[mark chalfant]

Keney  Park (1927) now has a superb Golden Age sensibility. The first six holes are one of Devereux Emmet's most stirring opening  strechs.    The par fours here , an inspired mix of short, medium  and long,   traverse the rugged  terrain very artfully.


 Emmet liked idiosyncratic  routings that  keep the the golfer  off balance.  Devereux Emmet  sometimes accomplished this via  uneven lies  or semi blind sight lines. These  design  motifs enliven the 340 first hole and the 357 yard  fourth.  The dramatic approach to the 447 yard fifth , over a deep gulley, is splendid.  The fifteenth's spacious fairway sets  up a beautiful  staging  area, for a precise iron to  the elevated  green  that clings to a graceful ridge. 

Also,  there is superb attention to detail with interior contours  and sporty bunkering.  Mr. Dusenberry, a former Greg Norman designer, who is now  based in  Milwaukee  spent many  days at Saint Georges in Setauket.  Dusenberry's purpose for visiting that 1917 masterpiece, was to  to school himself  in Emmet style hazards,  especially  bunkering.

The back nine  has improved  with  two great  par threes,  a lovely winding brook,  and some artistic  green sites

Keney Park  is:   fun to play , great  terrain,  strong  par fives and worth  a special trip.

Several greens,  4,6, 12,  and the punchbowl  18th   are  extremely fun to  putt

[Mike Sweeney]

Mark,


I see the wireless access on the Q Line is acting up again


I read an article recently about this as Scott Ramsey from Yale and Brad Klein were involved:


http://www.masslive.com/golf/index.ssf/2015/06/hartford_municipals_goodwin_park_keney_park_on_course_for_stunning_revival.html


Sounds like a summer trip in needed. Can you add additional flavor?

[Jon Stein]

I played Keney last week and HIGHLY recommend it.  They reopened the course on May 1, and the turf is still filling in a bit.  The green complexes are amazing, easily some of the best I've seen in the state. The course is not long, but it's very strategic thanks to the new bunkering and sloping fairways.


Sweeney, let me know if you plan to drive through central CT.  We can set up a GCA four ball.

[MClutterbuck]

Not surprised reviews are good, Matt Dusenberry is a great designer with much focus on detail.

[Tom_Doak]

I read an article recently about this as Scott Ramsey from Yale and Brad Klein were involved:

With all due respect to Scott Ramsey and to Brad Klein, I will second MClutterbuck's thoughts.  Matt Dusenberry is the designer and should receive the lion's share of credit, even though he is not well known here.

[Mike Sweeney]

I read an article recently about this as Scott Ramsey from Yale and Brad Klein were involved:

With all due respect to Scott Ramsey and to Brad Klein, I will second MClutterbuck's thoughts.  Matt Dusenberry is the designer and should receive the lion's share of credit, even though he is not well known here.

Hey Matt Ward,


Maybe you need to reaaaaaad the article:


"Dusenberry said assistance from the likes of turf consultant Scott Ramsay from Yale GC and golf course historian Bradley Klein has been invaluable."

[Carl Nichols]

Hope I can get up there to see this someday.  I probably played 2 or 3 high school golf matches there in the late 80's (and perhaps one other time), and it was less than good, to say the least. 

[Jim_Kennedy]

There are some photos here. From what I've heard so far the work is good and the course will be fun to play.

https://www.facebook.com/Keney-Park-Golf-Course-293559287434661/

[Tim Martin]

After walking the holes last December and a cart trip around a month or so ago I finally got to play. Dusenberry did a wonderful job of remaining sympathetic to the original design while taking some artistic license with green contouring and bunkers as well as lengthening a few holes most notably the 12th. The finished product is replete with top shot bunkers, road hole, hogs back, Biarritz as well as a wonderful punchbowl green on the home hole. My favorite feature is a principals nose bunker on 17 that is as close to the green as any I have seen and also functions as a lion's mouth feature depending on the pin position. The golf course is a joy to play and the area's privates are lucky that they are not competing for the same business. I can't wait to get back and play again!

[mark chalfant]

Another strength of the course is wide fairways, which were set  up by respectful  tree removal  and well conceived  mowing lines

Wide fairways in concert with astute fairway bunkers  =    Nice  Angles and Strategic  Interest

The   judicious tree management has  opened  up  some pleasant vistas  ! 

[MClutterbuck]

“Dusenberry Design renovation of Keney Park Golf Course named 2016 Renovation of the Year Public Courses category by Golf Inc. Magazine”
http://www.golfincmagazinemonthly-digital.com/golfincmagazinemonthly/may_june_2016?folio=33&pg=38#pg38




 

[Tom_Doak]

Hey Matt Ward,


Maybe you need to reaaaaaad the article:


"Dusenberry said assistance from the likes of turf consultant Scott Ramsay from Yale GC and golf course historian Bradley Klein has been invaluable."

Mike:
While I appreciate being compared to an icon like Mr. Ward, I was just reacting to the fact that Matt Dusenberry's name hadn't been mentioned in the first two posts, just the consultants who are better known here.  Mark Chalfant has since edited his post and the title to reflect that.

I'm Keenly aware how hard it is for young architects to get recognition for their work and was just trying to make sure he got his due. 

[Richard Hetzel]

Since I will be out in NY/NJ/CT next week I already made a tee time for 18 at Keney Park. My buddy suggested that we not play because the last time he played, pre-renovation, it was rough. He is now trying to get a reciprocal time at Wampanoag. I can't lose either way!

[Tim Martin]

Since I will be out in NY/NJ/CT next week I already made a tee time for 18 at Keney Park. My buddy suggested that we not play because the last time he played, pre-renovation, it was rough. He is now trying to get a reciprocal time at Wampanoag. I can't lose either way!

Rich-Wampanoag is always a treat but forget what your buddy told you and go play Keney. Enjoy!!!!!!

[Richard Hetzel]

I'll take pics of the course and report back in a few weeks.

[Brad Klein]

It's a bit disorienting to be in agreement with Tom Doak on this website but this time we concur. Matt Dusenberry is a brilliant designer, attentive to detail, was masterful in negotiating city politics and a low-bid contractor while taking the original Emmet and making it look fresh, creative and fun. Any help he got was strictly on the side. The fact that he was open to suggestions says a lot about him but the course came through because of him and he deserves all the credit.

[Richard Hetzel]

WOW. I played Keney Park yesterday and it was AWESOME. Really awesome. It still needs to grow in a bit, but it played firm and it is a course I could play day in and day out and not get bored. I took a ton of pics and will post all 18 holes when I get home later next week.

[Richard Hetzel]

Here is a teaser shot of hole #8. Can't wait to post all 18!

[michael j fay]

I grew up at Keney Park and started playing there in the late 1950's. My mother would drop me off with a half a dollar which was good for 2 hot dogs, a coke and a green fee. Lucky for me she would pick me up around five hours later.

I was always found of Keney which was a very difficult golf course for a youngster. I had no sense of conditioning so I was no less impressed by the lack of grass on the tees, the fairways and often the greens. I played some high school matches there and later played in the Police Athletic League Tournament for years. Conditions continued to recede and essentially the course became nearly unplayable.

Last week I ventured back to my old stomping grounds to see what I was told was a transformation. It was brilliant!!!
The course has become one of the best municipal courses I have ever seen. The greens were beautifully contoured, the bunkers were spectacular and for the first time in my life I was able to play the course from grass tees. I fervently hope that the necessary funds are used to keep the course in the great playable conditions that I saw.

Matt Dusenberry deserves great praise for his work. If you are coming through Hartford, Keney is a must see.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()