I can’t recall seeing many pictures here of the Coore-Crenshaw course at Notre Dame, called the “Warren Course” by the University, so when I was out there on my first visit last weekend I snapped a few.
I liked the course. The property is flattish, but the back nine has a few holes that make imaginative use of a creek and the few slopes offered. The bunkering and green complexes add to the interest and the overall effect is excellent.
Fairway bunkering is a mix of 1) a few that you have to carry to get in the ideal position, 2) center-line and flanking bunkers well-placed at distances to make the longer hitter think twice from the back tees, and the golfer of more modest talents to worry from the middle tees. I played the back tees on a moist day and could aim at many of the flanking and center-line fairway bunkers without fear of reaching them. During the summer with firmer conditions this may not be true.
Several of the greens featured a false front, and with one or two exceptions the green contours heightened the challenge. Only one green, #4 absolutely requires an aerial approach. The others may be also approached on the ground, though a couple (#5 and #16) have nasty little fronting pot bunkers that may dictate approach depending on hole placement.
The course is set up with a challenging 2-4” rough bordering the wide fairways and a heavy prairie grass outside of that—the long grass is =lost ball or hacking out. For my taste, I’d like to see the grass shortened around some of the greens to promote chipping as opposed to lobbing out of the rough. Trees do not figure much into the design. The conditioning in October was remarkably good, and greens were true and fast--apparently management does a lot of maintenance in August in anticipation of ND population’s arrival in force for the school year. It’s been open since ’99 or ’00. I was also told that Messrs. Coore and Crenshaw recently visited and were pleased with how the course is coming along.
The yardages below are the ones where the back tees are normally set ~6700, though there is a set of championship tees that are listed on the card at 7023. Pictures:
#2 462yd par 4 is tough mostly because of the length—only this hole and #18 have no fairway bunkers in play off the tee. Approach:
#4 147yd par 3. The only large fronting bunker on the course.
#4 Close-up of bunker and green
#5 518yd par 5 Flanking fairway bunkers from the tee.
#5 green.
#6 436yd par 4 from the tee. Note trees flanking fairway
#6 Approach—I don’t understand why the flanking trees are desirable or necessary. Even without them it would play long and challenging.
#7 398 yd par 4. C/L bunker at 244 from the tee. Lots of trouble left. Interesting hole. Note however the two crappy trees (that appear to be dead) in the left rough area, placed I guess to prevent the long hitter from cutting the corner.
#7 green
#8 414yd par 4, green Note false front feature, occurs on several greens.
#10 495yd par 5. My favorite on the course. A drive over the right side fairway bunker (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this) tests the players’ ability to skirt the woods right, but success is rewarded with a boost from the downhill slope on that right side of the fairway, leaving 200-240 in to a small green protected by a creek. This pic shows the approach from about 150. The 2nd can be layed up in front of the creek or played to the generous landing area to the right of the green.
#10 Once over the creek, if you've played out to the right, you must deal with this shot on your approach, where an over-cooked chip or pulled pitch can easily find the hazard.
#11 216yd par 3. This and a couple of other greens had an unusual squarish shape.
#11 green showing false front and small swale that affords an interesting hole placement.
#12 443yd par 4. Bunker left, woods right, not a very distinguished green, flat terrain. Least interesting hole on the course.
#13 433yd par 4. This hole turns left at the end of the hole, a mini-dogleg. These bunkers guard the shortcut.
#14 197yd par 3.
#15 380yd par 4, view from tee shows bunkers flanking left and right.
#15, right side fairway. I’m not enamored of this bunch ‘o bunkers look, which imo doesn't resemble anything in nature.
#16 345yd par 4. Excellent short hole. Big hitters can launch it over the bunkers left to get closer to the green. The rest of us play safely to the right…
#16 approach
#16 green close-up. Green has great contouring to protect this short hole.
Note to Brian Phillips: My wife said about this bunker, “Look at that cute little hairy bunker!”
#17 is a solid uphill 480yd par 5 with this green.
#18 434yd par 4. Challenging home hole requires 211/192/120 to carry the creek from the back/middle/front, has trouble all down the left side.