[Patrick_Mucci]

along with specially prepared greenside areas.

Plainfield Country Club has vastly improved the golf course through extensive tree removal AND specially prepared greenside areas.

For example, the entire right greenside bank has been converted to fairway, thus feeding, rather than holding errant shots into the pond.

Other areas, such as the rear of # 10, the front of # 11, the rear of # 16 the right side of # 15 and many others now enjoy closely mown grass that will feed errant balls away from the putting surface.

The changes are dramatic and the improvement in playing conditions and play, fantastic.

The rough remains harsh.

The terrain, most unusual.

Plainfield has become a poster child for improving the golf course by returning it to its earlier form.

It's a treat to play and deserves its lofty ranking.

I also noticed some neat features, like a man made mini gully running above fairways to catch and channel surface water away from the lower fairways.

Another neat feature is the catch areas behind elevated greens, such as # 1.

I hope the club continues in its current direction.

They clearly get it.

Given the opportunity, Plainfield should not be missed, and, if Ran's in town, distasteful as it would be for him to return to Plainfield, he should replay Plainfield and update his write-up.

[James Bennett]

well, that makes another GCA'er praising Plainfield.

From my recollection, the list of people singing praise for Plainfield since April 2006 includes:
James Bennett (myself)
Bill V (he was delirious with delight that day at Plainfield)
Mayday Malone (he is often delirious )
Joe Lovito (he's biased)
a small dose of Matt Ward
some Tommy Naccarrato (rightly supporting the architects input)
and now, Patrick Mucci

I expect there are/have been more.  Who's next?

I promise to post some of Bill V's photos from our game there in mid-April later tonight.  Along with some interesting clubhouse material.  Oh, and a Google earth course outline that pre-dates these amendments that will give other GCA'ers a quick feel for the previously wooded nature of the course (Ran's write-up also provides an opportunity).

Obviously, I never saw the course before all the recent changes have occurred.  And yes Patrick, from discussions at the Club, the Plainfield management do clearly get it.

James B

[Lawrence Largent]

I had the chance to play Plainfield in May and was amazed on how good the course was. Going back and looking at pics of all the trees it looks totally different now. I personally think it could be the most underated golf course on the top 100 list and consider it in my Top 3. The course has a great flow to it and the variety of holes make it a joy to play.

Lawrence

[Dan Herrmann]

Here's Ran's review from '02:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/plainfield1.html

[James Bennett]

Photos from mid-April 2006, from my visit with Bill V.  I have tried to pick a few key photos but there are still 15 here, and so many left out!  If you don't recognise the change, go back and see Rans write-up.  Look at holes like 1, 3, 7, 11 and 16 - there are similar photos in the write-up (perhaps 4 years ago) and below (2 months ago).

It is a Donald Ross course (my only Donald Ross course, although I felt a great affinity between the two when I visited Royal Dornoch), and the plaque by the first tee is in keeping with the achievements of the Committee and Gil Hanse, the restoration architect.


A google overhead that pre-dates the tree removal.  The practice fairway (top left) is the old 17 and 18 holes.


The original routing plan in the Clubhouse


The first fairway - notice the movement shown by the mowing pattern


The first green - 7 feet of fall from back right to front lefy, with a sidehill/downhill slope on the approach!


The little catch gully behind the first that Patrick mentioned.  Then 8 green, 2 tee, 11 green/12 tee complex and in the distance 16 green/17tee complex


2nd hole, with 12th hole to left, 16th far left and 3rd green behind the 2nd


3rd hole - a great par 3 although Plainfield isn't really about water hazards.  Note the shaved bank Patrick referred to, and the low visual impact bubbler/aerators in the lake.


4th hole, taken from 13th fairway.


7th green, with 4th hole behind


9th green with clubhouse behind - the last hole when the ladies US Open was played here


10th hole - a short par 4.  There are plans to rebuild the drainage dam into a hazard more typical of the original design (18 also).


11th hole - the short par 5 of some 140 yards.


12th hole par 5 (combines an original par 4 and par 3) with great use of the drainage creeks.  The impact of tree removal is probably greatest here.


16th green and 17th tee complex.  Short grass abounds, including from green to next tee, and around the greenside bunkers.  Very Dornoch!


Hope you enjoyed the quick tour - those who have been before will understand the differences.

James B

[mike_malone]

 James,

    When I look at that aerial photo with all those trees I am delighted that Plainfield removed them. Why would anyone in their right mind plant trees between holes when your terrain is visually stunning and is fun to play because of the uncertain lies?

   This course is a model for classic courses that want to enhance their architectural features for ALL levels of players to enjoy.

   As Pat surely knows, it takes a great amount of determination to effect this kind of change. Credit  needs to go to those who championed the changes .


     The addition of fairway areas around the greens can be gimicky if done badly. Plainfield seemed to get it right IMO.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Anyone who has played Plainfield prior to the recent improvements should make a serious effort to revisit the golf course.   You'll be amazed by the difference and improvement.

To those who haven't played Plainfield, make every effort to do so.   The topography, routing, design, maintainance meld and playability are superb.  It's a treat for any serious golfer.

Plainfield is to be congratulated for their efforts, which hopefully, are ongoing.

Given the opportunity, I"d like to hold my GCA.com get together there this fall or next spring.  

[ed_getka]

WOW There has been some serious tree removal going on since '02 when I was there. I look forward to seeing it again in the future. Easily one of the most underrated courses outside of our little world.

[Mitch Hantman]

I cannot agree more.  I hadn't played Plainfield in over 7 years, and it was very good then, but it is fantastic now!

[SPDB]

From the outset, I should state i haven't seen PCC post renovation
i have a couple of quick questions/observations, though based on
these pics.

On 2 I seem to remember the bunker short of the greenbeing
a solitary bunker, which Hanse has broken up into
smaller bunkers. On the Ross plan, it seems that there is no
bunker(s) there at all. What prompted the perforation of a
bunker that wasn't even there in the first place? While I
understand that the course was altered because of property
dimension changes, I thought that #2 had preserved its place
in the routing scheme.

Am I correct in remembering that the 16th green featured
a bunker that wrapped around the its rear and side?
ALthough I will certainly wait until I see it to judge for
myself, if my memory serves me correctly, I really liked that
bunker, and at least from the pictures, would seem predisposed
to prefer it over the chipping area.

[James Bennett]

SPDB

you are correct about the L shaped bunker having existed, and now gone.  It was featured in Ran's write-up of Plainfield.

It was my only visit, so I didn't miss it.  Others can consider whether it was better before or now.  Certainly the area is very clean, reducing the pressure on the turf to what is a very narrow tee (I assume everyone walked down to the tee before.

Regarding variations from the original plan - one that I noted was the 4th hole.  I just loved the 4th, with its bunker set into the hill on the drive, with the preferred line being right near it.  However, this bunker didn't appear on the map (I udnerstand that it has been about for a long time, since when I don't know.  But I also understand that some trees/bushes that obscured this line of play were removed recently.  An improvement).

James B

[Bob H]

Gentlemen:  While the "L" shaped bunker was indeed removed, and the hole restored to more of its original design, you may be interested in the history of that bunker.  There used to be just enough room to the right and behind the 16th green for the members to drive their carts there and park behind the 16th green while putting out.  (This was prior to the reorientation of the 17th tee.)  All this traffic ruined the grass there and ticked off the greenskeeper (Red Wender) immeasurably.  As a result, the members came back in the spring one year to find the "L" shaped bunker where they had previously driven their carts.  So while the solution may have been Rossian in its practicality, the bunker was not really Rossian in its design!

Also, you should take note of the the two additional fairway bunkers that have been restored on the second hole.  As part of the original design, they were put there not only as part of the risk/reward calculation for the longer hitter (the fairway  runs to the left and brings the bunkers into play), but they also protected what was then the 13th tee (now no longer existing as the original par 4th 12th and par 3 13th were combined to make the existing par 5 12th.)

[Patrick_Mucci]

Bob H,

There was a time when I thought that "Red" ran the club.

Thanks for clarifying the issue.

All too often subsequent amendments to the golf course are deemed "original" design features by those who didn't have the benefit of playing the golf course prior to those amendments.

Plainfield has done a great job in restoring the golf course and eradicating trees planted long after the "Real" Donald left the golf course.

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