Westchester - West VS. Oak Hill - West

[Paul Richards]

I have just finished reviewing the rankings for the state of New York and have realized that Westchester - West fell out of the state top 25 on GD's 2005 list.


Having played 13 of the top 15 in the state of New York, I am intrigued as to why Oak Hill - West jumped from unranked (ever) in the top 25 of the state all the way to 15th and Westchester - West dropped off completely after holding the 13, 13, 13, 14 and 15th spots in the state in the last five lists.


Anyone hazard a guess here?


I have played both courses.

I enjoyed Oak Hill - East tremendously.  It is a real championship test.  

However, the West is a very nice members' course, with nothing about it being particularly memorable, other than my host scoring his first hole-in-one there ever in 50-plus years of golfing!


Westchester - West I have always felt is an underappreciated and underrated course.  Lots of memorable  holes and lots of variety and interest.  Great topography and a fantastic set of greens.


Can someone explain to me how OHW is a better golf course than WW?   Just what exactly am I missing?



 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Though Westchester could lose 3000 trees and still be considered overgrown with trees, the layout is awesome.  This is a classic course that the raters must be absolutely blind when playing.  Perhaps they are shooting big numbers from the trees and are too upset to see the cool contours and wild undulations on the greens.  How come the tour players love the course so much and usually get thoroughly beaten up?
  Last year I hit 15 greens in round 1 (actually 13, but the 2 misses were within 15 feet on the fringe) and shot a brilliant 81.  The other 2 players finished the last 5 holes 2 and 3 under to make the cut on the number--both thought it was easily one of the best courses they would play. A couple of my friends love the course because it demands imagination and an ability to execute a multitude of various pitch shots.  Also, most pins are only accessible by aiming several feet away--it takes great discipline to aim away from flags when you have a serious command of your ballstriking!              Even in its current overgrown state, it is a course management dream layout.  Also, there are places where shortside misses are actually preferable to having plenty of green--how often do pros fail to get up and down from the left of 18 green when the pin is in the traditional back right position!  

[JNC Lyon]

I have just finished reviewing the rankings for the state of New York and have realized that Westchester - West fell out of the state top 25 on GD's 2005 list.


Having played 13 of the top 15 in the state of New York, I am intrigued as to why Oak Hill - West jumped from unranked (ever) in the top 25 of the state all the way to 15th and Westchester - West dropped off completely after holding the 13, 13, 13, 14 and 15th spots in the state in the last five lists.


Anyone hazard a guess here?


I have played both courses.

I enjoyed Oak Hill - East tremendously.  It is a real championship test.  

However, the West is a very nice members' course, with nothing about it being particularly memorable, other than my host scoring his first hole-in-one there ever in 50-plus years of golfing!


Westchester - West I have always felt is an underappreciated and underrated course.  Lots of memorable  holes and lots of variety and interest.  Great topography and a fantastic set of greens.


Can someone explain to me how OHW is a better golf course than WW?   Just what exactly am I missing?



 

   Since I have played Oak Hill West Hundreds of times, the features are probably much more memorable for me. Off the tee OHCCW is straightforward, with the exception of a few holes. However, the greens are what make the course, with the brilliantly simple but scary contours from Ross. The 9th is the only transplanted green, but it offers more excitement than any other hole's green. The first hole is a great example of a green which makes the hole. The tee shot is downhill, nothing to write home about, but the green, which has a high left tier and a low right tier, is perplexing for the second shot and putting.

  The assumption that it is merely a "nice members' course" is inaccurate. I should say that half the membership can't even play the East course without losing multiple golf balls or not finishing most of the holes. The west provides relaxed standards off the tee, but it hits low handicappers where it hurts, at the green. Can a lower score be had at Oak Hill West? Yes. How it compares to Westchester in challenge I cannot say. But it deserves some consideration for ranking, mostly because of its spectacular set of greens.

[Paul Richards]

JNC
(wish I could address you by name!)

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

I, too, was very impressed by the greens. They are the most excellent feature of the golf course.

It is a very enjoyable course, and it sure was a real pleasure to enjoy after getting beat up on the East.

However, I wouldn't consider it to be in the same category of test as WW.

 

[JNC Lyon]

Paul Richards,

John is the first name. What is it that makes Westchester West so much better than Oak Hill? I ask not out of defiance, but out of curiosity. Aside from the aforementioned lack of test of driving, I believe OHW has almost all attributes of a first rate golf course. I am familiar with a few holes at Westchester, including the 3-tiered 16th green, and the hard left 17th, lake on the right.

[Paul Richards]

John

Glad to know you.

Don't get me wrong, OHW is a very fine course.  

However, IMHO, Westchester West is one of the best courses in the state of New York, better, IMHO, than some of those that made the top 100, in fact.

There is great variety to the holes at WW.  Great movement of terrain.  Too many trees do, indeed, fill the corridors, but it too has some great greens.

It is also a championship test of golf.

cheers.

 

[JNC Lyon]

From what you say, Westchester West is highly underrated. I shall make an effort to find out more about it. Thanks for providing some insights

[Paul Richards]

John


>Westchester West is highly unde      


Absolutely.

I have felt that way since my visit there.

This is why I am shocked   that it no longer made the best-in-state list this time.



>I shall make an effort to find out more about it. Thanks for providing some insights


Good.  I am sure you will enjoy it.

And you are welcome.