Extremely Fun Shots at Black Mesa

[Bill_McBride]

There will be a lot of posts about the extremely entertaining new course near Santa Fe NM, Black Mesa.  Those fortunate enough to participate in the GCA Land of Enchantment outing were very enthusiastic about the design of this oversized golf course (average green size > 7500 SF) which was cleverly routed through high desert waste areas, mountain sides, arroyos, and even a box canyon or two.  There are many interesting drives which require self-analyis to determine where you can afford to hit the ball.  Turbo ramps offer exciting opportunities to drive at least one and maybe two par 4s.  

But the most fun thing about the course to me was the opportunity to play a number of great little fun short game shots.  The greens have terrific interior contours and surrounds which make it possible, sometimes required, to play off these slopes instead of directly at the pin.  One perfect example is #7, short par 4 reminiscent of #9 Cypress Point in that there is a steeply pitched green at right angles to the tee ball, and a host of hazards to the left side blocking direct access.  We played the hole twice with the pin at the extreme top left, in a flattish bowl with surrounding slopes.  Adam Clayman played a wonderful little 90 yard pitch in the morning round where he deliberately played the ball to land beyond the pin and bounce up on the rear sloping light rough.  As he predicted, the ball checked up on the slope and trickled back down for a successful 8' birdie putt!  A shot directly at the pin would never have finished closer than 20'.  Great shot Adam.

On the short par 14th, 330 yds, Lou Duran took advantage of the above-mentioned turbo boost in the fairway, just avoiding a protruding nose of desert hillside, and drove through the green into the rear bunker.  With the pin set in the rear, a standard bunker shot would have rolled near the front of the green.  Adam, again the tactician, suggested Lou hit his bunker shot high onto the adjacent slope of light rough, and the ball caught in the rough and slowly trickled down onto the green to 2' for birdie!  What fun to watch!  

On 18 my approach stopped on the front of the green with a mound between me and the hole and a similar slope behind the pin.  Rather than trying to "die" the ball on top of the slope and see it roll past the hole, I putted firmly past the hole, the ball stopped on the rear slope, and gently rolled back to gimmie range.

So the great news about Black Mesa is it's not all brute strength, a lot of finesse shots are required and really create some exciting golf!  Congratulations Baxter Spann for an exceptional new golf course.  

[A_Clay_Man]

In all honestly both of those shots came from the creative mind of my friend James Smith. Who, on my previous visit to Black Mesa played both those shots and I wonder if I'd have had the imagination to see them without that experience. Ok. eventually. Thanx any way Bill.

I too was inspired by the options around the entire course. As a matter of fact, I spoke with a local high school coach today who shot a 76 on his virgin trek. He agreed that it was his course management that got him to shoot 4 shots below his hndcp. because he chose the option of not playing the hero.

[Brad Swanson]

Bill,
   I'll add my 2 bits here.  Playing the 10th in the morning round, Baxter, Ran and I all had roughly 150 to a front pin.  10 green is angled front left to back right and the front pin was on a lower tier with a large knob immediately behind the pin.  I watched Ran and Baxter hit what appeared to be very good shots right at the pin, only to see them both scoot beyond the pin and up the knob and to the upper tier, which actually slopes away from the front tier a bit.  Neither of their subsequent putts over that knob to the lower pin stayed on the green.  After seeing their approaches and becoming quite confused, I noticed that there was a backstop to the left of the lower teir that would help out with this pin.  I aimed my wedge at the left fringe counting on the bank to kill its momentum and kick the ball right to the hole, which is exactly what happened, resulting in a 10 foot birdie putt.
   I saw Baxter do exactly what you described Adam do on #7 for a gimmie birdie, too.  I look forward to hear others experiences with using the ground game near the greens to access the pins.  Black Mesa certainly rewards creativity around the greens, IMHO.

Cheers,
Brad Swanson  

[Steve Lang]

 

My first fun green-side shot was on #1.. after successfully blind driving over the hill to the right of the flag (and I did think of the opener at Tobacco Road, though missing seeing the left side of the V) I sent my adrenaline charged approch to the middle of the green and it rolled to the farthest back fringe..

Looking down that 30 yd slope at the front pin with a gangle of slopes and ridges, there were the options of 1) putting into the right high side fringe and hoping it would die down the edge's curves to the pin or 2) simply putting off the front of the green and starting over or 3) go to the flop shot and carry it 20 yds to the bottom of the green..  

I forget who has a byline similar to "nothing like a long three iron approach in the cold morning to an uphill green" but i thought of that and wanted to insert "flop shot to a down slope pin".. anyway i pulled it off to the amazement of some and ended about 8 feet away, though I missed the putt, I knew right away this was going to be an interesting course..

[THuckaby2]

Great stuff, guys.

I posted a description of the pitch/chip into #7 green on another thread... Baxter showed us in the am how it's done, playing it deliberately past the hole just like Adam did, rolling it back to kick-in range... then in the pm, all four of us did the same thing!  Very cool.

But where do I begin about fun shots on this most definitely interesting and fun golf course?

#1 tee - ok, this isn't everyone's cup of tea but I dug it.  Blind shots over the TOP of mountains where you can see the green and part of a fairway straight ahead of you... but there's a directional flag 30 yards to the right of where your eyes tell you you should go... well, that takes a leap of faith and to me is just a very cool way to start the round.  It tells you right away that this isn't your typical US golf course, and then the approach to #1 green cements it away.... talk about wild contour.  Go past a front pin there only at the risk of your putting/chipping sanity.  Right, Bill/Steve?  

#2 has an incredible fall off to the left down into the pit of doom.... Anything played to the left front of the green just gets sucked down this vortex, leaving one hell of a tough chip back up....

#3 is a wonderful three-shot par 5... even the big boys really have to think about going for that in two, with the large native area in front.  The 2nd shot layup is very interesting also... many choices on how far and what direction to hit it...

OK, I'll stop there for now.  I swear I could find something good to say about every hole - I really enjoyed the entire course.

Now of course it goes without saying that #16 is the toughest par 5 on the planet.  Anyone who could play that twice in a total of 7 strokes really must be a player.  

You do realize, instances like this are so rare for me, I am never going to let that die....  

TH

[Mike Hendren]

Anyone who could play that twice in a total of 7 strokes really must be a player.

Tom,

I have always said:  You and Gary - two great Players, one outstanding gentleman!

Mike

 

[THuckaby2]

So where did Mr. Player from South Africa go so wrong?

I am an egotistical bastard, aren't I?  

TH

ps - thanks, Mike.  We missed you in NM - you would have loved it.  Next time.

[Doug Wright]

In the afternoon Ran bet the Langs and me drinks early in the round that when we got to the 16th green none of us could two putt from the back of the 16th green to the front pin even with three tries each (Ran had had this putt in the morning round). Well, we of course took that bet in a heartbeat. When we got to the 16th green, with the sun setting, Sheila, Steve and I spent about 20 minutes, and many more  than three tries, trying to accomplish this minor task, without success while Ran stood there and gloated.      Turns out it was virtually impossible to find a line that would keep the ball even on the green. A spiny ridge on a direct line to the hole would throw the ball either left or violently right; in either case, the ball inevitably ended up off the green. Leave it to the smarter sex, though, to come up with a remotely workable solution--Sheila Lang told us to putt it almost straight left to the collar and let the ball then feed straight down through a bowl towards the hole. We couldn't get within 15 feet even that way because the bowl stopped the ball's momentum, but at least it gave us a chance to two putt. None of us did, and that's why Ran was so drunk by the end of the evening Saturday (just kidding... ).

What a blast!    

[Jonathan Cummings]

The most fun shot for me?  Easy.  It was the sorrow drowning shot of tequila after the round!

Actually, I'm staking claim to the almost best shot.  Paired with our host Mike Nuzzo for a two-man scramble, we got to the 14th (short uphill par 4) and I took the tee.  I was able to gather my loopy swing together enough to whack a drive onto the green some 30' from the hole.  As this 51-year old probably hasn't many driving par 4s left in his career, I scooped my tee up and sidled off the tee bristling like a rooster who has just service the whole coop.

My partner, MY PARTNER, meekly follows teeing up and smoothing a shot to within 6 feet of the hole.  Really!  How many times have you played a 2-man scramble, drive a 4 par, and have to pick your ball up as not good enough?  To make matters worst, Mike made the eagle, applying the coup-de-grace to my consequentiality for the hole.

Our playing opponents, Kevin and the Huck, who had had their way with us for most of the day finally cried "uncle" as Mike and I finally won a hole.

JC

[A_Clay_Man]

Re #1 green: The first time I played there the pin was close to where we had it but not exactly. It was slightly closer to the front left corner (on a diagonal) and when there, the play was different. Different because the slope on the early left was usable to get it close. So, here was an example of actually getting above the hole, on purpose, to use the slope as backstop and then have it feed down to the hole.

The interesting part is how close those two pins actually are, and yet the playing of the shot can be so significantly different. Truely creativity oriented.

[THuckaby2]

Jonathan's story is very correct, and well said.  Oh man, we were duly impressed by Jon's shot... and then Nuzzo comes and trumps it!  That truly was the shot of the day, if not the trip - only fitting that it come from our host/organizer, who deserved it.

That 14 is one hell of a fun golf hole also... short par 4, big ridge right in the middle of the fairway, choices galore.  Short enough to be driven, but at a lot of risk as the green is fairly shallow, the bunker behind is death (as my buddy Brad sadly found out, after his seemingly perfect shot hit the green and went over), left is death in the canyons... lots of room for iron off the tee, but still placing that requires thought and care... yet another wonderfully contoured green.

TH

[Matt_Ward]

As someone who is a big fan of Black Mesa I really believe the tee shot at #18 is something that stays with you long after the round is done.

You stand on the tee and begin to wonder how much can you cut-off the dog-leg right and then part of you says how about being a bit cautious and staying out to the left. The shot is definitely a risk'n reward type and the smart play 9 times out of 10 is keeping it well left for a mid to short iron to the green.

Players attempting to cut too much off on the right can descend very quickly into the depression on that side -- from that position the opportunities for recovery grow dimmer by the second!

I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the course because Black mesa gives you a full range of fun shots throughout the round. One other thing -- I also echo the comments made about the 7th -- it's a wonderful hole blessed with a rich variety in options and strategies.

[THuckaby2]

Good call, Matt.  The tee shot on 18 is a great one, particularly from the back tee.  Classic bite off as much as you can chew tee shot, with definite reward for being brave, room to be safe.

It is one hell of a course.

TH

[Steve Lang]

   

Huckaby, I had purged #2 from memory and you had to bring it back.. I got in some practice on that front green hillside Sat-am

I found it quite fun to listen in to Doug & Ran debating the merits and risks of their alternatives on Sat-pm.. As we started off in our early see-saw battle.. Like at #3 second shot, to lay-up at 160 yds or go up the hill towards the green...  in the end seems y'all just decided to power your way to victory and finesse only when necessary, like at #13.. what crossing bunkers, you mean those below our sightline??

In the midst of it all however, there were many short knocker tee shots that rose to the irritation level, like on #7, where one had to "feather" a 250 yard drive to a very small pod of level fairway to keep from kicking into a right bunker or worse 260 or so.. impossible for a drawer, not so easy for a fader, but proved possible in the pm..  

George, where did that one go on #16.. the pond back on #15?

[A_Clay_Man]

The tee shot on 18 is definitely the tightest and most butt pukering on the course. And the green on 14 was laid down with the old course in mind. Very crumpled and very cool.

[George Pazin]

For me most of the fun shots were around the greens. There were indeed opportunities to pull off some pretty cool shots if you were imaginative enough. Doug Wright pulled off one of the better long bunkers shots I've seen on #17. He hit one from one of the furthest back on the collection of bunkers left & running up to the green, probably 75-100 yards significantly uphill. He stuck it to about 8 feet and that ball was doing some serious spinning when it hit.

Doug also pulled off a pretty cool shot on 15, a medium length downhill par 3 to a semi sunken green. His roughly pin high shot hit the left bank & rolled straight right to the hole & stopped about 2 1/2 feet past - and yes, he made the birdie putt.

The tee shots on the par 4s & 5s weren't too cool for this high handicapper. Me & desert golf don't get along too well. I can't imagine many high handicappers enjoying desert golf much. In all fairness, some of the tee shots look more intimidating than they are, and I was playing the wrong tees for my level.

The putt from the top shelf of #16 is indeed impossible to get close. Brad, Jason, Craig & I stayed up there for a good 10 minutes (we left the twosome behind us well in the dust - how sad is that?) trying putt after putt, all angles, and I think the closest any of us could get was about 10-12 feet.

Steve -

It wasn't so much where it went as how it went. I have a fear of heights that is exacerbated by the lack of balance in my swing. As I stood over the ball, I could sense how uncomfortable I felt & looked over at Brad, Jason & Craig & said, "You guys are going to see something funny." I took a mighty swing, almost wiffed & just nicked enough of the ball that it trickled back to my left foot, at which time we all broke down in hysterics. They actually wondered if I did it intentionally, but I'm not that good. My game is weak enough without the element of fear of heights to deal with.

[Bill_McBride]

Question:  did anyone else see the similarity between #7 Black Mesa and #9 Cypress Point?  I didn't until I mulled it over later.  Listening to Baxter describe the potential holes at the new course in Trinidad CO which are inspired by the classic CB MacDonald NGLA holes (a Redan, a short or Eden, an Alps, what sounded to me like a Leven), it's apparent that Baxter is intrigued by the modern potential of the classic golf holes.  What more could we GCA afficianados ask for?  Modern golf holes that work based on classic themes!!  

[A_Clay_Man]

Bill- I understand how you could see that but I feel there is too significant a difference between the 9th at CPC and this hole.
For one, the fun shot off the back left slope at Black Mesa would be death at Cypress.  The steepness of the front bunker at CP is way more intimidating than any bunker I can recall, anywhere.
The thrill of going for the green in one, is  rarely thought of at the point, while at Black mesa you have to look for a reason not to go. Just my 2 cents

[Matt_Ward]

I just have to ask this unless it's been answered on another thread but how do the folks who played Black Mesa assess the course? I rate it among my 50 personal favorites in the USA because you have such a rich diversity in holes and the manner by which the course is routed is so unique since the course fits the land so well. Baxter Spann has done a fine job and Pat Brockwell and all the folks at Black Mesa understand how to present the course on a daily basis -- the layout won't be retrofitted into some Palm Springs / Scottsdale desert "theme" course.

If people could provide where they see the course among the others they have played in the USA it would help me understand their likes / dislikes, etc, etc.

Thanks ...

[A_Clay_Man]

Matt-I can't speak for anyone but myself but I found black mesa to be a must see. Along the lines of Rihc's star system. As for comparing it to others. I am sticking to my original evaluation of both Pinon and Paa-Koo. Paa-Koo is a beautiful place but as someone who likes to feel his way around a site I found Paa-koo lacking in some areas deep in the intellectual process. On our trip we were fortunate that that sunday there was the first frost of the season. What that meant to me was that the sprinklers didn't have a chance to come on. The difference was significant over my previous visit there with roll and bounces being apparent. Even some of the green sides were getting kicks which heretofore had never been seen. Steve Lang and Kevin Fredrickson both played a couple of perfectly executed shots away from the pin that kicked towards the flag. There was some repetition in the approach shots needed and the backdrops were often blocking the natural land with some form of raised earth. The real trick about Black Mesa is trying to figure out which is the weakest hole. As I told Baxter, If you put a gun to my head I'd say it was the 15th. But the reality is the hole is just as good as the others but the pond seems out of place, so it wins. It really isn't fair because that green is one of the coolest and the perfect shot is rarely at the flag. Comparing this course to say Spyglass Hill which is in the top whatever, I'd have to say it beats it because of some of the changes that have altered that Pirate-like feel, it surely once had. Begs the question... what do these principles think about when they go and change the archie's well thoughtout work? The only thing I can think of as an answer is, Playability. Yuck

[RBSpann]

Matt- Missed you in New Mexico, but it sounds like you were seeing some incredible places of your own.  I don't know when you're planning another visit to Black Mesa, but right now the native edge and the fescue seeding out around the bunkers is adding another visual dimension to what I've seen before out there.  Mother Nature (and Father Brockwell) have really come through big time in last few months!  

As for this weekend, what a pleasure it is to play golf and spend time with people who "GET IT". The fact that some of the golf was on courses which I have had a hand in made it that much more special.  Thanks to everyone for making the effort to get there, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

[HamiltonBHearst]

Baxter-I enjoy hearing about the review of your course.  That so many cga'rs are so positive says a lot.  My question is as an architect is there any benefit to having had this weekend with people 'who get it?  

[Steve Lang]

 

where else can someone get asked point blank with their mouth filled with drink, "What were you thinking on #16", and have to swallow and reply with 5 witnesses?

[Jonathan Cummings]

Steve - Don't tell anyone but the Spann-man confided in me as we played Paa Ko together that Huckster's eagle at Black Mesa 16th convinced Baxter that the hole is too easy.  Nuzzo and Spann are currently back in Texas, heads together, drawing up plans to increased the slope on 16's fairway and green!

Jay See

[THuckaby2]

Jonathan:

If ever they needed evidence of such, that is OBVIOUSLY it.  Look for the area in front of the green to be filled in with water, and gators, by the next time we get there.

The insult must be too great to take.

 

TH