Tom Huckaby,

In case you didn't notice, WH is a relatively FLAT golf course.

SH has substantive elevation changes on almost every hole, and the tee to fairway walks are much more difficult.

I agree that both Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes have some disconnect issues, with cumbersome walks.

They tend to get overlooked by the congnoscente.
I'm curious to see how they faired in the "ease of walking" category.  I'd guess that they got a pass, which they shouldn't have.

I haven't seen Pacific Trails so I can't comment.

I can tell you that the walks at Hidden Creek are minimal in comparison, and in the absolute.

With unlimited property, practically, and few environmental constraints shouldn't they have received some demerits ?

Tom thank you for the note. I am in full depression. We seemed to have hired an Art Hills for a coach. Miles is 0 for 2 on minimal standards for game management and the same for half time adjustments. I was amazed 91,000 people could get there on a Monday. 1/3 to 1/2 of the state's population is homeless or without utilities now. Plus gas is really hard to come by. I think everyone was shocked to see the complete incompetance on the sidelines. Tenn played hard and deserved praise as hard as it is to give oh Mike Hendren. Oh I had a dinner in Baton Rouge this evening. I passed 12 ambulances, 2 military units and countless utility tricks on the way and a similiar amount on the way back. It seems and feels like a war zone. People are spent.

TigerB,

I must confess to nodding off in the 3rd quarter, despondent over the worst half of football played by the Volunteers since the Bill Battle days (we deserved that for hiring a Bama man).  I am therefore estopped from gloating over the victory.  

You, the cajuns and the saints in Louisiana deserved better.  

Look forward to seeing you next week.

Mike

One of the aspects of SH that makes for the tougher walk was taking advantage of the views from elevated teeing grounds. (DO I remember it correctly?)

Having now seen SH's replacement for innovated designs,(Ballyneal) I'll opine that those elevated tees will now be seen as a relative weakness. It being a connection/ to a fawed design era.

Adam:

I don't think you're remembering it correctly.  There are only two tees at Sand Hills that one climbs up to reach (2 and 17), and one of them doesn't exist any more (17).  Several of the tees seem raised because the ground falls off below them... but you reach them at a level from the previous green more or less.

And I'm getting the picture you really liked Ballyneal, as every post you've made since you saw it refers to it one way or another.  Good for you man.  But people give ME a hard time about being excited about new courses    

In any case, ready to throw Sand Hills on the scrap heap of flawed design are you?  That's a rather tall statement.

 

Huck, You don't think with SH in the can, for ten years now, Doak would allow himself to build anything that wasn't superior, do you?

I certainly think that Doak will try, as would any architect.

I'm not 100% certain he, or anyone, will succeed.

They're been trying to top Pine Valley for decades now, haven't they?  By all accounts except maybe mine, they're still trying.

 

Gents, I think the amazing thing is the perspective of time.  It has only been about 10 years that Sand Hills GC has been up and running.  Yet, it is legendary.  In part, that is because of unique and adventuresome place where a journey of discovery and wonder at the unique land environment is involved to even get there.  It is sort of a golfer's "City Slickers" concept where you drive through long rolling treeless and sand dune horizons of cattle country, that get your juices flowing before you even get to the golf course.  

Wild Horse is still in the populated I-80 corridor.  Thus, you don't get the wonderous journey effect to pump your adreneline.  

Now, with Prairie Club in Valentine about to take shape, and BallyNeal opening soon, there are going to be more destinations of similar experiential effect.  As Adam has said, and from the little I've seen in mid construction, BallyNeal has the design bones to go with the "getting there" experience.

Once these sand hills, prairie dunes courses have been around about 10 years, as Sand Hills GC has, I predict that "Sand Hills golf" will be a general term, not a specific one identifying just Mullen.  Folks will barely care which of these courses they get invited to play.  It will just be a magical regional destination where glorious golf will be available in multiple locations and "sand hills" will mean a unique golf experience, not a specific course.

Dick, very well said about how prairie golf (wherever it might be) will be perceived in the future.
 Interestingly someone else mentioned that the experience at SH could not be matched at WH, but the golf was similar.  I have always thought that SH has gotten a lot of miles out of its "experience". The long journey, the isolation, the cluhouse and lodging atmosphere all give SH a wonderful "feel" no doubt.  Does that factor into its high regard?  How much does the "experience" factor into a golf clubs' rating or critique.
Put WH holes in SH setting??  Is it as good then??  
Now before someone calls me out for being a homer by claiming WH might be as good as SH, I will say I don't believe that and have several reasons why- purely from the golf standpoint.  I am just interested in how much weight is put into a golf clubs setting and atmosphere  vs. golf holes themselves by you guys.

Golf at Sand Hills is like being transported to another planet where the terrain literally untouched by man's hand is perfect for the game.  It is a place where you must use your wits to work with and overcome nature to successfully traverse the challenges of the course.

48 words

Compare the walks at Hidden Creek to the walks at Sand Hills.

Homie Mucci  

It is the land at Sand Hills and Friars Head for that matter that puts those courses within a different universe on the scale of great and memorable venues with Hidden Creek.

Now I am a convert towards the MANY merits of Hidden Creek that make it one of the best modern golf courses in the US. However, if you want to put somewhat flat easy walks as a hallmark for a great experience then the list is vast form local munis to Talking Stick's two fine courses. The list of venues like Sand Hills ends at ONE.

Doug:

Would you say the walks at the two courses are "night and day" different, as Patrick initially maintained?  That I don't see.  I see them as both not all that bad.  SH is a little more strenuous true, and could be a lot more strenuous if one chases every foul ball.  In any case somehow downgrading Sand Hills because it's a tough walk just doesn't fly for me... good lord if you do that then Pasatiempo and each course at Bandon doesn't belong on the map.

 

How about if I call the difference "Day and Dusk"? For me, at WH the walk itself was very pleasant, while at Sand Hills it was quite a bit more noticeable as a factor. The first day at SH, we were the ONLY group that day to walk 36 holes. Why weren't there more people walking?

In any case why don't people walk the full 36 at SH?  Because it's just simpler and easier to jump in a cart for the 2nd round.  I've done it both ways... the full walk is a tough chore for sure.  But heck, walking 36 ANYWHERE isn't gonna be easy.

There is a self-perpetuating nature to this...for the second round, many will choose carts because 1) they are weary after walking 18 already, or  2) they took a cart for the first 18 so naturally will do so for the second, or  3) they need to play faster so they can get a full second 18 in, or 4) they are afraid of being caught out on hole 15 or 16 when darkness comes...easier to get back to civilization with a lighted cart.

Given all of the above, many will ride carts for the second 18.  Which leads to reason #5...given that most of the afternoon rounds are in carts, it is less enjoyable to walk when the group ahead and behind are in carts.  You feel rushed to keep up and stay ahead.  So instead of putting yourself in position to feel that way, you take a cart.