Most of you have probably seen Mr. Michael Fay's writeup about CC of Farmington on the "In My Opinion" section of the site. I wanted to share a happy experience and some pictures from the place.
As some may have seen when I posted about the club a couple weeks ago, I played in a qualifier for the CT Amateur there on Monday. Yet again I choked like a dog, bogeying my last three holes and missing the number by two (77; I shot 79). So that's obviously not the happiest experience.
The great thing happened a few days before. Because there was no official practice round at Farmington, I figured I might stop by and ask if I might be able to walk around the course late one afternoon since I'd only played it once many years ago. I asked head pro Jeremy Vitkauskas if that might be possible and he said yes. I went home and put on shorts and grabbed my camera and when I returned I was met by longtime head pro and current Director of Golf Mr. John Murphy. He went and talked to Mr. Vitkauskas briefly, emerged from the Little Red Clock Shop and told me that I could play. Luckily, my clubs were in the trunk. Five minutes later I was on the first tee and had a wonderful afternoon walk. Many, thanks to Mr. Murphy, Mr. Vitkauskas, and the Country Club of Farmington for their hospitality! Without further ado...
CC of Farmington starts out with a sub-300 yard par 4 where the brash can have a go but need to hit an almost perfect shot. The more common play is a long iron or short fairway wood to a plateau in the fairway, followed by a wedge to a small green guarded by bunkers on the left (one fairly deep and one REALLY deep) and OB to the right.
Players who make a 3 at the first will very often give the shot right back at the 2nd, a 190 yard uphill par three to a three-tiered green. The hole is known by some as "the shortest par 5 in CT."
The third hole is the first of three par fives on the front, and a potentially reachable one at that. However, the heroic fairway wood shot is a blind one over the corner of a small ravine and around some trees, so a layup and a wedge may be the prudent play. Bunkers left and long are the no-no places to miss.
Number four is the second of the front nine's three par 3s, and a shorty at that. It's a 150 yard, slightly uphill affair to a two level green with the high side to the left. A pin cut on that upper level is really tough to get to, as it seems to just hover over the middle of the copse of bunkers short of the green (that's where it was during the qualifier).
The fifth hole is a two-shotter that plays at 390 from the tips and about 340 from the members tees. As you can see, the green sits well above the fairway, with death to the left. You can hit driver if you feel the need to hit a wedge to the green, but the flatter lies in the fairway are a little further back.
Even though the par 5 6th hole greets the player with an inviting fairway, the right half is the place to be. Naturally, a stream guards that side of the fairway. It's another reachable one, but the small green is guarded by deep bunkers and is probably best attacked with a lofted implement.
With five of the first six holes at Farmington being legitimate birdie opportunities, the 450 yard two-shot 7th jolts the player out of any false thoughts that the game is anything but maddeningly difficult. There's relatively little artifice out there, as the hole sits on the ground and lays out the task very clearly. Two bunkers about 50 yards short of the green are waiting to catch an unmindful hack from the rough.
CCF does not let up with the long par 3 8th hole. Again, there isn't too much in the way of artificial mounding to clutter the look. A bunker short left and another one right guard the pitched green.
The closing hole on the (non-returning) front nine is its third par five, offering another birdie opportunity. A fairway bunker pokes into the fairway from the left and should be challenged by the player who has designs on an eagle putt. Those who lay up must consider a bunker about 120 yards from the green on the right. Stay short of it or hit a fairway wood to carry it and leave a pitch shot? For your sanity, don't hit it over the green.
I'm off to dinner; back nine later this evening.
Cheers.
--Tim