Thanks to generosity of a fellow GCA.com member I had a chance on Friday to visit Sebonack and ride all 18 (actually 19) of its holes with my host. The golf cart ride and the discussion took about two hours.
I was blown away. But this will not be a hole-by-hole architecture review. I am not qualified to do it, not on this forum (I am just a lowly lover of the game with no professional (or even rater's) credentials whatsoever. This post will be much more touchy-feely - my general impressions of the place.
I got there way too early on Friday morning. I had time to drive by the Sebonack entrance, turn around, and take the Cold Pond Road all the way to the crescent of the Peconic Bay beach, which Sebonack overlooks. I was there alone for some time, looking at the bluffs on which Sebonack sits, until a couple of Shinnecocks showed up. We struck up a conversation, which perhaps should be a topic of a separate post.
It is amazing how different the Sebonack (or the old Sabin Bayberry) property is different from Shinnecock Hills or (presumably) NGLA. It sits hard on the edge of Peconic Bay, high (some 90 feet) over the beach at its highest point, and was originally heavily covered in vegetation. This was a true LI estate, complete with a mansion and a magnificent stone and wrought iron entrance gate (which will be renovated and used by Sebonack). The Sabin mansion was torn down (but the slate from its roof is used on the golf course). I am sure that once upon a time Shinnecock Hills and NGLA were covered by similar vegetation - but it has all been cleared long time ago to create the links. Sebonack cleared a lot of trees (but kept a lot, too) - the lay of the land and the remaining trees remind me of Pine Valley and ANGC rolled into one. All with magnificent views of the Peconic Bay from many holes and situated in the middle of Southampton, NY - not the strip-mall central which is Augusta, Georgia, or a slightly depressed South Jersey town which is Clementon.
Folks, in Sebonack you get instant pedigree, and more. After crossing the historic gate you travel up the hill on a winding entrance road to the plateau on the bluff where members' cottages (more like beach houses clad in the obligatory Southampton cedar shingles) and the clubhouse are being constructed. All with sweeping views of the bay and the golf course.
The view of the golf course from the clubhouse site reminded me of ANGC. That is how wide open the view of the golf course seemed. It adds majesty to the place, and was probably the biggest surprise for me. Clearing all the trees around the Sabin Mansion was an excellent move.
The second surprise were the magnificent water views from SO MANY holes. The place was of course routed with views in mind, and in that sense it succeeds wildly.
The third surprise was how wide and generous (and crumpled!) the fairways were. The thought there was that a wide, "crumpled" fairway will contribute to strategic placement of the ball, with the golfer facing very different shots depending where on the fairway he winds up. The wide, generous fairways also add majesty to the place. No claustrophobic holes at Sebonack!
The cartpaths are sandy (like at PVGC). The sandy, piny land felt a lot like PVGC to me.
There is a dizzying variety to the holes, all marked by the patented Doak shaggy bunkers and most tough as nails (the site is exposed and normally VERY windy). The course will play to 7,300 yards from the tips. I will let more qualified GCA members to do a hole-by-hole when they play the course. To me, most holes were just breathtaking.
All I will say here is that when we got to the 17th hole my host said - Don't look right! (ie at the 18th hole).
When we finally stepped on the 18th tee, I said - "You guys have to be KIDDING me!". A beautiful 560-yard par 5, running parallel to the beach, framed on the left by the beach and on the right by a 100-year of elm tree from the Sabin mansion and... you aim your tee shot at the huge NGLA flagpole visible right behing the 18th green...
Guys - the new kid has arrived on the block... And in a parallel universe if I received simultaneous invitations to join Shinnecock Hills and Sebonack - it would be Sebonack for me. I have not seen NGLA, so I cannot comment, but you know the answer already...
