John's Island West, Vero Beach, FL-PICS

[Anthony_Nysse]

I had a chance to play here over the Thanksgiving Holiday with friends and family. I was really suprised by the amount of elevation that the course has. JIW is a 1989 Tom Fazio design that is currently ranked in the Top 10 courses in the Florida and was once a Top 100 Modern. The par 5's are really good with A LOT of options, with #17 being unlike anything you've probably seen.

#1 Tee, Par4


#4 Approach, Par5


#5 Tee, Par3


#7 Tee, Par3


#11 Tee, Par4


Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Tom_Doak]

Tony:

Many years ago, at the end of spending a day with Tom Fazio, I asked him what he thought was his most underrated course, and he said John's Island West.  He said he just didn't know why it wasn't ranked up with his best work [up through 1986 anyway].  So, I made a special effort to go and see it, and I really liked it as well.

But it's been fifteen years since I was there, so I don't remember it all that well, and I can't remember the 17th hole you referred to.  What was special about it?

[Anthony_Nysse]

Tom,
  #17 is a shorter Par 5 up the hill and to the right. Depending on one's drive, you have the option of hitting your second shot to the right side of the green, over pine scrub and waste area. If  you decide to stay left (were the fairway leads you) you can see the left portion of the green. The middle of the green is blocked out by a huge, native scrub hill that has pine trees located in and around the mound. A pretty good risk reward hole. I wish I had a pic.

Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Tom_Doak]

Gosh, I don't remember that hole at all.  I do remember the finishing holes were really busy with golfers, so maybe I didn't get as good a look at that hole as I could have.  I also remember the 18th green being distinctive and pretty severe.

The hole as you describe it actually sounds like a hole on the Nicklaus course at Pronghorn, the par-5 16th.

[Randy Van Sickle]

17th Tee Shot - Waste area not visible - would be beyond the end of the bunker on the right


View of waste area on the right, photo taken from the middle of the fairway, flag just visible on lower portion of green


View from the green looking back toward the fairway/teeing area

[Adam_Messix]

I agree with Tom Fazio that JI West is his most underrated course.  Anthony's pictures really don't do the place justice.....there's just so much going on there.  It's difficult to capture the little vagaries of the place in a photo.  The par 5's are all outstanding and quite difficult if you hit a mediocre shot at any point, the 17th being the best and definitely the most unique.  Actually, there is a lot going on from 13 through 17 and 18 is a cool finishing hole where anything can happen.  Definitely top 5 in Florida IMHO.  Even though the course is usually busy as JI has a reasonably large membership, they are able to keep below the golf rating radars.  

[Mitch Hantman]

Tony,

I fully agree about #17 - it's one of the best short par 5's in Florida.  #15 is an outstanding short uphill par 4 with a terrific green site.  Those are my two favorite holes on the course.

[Randy Van Sickle]

Tony -

I have not played JI West in the last two years, but played it close to annually over the prior 10 years.  I recall the series of hurricanes that hit FL in 2005 or 2006 devastated a lot of the vegetation on the West course.  Prior to this "clearing", one always had the sense of being on a remote golf course, despite being in the middle of a very populated area of the East coast.  After the storms, particularly around the 4th-6th holes, the feeling of solitude was gone and you could see neighboring "developments".  While this did nothing to impact the architecture of the holes, I felt it removed some of the feeling of remoteness and did affect the "aura" of the experience.

Did you happen to see any of the the abutting developments?  I am heading back there in April and hope that much of the vegetation has grown back in the last couple of years.

I think the course has great terrain, particularly for a FL course, and the green complexes are fabulous.  It can be a very tough course, but is great fun to play.  The 17th and 18th holes are really fun risk/reward finishing holes.

[Randy Van Sickle]

Agree with Mitch about 15.  Here are a couple of photos:

The approach - if you"lay up".  You could nearly drive the green, but if you pull it slightly left, you could find yourself with a horrendous bunker shot to a difficult green . . .


. . . Although this fellow looks to have hit a pretty good shot after going for it off the tee.

[Ryan DeMay]

Tony,

I was just wondering if Greg Pheneger is still the head of agronomy there.  I met him once when I was a student at Ohio State.  Great guy who had a good outlook on the maintenance of all of their properties.  Everything looks good.

[John_Conley]

Regarding the feeling of remoteness, I pulled up an aerial once from a satellite mapping site and could not believe it butted up against what looked to be a neighborhood of manufactured homes.  I've played it three times and had no idea.

One of my all-time faves, and not just in Florida.  I think #18 is the state's neatest finishing hole.  When you drop down to the fairway and turn left, the clubhouse if framed just perfectly.

Tom, nothing has changed in 15 years.  It still has to be a very underappreciated Tom Fazio design. 

[Anthony_Nysse]

Tony,

I was just wondering if Greg Pheneger is still the head of agronomy there.  I met him once when I was a student at Ohio State.  Great guy who had a good outlook on the maintenance of all of their properties.  Everything looks good.

Ryan,
  Greg is still at JI and doing are great job, as well!

Tony Nysse
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Adam_Messix]

I've had the privilege of playing with Greg the first time I played JI West.  He's a great guy and does a fantastic job there. 

[Scott_Burroughs]

An aerial from before the natural 'clearing' of trees (and AOTD #237):

[Bruce Leland]

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the Chapin family involved in the development of  Johns Island as well as Black Creek in Chatanooga?  Jimmy Chapin was a prominent amateur in the 1980's in TN golf. 

[GBoring]

Tony,

I didn't know if you were aware of this but I was the Assistant at JI West for 4 years.  I was there in 1999 when we  rebuilt the greens.  Other than a few tweeks to the contours of the greens little has been changed.  I always felt it was way underrated.  When Greg P first approached me about coming down there the first courses I saw was the North and South.  I wasnt sold on taking the job until he toured me around the West.  Outstanding piece or property.  We had a a US Open Qualifier in 2001.  THe only thing I remember was how high the scores were.  It can be extremely difficult if set up that way. 

[Anthony_Nysse]

Tony,

I didn't know if you were aware of this but I was the Assistant at JI West for 4 years.  I was there in 1999 when we  rebuilt the greens.  Other than a few tweeks to the contours of the greens little has been changed.  I always felt it was way underrated.  When Greg P first approached me about coming down there the first courses I saw was the North and South.  I wasnt sold on taking the job until he toured me around the West.  Outstanding piece or property.  We had a a US Open Qualifier in 2001.  THe only thing I remember was how high the scores were.  It can be extremely difficult if set up that way. 

Greg,
  I can remember Jay talking about how much he liked JIW and how difficult it was. At the time, I could never figue out how he would have played there. I undertand now! Thanks! See you in a month!