David Elvins,
What makes Metropolitan so good in your opinion? In my notes I have compiled in the past year the main point of emphasis seemed to be great conditioning.
Ed,
Metropolitan is a really nice course to play but not a golf course I would travel to see. It really lacks anything dramatic mainly due to the flat site. The course lost some land in the 60s and Dick Wilson came in and built 8 new holes on new land.
To me the new holes (and fiurther work to toughen the course up for tournaments) lacked subtlety. It seemd that the architects tried to compensate for the flat land by raising the greens and surrounding them with bunkers, and building big high fairway bunkers everywhere well above the natural ground level.
The older ninth green is really cool. Doesn't look like much from the fairway but has some really interesting contours and bunkers that you only notice when you get up there. The Dick Wilson greens, by contrast, look dramatic from the fairway but once you get up there they are relatively flat and surrounded by bunkers. Of course when you surround a green with bunkers, you cant make them too punishing or the course becomes unplayable for many of the members and the short game can get a bit repetive on the Wilson holes.
Recent work by Mike Clayton has reduced the number of bunkers and tried to add a bit more strategy and subtlety into the course. It looks to be heading in the right direction.
THe conditioning of the course was great during the World Matchplay and it received a great reputation from that. On recent visits, the conditioning has been higher than most on the sandbelt but not up to the standard of Kingston Heath in my opinion. it is worth noting that the newer holes are not really on the sandbelt, but some pretty tough clay. THe superintendent does a fantastic job to make these holes look like they are on the sandbelt, however the roughs don't really compare. So whilst I say that Kingston Heath is better conditioned, it is not neccesarily a reflection ofn the greens staff, I just think Kingston Heath has a better, and more interesting, "look" for a visitor to see.
I would definetly recommend dropping in and having a look at Peninsula. THe 2nd hole on the north course, for example, is worth travelling to see. The redesign of the south course has only just been completed and it is looking a little young but there are some great examples of the Clayton Golf Design work, in particular the green complexes. They have done some really interesting work there on a course that could potentially host a major australian tournament one day. The three drivable Par 4s, 1, 7, and 12 are really interesting, the 8th green has 3 tiers over 5000sqfeet. I think the greens on the south course draw alot of influence from the sandbelt and also the work Clayton did with Doak. It has resulted in quite a distinctive Clayton style which includes broad flowing lines in the greens and bunkers, with plenty of strategic interest and subtlety. Worth checking out IMO.