My lord, it's good!

[Tommy Williamsen]

I am a panelist for GOLF DIGEST.  When my wife and I played TKC, I was ready to join, even though we live 700 miles away. I think there may be two reasons TKC didn't fare better in the GOLF DIGEST ratings. First, I am not sure it got enough panelists to play it.  It is almosts inacessible.  In fact it was a holdover new course from the previous year for precisley that reason.  Second, many panelists I know hate blind shots.  There are a few at TKC.  A few years ago I joined Four Streams Golf Club outside Washington D.C.  I had just rated it.  It also had a number of blind shots.  I was convinced that like TKC it would finish very high in the best new category for private clubs.  It didn't even get honorable mention. While I don't advocate blind shots just for the sake of blind shots, there is something neat about them.  It is like playing catch over the house, it takes feel, imangiation, and touch.  

As for Crystal Downs, it is superb off the tee, with many options, wonderful into the greens, and the greens diabolical enough to make Ben Crenshaw wince.  It is in a league with only a few  other courses.

[Matt_Ward]

tommy:

TKC had plenty of evaluations to be rated when it was first eligible. I know this from a few key sources. Second, TKC is not inaccessible since raters are assigned specific courses to play it -- specifically those raters who do live in and around the immediate area. Also, other raters (myself at the time) were able to visit the course and I live a good distance away from TKC.

On the issue of blind shots -- if a panelist throws that forward as a reson not to like a course it's time to return to the classroom and REALLY understand golf architecture.

Four Streams in Bealsville, MD is a club I've played and it too quite shafted for consideration. Steve Smyers did a first rate job there and if people complain about the so-called blind shots I urge them to go to the driving range and sharpen up their skills.

TKC had TWO cracks for consideration by the GD panel and in BOTH occasions the assessment of the course was missed. Pure and simple. I'll say this again read Ron Whitten's own assessment of TKC (which is first rate analysis) and I just have to wonder what went through the heads of those people who visited the facility and saw fit to rate it as low as they did. I guess those same people would think the Mona Lisa is nothing more than a quaint picture of some grandmother type.

What's further ironic is that Arcadia Bluffs received a second place position in the best upscale category and the course is not more than 30 minutes or so from TKC. I have to wonder if any of the people who rated TKC also rated Arcadia and how there assessments can be so vastly apart. The answer is simple -- too many panelists get WOWED by the proximity of Lake Michigan and don't really understand the integration of the aerial and ground games that TKC personifies.

[Mike_Cirba]

For those who haven't seen Ron Whitten's review of TKC (mentioned by Matt), it can be found at the following link;

 http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/kingsley.html

[THuckaby2]

Since the way GD works I'd have to guess the vast majority of ratings, particularly re new courses, are done by local raters (those who live nearby)... and since GD gave the beloved Rustic Canyon "Best New Affordable" whereas by all accounts GD completely missed the boat re TKC....

I just have to say this is yet another instance re us CA folks are right on and you midwesterners, particularly Michiganders, are completely out to lunch.

That was for the benefit of one David Wigler, and by extension, shivas.

 

TH

[Paul_Turner]

"Target Golf" in the UK, is used to describe soft courses that suit the aerial game.  The term is used, to liken golf to pub darts, i.e. the ball pretty much stops where it lands: the opposite of links golf.

[TEPaul]

Paul:

I thought "target golf" was when I gave Pat Mucci or Rich Goodale about a 200 yd headstart off the tee and then tried to skip a low rising 2 iron off the back of their pate.

[Paul_Turner]

Tom

No mate, that's Billiards; the real thing, not that Pool malarky.  With a three ball, of yourself, Goodale and Mucci, the perfect shot for you would be a "cannon" from one pate to the other (1 point).

[Jonathan Cummings]

Tommy and Matt  -  Excellent posts!  JC

[TEPaul]

Matt Ward said:

"Four Streams in Bealsville, MD is a club I've played and it too got shafted for consideration. Steve Smyers did a first rate job there and if people complain about the so-called blind shots I urge them to go to the driving range and sharpen up their skills."

Matt;

I couldn't agree more. Does a magazine's raters really have that much of a problem with blind shots? What blind shots are there at Four Streams? You hit the ball over the brow of a hill on #11--that's all I can remember! Big damn deal! If the magazine's raters are calling that blind that's really sad.

I cancelled my magazine subcriptions years ago for crap like that and I think it's about time to call them up and remind them I cancelled my subcription years ago and do it a few more times for good measure.

I can live with rankings but if the raters are pulling crap like that they've got to go!

[ForkaB]

Tom P

With your current clubhead speed and the Flying Ladies/Lady Precepts that you play, if Pat M and I ever get 200 yards in front of you we will be safe as houses.  At the very worst one of your Sunday best will tickle one of our ears and we will say to each other:  "Was that a butterfly or Tom Paul trying to maim us?"

[TEPaul]

Rich:

That's probably a pretty fair assumption. In that case I think I'll just drop a zero. That should definitely tickle!

[DTaylor18]

Pulling this thread up again because i think it's what makes GCA so good.  SOme excellent thoughtful, insightful posts.  Why is it that Kingsley still seems to fall under the radar when some of these remote places seem to be building in popularity?