast too.  One of my friends is a great wedge player but only hits it 220 off of the tee and struggled at Champions he should have moved up a tee.  However at Wolf Point he beat all of us because of his position and play inside of a 130 yards.  Total reversal of fortunes.

I am an aggressive player and Nuzzo did a great job of enticing me to do the stupid. But having played some shots I wouldn't change what I did but instead I need to execute better or make my misses to one side or another.  My friend who was the short hitter took conservative routes off of the tee but really hit some outstanding shots into the greens which he needed to do considering he took safer lines off of the tees.  Like we have said before endless possibilities....

Steve Blake

Charlie Gallagher

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #29 on: March 06, 2014, 01:19:09 PM »
Steven,
   Those green complexes at "The Wolf" are some of the best in the world for challenging imagination and execution. 2 examples.
 On 1, I hit my drive towards the lake, which because of the wind and less than perfect contact, left the team way back, but with a good angle in. My young and skilled partner, ripped driver about 40 yards short of the green, but right.  The hole was located hard on the right side on a little shelf. As we were playing alternate shot, my first iron of the day was a little pitch to a pick up bed sized target. If the hole had been left side of the green, Rob's drive presented the perfect angle in. Right side of the green, very high pucker factor. I made good contact and hit it to about 4 feet, but it could have easily turned into a disaster, as anybody who has played with me will attest.
  On 16 the hole was towards the back 1/3rd of the green and left. I hit a good drive that we wound up playing because Rob uncharacteristicly miss hit his driver. Rob, who had kept us hunting with his great iron play pushed his iron shot right of the bunker, about hole high. When we got to the green, I saw the shot I had to execute, and my  partner, who had kept negative information to a minimum as we played, gently warned me to be careful about being too aggressive due to the fall off beyond the hole into the creek. As you can guess, I executed the pitch over the bunker, but left it around 20 feet short of the hole.  That one little bunker, the tilt of the green, and the close proximity of the creek combine to make one of the coolest medium length par 4's anywhere. If Rob had  stuffed it  to 8 feet, I wouldn't have learned about the holes subtleties. And 16 is so amazingly beautiful.
   That kind of challenge and choice is there at Wolf Point like no other course I have played. I'd say that Ballyneal has some similarities. There are a number of holes that present myriad options and routes, and that amazing course has other attractive features, like perfect turf to play golf upon.

Paul Carey

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #30 on: March 06, 2014, 01:24:14 PM »
Paul,

Well if thaf means I need to come to Texas more then I am down!



That is exactly what I meant! 

Steven Blake

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2014, 05:47:36 PM »
Charlie,

I agree 100% on the green complexes.  I love the green complexes on 1, 2, 4, 5 (all world), 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18 ... thats a lot i know but I left off a few and thats a travesty in of itself.

So the greens are great but the bunkering is exceptional.  They are very sexy in look and style. Very appealing! Its opposite to all other courses and by that I mean there are 60 bunkers on the course and about 10 are actually greenside bunkers and the rest are fairway bunkers. But in no place did I feel like it need more greenside bunkers.

Steve Blake

Charlie Gallagher

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #32 on: March 07, 2014, 08:59:54 AM »
Steve,
That is right on observation, as far as I'm concerned. Much of the bunkering at WP is used to influence route choices on the drive. There is some wonderful green side bunkering, the pits around 14th green come to mind, but the fairway hazards, such as those on 3, that make you choose left or right side on the drive are what seperate Wolf Point from most other courses in terms of strategic interest. That, the single cut, and the cunning use of the creek, push the options through the ceiling.
A question, Steve, when you stood on the first tee, were you confused by what you saw? We played on a gray day in flat light and I found myself standing near Don listening to him describe the hole's features and trying to understand. Happened again on 4.

Steven Blake

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Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #33 on: March 07, 2014, 11:04:01 AM »
Charlie

I didn't feel that way on 1 but kind of on #2. My mistake on 1 was going way right which is blind and really throws your depth perception off ... I made par but next time im going just left of the fairway bunker and right of the pond which is a better angle and not blind.

You can play safe as my buddy did and hit some specatular approach shots. Or be more riskey and take aggressive lines off the tee like I did most of the day. I prefer that because out there I like playing shots head high and running. My buddy who took the conservative approach spins the ball a lot and dead on inside 130. Just so many ways to play and score well.

Next time I play I taking 5-7 clubs because of the type of shots I like to play there its all you need. Driver hybrid 5 iron 7 iron 9 iron 56 degree and putter.

Blake

Don_Mahaffey

Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #34 on: March 07, 2014, 11:44:10 AM »
Steven,
Your buddy got away with his approach because we have been so wet.
He probably could do that when we are dry, to some greens and hole locations, but he'll need a good short game when the course is fast if he expects to score by taking the safe route all day long.

Steven Blake

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mike Nuzzo makes an eagle and an albatross at Wolf Point
« Reply #35 on: March 07, 2014, 11:51:57 AM »
Don,

That's what I thought but he is a member at the club I work for and is used to running it into the greens.

I would love to play #5 downwind and firm ... that would present some interesting options.  The green complex with the valley of sin short and bank to the creek behind would make for a lot of decision making. I was a little down and across but the wind died down on the drive and second shot. I think the low running 5 iron would work good from 30-150 out on most holes at Wolf Point provided I have a decent angle.

Blake