Brad Faxon Ranks His Top Courses

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

None of the Booth-Faxon designs are open for play. Mattapoisett and Wells are under construction. I walked Mattapoisett with Brad and Brad two weeks ago when they were flagging fairways so the construction crew would know where fairways ended and rough began. The course looks very interesting with a good variety of holes and strategy. Most greens are open in front and the superintendent is big on maintaining a firm golf course.

It should also be noted that Faxon spent a lot of time playing Eastward Ho as well as Rhode Island Country Club while growing up.

I'm supposed to visit the Wells site in a few weeks.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I think Faxon is going about learning architecture in a good way (for a Tour pro), by seeing and playing the top courses.  I say 'for a Tour pro' because he doesn't have to do it the 'hard way' by going to school, studying LA or whatever, working in the field on bulldozers, apprenticing, etc. all taking many years.

[Steve Hyden]

I've always found it admirable that Fax from the beginning of his career would go over to qualify for the Open Championship rather than stay home and try to make a check.

[JohnV]

Now if he would just quit using the "Cheater" line Shivas might cut him a break.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Shivas,

Because you can't qualify if the venues are ones he's played or not played, and that is critical to the observation.

It would be interesting if he had played all of the courses you listed.

It wouldn't be interesting if he hasn't played any of the courses you listed.

[Ron_Whitten]

Shivas -  Not sure anyone else got your reference to short, scruffy Peter Jans, but I certainly did. Back in 1967, I played a few rounds on that par 60 course while a student at a Summer Engineering Institute at Northwestern University. I remember the course well, wedged between the canal and the El line. It was called Evanston Community Golf Course back then, and it helped generate my interest in golf course architecture. Comparisons to that course with Beverly Country Club, where the Western Open was held that year, caused me to realize that not all golf courses were alike. Which led me to start researching everything I could find on golf course design, which wasn't much. Which led me to feel like I should write a book on the subject, which led me . . .

Having just read Cinderalla Story, I now find that Bill Murray was working on the maintenance crew at Evanston Community that very summer when I was knocking it around its tiny flat greens. Didn't know him, of course, but still, I think it counts as a Brush with Greatness.

[Brock Peyer]

I would be curious to see a ranking of the top ten worst courses on tour in the player's eye.

I think that Faxon's list is pretty good, I would bet that he was asked the question and answered it within a minute or so, who of us could give a perfect list doing that?  I haven't played alot of "the classics or great" but in the golf I have played I would have a tough time quickly giving a list.

[Brock Peyer]

I've always found it admirable that Fax from the beginning of his career would go over to qualify for the Open Championship rather than stay home and try to make a check.

One of the most amazing accomplishments that I can recall was the year that he went over to qualify and didn't make it and then came back and won the event that week here.  Was it the BC?

[Phelps Morris]

Oak Hill

I didn't know Brad Faxon had played Crystal Downs.  I'll have to ask around about when that was.

Tom Doak,

Had dinner with a member of the Downs this past weekend who said that Faxon was up at there earlier this summer.  He apparently raved about the course, though he made the comment that the pros would probably eat it alive!  Depending on the wind, he thought that all the short par 4s (5, 6, 7, 15, and 17) were candidates to be driven and both the par fives (8 and 16) would be reached in two by many...

I guess the pro's DO play a different game than us mere mortals!

17 was apparently his favorite hole and I was told he shot a 34-36 for an even par 70...

RPM

[RJ_Daley]

I have little doubt that the pros would gobble up 16 and devour it whole.  But, 8?  I ain't buying that at 550+ and undulating fairways for indeterminate lies, with that false fronted green and no effective bail left or right.  My perception of what the pros do can't be that far off, can it

[TEPaul]

"TEPaul,
It pains me to agree with you, (but too much emphasis is put on rankings)."

Patrick:

Take a couple of aspirins a day and learn to live with it PAL!  

[TEPaul]

Ron Whitten:

It's just as well you didn't know Bill Murray when he worked on the crew in '67 at Evanston Community G.C. On his time off he was always either wrecked or high and on the job he didn't do much other than try to nuke groundhogs! It was Murray who blew up that great "concept copy" of a reverse redan by mistake. What was that hole? Was it #4?

[Evan_Green]

Can someone fill me in on what Jans National is??? Thank you!

[ForkaB]

redanman

As I'm sure you know, in Michelin (food) most restaurants in France get negative stars, in effect.  Of the 10,000 or so (let's assume) eating establishments in France, roughly 3/4 (7,500 for the math-challenged are not even listed in the Red Guide.  Many of those places offer grub before which most foodies would genuflect--even in New Orleans or San Francisco.  Of the remain 2,500, 2000 get no stars, 350 or so get 1*, 120 get 2** and 30 get 3***.  Believe me when I say that there is much more (and richer) brouhaha involved in the movements between generic * categories when the annual ratings come out than there will ever be on GCA regarding the various brands of course ratings/rankings that we discuss.

Huckster

Tom Paul actually agrees with me on virtually everything of any importance in golf.  He only admits to a few now (e.g. Michelin, "maintenance meld") but he's slowly coming around.......

[A_Clay_Man]

Evan- I guess Peter Jans is the former Evanston Community, or as us locals use to call it, Canal Shores. It is so funny that we discuss this course because after having moved from three doors from Jackson Pk. I could be seen most days in the early 70's at the snack shop on or about that 3rd or 4th hole. Must've played that course a hundred times. Located under the el tracks on Central ave just down the hill from Evanston Hospital, the first two or three go out straight like string on some of the narrowest ground this game knows. Maybe not originally that narrow but with the growing of trees( a chicago trademark) the narrowness was accentuated. Also, being a slicer made it tough. Maybe that's why I'm so straight now? Ha! With the steep slopes of the sanitary canal along one side of almost every hole, the course has a serpentine loopdy loop routing out to the Ba'Hai temple. (A very spiritual place at the junction of the canal and Lake Michigan adjacent to Gilson Park) and back into Evanston mostly along the west bank of the canal. Quirk wouldn't begin to describe the use of the little sections of land that are connected to comprise this course which is sandwiched between fancy neighborhood homes, the canal and the el tracks.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

Maybe we could get an AOTD of the sporty/testing Jans National?

What do you say Scott?

KLP

[Patrick_Mucci]

Shivas,

How could he list them if he never played them ?
I think it's inherent in the exercise.

Unless of course, Tom MacWood assisted him.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Shivas,

Does getting the confirmation from his father-in-law count ?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Kenny,

What, the other Chicago AOTD today wasn't enough?  And there's already been 14 other past Chicagoland AOTDs....
 

Speaking of today's....where's Shivas?  I see he's logged in...hint hint...

[Scott_Burroughs]

I was just surprised you hadn't responded so far this evening, I see you've been logged in for a little while....

My guess is exactly 1.  When you already know it's Chicago, you can study all you want on the first post!  Regardless, you'd have gotten it first post anyways.