Tetherow Golf Club

[Michael Dugger]

My only 2 treks around Tetherow was not long after it opened, and based on the recent images there are definitely some things that look different.


I'll offer the following opinions:


1. There are a handful of top-notch holes here.  #1 asks you to hug the left for a more straight-in approach at a long and skinny green.  Despite Peter's comments, #17 still looks stunning.  A heroic short shot to a green set in a super cool rock quarry setting with tall walls on all sides.  I liked the drivable #10 a lot, and the #12 offers a really cool, dramatic sand pit of doom down the left-hand side.


2. My issue with the earlier version of Tetherow was the greens.  I think about Jack Nicklaus famous quote about the first TPC Sawgrass and stopping a long iron on the hood of a car.  The first iteration of the greens at Tetherow was wild.  Some pitching front to back.  Steep tiers.  Pin placement in crazy bowls.  Some of this may sound appealing, and can be, but it just didn't quite work at Tetherow, although I again admit to not having seen the course since it was "softened."


3. It played pretty fast and firm back in the day, so the amplitude of the slopes can punish harshly.  Shots a little off line catch the wrong bounce and are penalized heavily.  If they kept it soft and spongy, I bet it would be a little more forgiving and appreciated a little more. 


4. All in all you can sort of see the lessons of Tetherow in DMKs work at Gamble.  Fast and firm presents a signficant challenge in itself, so flatter, simpler, more generous, even "saving" features that work better at striking the balance between challenging for good players but still enjoyable for hacks.  Tetherow doesn't offer many breathers, either.  I think about a hole like #12 at Pacific Dunes where you have a hole to maybe gather yourself.  Nice and wide, flat, not much trouble around.  Pretty simple green.  Tetherow keeps the pressure on for the entire round.

I disagree, for the record, with anyone who says it's not worth playing at least once.  Considering your other options in Central Oregon, it should be in anyone's rotation.

[Garland Bayley]

... I would question how much enjoyment would be had by someone with a handicap of 20 or higher.

Having a handicap of 20 or higher is not an indication of inability to carry the junk off of the tee. My 20 handicap buddy and I had no problem with that. However, when we made a bad swing and sent the ball left or right, the junk led to lost balls. My recollections is I had two such swings, and my buddy at least one such swing also. I have done far worse on Pacific Dunes where I have lost 5 balls on two occaisions.

[Garland Bayley]

...
2. My issue with the earlier version of Tetherow was the greens.  I think about Jack Nicklaus famous quote about the first TPC Sawgrass and stopping a long iron on the hood of a car.  ...

I too played it only early before any softening. So called "mohawks" and "eyebrows" were the primary fun killer.

Since I am not good enough to be hitting approaches that might lead to birdies, stopping a long iron on the hood of the a car is not a issue for me. I'm very happy if I am dancing in regulation, and happy if I am close to dancing in regulation. Before going there, I had heard (read here?) that the difficulty of the greens was that their extreme contours made putting too difficult. I found no such problem. Perhaps always being out of position on greens has led to some putting abillity that might be lacking in others. A single digit that I played with every week at my club has been described by members here as an excellent putter. Playing every week with three 20 handicappers finds that he is the weakest putter in the group. Being out of position for him mostly leads to 3 and 4 putts. He is a single digit, because he is seldom out of position.