Maidstone

[blasbe1]

Matt Ward:

In reverse order . . . I grew up caddying at SoHo and its one of the best finishes on LI.  I learned how to hit a flop shot b/c I think I hit the sliver greened 14th about 5 times in 10 years.  They've done some nice and minimalist work recently.  Interestingly they've take out some overgrown brush that was encroaching the back of the 5th and 7th greens and created run-off collection areas.  

We've changed the location of certain bunkers to account for technology . . . for instance the fairway bunkers on 1 and 13 used to be carried with a good drive from the back tees . . . now they've been moved forward about 15 yards . . . I now have to lay up on 1.  We've changed the shaping of most every bunker, got rid of a lot of flashed faces and added some revetting and banked walls.  It's my understanding that 90% of the bunkers that we changed weren't Emmits anyway . . . the curse of time.  Actually they looked very Trent Jones' ish and IMO out of character.

Yes 16 has a canal down the entire left side and a carry over a canal that bisects the hole just short of the green.  On 16 we cleared some trees from behind the tee and added a new back tee and cleared all the trees from behind the green.  We also reshaped every bunker (as we have done on most holes).  It plays virtually the same but the left hand fairway bunker is more penal than it used to be and often you cannot go for the green.

I live 1 mile from the club and still get lost at night occassionally.

Come back for the Richardson or just comeback.  Last year the finals were great, A. Falussy beat G. Zahringer 3 and 1 in a very exciting match.

You can email me at jblasberg@blasberglaw.com
             

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Southward Ho definately has one of the best finishes in Met NY.  Easily, no make that very hard--Tillinghast at his best.  In fact, how great are the par 3's.    I'm glad that there are some who notice the subtle links quality features that Tilly created at Rockaway Hunt.  There's a lot more to the course than meets the eye on first visit.  I've never held conditioning against the quality of a layout.  For tournaments, conditioning is important in order to level the playing field, but out in Hemet ,Ca. there is a worse than goat track conditioned course( much worse as hard as to believe) that has some truely great holes--Quail Ranch.  Desmond Muirhead occasionally did design great holes.  People often choose to play Quail Ranch over greener waterlogged nearby courses simply because the great holes are fun and memorable.  RHC is a victim of its environment and an overpopulation of geese(too bad the H in the name cannot involve geese contrlol).The greens always putt well; they are probably not able to use as many chemicals as other courses since the drainage is into very environmentally senstitive areas.   As far as my assessment of Maidstone, I'm glad that some have put its greatness in perspective.  I really love several holes--7-10 are phenominal holes, the rest of the 3's are great.  However, I think Inwood and Fairfield have more great holes.  I think Tom Doak made 15 a greater hole at Inwood.  His restoration is awesome--I don't know any pros who differ on my opinion.  The back and forth character of several holes is a factor, but the great thing about Inwood is how every hole differs--it makes the best use of its very tight piece of real estate.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Faifield--Because it is so exclusive, there are probably not many people on this sight who have had the pleasure to play this treasure. The 4th is even better than the picture on p. 156of the Gleening from the Wayside book or the backcover of The Course Beautiful.  Tillinghast's addition does not seem out of place --most would never know it is a Tilly.  9 definately ranks among the best Redans.  5 and 6 are nothing less than brilliant! 17 may be the only hole that some could criticize--there is an architectural issue present on this hole.  I think it fits the course better than 12 at GCGC.  Though the 5's are reachable--they drive the pros nuts--risk/reward at its best.  This course should be highly ranked!

[TEPaul]

"Though the 5's are reachable--they drive the pros nuts--risk/reward at its best."

RMD:

I'd appreciate it if you'd explain exactly why that is in as much detail as possible.

Thanks  

[ChipOat]

RMD et al:

Geese not a factor (i.e. problem) at RHC in 2003.  Not sure why since previously ineffective Border Collie is still around, I think.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Fairfield par 5's       All three 5's are reachable in two by moderately long hitters, they do not yield birdies so easily.   The 1st hole is 524 almost straight with a good right to left slope and OB right.  To about 320 yds. there is a severe falloff just 3-5 yds left of the fairway.  The green is grenerously large sloping right to left  and the back part slopes away from the front.  For the better player, to have the best chance of holding the green requires flirtation with OB on the drive.  A slightly drawn drive landing in left third of fairway ends up going down the dropoff and encountering a severe sidehill shot.  A faded tee ball will leave the player on a decidedly hook lie with the front right green bunker guarding the shot and the green mostly sloping away.  The green has a sharp dropoff on the left.  The greens are maintained firm--so angle of approach is an issue.  The 8th is a subtle dogleg right that requires cutting the corner since the prevailing wind is off the Long Island Sound to the right.  Too conservative a tee ball ends up through the fairway in fescue--too agressive ends up short or right in the fescue.  There is plenty of room for a 220-240 drive, but the green cannot be reached. The green is protected by a tiny stream that crosses 15yds. short and a mmoderately penal bunker guarding the right front half of the green. The green is two tiered with the back tier about
2 ft. above the lower and the slope is left to right primarily with some severe areas.  A layup 2nd makes for a very tough wedge shot.  Being greenside in 2 is the best birdie opportuntiy--the stream makes for an easy birdie into bogey mistake.  A good long iron 2nd will tend to feed towards the right pin positions.  Because of the green firmness and the tier, mediocre wedge shots often end up 50 ft short on bottom tier or end up pitching off  downhill slope from rough.  The 10th might be the most beautiful golfing sight in Ct.--a view down the hill seeing the Sound and NYC on a clear day.  The 10th is downhill probalby 50-70 ft. somewhat a left to right cape.  A pond guards almost the entire front right side of the green.  The right half of the green is severe back to front.  A layup 2nd demands leaving a good angle of attack.  Too close to green left or too far left( plenty of room left is provided, though Raynor masterfully makes the left appear much less spacious ) makes for a wedge that could easily run away and off.  I forgot to mention that bunkers are between the pond and green--they protect shots from the back of the green from going into the pond--to keep it on the green from the back is an accomplishment.  I am certain that the 5's did not yield many birdies last year in the Met PGA Championship(The pros in the Met section are pretty much the best playing club pros in the US--many former PGA tour players--this is unlike most areas in the US where pros do not seem to maintain their playing abilities) I witnessed several high numbers on 8 and 10--8 was downwind and my partners in the 2nd round posted  a double and quad while I reached in two  and made 4.  I  witnessed a triple from the middle of the fairway on 10 in the final round,  and I made an 8 footer for a 3 putt on the far right pin.  All three 5's require a good angle of approach in order to make birdie and even par to the right pins on 10.                    As far as the goose crap at RHC, that has nothing to do with the integrity of the design.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Fairfield 1st hole--it would be a great 4.  The size of the green is more par 4 friendly.  Good luck selling a par 69 to the membership ( Wannamoisett isn't too shabby--18 at Creek should be a par 4--I haven't ever seen a good player hit a wood--I've played there at least 20 times)    As for 8 or 10, I can see how some prefer 8--not many harder tee shots in all  of Met NY!The green complex is a great visual from the fairway--I wish I had pictures of the hole.  I prefere 10 because it is easy to be distracted by the Sound views and the fairway effectively narrows around 290.  
The 2nd shot is so difficult that you are required to be very careful choosing your line off the tee--and then you have to execute the elevated tee shot into a breeze.    I began this discussion because Inwood and Fairfield are among my favorite courses to play in Met NY.  Somerset falls in that category, but I am in Nassau county in the summer--2 bridges or tunnels is a major  trip.