Could you elaborate on PB's work at Harbor Ridge?
Pat--Here is an excerpt from the Harbour Ridge chapter of my new Pete Dye Book--due in September. This will hopefully give you a better flavor for the place:
River Ridge isn’t even 6,700 yards from the tips, but the slope rating is a sky-high 148. The blue markers tip the scales at a seemingly anemic 6,200-and-change but are sloped at an ultra-formidable 142. The white tees are pegged at a distance normally associated with red tees—less than 5,600 yards, yet with a 129 slope. And bear in mind there’s not a shot or two missing off the scorecard—it’s a regulation par-72 course. The river views are limited to the par-4 third, a no-nonsense 420-yarder where only the most egregiously sliced tee shot or approach will end up in the riverbed. But even as the course moves west, away from the water, the interest level remains high. The subtle fairway ridges and undulations ensure that shots from the same general area will play very differently from day to day. The awkward lies and stances aren’t limited to full shots. They are even more prevalent around the greens, where humps, hollows and bunkers of all shapes and depths lurk just steps from the putting surface, requiring both imagination and a deft touch with a high-lofted club.
While the panoramic river view is fleeting, wetlands encroaching on the fairways are an enduring fact on River Ridge--it’s a ball-eating track of the first order. Not only are there numerous marshlands peppering the grounds, but many are environmentally protected areas, so hunting amidst the long grass for a wayward pellet is strictly verboten.
Playing with a “danger-be-damned” attitude on this perilous little course will make for a long day of scorecard suffering. The P.B. Dye influence is apparent as the round moves into its middle stages. The younger of Pete and Alice’s two sons is known for building very demanding tracks. This course isn’t terrifying, but it is intimidating. There’s a discomfort level in some of the approach shots over water, a tee ball that must sail over an extensive wetland, a well-placed bunker that gobbles up a seemingly ideal tee shot. Are the members a gang of masochists? Seemingly not. Though Pete Dye’s winter home in Delray Beach is in relative proximity, he’s almost never been called in for the tweaks and renovations, both minor and major, that he performs with regularity at other courses. Apparently the members mindset is: If it ain’t broke, leave it be.