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ChipRoyce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« on: June 11, 2019, 04:01:05 PM »
Just played Mid Ocean today with my son.

First visit since 1996 and was blown away by the many changes and improvements in conditioning. In 1996 one could tell that the course had "good bones" but also found it to be exemplary of 'shabby chic'.
Today, cemented my opinion that Mid Ocean is a world top 100 in all facets.

Apologies for not having photos to post (yet).  Will try to post a few soon.

I saw that Tom Doak was just there end of last week for a quick visit (h/t Instagram).  I don't intend this to be solely directed at Tom, but a few observations / questions and excited to get his insights.

1) Compared to my last visit, many of the template holes were vastly different and improved. Perhaps I was more of a GCA novice, but a ton of improvements were easy to identify:
- Wider fairways and playing corridors, providing really neat angles into greens and having to challenge bunkers- Fewer trees and brush, making for more recovery options as well as the visual of open vistas, not to mention a few skyline holes.
- Really improved & effective bunkering (similar to Murifield in Scotland or Royal Melbourne, where shots off line tend to feed toward and into bunkers- MacDonald template holes really stood out this time, where before you had to look closely to identify some of the less well known templates


2) Back in the 50's, RTJ Sr. got his hands on the course. I can't imagine that was a positive. How much did the club have to 'un-do' from the RTJ changes?

3) At 6500 yards, I felt that the course played much longer than the scorecard (not just due to wind). The angles and elevation changes contributed to the added distance. How does the club look at distance, in the 21st century for big hitting scratch golfers?

4) I love the Biarritz hole; any thought to make the front portion and the valley into an actual green instead of fairway turf?

I'll probably think of a few more topics; thanks for humoring me.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2019, 04:16:37 PM by ChipRoyce »

Jon Cavalier

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2019, 04:31:00 PM »
Chip:


I’m a big fan of Mid Ocean myself, and I’ll post a few photos below.


But to your question about the Biarritz, I believe they attempted to go all-green a few years ago after much in-club debate, but it didn’t take, so it’s now back to a fairway front.


Jon Cavalier
Golf Photos via
Twitter: @linksgems
Instagram: @linksgems

Jon Cavalier

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2019, 04:47:25 PM »
Here are a few assorted photos of Mid Ocean Club:





























Golf Photos via
Twitter: @linksgems
Instagram: @linksgems

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2019, 10:40:28 PM »


I saw that Tom Doak was just there end of last week for a quick visit (h/t Instagram).  I don't intend this to be solely directed at Tom, but a few observations / questions and excited to get his insights.

1) Compared to my last visit, many of the template holes were vastly different and improved. Perhaps I was more of a GCA novice, but a ton of improvements were easy to identify:
- Wider fairways and playing corridors, providing really neat angles into greens and having to challenge bunkers- Fewer trees and brush, making for more recovery options as well as the visual of open vistas, not to mention a few skyline holes.
- Really improved & effective bunkering (similar to Murifield in Scotland or Royal Melbourne, where shots off line tend to feed toward and into bunkers- MacDonald template holes really stood out this time, where before you had to look closely to identify some of the less well known templates


2) Back in the 50's, RTJ Sr. got his hands on the course. I can't imagine that was a positive. How much did the club have to 'un-do' from the RTJ changes?

3) At 6500 yards, I felt that the course played much longer than the scorecard (not just due to wind). The angles and elevation changes contributed to the added distance. How does the club look at distance, in the 21st century for big hitting scratch golfers?

4) I love the Biarritz hole; any thought to make the front portion and the valley into an actual green instead of fairway turf?

I'll probably think of a few more topics; thanks for humoring me.


Hi Chip:


I've been consulting at Mid Ocean for about 20 years now.  It's a lovely place to be called back to, even though we are to the point where there is not much to tell them.


One topic of discussion this trip was how their guest play has fallen off, along with golf tourism to Bermuda in general.  So I had intended to make a post here this week reminding everyone that Mid Ocean welcomes guest play during the week, making it one of only two C.B. Macdonald designs you can play, and by far the best of the two in my opinion.  [Old White at The Greenbrier is the other.]


Plus, if you look at the hole in one boards, you'll find the name of the founder of this web site.


To your questions:


1.  We really have not done nearly as much to the golf course, physically, as you think you remember.  The biggest change was converting the greens from common bermudagrass to TifEagle in the early 2000's.  The contours on a couple of greens [4 and 8] had to be softened so they could handle "normal" green speeds.  A hurricane also took out a bunch of trees between #1 and #17, and on a few other holes, but the club have always been reluctant to cut trees otherwise; still, that may have made the fairways appear wider to you.


1a.  If you were just there, you played this time in droughty summer conditions, so you would have seen a lot more effect to the ground contours than if you were there in winter before.  Mid Ocean [like all of Bermuda] has very limited irrigation reserves, and they do not irrigate fairways at all, so the conditions vary with the weather.  I have only played it a couple of times when it's really droughty and fast, but that is when the course is at its most challenging and fun.


2.  Mr. Jones broke up long bunkers into chains of smaller ones to minimize wind erosion, and to reduce the quantity of sand required, which is important because sand costs a FORTUNE when barged from the USA to Bermuda.  We have changed back a few of these bunkers, but I have left most of them alone, for practical reasons.


3.  Like all clubs, they tell stories and express concern about how the young and long-hitting members bomb it around the course, but it's still a tough place to score, and there's no more real estate available to lengthen it.  One such player commented to me that there are lots of holes where he can't see the green surface from where his tee shot winds up, so it's hard to dial in the distance to get close enough to make birdies.  It also helps that the greens have some big sweeping slopes that make it hard to hole sidehill putts.


4.  As Jon noted, the club did ask us to "restore" the front half of the Biarritz green as putting surface 5 years ago, even though it had never been green originally.  The idea was suggested / pushed by a couple of magazine panelists, and taken seriously by a committee who would very much like their course to be in the rankings.  I was not a great fan of the idea, but told them I'd do it if they wanted . . . so we did.  But the members quickly decided they HATED trying to putt 200 feet from a short tee shot, uphill, through a six-foot swale, so after a year or two they gave up and reintroduced fairway turf there.  I was relieved to see it gone, and grateful that they didn't push me out for having gone along with a bad idea; but it is a good lesson to stick to my gut in any future consulting work, because there are always members pushing for some change or another at every club where we work, and most of the time the correct answer is "NO".


4. 

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2019, 02:16:42 AM »
Spectacular photos (as usual) Jon. Thanks for sharing. From the shadows etc it appears they were taken at different times of day as I can't see anyone around, not even a maintenance crew, which I guess maybe fits in with Toms comment about play/visitor play.
Nice to hear Toms snippets about the cost of importing sand (!), lack of water for irrigation etc and the impact such has on the practical aspects of design/construction/maintenance/logistics etc.
atb

Mike Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2019, 04:52:49 AM »

One topic of discussion this trip was how their guest play has fallen off, along with golf tourism to Bermuda in general.  So I had intended to make a post here this week reminding everyone that Mid Ocean welcomes guest play during the week, making it one of only two C.B. Macdonald designs you can play, and by far the best of the two in my opinion.  [Old White at The Greenbrier is the other.]



I am surprised to hear that. I was only there the one time, and loved the course and the island. That said, there must be a reason for Bermuda Tourism to bring the PGA Tour back to the island:


https://www.gotobermuda.com/bta/press-release/bermuda-championship-set-to-debut-on-pga-tour-next-season


Beautiful picture by Jon, as always.
"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us."

Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

ChipRoyce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2019, 05:24:07 PM »
Thanks Jon for posting the wonderful pictures; and thanks to Tom D. for the quick reply!

Interesting to hear that RTJ Sr. did not have a heavy hand in the 50's and that the club has sparingly made changes with your help.

Yes, the course played F&F, yet the grasses were still lush. The course setup / maintenance meld was perfect; add in the 1-2 club wind and elevation changes, which really brought the bunkers into play and brought the strategy front and center.

I don't pity the long hitters; MOC while not current championship length, shouldn't be considered a "member's course" and provide a great challenge to today's scratch amateur.

Completely understand about the Biarritz; however would have been a hoot to play it as intended. My drive on that hole ended up 15' from the pin (front right placement). If my shot came up 5 yards or so shorter, would have rolled back into the valley. The resulting putt would have been a real hoot.

As for golf tourism in Bermuda, not surprising that its not doing well:
- Bermuda has always been an expensive destination to visit, golf or no golf ($400+ roundtrip airfares, $400-600/night rooms, $10 beers, meals for 2 easily $100-$200)
- Read an article today that the # of rooms on the island is down dramatically, which becomes a gating factor for tourist $.
- There's a bunch of different courses on the island but only a couple >6000 yards
- Not sure Bermuda is a cool / hip place to vacation. The sidewalks roll up after 10pm and not the nightclubbing, beach destination that's in vogue at the moment.

MOC has a tough battle ahead to keep outside play $ up.
- Historically, a member intro or hotel concierge, was required to get on, and limited to just mid-week play.
- Visit their website today and you'll see they now openly advertise outside play.
- Greens fees are not cheap, and likely will scare away many who don't seek the opportunity to play a great, storied course. 
- I don't see them lowering the fees, which could cheapen the club's prestige and possibly hurt their push to grow memberships (google search turned up 2 member newsletters over the past 3 years - many mentions encouraging new member intros).
- Port Royal, the government owned, public course on the island, is dramatically improved and worth the visit (esp. the back 9). At 1/2 to 1/3rd the cost of MOC, I'm sure Port Royal is putting a dent in MOC's revenues.
- I do think getting some of the key social media influencers (Andy, NLU, Feed The Ball) to the island and play MOC, may attract interest from upwardly mobile 30 something golfers, who should be delighted to play this CB MacDonald gem.

Folks on the island were very enthusiastic about the new PGA tour stop. I think that investment and the resulting visibility will help re-introduce the island to the golfing public.

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2019, 07:54:34 PM »
Chip:


The approach of the Biarritz at Mid Ocean was never intended by Macdonald to be mowed at green height, nor were most others.  The ninth at Yale was the exception, not the rule.


I highly doubt MOC is losing a lot of business to Port Royal, except among locals.  Most visiting golfers would play both, and only those fixated on the last $100 of their $4000 vacation would choose Port Royal over Mid Ocean for their third round.


One factor in favor of tourism is that apparently a lot of young couples are choosing to travel to Bermuda because it's Zika virus free, which Caribbean countries  are not.  I guess twenty-somethings planning a family are still concerned about that.

Mike Sweeney

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2019, 08:06:53 PM »
Chip,

Awesome post and information. I always considered Mid Ocean to be a hybrid of American/UK, similar to Maine, but a better golf course that could be played year round.

When Mike Bloomberg joined, I assumed "the crowd" would follow, wrong again. Still a fabulous history -https://themidoceanclub.com


PS - Bring back the old logo and update it! It's call "Mid Ocean" for a reason!



"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us."

Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

ChipRoyce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2019, 05:45:58 AM »
I highly doubt MOC is losing a lot of business to Port Royal, except among locals.  Most visiting golfers would play both, and only those fixated on the last $100 of their $4000 vacation would choose Port Royal over Mid Ocean for their third round.
From the article I read, part of Bermuda's tourism issues stem from an increased % of visitors who come by cruise ship and not stay in the reduced # of lodging options.
Just one data point, but hopefully to the benefit of your client: My visit as well came from a cruise ship; there were a number of us playing golf during the 3 day visit; almost no one knew about Mid Ocean, much less made arrangements to play. However, everyone had a tee time for Port Royal.

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2019, 09:32:32 AM »
Great update Chip, and thanks for the info Tom.


I've played M-O maybe four times now, last time was during the America's Cup two Springs ago.  M-O has one of the world's greatest vibes, and I like the 50s-60s jet-setter feel to it.  The course has plenty of challenge and interest, and it's amazing that it hasn't been changed too much over the years.  I'd love to be a member someday if I could find the right connections, but the biggest issue the fact that even a boys weekend is going to cost $1500 or more per person with flights and lodging.  Multiply that by 3 or 4 times in a year, and that's doubling or tripling your dues.  I'd pay my $275 or whatever each time when visiting though!


Bermuda is a unique place tourist-wise.  One cannot buy a vacation home without a native Bermuda family connection, and as it's been said, lodging is not cheap.  Some savings can be found with a house rental, but then you are paying a high-ish price to do your own cooking and getting around isn't always easy.


Golf-wise, I think they lose out on buddy trips from here in Boston because the BOS-BDA flights are all roughly 11a-1p when it goes, and the return is always 2p-4p.  This makes it difficult to play on the day you arrive or the day you fly out.  I'm not sure if there are ordinances prohibiting earlier or later flights, but even an 8a-10a BOS-BDA flight and a 6p-8p BDA-BOS flight would be better, and give you more time on-island during a quick trip.


Also, I think the Riddell's Bay situation hasn't made anyone look good.  It was a private club yes (with public access at times), but whoever was in charge didn't see the end coming soon enough, and the government didn't step in to preserve the place as a golf course, or even open space to a usable degree.  The almighty dollar wins as usual, and a quirky Bermuda-style course from the Golden Age goes away.  I know there are many factors, but I find the lamenting of the loss of golf tourism dollars and the government's shrug response to Riddell's demise as incongruent.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2019, 01:10:38 PM »
Brad:


That's an interesting note about the flight times [which I knew, but had never thought about], and you are right, it would have a definite depressing effect on tourism, losing two half-days because of the schedule.


I know it wasn't always like that.  Many years ago, GOLF Magazine did a piece about which was faster:  driving from Manhattan to Bethpage on Saturday morning, getting in line to play the Black Course, playing 18 holes on a slow muni, and driving back to the city, vs. taxi to LaGuardia, flight to Bermuda, 18 holes at Mid Ocean, return.  The guy who went to Mid Ocean was back with half an hour to spare!

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Mid Ocean Club, Bermuda New
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2019, 02:04:46 PM »
That challenge sounds like fun, I'm not sure if the flight issue is the same from NYC these days as it is for Boston.


The Bermuda Tourist Agency is interesting...when I was there for vacation surrounding the America's Cup, every single cab driver I met asked me if I was going to the Cup...to the degree that it was obvious they were told to ask.


On a previous trip, it was clear they were selling hard the idea of BDA as a year-round destination, which is true temperature-wise, but part of the year is hurricane season (concurrent with the best yearly weather in the Northeast), and much of the winter is blustery, cloudy, and in the 55-65 degree range.  That trip was a short non-golf visit in August, and it was a strange feeling to have the ocean water be the same temp as the air.


I'm curious if the podcaster guys would have much of an effect.  It's true there isn't much nightlife, but maybe you sell it alongside watersports or something...the boating, diving, and snorkeling aspect is world-class.


It sounds like St. George's is being resurrected in some way, so that can't be bad...4600y par 62s are more in vogue than ever lately.  There was a pipe dream 10 years ago of the course being extended somehow to 6000y with Faldo behind the project, but I don't think that ever went very far.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 01:16:02 PM by Brad Tufts »
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

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