[Ed Oden]

A quick search of old threads as well as Art Fuller’s link on delicious.com did not reveal any photo essays of Linville Golf Club.  So I thought I would put one together since I didn’t have anything else to do tonight while watching football.  I must confess that, while I always enjoy playing Linville, I am a bit less enamored with the course itself than some people are, primarily because I do not believe it is materially better than (and in certain respects not as good as) other Ross designs both in the mountains and otherwise dotting the NC golf landscape.  Nevertheless, the course is fun to play, not overly difficult and has a very nice charm about it.

The first hole is a relatively nondescript opener, so I will skip to the second.  Actually, I will go to the second green, an inverted saucer that slopes from back to front and which is one of my favorites on the course.  For such a remarkably simple design, there is not a bad or easy pin placement on the green.  It doesn’t discriminate.  Stick a pin pretty much anywhere and you will find a subtle and deceivingly difficult putt. 


#3 is long par 4 and probably the toughest hole on the course.  You must stay short of the crossing creek off the tee, leaving a mid-iron to the green.  I have one small nit with this hole.  A big drive down the right side of the fairway can get a turbo boost off the hill.  The problem is that there really isn’t enough room between the hill and the creek for this feature and balls that catch the turbo boost are susceptible to running into the creek.


#4 is a relatively easy par 5.  But a big drive will tempt you to have a go for it, which is a dicey proposition since the creek crosses the fairway about 50 yards short of the green.


#5 is a 415 yard par 4.  Here is the approach.


#6 is a 200 yard par 3.  I have heard that the bunkers at Linville were redone.  These in particular do not have a Ross appearance to my untrained eye.  Even those that have flat bottoms and grass faces seem relatively tame compared to what I typically see on other Ross courses.


#7 is a short par 4.  Anywhere from a long iron to a fairway wood off the tee…

…will leave a short uphill approach to the green.


I don’t have any good pictures of the 8th hole (which I find to be an awkward par 5), so I will skip to #9, a very nice downhill par 3 of 185 yards.  This is where I think the course picks up steam.


#10 is a 342 yard par 4 that plays a bit longer uphill.  I really like the bunkerless look of this hole.  A big false front guards a tricky 2-tier green.  It is very easy to spin a wedge off the front of the green 20 yards, leaving a very difficult up and down.


#11 is a terrific par 4 of 445 yards.  You need to be careful from the tee since the creek is reachable …

…and a nice view of Grandfather Mountain behind the green.


#12 is the longest and toughest of the par 3s at 220 yards uphill.


#13 is by far the best of the par 5s.  Gorgeous from the tee…

…and one of the best greens on the course, much larger and with more contour than most of the other greens.


#14 is a very short par 3 that plays over a barranca.  Wouldn’t this be improved by removing the trees behind the green?


#15 is a 512 yard par 5.  I find the angles of the creek and fairway very interesting.  For short hitters, the creek runs at an angle away from the tee along the front fairway line.  But for big hitters looking to carry the creek, it is much more of a straight away play and the angle of the creek less a factor…

…here is the approach for those not reaching the green in 2.


#16 is a short uphill par 4 very similar in many respects to the 7th hole.


#17 is 400 yard par 4.  I really like the partially blind tee shot…

…and the approach to the green.


#18 is a solid finisher of 440 yards.  From the tee…

…and the approach.

One other thing I will mention is that I felt the course was severely overwatered when I was there a couple of weeks ago.  I have played Linville many times.  It is often wet since they have some drainage issues due to the course being down in a valley.  But this time there had not been rain in the area for over a week and other courses in the area were playing firm and fast.  Yet Linville was a slosh.

I realize this post may sound a bit more critical than usual and that is not my intent.  I do like Linville even though I don‘t believe it is quite in the class of some of its competition.  Regardless, you will have a great time if you play there.

Ed

[Bart Bradley]

Ed:

I think the green on #10 is more than tricky.  I have seen numerous positions where there is just no shot that can be played and not have the ball run down the hill.  One of my playing partners missed the green pin high left on our most recent visit...after he hit a "nice looking" chip that rolled down the hill, all of us dropped a ball and gave it a try...0 for 5 on leaving the ball anywhere except back down the hill.  I don't think this green's contours were built for the current speed.

Number 3 gets lots of attention and love.  To my eye, it is a very natural hole...bunkerless...and very challenging.  Maybe your concern about the turbo boost leads them to overwater so that balls don't run down to the creek .  Mine stopped just short of the rough in front of the creek.  I think this is a very solid hole....but I was really surprised when I saw it listed on Doak's  "Eclectic Eighteen" list in the Confidential Guide.  I would love to hear his analysis of the hole and why he liked it so much.

Ed, as always, your photos are excellent.  Are you available for weddings or Bar Mitzvahs?

Bart

[Greg Tallman]

Bart/Ed,

Is my memory failing or is 11 at LGC not strikingly similar to 13 at GGCC? At least from this photo it seems quite similar.

[Ed Oden]

I think the green on #10 is more than tricky.  I have seen numerous positions where there is just no shot that can be played and not have the ball run down the hill.  One of my playing partners missed the green pin high left on our most recent visit...after he hit a "nice looking" chip that rolled down the hill, all of us dropped a ball and gave it a try...0 for 5 on leaving the ball anywhere except back down the hill.  I don't think this green's contours were built for the current speed.

Bart, I think you are right.  Lower tier pin positions in particularly can be borderline unfair.  The upper tier is much more reasonable in my opinion.  But there is no way to keep it on the green putting from the upper tier down to the lower tier unless you hit the hole.

Ed, as always, your photos are excellent.  Are you available for weddings or Bar Mitzvahs?

If liquidity does not return to the markets soon, then the answer will almost certainly be "YES"!

Ed

[Ed Oden]

Bart/Ed,

Is my memory failing or is 11 at LGC not strikingly similar to 13 at GGCC? At least from this photo it seems quite similar.

Greg, there are definitely some similarities.  Both play substantially downhill with a creek angling away across the fairway from left to right.  But the bunkering and green complexes are very different.  And I think the approach from short of the creek is 2-3 clubs less at Grandfather.  Here is a pic of GGCC #13 from Ran's profile:



Ed

[John Shimp]

Ed,
 Great photos. Thanks for posting.  Too bad that Linville was so wet when you played.  Not the kind of design meant to play like that for sure.  I generally agree with your relative assessment of Linville although I am somewhat more positive based on the fun that the course offers and the feel of the course, particularly the back 9.  It isn't the design that GGCC nearby is but still a real fine mtn/valley Ross. 

Question.  Do you like #13 at GGCC?  It may be my least favorite hole because the drive is so compromised.  This may well be a function of time, but its a real soft/ackward layup now.  Also, the fairway bunker off the tee is not my favorite. I'd like it better with nothing but the bisecting creek.  Great green complex though.  GGCC really never fails on that front.

Thanks again

[Bart Bradley]

Greg:

I agree with Ed's reply about the similarities/differences of #11 at Linville and #13 at GGCC.   I play 3 wood off both tees because the creek is reachable on both with driver.  A perfect tee shot could leave as little as 145-150 at GGCC and the approach is farther at Linville's 11.  I don't recall exactly what you can see from the approach at Linville's #11, but the green surface is blind on GGCC#13.   Another difference is that the landing area to the left at Linville gives a big "turbo boost" to the tee shot...generally putting the ball near/in the creek.  At Grandfather, the landing area is flat.

I would also generally agree that the bunker on GGCC #13 is a "double-hazard" and unneeded.  EVEN so, however, I don't think #13 at GGCC is anything to dislike.  From the tips you can absolutely blast a 3 wood without much concern of reaching the creek or the bunker (it is approx. 270 downhill to the bunker and at least 280-290 to the creek).  John, don't you find that GGCC is really a position golf course anyway?

Bart

[John Shimp]

Bart,
Definetely a position course.  13 from the Blues not the tips is the only hole where you are completely laying up softly.  From those tees its a weak hybrid.  I'd like it better from all the way back for sure. Just never played it there. Probably easier...

[Bart Bradley]

Bart,
Definetely a position course.  13 from the Blues not the tips is the only hole where you are completely laying up softly.  From those tees its a weak hybrid.  I'd like it better from all the way back for sure. Just never played it there. Probably easier...

John:

You must be a long hitter or the blues are forward when you play...The blues usually only play 15 yds shorter than the tips.  But it is definitely a layup off the tee.

Bart

[Ed Oden]

John, I do like #13 at GGCC primarily because of the setting and the green complex.  That being said, I agree it would be visually more appealing without the fairway bunker.  I have also told Bart that I think the hole would be better if the tree in the fairway were removed to reward those who succesfully fit a driver down the right side.  As is, there is no incentive to do so since the tree blocks the approach.

Ed

[Bart Bradley]

Ed:

Besides #3 what do you think is Linville's next best hole?  What do you think is the weakest/weak holes?


What do you think of #7?

How do you play #8?

Bart

[Kenny Baer]

Ed,

Great post; this is exactly the reason I have been coming to this web-site for 5+ years. 

Linville looks like an awesome golf course to me; unfortunatley I have not had the chance to play it but of course would love to. 

I have played Highlands CC in Highlands, NC; another Ross mtn course.  I loved it but thought too many of the holes were out dated.  I know this is probably not a popular thing to say but 6,200 from the tips is a little short, IMO, for this day and age.  Although Highlands had several awesome golf holes that have stood the test of time, some just haven't (IMO).  At least from your post it seems that Linville is more of a big boy golf course that is plenty deep enough for a scratch to 5 handicap golfers, maybe not a pro, but for good golfers, I felt Highlands was a little short.

Have you played Highlands CC; and which do you like better and how do you think they compare? 

[Richard Boult]

added to gca photo tour directory at:

http://delicious.com/golfclubatlas/North%2BCarolina

[Ed Oden]

Bart:

"Best" is a subjective term.  For me, best means favorite.  While I think #3 is the toughest hole at Linville, it isn't one of my favorites, so I wouldn't call it the best.  My favorite holes are 11, 13 and 17, so I guess I would say they are the best. 

#7 is just average in my book.  I do not particularly like the tee shot.  But the approach is fun and I think it has some of the better bunkers on the course.  In my opinion, the bunkers at Linville are very underwhelming.

I am not a fan of #8.  It is so awkward off the tee I have a hard time taking the conservative route.  The last few times I have just gone straight over the trees on the right, which is very risky.  As odd as the tee shot is, once you are over the creek it is the blandest hole on the course with a mail-it-in greensite.

Kenny:

I have not played Highlands.  While Linville measures 6950 yards from the tips, it is by no means long.  Of courses I have played, Roaring Gap and Mimosa Hills are probably the most comparable.  I honestly don't know which of those three I would say is better.

Ed

[Bart Bradley]

Ed:

My favorite green is #2.

I don't like 7 or 8...

I agree with 8 being awkward...I still haven't figured out what to do off the tee there.

I think #1 is remarkably bland...I don't think you could describe a more bland hole.

I think 3 is genuinely great.  Why don't you like it?  It is beautiful, the tee shot is fun.  The hole requires a long/medium iron approach to a really good green.  I think I must like the appearance of bunkerless holes (I really like 15 at GGCC as well).

Linville is another course where they now have fully Poa greens(see recent maintenance discussion).  They putt well and have reasonable speed.

Bart

[Ed Oden]

Bart, I never said I don't like #3.  I think it is a very good hole and certainly a challenging one.  Rather, I said it isn't my favorite hole on the course.  I just enjoy 11, 13 and 17 more.  I agree the poa greens putt well.  But many have very little contour, especially in comparison to other courses in the area.

Ed

[Bruce Wellmon]

I had the opportunity to visit Linville GC earlier this week and came away most impressed. Even though it was  raining heavily for most of my round the course played firm & fast. I was running chips and approaches all thru the round. Just some great greens (especially #2), use of the natural streams, and wonderful Ross routing using hillside green settings and elevation changes.

[Richard Hetzel]

Great pics Ed, thanks!

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