Welcome Scott Senior!

[Bill Brightly]

Let's all say hello to my friend Scott Senior who just joined GCA.COM! He's a member of one of Tillinghast's most underrated courses: Ridgewood in Paramus, NJ. Recently restored by Gil Hanse.


Feel free to ask Scott questions here. I'll start.


What is the best hole at Ridegwood and why?

[Tim Lane]

Welcome to GCA, Scott!  I'll post a follow-up to Bill's question: Ridgewood is a wonderful Tillinghast course with so many good holes--but with 3 nines, do you have 2 of the 3 that you prefer playing as your choice for 18?

[Jon Wiggett]

Welcome Scott.

[Scott Senior]

Let's all say hello to my friend Scott Senior who just joined GCA.COM! He's a member of one of Tillinghast's most underrated courses: Ridgewood in Paramus, NJ. Recently restored by Gil Hanse.


Feel free to ask Scott questions here. I'll start.


What is the best hole at Ridegwood and why?

Bill,


Thank you for the kind welcome!!


You pose a very difficult question....


I think one of the best holes is 9 West. Par 4


Wonderful finishing hole on the West's nine holes. Only a very slight dogleg to the right but a right handed player must play a fade off the tee or a high draw over the large oak trees guarding the right side of the first 2/3 on the hole. A straight ball will run through the fairway into heavy rough with trees protecting the left side.
Wonderful 2 tier green, severe false front particularly on the left side. It's mowed close and runs into a deep bumper on that side. Bail out is to the closely mowed right side...but no easy up and down as the green runs away from there (right to left). The  green has an "infinity" look to it, making the approach shot to the back tier difficult as well.
Par is a good score on this hole.
(This hole is used on the Championship Composite Course. This year it will be used for the FedEx Cup- Northern Trust)


Hope that's a decent description...questions welcomed!

[Scott Senior]

Welcome to GCA, Scott!  I'll post a follow-up to Bill's question: Ridgewood is a wonderful Tillinghast course with so many good holes--but with 3 nines, do you have 2 of the 3 that you prefer playing as your choice for 18?

Tim,


I think I would say West/East....although the "famous hole/Five and Dime" is 6 Center. Always fun to play. When I bring quests I like them to play Center to see that hole (if we can't play all 27).
I am definitely bias but I have a hard time picking out a really weak hole. Although Bill Brightly will probably agree with me 4 Center Par 5 might be Tilly's weakest of the 27.


Scott

[PCCraig]

Welcome, Scott!

[Bill Brightly]

Here's a you tube link of the approach shot to 9 West at Ridgewood, which was Hole 18 for the Barclays. (A hole that took me about 25 years to par!!!) Also the best face plant you'll ever see on a golf course.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHwy-XqMjk

[Scott Senior]

Bill,


That's such a great video. LOL!!


Par almost always wins this hole during a Sunday nassau!


Fore!!!

[Doug Wright]

Welcome Scott, would you please describe the work Gil did at your course? Thanks.

[Joe Bausch]

Welcome, Scott.

Photos of Ridgewood from October of 2016:

http://www.myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/Ridgewood/

[Scott Senior]

Welcome Scott, would you please describe the work Gil did at your course? Thanks.

Doug,


Gil has done (in my opinion) a wonderful restoration at Ridgewood.


The overview...


*Extensive tree work for history, site lines, playability, agronomy, safety.
*Green expansions
*Fairway expansions
*Bunker restoration- use of new material (Billy Bunker) to more original natural appearance with the use of the originally planted grasses around the edges (fecue).
*Teeing area restoration and some realignment




Short overview...but happy to get into specifics if you are interested.


Scott   

[Bill Brightly]

One of the coolest things Gil did at Ridgewood was expand the fairways and remove the rough that protected many of the fairway bunkers. The ball can now roll into the hazards as Tilly envisioned. If you look at the approach shot on the video that I posted, the front left bunker was protected by about 8 yards of rough. Gil changed that to fairway, and since the fairway slopes hard right to left, weakly hit approach shots will now feed into that bunker and not be "saved" by the rough. He did that all over the course. A subtle but impactful change. A change that will soon be forgotten, meaning that in ten years, golfers will say: "what do you mean the rough used to prevent the ball from entering the bunkers?"


Ridgewood also eliminated the first cut of rough. It is fairways or rough, no more "prime cut."
I know that type of change is LOVED by GCA.Com.


Scott, how has the membership reacted to that?

[Greg Stebbins]

I really wish that a row of trees would be removed from the right side of 9 west in order to open up the preferred playing angle.  As it exists now, finding the right side of the fairway is nearly impossible as a strong fade is needed just to keep the ball from running through on the left.  Between the deep left bunkers and internal green contours that allow a draw to feed into the left side hole locations, the strategic intent of the hole is currently missing. 


Nothing a chainsaw or two can't fix.

[Scott Senior]

One of the coolest things Gil did at Ridgewood was expand the fairways and remove the rough that protected many of the fairway bunkers. The ball can now roll into the hazards as Tilly envisioned. If you look at the approach shot on the video that I posted, the front left bunker was protected by about 8 yards of rough. Gil changed that to fairway, and since the fairway slopes hard right to left, weakly hit approach shots will now feed into that bunker and not be "saved" by the rough. He did that all over the course. A subtle but impactful change. A change that will soon be forgotten, meaning that in ten years, golfers will say: "what do you mean the rough used to prevent the ball from entering the bunkers?"


Ridgewood also eliminated the first cut of rough. It is fairways or rough, no more "prime cut."
I know that type of change is LOVED by GCA.Com.


Scott, how has the membership reacted to that?

Bill,


I would say the membership has been resistant to the removal of the "first cut". That cut showed up sometime in the 70's...kinda like dico music and platform shoes.


The USGA and the PGA Tour have been very complimentary of the change (for whatever that is worth). That's another thing people will get use to after a few years without it. Personally I like the removal of the first cut.


Bill has brought up an excellent point about the fairways running into the bunkers now. From a historical prospective it's correct and it has brought many of the bunkers back to being relevant.


Scott

[Scott Senior]

I really wish that a row of trees would be removed from the right side of 9 west in order to open up the preferred playing angle.  As it exists now, finding the right side of the fairway is nearly impossible as a strong fade is needed just to keep the ball from running through on the left.  Between the deep left bunkers and internal green contours that allow a draw to feed into the left side hole locations, the strategic intent of the hole is currently missing. 


Nothing a chainsaw or two can't fix.

Greg,


Although I agree with your description of playing the hole....I don't think any of those trees are going anywhere anytime soon.....


Scott