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John Blain

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Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« on: August 06, 2019, 09:44:14 AM »
Has anyone out there played Old Chatham GC in Durham, NC?  The club is hosting the USGA Senior Amateur at the end of this month. A good friend of mine qualified and we were both wondering what is was like. Just perusing the club's website it looks like a fairly new club with a modern style Rees Jones golf course.  Thanks in advance.
-John
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A.G._Crockett

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2019, 05:46:35 PM »
Quote from: JPBlain on August 06, 2019, 09:44:14 AM
Has anyone out there played Old Chatham GC in Durham, NC?  The club is hosting the USGA Senior Amateur at the end of this month. A good friend of mine qualified and we were both wondering what is was like. Just perusing the club's website it looks like a fairly new club with a modern style Rees Jones golf course.  Thanks in advance.
-John

I am going to walk on a razor's edge here, since nobody else has responded.

You are correct that Old Chatham is fairly new, and it is indeed a Rees Jones design.  They converted their greens to Champion Bermuda within the last couple of years, and your friend will find course conditions to be immaculate.  The club gets relatively little play, as it is a golf-only club with a relatively small membership, even for a very private club.  Most of the members came originally from older clubs in the area; Chapel Hill Country Club, Hope Valley, etc.  Whether due to high fees or competition in the area or other factors, the club has had some struggles attracting and retainingmembers, and therefore financial struggles, thru the years.


I am trying to be fair here, but I don't think you will find Old Chatham on any Top 10 (or 20?) list for the state, and not many who play it come away wildly impressed.  I think typically a guest would comment on the conditions more than on the golf course itself. It is a truly beautiful piece of land for Piedmont NC, but I think it is also fair to say that the choice of Old Chatham for a tournament of this level was at least a little bit surprising.  Maybe more than a little bit...

I'll say no more.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2019, 06:04:59 PM by A.G._Crockett »
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"Golf...is usually played with the outward appearance of great dignity.  It is, nevertheless, a game of considerable passion, either of the explosive type, or that which burns inwardly and sears the soul."      Bobby Jones

Edward Glidewell

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2019, 06:25:06 PM »
I haven't played Old Chatham, but I do know someone who has played there -- their thoughts are similar to A.G. Crockett's.


Wonderful facilities, immaculate conditions, but a golf course that's certainly nothing special at best.  I don't think it would even sniff a top 25 list in North Carolina.
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Tommy Williamsen

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2019, 09:20:12 PM »
It has been many years since I played it but I have recollections if not individual holes. It is a golfers club with a well-healed membership. The terrain is rolling and plays fast and firm. It plays through some torrowuig pines and is well bunkered. The greens are large but I must say not inspiring. I don't remember that it was particularly difficult but I did enjoy my round. It isn't in the top tier of NC private courses, nonetheless, it is a great place to spend a day. There are no real hidden secrets to the course. Everything is "there out in front of you," as is oft reported.
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ChipRoyce

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2019, 02:21:19 PM »
FWIW - USGA just posted a photo gallery of Old Chathamhttps://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2019/u-s--senior-amateur/galleries/course-tour-of-old-chatham-golf-club.html#expanded

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Conley Hurst

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2019, 02:28:59 PM »
Quote from: ChipRoyce on August 20, 2019, 02:21:19 PM
FWIW - USGA just posted a photo gallery of Old Chathamhttps://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2019/u-s--senior-amateur/galleries/course-tour-of-old-chatham-golf-club.html#expanded
Looks like lovely terrain but pretty darn boring architecture.
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ChipRoyce

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2019, 07:36:11 AM »
Quote from: Conley Hurst on August 20, 2019, 02:28:59 PM
Looks like lovely terrain but pretty darn boring architecture.
The terrain is quite good for golf.
To the club's defense, it was built towards the end of the Nicklaus / Dye phase of extreme penal golf (opened in 2001, likely designed in '98-'99. Rees Jones seemed to have exerted some amount of restraint in the design (not penal, etc...), but  that restraint also lacked character and novelty.
The day I played, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There's a lot of movement in the land that the pictures don't catch. But yes, the course isn't memorable. A 6 or 7 on the Doak Scale, primarily due to the club and superb conditioning.
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David_Madison

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Re: Old Chatham GC, Durham, NC
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2019, 05:54:18 PM »
I don't know if this had anything to do with the USGA's decision to hold the event at Old Chatham, but James Hyler is a member of the club and he was the USGA's president in 2010-2011.


I believe that there have been multiple US Am qualifiers and perhaps other such events held there over the past few years. Some really low scoring for sure. I shot my low personal round there (68) back in 2011 on a cold, wet day. Not much difficulty out there or a whole lot of thinking/strategy required. Very wide corridors between the tree lines, with fairway flanking bunkers but few if any centerline hazards. Biggish greens that are straightforward where you can make a lot of putts. Probably not a bad venue for the event - -not a lot of holes will be won with pars.
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