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Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Sedgefield
« on: August 15, 2020, 10:35:24 AM »
I was a national member there for about ten years and loved the course every time I played it. The course is in a housing development but I never felt the houses intruded on the course. The terrain is rolling and Ross did a masterful job routing the holes. The strength of the course is in and around the greens. When they regrassed the greens with Champion it firmed them up and allowed them to get the speed up so you never wanted to be above the pins.


It amazes me that these guys and beat the course up so much. I never found it to be that easy. The course does have some shortish par fours and the par fives are very gettable. I hope you enjoy the telecast and get a feel for the course. For a course that gets a lot of publicity I feel it still flies under the radar.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Ben Hollerbach

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2020, 01:30:05 PM »
It's wet,


they've had a lot of rain recently and the green complexes are no longer firm.


The houses look closer to the course on TV than they really are, They don't impact play at all.  But I think that optic of seeing a hundred houses hurts public perspective. As at first glance it looks to similar to a dozen other neighborhood PGA tour courses.

Mark_Fine

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2020, 02:54:41 PM »
First impressions after only one time playing it (which is never enough) was that it is a great routing and fun course to play. There is a premium on driving with OB down both sides of many holes.  There is also a drainage swale/ditch which is a prominent hazard on many of the holes.  I didn’t care for how it was maintained with very thick and talk grasses.  It is however an effective hazard.  The course has a great set of greens.  Lots of topo and elevation change in the property.  The only real defense for the pros are if the greens are firm and fast but even then it will be a birdie fest and a putting contest.

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2020, 03:13:07 PM »
First impressions after only one time playing it (which is never enough) was that it is a great routing and fun course to play. There is a premium on driving with OB down both sides of many holes. 


You have to be very far afield to hit it OB.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Edward Glidewell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2020, 03:49:16 PM »
First impressions after only one time playing it (which is never enough) was that it is a great routing and fun course to play. There is a premium on driving with OB down both sides of many holes. 


You have to be very far afield to hit it OB.


OB is definitely a concern at Sedgefield for some players -- it shouldn't be an issue for pros and low handicappers, but it's absolutely in play for average golfers. There are holes where a slice could send you OB and others where a hook could send you OB, and some where hitting either could put you out of play.


With that said, you're never going to feel like you hit a decent shot and end up out of bounds. And just because you hit a hook or a slice certainly isn't a guarantee you're going to be OB on most of the holes (11 and 18 are probably the biggest issues for a slice, but they also have plenty of room to bail out left).


I'm a big fan of the course and the OB never really feels constraining.

« Last Edit: August 16, 2020, 01:21:24 AM by Edward Glidewell »

mike_beene

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2020, 12:01:56 AM »
Does it feel a little like Pine Needles?

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2020, 05:35:12 PM »
Does it feel a little like Pine Needles?


The terrain is similar and the green sites are kissing cousins but the course itself has a different feel.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

A.G._Crockett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2020, 05:39:12 PM »
Does it feel a little like Pine Needles?
Pine Needles isn't a bad comparison. 


But the course that Sedgefield really feels like is Hope Valley in Durham.  Built the same year, very similar terrain; even the houses around the courses are similar.  Sedgefield is better, but not a lot better, and the two courses just look so much alike to me.  I mean that as a compliment to both courses.
"Golf...is usually played with the outward appearance of great dignity.  It is, nevertheless, a game of considerable passion, either of the explosive type, or that which burns inwardly and sears the soul."      Bobby Jones

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2020, 06:51:08 AM »
With some of the par fours playing north of 500 yards not everybody could get home with an iron on the approaches. I saw some wonderful shots hit close with fairway woods and hybrids. Guys like Kisner, Simpson and Z Johnson are awfully good with those selections.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2020, 06:58:31 AM by Tim Martin »

Ben Hollerbach

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Sedgefield
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2020, 08:16:50 AM »
Those long par 4's at Sedgefield are all rather interesting. For the most part, the landing zones in the fairway are all down hill, so they don't play nearly as long as the yardage, but it's really the approach shots to each green that are challenging as they leave the player with a awkward feeling shot.


The tee shot on 11 will land on a downhill/sidehill slope, allowing for another 30-40 yards of roll. This will somewhat negate the extra length but does force the player to drive the ball down the right-hand side of the fairway to keep it in the short grass, but because you want to play into the green from the left everyone plays for the forward and left kick off of their drive. A miss left into the green is death, playing off of a draw lie its easy to aim out to the right for safety, but the bunker that sits short right of the green by about 20 yards helps keep you honest. When the green in firm this can be a hard approach to get close.


There is a small ridge that runs perpendicular across the fairway at 14, from the up tee everyone will land on the downslope and have their ball kick into the 160-170 range. From the very back tee, you'll need to carry the ball around 280-290 to take advantage of the slope. Over the ridge you're playing from a slightly downhill lie to an elevated green. the front right greenside bunker is a really great defense for any right hand pin.


18 for the members plays as a par 5, but with the fairway running down hill so much the tour pros can get an additional 50-60 yards of roll on their drives. The approach to that green is not easy as you are playing to an elevated pin from a steeply downhill lie. The two bunkers lurking short of the green add a level of fear into the approach if you don't elevate the shot well enough off of the downhill lie.