On another thread, Alex commented on how boring Hidden Creek was for the first time player. He also indicated that the golf course was fun and strategic for the members who benefited from repeated play.
Previous to this past thursday, I had only played Hidden Creek once, as a guest.
I found it anything but boring the first time I played it, and was so excited about playing it that I wanted to go directly to the first tee from the 18th green.
Only darkness prevented that walk.
As I played from the 1st tee this past thursday afternoon I thought of my upcoming journey around the golf course in the context of Alex's comments.
The first problem I had was that I remembered every hole, before I got to the first tee.
After playing the 1st hole for only the second time, I thought about it and how it could be deemed boring.
I think the answer lies in the perceived purpose of the hole, and the ability to perceive subtle features.
There are no Distinguishing features to greet the golfers eye on the 1st tee, just a broad, generous fairway that offers the golfer wide margins of error as they begin their journey.
Likewise, the approach shot offers no Distinguishing features, just a green that emerges from the fairway. Again, generous margins of error are offered to the golfer as well as various methods of approach.
To a degree, nothing Extraordinary confronts the golfer on the 1st hole, just a seemingly benign opening hole that eases the golfer into the golf course.
But, that all changes on the 2nd tee where multiple features and signals greet the golfers eye, making the golf course anything but boring. That process repeats itself on each of the remaining 16 holes.
A review of Ran's write up and accompanying photos, which appear in the club's website,
www.hiddencreekclub.com, will show a golf course replete with memorable features, a golf course that is far from boring to the first time visitor.
One has to wonder if Alex's focus was on the surroundings, the pine trees, rather then the golf course.
The holes are cut through generous corridors of pine trees,
so I can see how someone viewing the non-playing areas/corridors and not the holes and features within them could make the mistake of labeling the golf course as having a monotonous feature, pine trees. But, competent eyes that focus on the golf course and features within it, would be hard pressed to find that golf course boring, it's anything but.
I had three guests with me, a 10 handicap, a 12 handicap and an 18 handicap, and all of them were universal in their praise of the golf course.
They loved the extraordinary contouring and size of the putting surfaces.
They loved the ability to play aerial and ground shots on almost every hole.
They loved the diversity and the isolation that each hole offered.
At the end of the round I asked them, as first time players, if they found the golf course boring. They stated that they found the golf course exciting and that they wanted to play another 9 holes despite the fact that we were meeting other people for dinner at a set hour. After a phone call to the restaurant and the other party, we went straight to the 1st tee.
Other then a misunderstanding with respect to the 1st hole,
I don't see how anyone could label the golf course as boring to the first time player.
But, that's just my opinion.
Perhaps, in the Fall, you'll get to render yours.