[Tommy Williamsen]

I played the Ford Field and River Club (Ford’s Plantation) last week. I gotta say I loved it. It is a tale of two extremely different nines. The front nine plays around some water but also through some stunning old gigantic Spanish Moss draped Live Oaks. The back nine is in an old rice paddy. Pete Dye supposedly said, “Give me enough sand and I will make you a golf course there. They did and he did. It is treeless, open, and fun. While I barely noticed the wind on the front nine the back nine blew like crazy.

I don’t remember playing a course with two more different nines. I thought I wouldn’t like it because they were going to be so vastly different, but I was wrong. What other courses have two very different nines? Do they work?

[Pete_Pittock]

Lewis River (north of Portland OR) jeckyl-hyde ish  2800(35) and 3500 (37). Tight and layup like for the first 11 and then you have your foot down to the floorboards the rest of the way.

[John Emerson]

West Bend CC

[Carl Rogers]

Asheville NC Muni

[Sean_A]

Hindhead...mixed result
Pyle and Kenfig...not really
Royal Aberdeen... yes
Seahouses... no

Ciao

[Kevin Pallier]

What other courses have two very different nines? Do they work?

Narooma in NSW.


F9 is open parkland golf near the sea (7 holes). B9 is inland and lined by trees /water. 17 & 18 are back on the main property. 


Both work well IMO.

[mike_malone]

Here in Philly it’s Bellewood. It’s wide open on the front with some nice angles then it is tree lined on the back forcing control on you. I say it works.

[Tim Martin]

Misquamicut Club-Westerly RI

[Tommy Williamsen]

In some ways Cypress Point has two different nines. The first seven holes run through the trees while the last eleven holes are through the dunes and hug the coastline.

[Ben Malach]

The most dramatic transition between 9's I have seen is at Dinosaur Trail in Drumheller, Alberta. With the front 9 being a pedestrian but inoffensive parkland 9 holes playing alongside the Red Deer River. The Back 9 takes you across the highway in to the badlands. Where the course uses the dramatic topography to create some of the most absurd golf of have ever played. Teeing off from the top of hoodoos to fairways maybe 25 yards wide. The course turns from flat parkland to a roller coaster. The local joke is leave your driver and woods at the turn because the only way to play it is defensively. Still it's a great experience in that landscape even if the architecture boarders on in playable. With the highlights of the back being the par 3's due to there more forgiving nature than the 4's or 5's.

[Gib_Papazian]

Easthampton . . . . .




I think Moraga CC (Moraga, CA) retires the trophy.

[Greg Smith]

I nominate Somerset Hills, with the "field" holes and then the valley holes.

[Ira Fishman]

Hog Neck in Easton, MD. Front nine flat virtually treeless and therefore wind can wreak havoc given there is quite a bit of water; back nine wanders nicely through treed area.

[Anthony Gholz]

Kirtland (Alison 1921-22) rolling meadow front nine and dramatic valley/river back (10-17)

[Dan Boerger]

Thendara - Old Forge, NY.


Chain saw ran out of gas on between 9 and 10!

[SL_Solow]

Portstewart.  Front nine far more interesting

[Rob Marshall]

Portstewart.  Front nine far more interesting

I agree and I thought the same when I played Portsalon.

[Kalen Braley]

Pacific Grove is the hands down winner of the courses I've played....

[Jim Hoak]

Portstewart has been mentioned.  Front nine is as good as any holes in Ireland.  The back nine is very ordinary.

[Bill Seitz]

Tijeras Creek down by Mission Viejo.  Ted Robinson design.  Front nine is classic Orange County development playing through houses that all look the same with red tile roofs.  Back nine plays down into, though, and back up out of a little canyon with a creek nicely used on a few holes.  I can't recall if there was a ton of architectural merit, but I thought it was fun to play.

[Jim_Coleman]

   New Seabury, Cape Cod.

[Steve Lapper]

Amongst very good courses:


Somerset Hills
Tralee
Portstewart

[Tommy Williamsen]

Hog Neck in Easton, MD. Front nine flat virtually treeless and therefore wind can wreak havoc given there is quite a bit of water; back nine wanders nicely through treed area.

It isn't very often that Hog Neck gets mentioned here. I played it a few times a year in the 90s. The two nines are indeed very different. It is long and punishing course.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Amongst very good courses:


Somerset Hills
Tralee
Portstewart

When I played Portstewart I was let down by the back nine. But when I thought about the holes I reassessed. While not as compelling as the duned front nine it had some architectural merit.


The deep chasms and dunes of the back nine at Tralee are indeed different and the back is much more difficult.

[Tim Martin]

   New Seabury, Cape Cod.

Jim-I know you are referencing the Ocean Course and it’s a good example. The inward holes play like the Dunes course which all inland and away from the water.

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