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Steve Lapper

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Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« on: June 18, 2006, 09:59:55 AM »
Today the Open will end and our focus will turn back to architecture, design, playability and new courses. After spending considerable time recently at the new Bayonne Golf Club, in Bayonne,NJ, it's quite clear that another great and very special new course has arrived.

Fashioned from nothing more than pile of dirt, capped with concrete and iced with over with what feels like no less than 6-8 inches of sand, this less than 200ac tract sits between a retail shopping center, a recovered harborway, an oil tank farm and Staten Island (Just like it's brethen over the pond, one has to travel past the "drek" to find the magic...think Dornoch, Ballybunion, Aberdeen).

Eric Bergstol, a strong stick, well-experienced earthmover, risk taker and savvy operator, and certainly a visionary has re-created as authentic Irish and Scottish links course as has ever been shaped in the US over the last 20 years. Before I get carried away, let me remind all that the Friars Heads, Bandon Dunes trio, Sebonack, and Sand Hills all possessed native courses beneath the surface and their architects discreetly unearthed them. Bayonne (BGC) is the new, and better, Shadow Creek of our time! All of it was dreamed up, drawn in, layed out, and then shaped into 18 superb holes that route beautifully and thoughtfully across a windswept man-made landscape.

Positioning of the holes and their tees and greens cross and parallel the prevailing winds.True to their links-land heritage few reveal themselves in full until well along their paths. Bunkering is elaborate, yet far from overwhelming or non-strategic. Much like the recent gems (Sebonack, Stone Eagle, Bandon Trails) I've seen, the balance of strong bunkering coupled with undulating and uniquely shaped greens combines here to produce a 100% enjoyable 18 hole golf adventure.

The course opens with two short fours into the prevailing wind, a Dell-like two shotter(great green, tucked into a hillside pocket)and a target-style dogleg over a pair of ravines(#2 was my least favorite hole and it still earned a 3.75 out of 5 on my rating card. The Third, a Redan that has quite a severe left side miss zone is not going to challenge North Berwick, NGLA or Somerset Hills just yet, but serves to notify the golfer that shotmaking here is going to be at a premium and misses will be severely penalized. The Fourth, a straight away strong par 5 reminded me of #7 at Pine Valley and a longer version of #2 at Royal County Down. It's replete with a smaller version of hell's half acre and demands both accuracy and distance while allowing for some risk-reward contingent on the strength and direction of the wind. A funnel from the hard right will let the long, but accurate shot roll on for eagle possibilities. The green is tucked below the fairway and set's up beautifully for a well-struck wedge, however only an attentive golfer will get anything close as the green has 2-3 internal greens and contours that repel anything other than perfection.

It should be noted here that the greens, while young and hard and very fast, do need some time to develop and soften a tad, but they share the pedigree of the better new courses with excitement, creativity, slope and cant that demand thought & precision, and multiple mini-greens within the larger green confine.

The 5th, a 140yd straightforward little one-shotter that appears to be a slight respite that will evoke comparisons to the Old Course and Ballybunion all in one. More importantly, it serves to reverse direction (now heading downwind). Any respite is temporary as you try to float a wedge downwind onto a blind green that does a fair amount of sloping away from the tee (it's fair though as it shapes so that it doesn't reject anything other than the skulled hit). The Sixth, another shortish par 4 acts as a set up hole (and a quite good one at that) for the outstanding 7th. The 7th, 413 from the blues, but playing more like 445 from it's tips heaves it's way uphill from a wide fairway to a narrowing juncture that deceives the golfer with promise of smooth path to an elevated and receptive green. In fact, it's anything but. Here the green is expansive but well countoured with a hellish pot bunker on the left. A gully to the right serves to collect anything without terminal velocity, yet the right shot is a low-running (ground game special) mid-to-long iron moving from right-to-left....very strong par 4.

8 is a wonderful par five that starts with crossing tees (against #2) and yields a curving path to a perched green over beautiful wetlands. Interestingly, on a clear day, the right aiming zone is between the magnificent spires of the distant Brooklyn Bridge. How many golf holes can claim that kind of targeting? The long hitter is steered to a pocket between the left edge (ravine) of the fairway and a mound of bunkers that will produce a fun upsloped area with a 220 yd (all carry before the wind) over pretty wetlands to eagle-chance land. The smart play will be to lay-up to the curving and rolling fairway on the right and be left with a semi-awkward angle and stance (but conceding the maximum length of the green) short-iron. Nicely added to this option is a disappearing fairway at the 80 yard out spot. The Ninth, another strong par four, uses a diagonal and reaching tee shot (think Sand Hills #9 or PVGC # 6) to an apexing fairway with a long approach back into the wind to a lowered green running steeply from back to front.

On the back nine, the fun really starts. More later.....
« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 10:05:41 AM by Steve Lapper »
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Brad Klein

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2006, 10:34:56 AM »
Steve, I think you've darn near plagiarized my rave GW review of the place!

Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2006, 11:51:47 AM »
Steve, I think you've darn near plagiarized my rave GW review of the place!

Brad,

    I've not yet seen your review, I swear....but then again, great minds think alike!! ;D
« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 11:52:10 AM by Steve Lapper »
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Brad Klein

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2006, 11:53:04 AM »
Yes, and we seem to think alike when it comes to Bayonne's neighbor, too. Putting them in the same sentence or even the same paragraph is absurd.

Steve Lapper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2006, 12:54:59 PM »
The second nine is all links, full on.

 It begins with a mid-length two-shotter downhill dogleg that curls back up to another pocketed green that instantly reminded me of Waterville. Again, a plentiful but well-sloped green awaits a mid-long iron that heads back upwind. #10 was exactly where I knew this course had no shallow copying style. This 200+ uphill par three has nearly 1/2-to-1/3 of it's triangularly shaped green hidden behind a protruding dune, is surrounded by ample shaved chipping areas and is no bargain. I hit a beautiful cut 4 iron to what both my caddy and I thought would be tight, just to find a very tough 15-20 ft uphill slider. After shaking off the missed birdie, I arrived on the 13th tee to view the water and not-so-distant Staten Island straight below. This drop-dead beautiful par four heads down to an expansively generous fairway before leading your eye to a perfectly-situated right-to-left canted green that leaves you feeling like trying to hit a shot to a keeling sailboat deck. It's not as hard as it appears, but once again, this is a reminder of just how well Bayonne attacks and rewards your senses. From here on, the player must remind themselves to take extra stock of the wind and it's directions as the proximity to the water intensifies the effect. Like playing at Cruden Bay, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Turnberry, Bandon and others, the water magnifies the wind.

    From here on, the course toughens up and tests every last piece of golfing meddle you have in the bag and skull. What is amazing is the variety of test and the importance of attending to the vagarities of mother nature. I found myself checking everything from the huge American flag at the top of the hill, to the ripples on the different fingers of adjacent water. The next 5 holes were far from over-hyped!

     13 is a stiff uphill and bunkerless par 5 that winds it's way (with a semi-double dogleg) to an undulating green that instantly evokes Sand Hills #2 or LACC North #14. It is rumored that Jimmy Hoffa, half of his High School class along with the first two seasons of the Sopranos killed-off cast are buried underneath (but I didn't tell you that ;)). You climb up to the next tee to again view lower Manhattan and 200+ drop shot par 3 to a green that is much bigger than perception suggests. Wind here is the key, but the hole is bunkerless, crowned above considerable chipping areas and a sandy waste area that should never come into play. You might hit anything from 6 iron to driver on any given day!

  #15 may sound short at just over 300yds from the tips, but imagine hitting to a large canted bowl with awaiting sidehill, uphill, and downhill uneven stances before trying to hit a short iron four or five floors straight uphill to a wide but shallow green that you can see little or no part of? Oops, I almost forgot to add that once you strike your second shot, it hits the jetstream just before heading down.....great fun if you remember to aim into it!

  #16 is detined to become one of the most talked about holes in the Northeast. It's 453 from the blues, but sharply downhill with a small dogleg back right to well perched green on a bluff's end. Downwind, it's possible but unadvisable,  to try driving it close. Instead a good tee shot will find a generous landing area, well humped and bumped, that gives no quarter when you seek a stance to try to hit a solid iron to this semi-isolated green. Here you can choose one of a dozen lower Manhattan sites to aim at. The green is sufficiently large to offer over a dozen different pins and I could have easily grabed a shag bag and spent the day perfecting approachs. It's that good a hole!

 #17 is a "balls-to-the-wall" reverse cape with Tiger tees that are near ridiculous (they demand an into-the-wind 290 carry) to a very to thin fairway that departs sharply left to a perilously-pocketed and sublimely hidden green. Every last drop of golfing moxie is needed to make par and bogey feels like it, and rightly so. We played up at the blues (450yds) and it was all we could do get a ball on the fairway! #18 felt like a little bit of a letdown as a rock wall comes across the fairway at a near right angle and demands that the good long-hitting player hit either a well-shaped draw or a straight ball over a blindish left corner. The green, sharply up the hole's left side, is big, undulating and windswept. Still a great finishing hole and perhaps the end of what might well be the very best match-play course north of Ardmore or Clementon!

  A few more interesting things of note:

1) This course is still going through it's grow-in phase and Eric has been wise to plant a wide assortment of flora and fauna (including blueberry bushes/vines that leave me eagerly awaiting a return to taste their harvest). It will take some time to completely shelter this land from it's less-than-pretty surrounds. The abundance of high fescue, while beautifully wavy in the wind, is very, very tough to play anything other than wedge out of (providing you find your ball). This penal planting will leave the place subject to considerable whining from the "Bomb & Gouge" crowd, but screw'em, the place is pure and will eventually find the exact mix of short and high grass.

   The greens are hard and slick but will mellow ever so over age and are just superb in shaping, variety and challenge. The uneven lies and stances will cause the mid-to-high handicapper to cry, but if they play here with any frequency, they'll be better, more complete golfers for the experience. Many of the hole just scream for the ground game.

  It might be easy and convienent to try to knock Bayonne for it's artificial heritage, but one only has to remember that Picasso, Van Gogh and Cezanne all started with a blank canvas. Eric Bergstol has created a golfing masterpiece and time will only make it better. Unlike it's new neighbor to the north which may well get the 2009 Florida Open (thus lowering passenger loads on Jet Blue), Bayonne will earn much much more. My guess is that the MGA will, once they see it playout, award it the Met Am and many more match-play style championships.

Bottom line: BAYONNE GOLF CLUB ROCKS!!!!!

 
« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 12:57:37 PM by Steve Lapper »
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2006, 01:25:43 PM »
Sorry to interupt your little love fest, but there are some amazing pictures on the web site.
Some of the shaping does look over the top.

http://www.bayonnegolfclub.com/

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2006, 01:28:11 PM »
This looks a little much for me?


Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2006, 06:14:55 PM »
Cary & Joel,

    I think enough of both of you to assure you of a pleasurable day on these links without holding your respective noses. 8) 8) Of course, you might have vaild critiques, but I hardly think they'd be plentiful or frequent here.
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

ed_getka

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2006, 07:20:45 PM »
Steve,
  Thanks for  the report. Eric Bergstol was quite impressive at the last winter meeting that I attended when he talked about how he approaches the golf business. As was the Billy Casper guy. Kudos to Mr. Bergstol for accomplishing one of his dreams.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 07:22:24 PM by ed_getka »
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Joel_Stewart

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2006, 07:31:33 PM »
Steve:

I'm not making any judgements until I play it and was thinking later that I love Arcadia Bluffs which may be similar in its shaping.

« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 07:32:11 PM by Joel_Stewart »

Matt_Ward

Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2006, 09:35:56 PM »
Joel:

You need to see personally what Bergstol did with the site -- both pre and the existing one.

I have not played the layout thus far -- hopefully this week but after walking it I can see where Brad and Steve are coming from.

Joel_Stewart

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2006, 11:10:53 PM »
Are there many holes on the water?

David_Tepper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2006, 11:19:51 PM »
As someone who grew up in New Jersey, I am having a very hard time getting my mind around the phrase "Bayonne Golf Club." At best, it sound like an oxymoron and, at worst, like a challenge or  a threat!   ;)

I salute Mr. Bergstol's achievement and congratulate him for not wimping out and calling it something innocuous like "The Harborview Golf Links."

Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2006, 06:52:55 AM »
Are there many holes on the water?

4-5 are true to the water's edge, 2 more are close by, but all along the course distant water views por through.
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Mike_Sweeney

Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2006, 07:28:06 AM »
Steve,

Thanks for the write-up. Any idea of when the clubhouse will open? I know we are not supposed to care, but looks like a nice spot for a cocktail after 18.

Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #15 on: June 19, 2006, 09:10:22 AM »
They appear to have poured a considerable amount of the foundation already and the mock-up model looks great....maybe late next year or sooner?
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2006, 09:52:24 AM »
I have 6 rounds under my belt now (and my scores are getting worse).  I think the prevailing wind is from the SW.  Hole 2 is therefore with the prevailing wind (which brings the end of fairway into play) and hole 5 is into the wind.  Downwind, it's almost impossible to stop the ball on 5.  They have moved the tees up considerably on 17 and makes it a driver and short iron for me.  They have cut back the fescue and made the first cut area a little wider.

I've heard the schedule for the clubhouse completion is next summer, but I have yet to see any construction project finish on schedule.


Jin,

   While the drive on #2 may well be Northerly (and thus enjoy some of the prevailing SW wind, isn't the approach such a strong left turn into the wind? I found that shot to be one+club longer. Most interestingly, btw, is the fact that although the prevailing wind is SW, it is usually a gentle breeze during the summer time and the stronger, more blustery winds arrive with either Nor'easters or SE storm-residuals. Both would make BGC play very, very differently.

  You are correct on #5 (and that's why the hole makes sense). Ultimately, if it downwind, you have to float a wedge into either the front bunker or the right front rough...neither a fun choice. Those multiple tees on 17 are there to choose from. Further back, they toughness gets near exponential as the angle & carry increases dramatically.

    You should be ecstatic that the place has turned out as it has. Are you?
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

peter_mcknight

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2006, 01:16:19 PM »
A few questions:
(a)  Will the clubhouse be big enough to host golf tournaments in the future?
(b)  Have the club's owners been in contact with either the USGA and/or USPGA to determine their viability of hosting one of those organization's signature events?
(c)  If the club desires to host professional events in the future, how does the course work outside the ropes?
(d)  Is the course attempting to get itself in some sort of rotation to host a New Jersey Open championship or an MGA championship?
(e)  Lastly, is the 17th hole a par 4 at 490 or is it a par 5 at 530?  The club's website has it a par 4, but the informational brochure has it as the par 5.

Steve Lapper

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2006, 01:56:38 PM »
Peter,

   While I'm NOT a member (and don't plan on joining just yet (for unrelated reasons). I'd write the club directly or ask Jin if he's got some more informed answers.

   Clearly though, Bayonne doesn't appear to be big enough to pursue USGA or PGA signature large-scale event. The entire club sits within a space less than 200 acres.

  Certain events, especially those with heavy match-play components could easily be held here. Yes, crowd viewing would likely be limited. I have no idea of whether the club's management and founder have made any contacts about hosting such events.....it is very, very early in the club's birth for such a committment. It could, IMHO, host a NJ Open or a Met Am quite easily, but time will tell if that's something the club want's to do.

   17 is a very tough par 4 from any tee past the 435 area. It wouldn't be a very well balanced par 5 though as the bulk of the severity falls in the tee carry and the residual second shot distance.
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."--John Kenneth Galbraith

Matt_Ward

Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2006, 07:28:54 PM »
Having had relatives who have lived in Bayonne what makes the golf club so interesting is the actual drive you take from the NJ Tpke to the club's entrance. Truly a wonderous contrast of the Hudson County area and the involvement now of a golf club handled by a man of considerable talent in Eric Bergstol.

Knowing Hudson County as I do it's truly mindboggling to realize that such golf is now a part of the Jersey scene where the growing of grass historically has been more by accident than design.

Joel_Stewart

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2006, 11:06:50 AM »
Did they use fescue grass at Bayonne?

Lou_Duran

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2006, 05:57:30 PM »
What is the structure of the club and the membership details?  Is it primarily for the hyper-rich and connected?  How do you get there from the lower side of Manhattan (NYU south)?  Was Tom Kite involved with its design?

Voytek Wilczak

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #22 on: June 20, 2006, 07:30:37 PM »
What is the structure of the club and the membership details?  Is it primarily for the hyper-rich and connected?  How do you get there from the lower side of Manhattan (NYU south)?  Was Tom Kite involved with its design?

Hopefully Jin Kim can chime in here.

All I know is that the membership deposit was $150K (due to increase soon). Dunno about the connections, but I doubt it.

Love of the game and some cash should get you in.

No Tom Kite at Bayonne.

Steve_ Shaffer

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Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #23 on: June 20, 2006, 07:42:13 PM »
Is there a non-resident or national membership?
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Matt_Ward

Re:Bayonne Golf Club....WOW!
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2006, 07:48:44 PM »
Lou:

You can simply take the Holland Tunnel out of NYC and hook up with the NJ Tpke. Take the exit for Bayonne (#14A). As soon you leave the toll plaza you hook up with Rte 440 and proceed south for about 2-3 miles. You'd hardly call the entrance to Bayonne GC a very eye-opening experience because it will never be called 17-mile drive! ;D

Without heavy traffic a person could leave parts of Manhattan and be on the tee in less than 45 minutes.