[Tim Bert]

In the 17th at High Pointe, I saw a par 3 which has a lot of potential, but ends up being a bit disappointing (relative to the rest of the back nine - other than the 18th, which has been discussed before.)

I like the setting for the hole.  Two things stood out to me.  One was clearly maintenance.  The other was either associated with the design or perhaps maintenance not matching the design intention.  I'm not sure which but I'm hoping to find out as a result of this thread.

The first issue, which is maintenance rather than design is the scrubby trees that are growing between the tee and the green.  I thought they detracted visually from what should have been an attractive green setting from the tee.  It reminded me of the neighbor that doesn't trim their bushes or allows crazy things to grow in an otherwise manicured bed.



The second issue relates to how I wanted this hole to play.  I wanted badly for the area left of the green to funnel balls down to the green.  It looked appealing from the tee, but when you get close to the green you realize the left area is maintained as rough and there is really no hope for a ball struck to the left to filter in toward the hole as you might imagine. 

So here's my question for the evening.  Was this the design intent or is this the super's interpretation of how it should play?  Has it been modified over time, or has the conditioning remained unchanged here?

Here's a view from the tee (sans trees) that provides a view of the area left of the green



Here's a look at the green looking back on the hole for what it's worth

[Philippe Binette]

I was there in 2006 and I don't remember seeing the mowing lines like they are now, I' m pretty sure the entire left side was fairway...

I thought it was one of the best par-3 ever...

I took pictures, I'll look at it tonight

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:

It was built for a firm, wide fairway that bounced in from left to right ... although the fairway wasn't mowed WAY up to the left of the green, only about 10-20 feet outside the green.  If you hit a hard pull it went through the green in a little trough and out the back, where there was some mowed fairway behind on the left for the ball to get away a bit.

There was also fairway on the right mowed between the green and the bunker, so a wide shot might get carried away.

The green site and contours are pretty much the way I found them.  I thought the little ridge just in front of the green would be hard to negotiate.

However, the hole never played as firm and fast as I visualized ... it didn't help that the prevailing wind is usually from the right or into your face.  The only time it really plays as intended is on a dry summer day when a front has come through and you get the north wind behind you.

The little scrubby stuff between the tee and fairway doesn't bother me nearly as much as the shrinkage of the fairway.

[Steve Lang]

   it used to be a tough bounce in from the left of the green, and it has essentially disappeared..  the best play is check out the first fairway and play to the first green and/or play the front again!

[Tom_Doak]

Steve:

The play has just changed a bit.  I played with John McMillan late last fall and hit my trusty 3-wood draw into the wind, to about three feet, to take our match.

[Steve Lang]

  Tom,

  I tried to show Adam C.  the old play off the hill last summer, on a relatively calm day.. 

I used to have trouble holding that green and adopted the short or left bouncer shot a long time ago for any front, center or left pins.. on our once or twice a year play at High Pointe since it opened.. ain't what it used to be!

old habits die hard.. that day i got hung up in the grass, chip & putt for par..

[Adam Clayman]

The day we played we had the north wind. With the soft conditions the front nine had the longest short holes I've ever played. To interpret; That's a bad thing, as there was no bounce and/or roll. Nothing that was figure-out-able save for the str8 line direction to the hole.

Now I have not been privy to the talks about 18. I thought the hole was fine and reminded me quite a bit of the closer in Lubbock. Tom, would that be a fair comparison?

[Sean_A]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the weird stranded bunker out to the right. 

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

Sean:

The fairway went out that way, too, so if you were playing for the back right pin and leaked your tee shot to the right, you'd wind up with a long bunker shot from over there.

My philosophy back then was that a short bunker shot from right up against the green was no penalty at all ... on a long approach, I wanted the ball to carry away from the green and give you an awkward mid-length bunker shot with a bunch of sloping short grass between you and the hole.

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