Better Late Then Never? - Photos of Plantation from KPV

[Greg Tallman]

Tommy and Tom;

Are you saying that the trees, in no way, detract from the golf experience.

No doubt the architecture, at least around the greens (all that can be seen in the photographs) appears compelling... just overwhelmed by the trees.

Is the perception of the trees and their domination of the visual sense less strong in person that in the photograph?

I am not criticizing the course but I am, as you can see, having a hard time getting past how my eye was drawn to the trees in the photos before it was able to appreciate the qulaity of work in the green complexes.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Greg:

To get to the course, you drive through seemingly miles and miles of nothing but date palms, all in rows.

To expect them to magically disappear when one gets to the golf course just seems to me to be silly.

So playing the course, yes I expected to see palms and lots of them.  They didn't detract from the golf experience for me one iota - in fact, the utter absence of them would have detracted more, if that makes any sense.

TH

[James Edwards]

Scott, Thanks for posting... look forward to the next 36...

Similarities to Steve Smyers bunkering? or vice versa maybe?

It would certainly make an interesting sketch/trace study to see how many diffrent ways you can design bold bunkering (almost too bold IMO) that has the same style but has a different flow perspective from hole to hole...

Without looking back, there was a hole where the bunkering flowed up to the green on the right, turning over on each other, which worked successfully.

[Greg Tallman]

Tom,

Put in that context I can understand it a bit better, and while I understnad there is only so much you can get from a photo and they are often deceptive as to what you are really looking a from a playing perspective... man I had a hard time looking at anything other that the palms.

no worries I'll get over it... and on the bright side I am now intrigued enough to want to experience the course myself. Thank you.

[Bill_Ryzewski]

Hi Folks,

New Member here (sort of), I've followed this discussion group from inception and regularly participated in Bravenet and before that ...uh, can't recall the name of the site but Tommy, Tom or BV might remember.

Today I'm a member   at Inniscrone and play a lot less than I want to.

I love palms as obstructions. It's all emotion. Remember the feeling of hitting a tee shot near a palm and finding out your approach has been totally obstructed! You fume, but then you smile knowng you've a chance (and don't have to walk back to the teeing ground).

Pitch out or be Seve.

Bill

[Bill_McBride]

Just what we needed - Bernhardt ass pics and way way too many palm trees!  

[Doug Siebert]

I really don't mind those trees, if you gotta have trees on a golf course those are really close to ideal:

- no branches getting in the way of your swing or your line so maximum recovery options are preserved
- no overhanging branches that make 1" the difference between a perfect recovery shot you'll remember for the next month and one that puts you into an even worse place than you were before
- the chance that a ball that lands in the crown of a palm stays up there, so hitting into the trees remains a bad idea, even if recovery from them isn't terribly difficult

The only thing they really lack is unfortunately what is really of the utmost importance in Palm Springs and other desert locales -- SHADE!

Sheesh, if it wasn't for the abundant shade available to nearly all of my home course when not in the fairway I might gripe more about the several thousand trees choking the place and adding a half dozen shots to my score most days!  I may not have a shot to the green a lot of the time, but walking that course on a 90+ degree and humid day is a lot easier on a bad driving day than on a rare good one!

[Mike Benham]

Put in that context I can understand it a bit better, and while I understnad there is only so much you can get from a photo and they are often deceptive as to what you are really looking a from a playing perspective... man I had a hard time looking at anything other that the palms.

If you love the symmetry of the palms in these photos, check out the aerial from Google.



Google Aerial of Plantation Club

[rjsimper]

Looks like it was cut from a "Sim Golf" forest on the aerial

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Bill,
Great to see an old friend appear. Welcome to the group--AGAIN!

Shivas,
It's your loss, and quit making-up poor excuses for your inability to get off your duff and hang with us. To say you have no desire to go to Palm Desert, well once again, your loss. (Put a big huge "L" on that front of the giant melon of yours!)

(I showed him didn't I!?!?! I betcha he'll be cryin' hisself ta sleep tonight on his great big pilla!)   )

Greg,
It might all be a matter of tastes but the palms to me are a worthy challenge when it comes to confusing a person's line to the hole or target. The funny thing is the only hazardous thing about them is if you should hit high and have one fall into the waiting frawns, (sp) which are like open arms. As wild as I was at the Plantation on Sunday morning of KPV, I managed a few pretty good thread-the-needle type shots that got me backinto play and even in some cases saved par.

One thing I haven't heard too many mention is about the defined strategies seen around both courses, which is abundant. As Scott's image of the 11th shows, it is a double fairway hole which could be closely called similar to a Bottle Hole of sorts. My only complaint about the hole is it is missing a bit of definition from the tee. Still it works and the hole is a strong one.

Not sure if you have figured out the Instant Message thing above, but please check the message I'm sending you.

Tommy

[Scott_Burroughs]

Evan - but neither you nor Scott Burroughs dared walk Stone Eagle - I was proud of you guys.

 

Not in that heat, but I'd walk Stone Eagle in a heartbeat if it were cooler.

I liked Palms more than Plantation as a golf course, Plantation
more than Palms as a golf club.  I'd happily retire and play either.

TH

Too bad we couldn't hang out afterwards (had to leave
immediately to get to the next round).  At least we had a great breakfast there.

Scott

Thanks for posting the pix.  Does the 3rd share a fairway with
another hole or something?  That sand coming up near the tee is most unusual.  

Ciao

Sean

#3 doesn't share a fairway.

Shivas,

This is only one course in the Palm Springs area.  There's
something like over 100 other courses around.  There's
always Stone Eagle.  A few more are 'desert golf' (as SE is), if you like that.

Where did I post the same hole twice?

[PThomas]

I failed to mention the fact that I do like the shape of the bunkers:  sorry about that!

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