French Creek in Elverson, PA (Hanse): a photo tour

[Joe Bausch]

Many from the treehouse have played French Creek, but perhaps a re-visit will be enjoyed by the veterans as well as the rookies. 

Fellow GCAer Dan Herrmann and his lovely bride invited me out this past Saturday, my 2nd visit to the course, which happens to be located across the street from Stonewall's two courses (Doak).

I'll come right out and say it:  I'm a big fan of Gil Hanse's work (read:  Inniscrone) and I can understand why FC has such passionate members like Dan and Laura.  It is a wonderful layout, a bit quirky in places, and a joy to play.  Add to that conditioning which is as fast and firm as the weather allows and you have a real winner, IMO.

The property at FC has much to be admired, but it is not perfect.  But I really think Gil did a bang-up job of dealing with the numerous environmentally protected areas and a crossing of a state road too.

Ok, enough of my yakking (subtle Spinal Tap reference), let's boogie:

The first hole is striking in that as you walk up to the tee you notice the tee and fairway are one on this uphill slight dogleg left par 4, playing 360 yards from the tips. 

The best line off the tee is left in the FW, with a left tee shot being dead:



Too far right will lead to an obstructed view of the green, but a good drive leaves a view like the following for the 2nd short iron in:



Although these 800 pixel wide pics don't quite show it (please, Ben, get this changed soon or I may not do as many photo tours in the future!), you get a real quick introduction to some subtly contoured greens at FC that you better be on top of your game:



A very neat aspect of the first hole at FC which runs along the side of a top of a hill, is that you clearly see the beautiful 2nd hole down below.  It is quite frankly nearly a distraction!  Here is the view from the middle tee box on this 475 yard dogleg right par 4 with a very wide FW:



A view from about 200 yards out is this:



Just past the big cross bunker gives this view to the green, where a large sunken area exists just short and right of the green:



Here's a better view of that 'hazard' short and right of the green; I hit a decent drive this day and tried to get a 6 iron to the front right pin and was 1/2 a club short, and my ball slowly rolled back into the depression:



Here's a view looking back up the FW from the front of the green (with the extensive bunkering on the 1st hole visible):



The green on #2 is large and contoured, as this pic from left and behind tries to show:



At the point the 2nd green finishes is not far from a large marshy area where a neat little par 3 is placed before getting across the state road for holes 4-8.  This one-shotter plays out to 216 yards from the tips to a green probably more severe than the first two:



From the small hill just over the green to the left:



From the right of what is a two-tiered green (right tier higher than the left)



After finishing the 3rd there is a small hike across PA 401 to the tees within a low-lying area for the par 5 4th hole (539 yards).  Here is the view of the tee shot on a hole that bends right early, then a bit left at the end:



A good drive leaves a view like this for the 2nd shot:



A 'layup' 2nd shot leaves a partially blind 3rd as follows:



Here another very subtly contoured green awaits that is close to a creek that runs nearby:



The 5th is a little uphill par 3 where excellent distance control is needed (117 yards total) as the green is just perched above a very deep bunker, and the green is one of the smallest on the course:



Here's that bunker short of the green:



The view from well left of the green on the way to the 6th tee:



The 6th hole is the #1 handicap hole for both men and women, an 'S' shaped par 5 that runs uphill and 550+ yards:



A good drive leaves a choice of playing to the left of a large cross bunker, or playing over it:



A typical 3rd shot after playing to the left of the cross bunker looks like this:



From just over the green:



The view of the green and FW from the hill near the 7th tee:



The par 4 7th is not long (361 yards), but the deep bunkers in the right part of the FW must be dealt with, as well as the green that sort of runs from front to back:



From short of the right cross bunkers, even this view suggests the best line in is from left in the FW as the green is raised short and right (not to mention some boulders being present too):



My drive this day carried the cross bunkers, but being right in the FW left a difficult shot in to the front right pin:



This pic from over the green tries to show the no-so-friendly slope:



A short walk across a development road leads to the drop-shot par 4 8th of 186 yards:



The view from just over the green:



Now you cross back over PA 401 for the 9th hole, which requires a drive over a large marshland to this split FW par 4 playing slightly uphill and 404 yards:



I hit a good drive here and took the 'high road' to the left FW leaving a view like this in for the 2nd shot:



Miss the green short and right and you are left with this tough up and down:



The green at the 9th is a punchbowl.  If you wanted to find my 2nd shot this day, you only needed to look in the hole believe it or not!



I'll post the back nine later.  I hope you enjoyed the first nine.   

[Jason McNamara]

The early marsh holes just really don't look like they fit, but not much you can do about those, I guess.  The other holes look very cool; I esp. like the rocks in the bunker face on 5.

How much of 8 green is hidden from the tee?

How walkable?  Does the start/stop nature affect the flow any?

Thanks, and please keep posting pics, even at 800xN.

[Joe Bausch]

How much of 8 green is hidden from the tee?

How walkable?  Does the start/stop nature affect the flow any?

Only a small part of the green on 8 is obscured from the middle tees.  It may be that up high on the back tees the entire green is visible.  Dan? 

It is a walkable course.  There are a couple of long strolls, from 3rd green across the road to 4 tee, then from 15 green the trek is 16 is long (but both walks are flat).

Oops, I forgot the routing last night.  Here it is:

[Joe Bausch]

Now the back nine, which begins with a par 3 (172 yards):



Lots of interesting bunkering at FC, this one sort of reminds me of the grass bunker right on the par 3 14th at Inniscrone:



Later as we walked to the 16th tee, you get another good view of the 10th green:



The par 5 11th (544 yards) requires a fairly long carry across a marshy area on the tee shot:



From the drive landing zone:



Short of the green is a stone wall:



The view from over the green, one of the smaller ones on the course:



The 12th hole is a bit of a different look than what you've seen thus far.  It is a long (490 yards) dogleg left par 4 with a creek pretty much in play for the entire hole, with the land on this part of the property appearing flat as a board:



On this hole a long drive really isn't required if you keep your tee shot close to the creek:



For many this hole will play as a par 4.5, and the 2nd shot can be played left or right of the creek to try to get up and down for par:



The green is bunkerless, but the hazard is very close by:



Here's a look back from the front edge of the green:



After that flattish long par 4, now you head off to a 456 yard par 4 that climbs steeply for the last 2/3 of the hole. 



The uphill climb is steady:



My drive this day ended up in the left rough, leaving this difficult line in where the bailout is right of the green:



From just short of the green:



And from over the green:



After those two brutish par 4's, here comes short par 4's that probably generate as much talk as any other consecutive holes on the course.  The 14th is a dogleg left par 4 (382 yards) where you get a look at the green from the tee, but the tee shot is semi-blind and really brings some options into play.  The line being along the right edge of this pic, if not even farther right if you wish to hit driver and tumble all the way down the hill:



If you play a 200 yard or so tee ball, you can stay a bit left and might get a partial view of the flag:



Here's how the FW runs out and bends to the left, which is where you can aim to hit a driver:



This view from the back of the green sort of shows how a good drive down that hill can leave a clear view to the green (note the little tongue to be utilized if the tees are moved up, tempting those to drive the green):



The 15th is a wonderful short par 4 playing 292 yards from the tips:



More of the neat bunkering right and long at the 15th:



The view from the back of the green:



From left of the green looking back to show the split FW:



The 16th is a par 5 playing just 518 yards, where the line on the drive is key:



A drive ending up in the right part of the FW leaves the best line in to the green:



Those playing it as 3 shotter have these two cross bunkers to contend with near the landing area for the 2nd shot:



The view of the green from 17 tee:



Here's the look from the tee on the par 3 17th (231 yards from the back tee):



Here's that 'Kittleman wave bunker':



The view from left of the green, which has plenty of shaved down area left and over:



The closing hole at FC is a dogleg left par 4 (418 yards):



A good drive leaves this view for the 2nd to a green butted up against a pond; playing a draw right of the green and tumbling a ball down the slope is a conservative option:



From short of the green:



From the hill right of the green:



I'm really hopeful to play French Creek again, and also visit another Hanse course or two.

[Dan Herrmann]

Jason,
The 8th green is pretty special.  It's a green with some optical illusions that make you think your ball is breaking uphill.  

But the view from the tee is fine.  The only hole location you can't see from some parts of the teeing area is front left in a swale.  Bruce has grown in the natural fescues and this serves as a visual barrier of sorts.

What makes it cool is that it plays into the prevailing wind, so you need to learn quickly not to balloon your tee shot.
--------------
You're right about #3 - the marsh hole.  It's got a A+ green complex, but to me it's the worst hole on the course (remember - every course has a worst hole on the course!).    The 9th hole, which crosses French Creek heading north is fantastic however.  (Joe had an EAGLE 2 on the 9th hole - put in in from about 125 yards!)

--------------

By the way, #11 is a par 5 too, although we were playing it short as a par 4.  This was part of a project run by the USGA and R&A where were testing golf balls that flew shorter off the dirver.  I'll do another thread on that project.
--------------
The walk is fine as long as it's not 88F with 90% humidity.
--------------
On the routing above, the Stonewall courses are just to the left of #12 across PA-345.
--------------
Hell - I'll say it.  I love the place

[Joe Bausch]

An updated photo album of FC from a summer 2016 visit is here:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/FrenchCreekGC/index.html

[mike_malone]

   I think Gil Hanse brings a sense of humor to his designs which makes them fun. His short fours at Applebrook and FC prove it.

[Tim Gavrich]

Joe--

Curious if you'd like to expand more on the 15th hole.  I played FC in a junior tournament a few years ago and the pin was cut in a pretty edgy place and any ball on the left half of the green rolled off and down a hill 10 feet below the green, causing some players to lay up their second shots to the front-left fringe.  I thought the super-fast greens that day and the pin position made it a little goofy, but it's a neat hole nonetheless.

Cheers.

[Lester George]

Nice looking golf course.  Kudos to Gil.

Lester

[Joe Bausch]

   I think Gil Hanse brings a sense of humor to his designs which makes them fun. His short fours at Applebrook and FC prove it.

I have not spoken to Gil about FC, nor did I see it under construction like TPaul and others probably did.  But my guess would be that area where the quirky par 4 14th and 15th were placed would really cause some head scratching for an architect.  I think he did a wonderful job getting two fun holes in that location.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe--

Curious if you'd like to expand more on the 15th hole.  I played FC in a junior tournament a few years ago and the pin was cut in a pretty edgy place and any ball on the left half of the green rolled off and down a hill 10 feet below the green, causing some players to lay up their second shots to the front-left fringe.  I thought the super-fast greens that day and the pin position made it a little goofy, but it's a neat hole nonetheless.

Cheers.

Tim, the two times I've played FC the pin has been rightish on the green.  But I guess it would not surprise me if a left pin was used and the greens were icy that it would not make for a good hole.  Was Tom Meeks the pinsetter that day? 

What you mentioned happening is also an issue, IMO, on the 4th green at Hanse's Inniscrone.  The left third of the green is really not so pinnable if the greens are running quickly.

[Sean Leary]

I play at Stonewall quite a bit when I am in Philly, and need to get out to FC. It looks great.

[Bob Harris]

Joe--

Curious if you'd like to expand more on the 15th hole.  I played FC in a junior tournament a few years ago and the pin was cut in a pretty edgy place and any ball on the left half of the green rolled off and down a hill 10 feet below the green, causing some players to lay up their second shots to the front-left fringe.  I thought the super-fast greens that day and the pin position made it a little goofy, but it's a neat hole nonetheless.

Cheers.

# 15 is one of my favorite short par 4s.  Depending on the weather and the state of your game, you have 3 options off the tee.  Here's an aerial view.  Not positive, but I think the elevation change from the lower left fairway to the green is about 30 feet.

[Dan Herrmann]

I think the elevation difference is between 10' and 20'.  Holes cut on the left side of the green require a deft touch, but are definitely doable once you get the hang of the breaks. 

15 is a really cool hole.  You can hit anything from a driver to a 7 iron off the tee.  When the prevailing wind is blowing from the west, I like to play for the lower fairway and play a sand wedge up to the green.  If it's not terribly windy, driver or 3-wood to the right front of the green is a good line.

Laura takes a different line - she hits a driver about 160 and plays up to the upper fairway just left of that big bunker to the right.  There's a great speed slot up there that'll bounce your ball to the left along the upper fairway. 

#14 must've been really tough to design, as it was fully wooded.  Fortunately, Gil and Bruce (our head greenkeeper) have really opened up the hole to the left - you really can't play a shot from down there, (it's a steep bank down to the French Creek valley), but you can see the green from the tee.  Long range plans are to extend the green to the right and soften its contours a bit.

Interestingly you have a great view of #1 green floating 3/4 mile away from up on #14 tee.  And you have great views of both Stonewall courses from #13 green.

-----------

PS - Tim - you gotta get back out sometime - you wouldn't recogize the place due to the great conditioning we have now.  And it's not all wall-to-wall green - Bruce understands architectural intent.

[Bob Harris]

I think the elevation difference is between 10' and 20'.  Holes cut on the left side of the green require a deft touch, but are definitely doable once you get the hang of the breaks. 

I thought we got a higher number than that when we did the course rating last month.  Unfortunately, the course doesn't appear on Google Earth, so I can't check the elevation change here.

[Dan Herrmann]

Bob,
Honestly, I'm kinda making a swag on the elevation based on the size of the hill I climb up near the green. 

[Eric Pevoto]

Glad to see the place shining.    Nice pics, Joe.

[ed_getka]

Joe,
   Thanks for the fabulous photo tour. Given a few marsh carries it is not a course for a foozler, but otherwise it looks like a really interesting course to golf on. Thanks for sharing.

[Dan Herrmann]

Ed,
There actually aren't any forced carries over 100 yards from the front two sets of tees.  Makes it very playable for all.

[ed_getka]

Ed,
There actually aren't any forced carries over 100 yards from the front two sets of tees.  Makes it very playable for all.

Even better!

[Emil Weber]

Wow, that looks good. Hanse is right up there with Doak and Coore.

Is the 9th hole like a reverse version of Pacific Dunes' 6th ?

[Andy Hughes]

Joe, good stuff, thanks. The course looks fun, challenging and interesting. Dan's a lucky guy. 

Looking forward to my first Hanse course with you boys July 11.

[Dan Herrmann]

PS - Anybody on GCA is more than welcome to come on out - just IM me if you're interested.

Emil, I've never thought of FC 9 being a reverse of PD 6, but now that I think of it, I can see where you're coming from.  I can tell you that the green complex at FC 9 is similar to something you'd encouter at any of the Bandon courses.

[Rory Connaughton]

I had the pleasure of playing French Creek yesterday thanks to the kind hospitality of Dan and Laura Herrmann.  For starters the course is complimented by the beautiful countryside which surrounds it.  The native grasses and flowers are changing color and provide terrific contrast to the fairways and greens and compliment the bunkering beautifully.  The course itself is a joy to play. Firm and fast.  What really brings the course to life is the bunkering and green complexes.  The photos do not do justice to the artistry employed in the design of this course.  If given the opportunity, get out to French Creek.  It is a wonderful place.