Opening Holes (Picture identification) - More difficult

[Bill Satterfield]

Here are some opening holes that may be more difficult to identify due to either their lack of character/terrain or because they aren't as well of known courses because they are newer or lower profile.


#1



#2



#3 (looking back from green)



#4



#5



#6



#7



#8



#9

[Dan Kelly]

I haven't played there in a few years, since it was renovated (by Tom Lehman's group), but No. 7 looks like North Oaks (Stanley Thompson).

[Tom Huckaby]

Is #4 Woodland Hills CC (southern CA, near LA)?

Man if it is, that is pretty darn obscure....

 

[Bill Satterfield]

I haven't played there in a few years, since it was renovated (by Tom Lehman's group), but No. 7 looks like North Oaks (Stanley Thompson).

Nice job Dan, #7 is North Oaks.

[Bill Satterfield]

Is #4 Woodland Hills CC (southern CA, near LA)?

Man if it is, that is pretty darn obscure....

 

Not Woodland Hills, but you are right about it being a SoCal course.

[Adam Clayman]

#5 reminds of Port Ludlow.

[Tom Huckaby]

Re #4, those are SoCal trees for sure... and it didn't look quite right for Woodland Hills - there's a wall to the left of the tee that I thought might have been removed - haven't been there in 10 years... so no surprise I got the exact course wrong.  I can't place what it is though I bet I have played it!

Great stuff... this is fun.

[rjsimper]

#4 - Uh....San Dimas???

[Brad Tufts]

I was going to go with #1 being one of the Crosswater courses? 

Other than that I have nothing...

[Andy Troeger]

These don't look familiar at all...#5 looks like Sahalee because of the big trees, but I don't think that's right or fit the difficulty meter.

[Lance Rieber]

Bill,
#1 is Jug Mountain in McCall Idaho. I am really curious on #6.

[Kalen Braley]

#6 is Qualchan Creek in Spokane, WA

[Mike Erdmann]

#5 is Eugene Country Club.

[Tom Jefferson]

I believe #5 is Eugene Country Club!

Tom

[Garland Bayley]

#5 has to be Eugene CC

[Bradley Anderson]

All of these photos, looked like parts of various golf course combined.

[Anthony Fowler]

4 is Saticoy CC in Somis, CA.  Wonderful course!

[Ari Techner]

#5 is definitely Eugene CC. 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Yep, #1 is Jug Mountain Ranch.  Here's another pic of #1:

[Bill Satterfield]

Yes, the mysterious SoCal course has been correctly identified as Saticoy.  John Harbottle went in and redid the bunkering and it came out fantastic there.  I looked at some before and after pictures and it was a stark contrast.  Here is the list:

1.  Jug Mountain (McCall, ID - Donald Knott)
2.  TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae (Hayward, CA - David McLay Kidd)
3.  Whispering Pines (Trinity, TX - Chet Williams)  -  Whispering Pines is a fantastic course that doesn't get a lot of publicity outside of Texas.  The setting, design, variety, and challenge are excellent and well worth a visit.
4.  Saticoy CC (Somis, CA - William F. Bell)
5.  Eugene CC (Eugene, OR - H. Chandler Egan)
6.  The Creek at Qualchan (Spokane, WA - William Robinson) - This is my favorite course for under $30 that I've played.  I know Indian Canyon gets a lot of hype, and I enjoy it too, but Qualchan is my favorite for the Spokane munis.
7.  North Oaks (North Oaks, MN - Stanley Thompson)
8.  Augusta Pines (Spring, TX - Dave Relford) - This course tried to duplicate several holes at Augusta National and currently is one of the Champions Tour stops.
9.  Grand Pines course at Bentwater (Montgomery, TX - Jeffrey Blume)

[Tom Huckaby]

DAMMIT!

I knew I had played #2 and it was killing me as I couldn't place it.

Re #4, oh well at least I was decently close geographically.

Thanks for doing these Bill - they are great fun.

TH

[Bill Satterfield]

DAMMIT!

I knew I had played #2 and it was killing me as I couldn't place it.

Re #4, oh well at least I was decently close geographically.

Thanks for doing these Bill - they are great fun.

TH

Glad you enjoyed the pics Huck.  I ended up shooting a 75 from the tips at Stonebrae when I played it which was quite a bit better than when we played together in Arizona and I hadn't played in four months.  Playing out toward those power lines on the opening hole isn't the most inspiring or memorable start to Stonebrae, but it is a pretty nice course.  I took my wife to play it with me and she loved the fact that her tees were about 4700 yards and mine were around 7200 yards.  At my home course there is only about a 500 yard difference from the back tees to the forward tees.  It will be interesting to see how that course looks on TV when the Nationwide plays it next year.  The super there told me they will probably flip the nines for the tournament which I think is too bad because the back nine finish would provide more drama I feel.

[Tom Huckaby]

First of all that is GREAT playing as that is a darn tough course.  Well done.  But also I think you're right... back nine as you and I played it does have more drama at the end.  Did he say why they want to make that change?

One more thing - if there is a worse name for a golf course I have yet to hear it.  Let's just call it "Stonebrae."

 

[Kalen Braley]

Bill - Qualchan Creek is indeed a neat little course...but some of the holes like 10 and 13 are just too goofy for me and I love quirk.  And 18 - talk about an impossible hole for seniors, kids, and the ladies.... I guess thats why they had to add that green on the west side of the river.

[Bill Satterfield]

First of all that is GREAT playing as that is a darn tough course.  Well done.  But also I think you're right... back nine as you and I played it does have more drama at the end.  Did he say why they want to make that change?

One more thing - if there is a worse name for a golf course I have yet to hear it.  Let's just call it "Stonebrae."

 

The super agreed with us that the back nine offered the better finishing holes but said "the powers that be" liked the way the grandstands fit up by the 9th green and clubhouse.  He said it wasn't an official decision yet, but that was the direction things were heading. 

Agreed on that new crazy long name, it is a mouthful.