Slightly OT - The Potomac Cup (Virginia v. Maryland) qualifiers are coming up

[Jay Flemma]

I know a goodly number of you were interested in trying to qualify this year, so here's the info:

Two qualifiers:  one on July 8 at Westfields

the second at Renditions on July 22.

Here's the link:

www.potomac-cup.com

They moved the finals this year.  They were at Nemacolin for the last three years.  This year, the host, Steve Czaban wanted to renew the "VA, then MD, then VA, then MD" pattern, so he picked...drum roll please...Blue Ridge Shadows.

I never heard of it till yesterday:)

[Mike Mosely]

What does everyone know about the venue?  Has anyone been to play blue ridge shadows?

[rboyce]

Here are some pics. Front Royal is pretty far from the madding crowd of DC and NoVa.

http://www.blueridgeshadows.com/golf-gallery.shtml

[Cory Lewis]

Blue Ridge Shadows is about a 1 1/2 years old.  Still needs to grow in a little bit.  Lots of elevation changes.  Good mixture of holes in the woods and holes out in the open.

[Jay Flemma]

The architect's name is Tom Clark.

[Mark Bourgeois]

The 18th pings the bizarro meter.

[Jay Flemma]

How come?  What is so strange about it?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Right back at you: how did you play it?

[Jay Flemma]

I haven't seen it yet.  Steve Czaban picked it and I only heard about it afterwards.  I'll report back the weekend of the tournament, but barring unforseen circs, I dont think I'm in VA till then.

[Cory Lewis]

Right back at you: how did you play it?

I know Mark directed this question at Jay, but here is how I played it, which helps explain why it's weird. 

Hybrid off the tee, lay up with 6 iron, then 8 iron in for third shot. 

[Jay Flemma]

Cory, for those of us that haven't seen it, is there some sort of strange water hazard or something? or a double dog-leg or something?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Here's how I played it:

Crushed driver over the bunkers down the right center, baby-wedge pitch shot down to end of fairway at nearly right angle to green, PW to green.

Lines aren't quite right -- think drive actually carried closer to trees -- but you get the picture:



Mark

[Jay Flemma]

Mark, nice work with the image and the flight line of the ball.  That's cool how you did that.  You're right, the hole looks a little strange.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Not to worry, Jay, there are a few GCA-approved holes, such as the blind 1st, the run of 5-8, and the cliff-shot 10th.

[Jay Flemma]

what do you think about the course coming back to the clubhouse at 13

[Mark Bourgeois]

Well, I sure wouldn't wish the walk from 13 green to 14 tee on my worst enemy!

Seriously, at a public course does it matter? I could see it as a nice extra on a private, giving you a 4-hole loop to go with two nine-hole loops, plus whatever "custom" loops you could make up, like 1-4+9 or 14-18.

Mark

[Jay Flemma]

I didnt mean it was a bad thing, if fact, I kind of like it on a lot of courses...Like Arcadia Bluffs, for example.  It shows the architect usnt a slave to the doctrine of symmetry.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Jay

I think its a fantastic idea on a private course, esp on the front nine - provided a potentially better routing isn't sacrificed.

MacRaynor's Yale routing returns to the clubhouse at 3 tee, with 5 tee not so far away.

I had been told the reason was so late arriving golfers could catch up with their partners, but I can't believe they would have put that requirement over finding quality golf holes.

Is the return at BR purposeful or a happy accident?

Mark

[Jay Flemma]

I don't know, Mark, but I'll ask when I'm down there covering the tournament.  There's a few good courses I've played that return in strange places.  Torrey comes back at 6. (just off the top of my head...)

[Andy Hughes]

Mark, I'm a little disappointed in you; just hit a sweeping hook from 240 that moves about 75 yards right-to-left.  I thought you were a shotmaker. 

Jay, is it possible the riff-raff from VA have beaten MD the last 4 years?

[Jay Flemma]

The series stands at 5-2 VA.

Virginia took the last four, including the last three straight at Nemacolin.  The fun part about the move is helping Steve look at some great courses for future venues.  He's definitely moved back to the VA, MD VA MD and there's great courses in both states.  The "neutral site" of Nemacolin was also a daring experiment that worked exceptionally well since it was such a great resort and the course was a PGA tour stop that they played right before the pros came.  What a place.  We tend to under-rate that course on this website...probly because of the price.

[Jay Flemma]

bump for the last minute sign ups..good luck to the GCAers...or in my milieu, break a leg.