D M Kidd's Tetherow in Bend, OR....Now with images!!!!

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 17 182/169/139/105

The 17th is their picture hole, playing downhill to a small green, only 20 yards in diameter. A right slope down to the bunker. A shot long or left should feed down to the green.

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 18 588/511/464/373

Covers the same land as #9, paralleling it to the left. A medium dogleg left the driver sees a side slope dividing the fairway with a lone fir at 300.
I didn't see any advantage to play left of the slope. Minor annoyances the rest of the way to the 35 yards deep oval green perched under a rock scarp. The green is divided by two diagonal ridges and it is no fun putting at another diagonal across them to anothe level as the same putt struck with slightl differences can finish 25 feet apart.

[Pete_Pittock]

Matt,
Would I rate it higher on the ocean? No.
Would Kidd have built the same course if it was on the ocean? Probably not.
Has Kidd improved as an architect after Bandon Dunes? Yes
Pronghorn-Fazio - Very interesting greens, fun
Pronghorn-Nicklaus-Weaker front nine, predictable greens, good strategy for most past.

[Matt_Ward]

Pete:

That raises a good question -- if the original Bandon is thought of as highly as many believe (I don't share that feeling) then where do you think a place like Tetherow will ultimately fare among Golfweek's Modern Course listing?

One additional point if you can provide -- if you have ten rounds to play how many at Tetherow and how many at Bandon?

Thanks -- the pictures you have provided really have me excited about playing there.

[Tim Pitner]

I think I like Bandon Dunes a lot more than many on here and the Castle Course and Tetherow look pretty cool.  I do hope though (and assume) that Kidd will display a lighter touch at the Machrihanish course. 

[Richard Choi]

Hmmm... isn't saying Bandon Dunes wouldn't be rated any lower if it was not on the ocean kinda like saying that Heidi Klum would still be as popular as a supermodel even if she was not as well endowed?

[Pete_Pittock]

Richard,
You can't win over me on  the argument that Bandon would rate lower away from the ocean. It isn't away from the ocean. Central Cascades with snow help.
Matt,
Tetherow 6-4 on merits, Bandon 8-2 because of Oregon resident winter rates. Near Chambers Bay, but slightly below. The determinant will be how course raters see the greens.

[Matt_Ward]

Pete:

You have ten rounds between Tetherow and Pac Dunes. What's the spread between them?

Do you see Tetherow in the top 25 of America's modern courses as put forward by Golfweek?

Fair to say that in the Northwest -- Washington & Oregon -- you'd have the following course order ...

Pac Dunes
Chambers Bay
Tetherow ?

Final question -- you say Kidd has improved -- has your comment come solely from only playing two of his works (Bandon & Tetherow) or do you have other examples to show his progression?

many thanks ...

[Pete_Pittock]

Matt,
I want my ashes spread by the 13th at Pacific Dunes and it tops my fun list. Pacific wins 8-2.
25-30.
I have only played two Kidds and read his book.

[Michael Dugger]

I'm back!  Will put up images tonight. 

Epic course.  Phenomenal.

[George Pazin]

Thanks for posting all the pix.

[John Kavanaugh]

Date:  Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:10:36 -0500
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Buddy,

I thought you were a little rough on Tetherow. It looks to me like
the golf Gods gave Mike Stranz one last chance to paint with a
heavenly brush.

In golf as in life,

Gillette Silver

[Pete_Pittock]

Link to other Tetherow thread, with contact information
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36101.0.html

[MargaretC]

Tim,

Yes, Bend is close to 4,000 feet in elevation, so the course is going to play somewhat shorter than the yardage on the card.

Mike:

I've been to Bandon a few times, but never Bend.  This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway...   Is the weather similar between November and March, or does the elevation reduce the rainy period?

Meg

[Pete_Pittock]

Margaret,
It may close because of snow. I don't know if there is a seasonal closure.
Bend is high desert.