News:

This discussion group is best enjoyed using Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.


Tom Yost

  • Karma: +0/-0
The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« on: September 28, 2007, 11:59:42 PM »
Watched a little of the LPGA Navistar tournament - the subject course in Alabama and part of the "RTJ Golf Trail."  

Observed during a few minutes of TV watching:  a "links style" course, treeless, wide fairways, pot bunkers, closely mown areas around the greens etc...  I saw at least one skyline green.  The course seemed interesting, if nothing else, just by the fact it seemed a little out of the ordinary for A) Alabama  B) RTJ.  

Looking for some discussion of the Senator course and wondering if all the courses on the RTJ golf trail are designed by RTJ ?


THANKS!!
Tom




Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2007, 01:57:49 PM »
The Senator is my favorite of all the Trail courses I've played and I've played several courses at several locations...  Hampton Cove, Grand National, Capitol Hill, Cambrian Ridge, Oxmoor Valley, and Silver Lakes.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a huge fan of the Trail.  I played most of these locations on two trips that we organized, and I probably won't be organizing any more in the near future.  There's just too much else to see out there.

At the same time, I really though the Senator had a fun, relaxed feel to it, when compared to most of the masochistic golf that takes place on these courses.  I enjoyed the round and I'd go back under the right circumstances.  It isn't really links style golf, but it has a bunch of artificial dunes and mounds that are supposed to give it that feel.  I think many on this web site would be offended by some of the mounding as it frames almost every single fairway.  While I'm not usually a big fan of large mounds on either side of the fairway either, for whatever reason it worked for me here.  I think it was just a nice respite from the re-cycled product and style  that I found on the other courses associated with the Trail.

I think I might have a few pics that I can post, though I never labeled the ones from this particular trip, so I probably won't be able to properly identify the holes any more.

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2007, 02:23:25 PM »
A few pics...


















Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2007, 02:37:06 PM »
Looks like a "How To" manual for totally manufactured golf courses.  If you noticed the surrounding terrain, it's pretty much flat as a pancake.

The Judge there at Prattville is even worse.  Every iron shot is pretty much blind to a huge green with fall offs everywhere.  The corkscrew wood ramp back up to the clubhouse level reportedly cost over $1 million.

My favorite courses on the Trail are still the Lake and Links at Grand National in Auburn, and the Canyon and Sherling nines at Greenville's Cambrian Ridge.

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2007, 05:19:20 PM »
Looks like a "How To" manual for totally manufactured golf courses.  If you noticed the surrounding terrain, it's pretty much flat as a pancake.

The Judge there at Prattville is even worse.  Every iron shot is pretty much blind to a huge green with fall offs everywhere.  The corkscrew wood ramp back up to the clubhouse level reportedly cost over $1 million.

My favorite courses on the Trail are still the Lake and Links at Grand National in Auburn, and the Canyon and Sherling nines at Greenville's Cambrian Ridge.

Grand National was a big let down for me.  I left not being able to distinguish between the two courses.  That was the location I was looking most forward to based on reviews and I was really disappointed.

I agree with what you say about manufactured and the flat surrounding landscape, but this is praised in some cases (Whistling Straits) and dissed in others.  I'm not trying to compare the scope of what was done here to Whistling Straits.  It was just a nice break where I could let down my guard from the 230 yard peninsula par 3s of The Judge and Grand National (at least that's how I remember them!)

The Senator isn't making any top lists for me except "favorite course in Alabama" and the only golf I've ever played in the state is the Trail.

Doug Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2007, 06:08:48 PM »
Tom/Tim,

The Senator was the first course we played on our only RTJ Trail trip a couple years ago. We also played the Legislator course there (avoided the Judge thanks to this website...) and then moved on to Cambrian ridge followed by Grand National. The Senator was my second favorite course after Grand National Links (which IMO was head and shoulders above Grand National Lake due to its variety and "tough but fair" challenge). The Senator is totally different from these other RTJ courses due to its faux links style. I thought it worked quite well even though there's not a square yard of natural terrain on the course. The par 3s and par 5s in particular were quite strong and I liked the greens at The Senator probably more than any other course because they had more movement and other things going on.

The ladies are playing the course at 6600 yards, which is probably what we played it. Looking at the scores, I gotta say "These Gals Are Good!"
Twitter: @Deneuchre

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2007, 07:38:38 PM »
On the second to the bottom pic, there is a crescent shaped "construction artifact". That's the first thing my eye saw in that pic...and I hate that kind of stuff. I'm sure it's the trenchline for drainage to that bunker it leads to.

Sorry......OT

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

John Foley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2007, 09:00:20 AM »
There are few destinations in the US which are as bifercated in their response to what people think as the RTJ Trail.

We did Senator last year and sure it's manufactured, the mounds are repetative, but at the end of the day it provided a challange and a source of fun w/out getting beat up too bad to a group of mid handicapers. The fairways we're wide enough that the mounds did not come into play as much as you would think, but they we're always on your mind.

Bill - Given the goals of the RJ trail, to increase tourism to the state of Alabama by bringing in affordable golf destinations, why not build a faux links course to generate some interest? Could they have done better?

I'd also venture to say that #17 is a great risk reward hole. The layup across the baranca is not way as easy as the ladies we're making it look. Getting in position to go for the green and the most likely downhill lie from the fw provides a great set of options.

We did not get to play the Judge, but liked the Legislator alot. We also got to Cambrian Ridge, however it was the least apprecitated.

Tim - Suprised by the letdown at Grand National. We loved it. The Links course was very good w/ some very good use of the topography. Good mix of uphill & downhill and the use of the Lake was fair. The Lakes was better than we expected, but the Links was better. Did you see the par 3  course @ Grand National?

Agreee w/ Doug, those scores & shots from 6600 yards they can play!!

We enjoyed it so much last year we're heading back in 3 weeks for the The Shoals & Hampton Cove & looking frward to those.
Integrity in the moment of choice

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2007, 10:27:48 AM »

Bill - Given the goals of the RJ trail, to increase tourism to the state of Alabama by bringing in affordable golf destinations, why not build a faux links course to generate some interest? Could they have done better?

They certainly got the "faux" part right!   ;D

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2007, 10:47:25 AM »
The Senator was the first course we played on our only RTJ Trail trip a couple years ago. We also played the Legislator course there (avoided the Judge thanks to this website...) ...

Have you played the Lobbyist?

How about the Intern?
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Tom Yost

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2007, 05:51:11 PM »

Have you played the Lobbyist?

How about the Intern?

If you haven't played the intern, perhaps some suggestive emails to get the process started.    :o

Anyway, I wasn't able to find architectural attribution for the Senator.  Is it indeed Sr.?  

Tom

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:The Senator Course at Capitol Hill
« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2007, 07:29:11 PM »
If you haven't played the intern, perhaps some suggestive emails to get the process started.    :o


I haven't played it, myself, and have no plans to do so -- but from media reports, at any rate, it's a classic risk/reward layout.
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back