A visit to Mark Mungeam's new course Oxford Greens- Oxford, CT public.

[NAF]

On Tony Pioppi's  recommendation, Geoff Childs and I visited Mark Mungeam's new course in Oxford Connecticut---Oxford Greens.  The course opened a few months ago and is approximately 10 miles or so from Waterbury Connecticut.  The local area has some rolling hills and the property is built into one.  The development also has housing on the back 9 (and eventually will have it on the front)  With wetlands and challenges from the houses, the course is not walkable but given those constraints the routing is good and shows off the best of the natural landscape.  Let me say, this is a very good addition to Connecticut's public golf rota.  Geoff and I played at 2pm twilight for $59 inclusive of cart which was a bargain when you factor in we played in 3hrs 5 minutes (the misty rain showers scared people away I guess).

There was a lot to like that Mark did---The course played hard and fast (perhaps with the local dry spell we've had and being new) and makes the most of strategic bunkering, angles and bump and run.  It is obvious to my eye and via the holes that Mark utilized some Raynor prototypical strategies here and in spots (to my eye) Donald Ross.  The combination is a winner in all aspects.

Things I liked--

1st hole- An easy starter or so you think.  Only 365 from the blue tees (6665 yards) the hole features an homage to the road hole green (complete with low raised rock wall behind the green acting as the road).  Very devilish to make par especially if the pin is behind the road bunker--a nasty little pot.

2nd hole- A dropping 182 yard par 3 with water left but plenty of room right to bailout but a bunker there to catch you if you are a bit too aggressive.  The star though is a Biarritz stile three tier green which a ton of pinable options and long putts.

3rd hole- The longest hole in Connecticut from the tips at 632 yards.  The fairway is routed in a steep right to left sloping landscape and features a high road and a low road fairway.  The hole is slightly uphill and the stances one gets are always sloping lies.

Holes 4-7-- All good par 4s with nice strategic bunkering, run up shots received and nice green contours.

9th hole- This had the potential to be an All World Redan.  But it isn't a redan at all even though you can see it. Still a very good par 3 carved with out of a wetland like escarpment on the left and a green angles at 45 degrees or so (that is a guess). There is a run up fairway and nasty right greenside bunker.  I'm not sure why this isn't the redan hole (the 13th at Oxford is) but I wish I had a picture because at 221 yards from the tips it could have been tremendous.

10th Good par 5 with a big sloping right to left fairway (many of the fairways at OG sloped right to left) and some strategic bunkering in the landing zone for a lay-up (balls filter into the hazards)  

11th- Here is where the Raynor corner begins.  380 yd par 4 named Punchbowl. Very good blind second shot to a terrific punchbowl green.  If you've played there before then you realize you can bounce balls into the punchbowl very well off the right side.  It reminded me of the punchbowl blind shot one faces with their 3rd into the par 5 (maybe the 15th hole there?)at Sleepy Hollow..

12th- 420 yard par 4 where the star is a Double Plateau green.  Geoff and I thought the DP could have been a bit more pronounced b/t tiers but for a public course etc it is done very well.

13th- The Redan hole--185 yards.  A modified redan at that.  It is a fine adaptation, the green works and will funnel the ball to left pin locations.

15th- A cool fairway that twists and leaves you with another right to left sinewy sloping lie.  There is a bunker right to capture you if you are a bit too aggressive.. If your tee shot hits the left side you'll have problems getting home.  2nd shot must carry some wetlands into a very contoured green.

18th-A semi blind drive with a center hazard making you pick sides. Hole is 458 yards and stout from the tips--418 from member tees. The second shot accepts a run-up but you have bunkers flanking and a good fall off on the left if you miss.

Things I didn't like-

It isn't walkable but that is not MM's fault

Almost all of the fairways canted right to left--it appears that is how the land fell though.

The housing- again not the designer's fault but the tract housing is an eyesore on some of the back 9.

At the very least this is a solid, enjoyable course to add to Connecticut's public realm.  It took me 40 minutes to get there from Norwalk and may be in a spot where it can give Richter Park in Danbury a run for its money.. I think Mark deserves kudos for building this course. Thanks to Tony Pioppi for recommending it.


*****For Matt Ward*****

Black Tees 7186 yards 74.9/134
Blue Tees 6665 yards 72.3/133
White Tees 6324 yards 70.5/131
Green Tees 5842 yards 68.2/128
Gold Tees 5188 yards

[SL_Solow]

Glad to read the review.  We worked with Mark on a "sympathetic renovation" at Briarwood.  He is very talented and a delight to work with.  Another one of the lower profile architects worth knowing.

[Alan Gard]

Thanks for the review.

I take it the course was in generally good condition?  A friend and I were going to play it about a month ago but opted not to after hearing some poor reports on its condition (and being very wary after playing a certain other CT course last summer that opened and continues to be in less-than-stellar condition.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

What to do what to do? Another solid golf course with angles and strategy and options not designed by one of the Annointed.

Still worth the visit even though (      ) did not design it.

As far as conditions, they are fine after a tough spring (cold) and a tougher summer (less rain than a sun room in Hell.)

Unfortunately houses are going up as we speak - damn, there's another one - so get there as soon as you can.

Please check out the contouring of the 16th green. Wonderful, wonderful work.

Anthony Pioppi

[Geoffrey Childs]

I see that Noel posted this short review from our round this past weekend.

This course is a great addition to the public access golf available in Connecticut. While its hard to beat the great walk available at Shinnecosett, Mark Mungeam optimized what could be done with this property and the result is a really strategic course that has unique features as well as a homage to the strategies of old. If I lived closer, I would play there regularly.

Thanks to Tony for recommending it to us. As he said- wonderful wonderful work.

[Dan_Callahan]

I played Oxford yesterday. It is easily one of the best public courses in Connecticut. A few observations:

1) I didn't like how the fairways were built up on almost every hole. Walk to the edge and you would see the base of trees about 5 feet below you.

2) Pace of play was brutal. We teed off at 2:20 and didn't reach the 15th tee until 6:15. We drove past three groups on the 16th (a short par 3)—the first time I have ever left a course because of slow play. We did, however, replay 1, 2, and 3 to end our round on a high note.

3) The 9th hole is one of the best par 3s I have ever played. The 2d hole isn't too far behind.

4) Almost every green is open in front. The greens were very hard (similar to Wintonbury Hills when it first opened), so landing the ball short and letting it run on was the play on most holes.

Here are some pictures:


The opening hole is straighthforward, although the bunker that fronts the green is brutal.


The second hole is a 180-yard, downhill par 3.


The third is a long (630 yards), uphill par 5 with a ridge that creates two levels of the fairway. You can get a feel for the ridge in this picture. The putting surface is blind from about 100 yards out.


The sixth is a very short (330 yards) par 4 with a wide open fairway. All sorts of humps and bumps leave an uneven lie for the second shot. This bunker complex protects the right side of the green. There is a hazard to the left.


The seventh is a cool par 4 that doglegs left. The pond is not in play, but I'm sure it gets into the head of the average golfer.


The seventh looking back down the fairway.


The ninth is a great par 3 that will only get better with time as the foliage behind the green thickens to hide the maintenance building. Shots to the right hit the slope short of the bunker and run onto the green. I agree with the other comments that this could have been a tremendous Redan, but it is excellent as it is.


The twelfth hole features one of the best greens on the course—it has no bunkers and is surrounded by shaved chipping areas.