Stone Eagle ... and cross-country golf

[Mike Benham]

This photo reminds me of a conversation we had late Sunday afternoon while playing the 7th hole (our 16th).  

The discussion focused on the expansive Stone Eagle fairways that lay below us and seeing a variety of cross county golf holes you could play.  Later that night, Tommy laid out the theory of a subtle teeing ground just below the 6th green pointing to the 7th tee which would leave a very interesting short par-4.

Of particular note in this photo was our attempt to drive the 8th fairway from the back tee box of the elevated 7th tee.  I hit a decent shot, with a slight cut.  Jeff Formanczk hit a razor straight bullet just right of the big bunker.  We heard both shots hit rocks but I think the tee shot is doable.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Mike,
Knowing a lot of the Doak Gang, I can attest their iron will as sportsmen to the Nth degree. All of them. The same goes for C&C and the Boys. They thrive on diversity and creativity. In fact that might be what they live for, basically devouting their lives to the Sport to produce the very best golf holes. Even the ones that aren't planned on paper. I think there are a lot of clients finally realizing that there is a huge difference between a Fazio course and a Coore & Crenshaw course, or a Rees Jones course and a Tom Doak course and vice vesus, ad infinitum.

Playing the course for the first time with John Kirk, even after being out there a couple of times during construction and never seeing it,  John and I had just finished playing the 6th when walking back, the 7th caught my eye--as it's supposed to--and revealed this cool looking downhill and driveable par 4 with bunkers expertly placed. I instantly got a chuckle and cracked a smile knowing this is something that Tom, Eric Iverson or Kyle Franz had to have come up with. It's not so much cross-country golf, it's just golf in it's truest spirit.

The 7th, played as a short par 4, in my opinion the best hole at Stone Eagle, especially in the spirit of true short par 4's or in this case par 3 1/2's. Someone getting par here should feel the same as if they had bogie, or maybe, just feel disappointed that they lost a chance at a birdie. While there are many that will love the view behind them from atop the 7th tee, the unique aspect of looking through the binoculars at almost the entire Coachella Valley; the better, make that much better hole is down below, whose tee is right on that flat spot just left of the 6th green, in fact, there are almost two tees there, and the work perfectly for guarding the shot into the 6th!

There are many other aspects of playing several different holes from different spots on the course. Yesterday, John Fitzpatrick and I talked about it, and John VanderBorght and Ran and I even looked at how the tee shot for the 15th can be played from the 11th fairway. I also found a spot where it looks like Eic or Kyle gently shaped another tee just right of the 14th green, making it blind but soft-flipped sand wedge into 15th green.

Now that's golf!

[Tom_Doak]

Tommy:  I could swear we showed you our idea for playing the seventh from in front of the sixth green (on a late afternoon with no one behind you) when you visited us during construction.  I don't remember exactly whose idea that was, but perhaps a different one of the associates who was doing some shaping out there.

We had wanted to put a tee even further back on 15 but didn't because someone would get bopped on the head from the 11th ... but we did visualize a tee right where you're talking about.  And the "tee" beside 14 for 15 is for walkers.

[Jfaspen]

just a little depressing that it was my best drive on the week and still managed to find the rocks..

it's a long carry, but i bet the other jeff f could make it.

[Tom Huckaby]

The discussion came up in our group on Monday morning as well... man that would be a very cool par 3.5 from somewhere in front of 6 green down to 7.

I remain VERY VERY VERY dubious though that anyone without a rocket-launcher could make the carry from the back tee on 7 over to 8 fairway.  You guys are nuts.  But I'd love to see you all try....

I recall another great "cross-country" hole we discussed though, Mike... dammit can't place it now, but we were playing down-mountain to a green, and another was off in the distance on the exact same fairway line, another 200 yards or so away... Do you remember this one?  Likely not - it was just a quick "wouldn't it be cool to play down to that green?" line.... man this is killing me.

The cool thing about the course is there really could be infinite holes created there, on a day with no one around.  Think about going from 12 tee down to 18 green, for example... or hell, continuing on over to 19....

As a kid we used to do this stuff all the time.  Stone Eagle would be a world-class place for such.

TH

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom,
Now that you mention it, yes you did tell me of the way the hole played during construction, and thanks for showing me again that at 47 years the mind is fast-fading! I'm convinced it must be this desert heat. (I'm still out here but I'm leaving today)

BTW, You've made the big time.

In the Buzz section of the Palm Desert magazine, 92260, sort of a chicky magazine for the Palm Desert rich and famous, they mention your round with Ian Baker-Finch. It's right before the Berry Gordy interview, and near a picture of Matthew McConaughey and the buzz about Salma Hayek being seen shopping and dining on El Paseo.

We played the 7th as a four on Monday with Ran putting it on the green and missing his chance at Eagle AND Birdie, as well as John Bernhardt who also put it on the green and walked away with 1 under for the hole. I myself put it in the bunker which Ran of happened to get a picture of me failing to extricate myself out of it! UGH!  Still, a great hole with some masterfully plaved bunkering that hopefully the sporting sort will enjoy at Stone Eagle.

Next time I'm playing the 15th from down below, given my love of blind shot par 3's!

[Tom Huckaby]

Tommy - for that 3.5 par #7, where exactly is the right tee area?  We saw several different choices... figured it had to be a bit down from 6 green to make it truly reachable.  There was a little flat area about 15 yards or so off the green - I know verbally this is tough - but is that it?

TH

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom,
It's exactly the very flat spot your thinking of, where everyone parks their golf carts leading to the path that goes up to the hill to the Par 3, 7th tee.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom,
It's exactly the very flat spot your thinking of, where everyone parks their golf carts leading to the path that goes up to the hill to the Par 3, 7th tee.

GOT IT!

Damn that would be fun to play from there... I'm liking the blind 15 also...