Prairie Club, it stands and delivers...

[RJ_Daley]

...even more that I expected!!!

I expected plenty  My anticipation that it must be great and my understanding of what was possible out there after first visiting the property with Hanse and Shack and meeting Doc, was extremely high, almost unrealistic.  After reading some of the early posts and seeing photo journeys by our GCA.com participants, I thought there must be a few chinks in the armour of a few mistakes or blemishes in the overall design or concept.  There have been a few isolated nits to pick judging from other's observations and comments. 

Well, the nits are just that.  Only in the understanding that nothing is perfect in golf design and project development, can I justify any comment of any aspect of the two courses and facilites found at Prairie Club to have a nit of any negative feature.  The Prairie Club is a vision and dream come true. 

Rather than try and post photos, of which I was a bit disappointed that mine were not of sufficient quality to post and do the place justice, I would refer those who are trying to get a handle on the quality and scope of the courses there to find some of the other threads, and go to the PC website.  Frankly, I don't think I have the photographic taking skill to get the essence of the vast and awesome bredth and golf playing excitement that awaits golfers there.  If folks get into this thread, I'll try to keep up with comments.  I'll start with an overall observation that it is certainly true that the Pines course is a most wonderful and comfortable playing venue for the less skilled, with exciting design features that at first impression might scare or shock you into thinking how dramatic and difficult it must be, then eases you into a journey around the course that causes you to become increasingly excited at how you can play well and enjoy the dramatic terrain you are encountering.  Graham Marsh has exceded his other excellent effort at Sutton Bay, on a better piece of land, and a more walkable and accessible routing, IMHO.  My playing companion Adam Clayman is a hurting unit right now, and I also have had great back pain problems, so we did cartball it.  But, I have been feeling good enough that I wouldn't hesitate to walk it if I get another shot at it in the coming years.  Playig from the correct tees matching your ability is always crutial.  I feel that the Pines is definitely a course for all skill levels in the most equitable sense.  The greens contours and surrounds are fabulous.  Adam felt they were a little more random in contours than specific to approach strategies, while I felt they are to be learned and experienced over many plays to discover their intracacies and how to play them.  I could play the pines course everyday for 100 years and not get bored, or frustrated at the challenge to negotiate the design features that are there.  The presents of the pine trees is a wonderful contrast to the rest of the sand hill offerings, and does not detract in any way from the pure sand hill experience.  To have such a contrast at the same facility is one aspect that really sets PC apart from its other sand hill sister courses, IMO.  As I understand this, the Pines course is scheduled in the near future to remain accessible to the public.  So if you are among the public, and you love golf, get out there while the gettin is good!!!

Dunes comments later...

[George Pazin]

Hi Dick -

Though you may feel your photos are lacking, I still think you should post them - they are likely far better than you think, and will draw more comments than either of our words...

Can you comment on how the course turned out relative to your vision and Gil and Geoff's?

In what ways is it similar to Sand Hills or Wild Horse? Different?

Pick a few holes and spell things out in detail...thanks.

[Adam Clayman]

Ok George, I'll bite.
The second hole on the Pines course is Par 5. The drive skylines over a rather large center line bunker complex. To the right of this centerline feature is a saddle-like fairway, between a bunker complex on the right side.  After one play, the strategy is evident that the left side of the center bunker is a fool's errand. Because the second shot from there (over the crest of the saddle) is rather tricky, if one decides not to bust their fairway metal with a go for the green. The reason it's dicey is that there's a cut out of native that enters from the left side,(blind from the tee) there are smaller gathering bunkers placed along the right. Virtually narrowing down the available fairway grass, creating a lay up shot that must be precise in both distance and direction. With only a fence post to mark the 150 yard mark, one would need to have their head in the yardage book to gauge. There's also a large bunker, on the left side of the fairway, as well as a bunker guarding the front of the green left.
This native cut out is a bit controversial, imo. It's been the focus of extensive searches for balls each round I've played there. The green is perched up from the fairway bottom on one side and benched into a smallish dune on the right side. The front of the green is ample with a narrowing to the rear. There's a confluence of slopes at the pinching, which makes for exciting putting opportunities. Probably one of the best greens out there.

[George Pazin]

Ok George, I'll bite.
The second hole on the Pines course is Par 5. The drive skylines over a rather large center line bunker complex. To the right of this centerline feature is a saddle-like fairway, between a bunker complex on the right side.  After one play, the strategy is evident that the left side of the center bunker is a fool's errand. Because the second shot from there (over the crest of the saddle) is rather tricky, if one decides not to bust their fairway metal with a go for the green. The reason it's dicey is that there's a cut out of native that enters from the left side,(blind from the tee) there are smaller gathering bunkers placed along the right. Virtually narrowing down the available fairway grass, creating a lay up shot that must be precise in both distance and direction. With only a fence post to mark the 150 yard mark, one would need to have their head in the yardage book to gauge. There's also a large bunker, on the left side of the fairway, as well as a bunker guarding the front of the green left.
This native cut out is a bit controversial, imo. It's been the focus of extensive searches for balls each round I've played there. The green is perched up from the fairway bottom on one side and benched into a smallish dune on the right side. The front of the green is ample with a narrowing to the rear. There's a confluence of slopes at the pinching, which makes for exciting putting opportunities. Probably one of the best greens out there.

perfect.

A few more holes would be appreciated.

[Adam Clayman]

George, I don't have time right now to do another hole.

I would however like to clear up some issues some people may be having with The Prairie Club.

Back when they announced the Marsh and Lehman courses, there was erroneous information being spread that one person had shafted Gil, Geoff and Jim.

That information was not correct.

Since the ground the original routed course, the Gil Jim and Geoff course, was not part of the land sale to Paul Shock, it became a whole new project.

So, the perception that Gil got the shaft is inaccurate.

[Eric Smith]

It's great to read about your journey to the Prairie Club, Dick.  It's been a long time coming, eh?  And your partner in crime...he has been a golf machine over the past few months! Thank you for the hole description, Adam.  I look forward to reading more about your all's visit.

[RJ_Daley]

George, I need to summon more ambition to go through the rigamarole of getting the not so good pix downloaded to a photobucket in order to post some.  Maybe later...

Adam warned me about that left side of 2, but I hit it there based on trying to play my general fade to slice off the center Bs and the darn thing went straight left.  It runs out of FW over the crest.  I think the drive was OK on my second round just missing the B.

One aspect of playing Pines is a thing we did, picking and mixing green and white tees.  This par 5 second and a few others actually play better from the whites than greens IMO, because you have more room to actually experience the best design results of such a shot like the tee ball on this 2nd, where you may be on the sucker side, but won't usually run out of FW over the blind crest into rough.  You should still have FW to make that second shot decison as to where to place the lay-up. 

I really liked a few of the hole sequences like 6 par 3 shortish, to a very false front green with dramatic green trough contour and backboard rear; 7 par 5 that has plenty of room right off the tee, but you then have a forced lay-up to left on second, but a line of charm flirting straight away off tee that ends up with a second shot you could learn to play just right and a chance at the green due to severe downslope to green, yet plenty of minefield green guarding bunkers. I thought I totally lost my second shot steep down right and found it saved by a clever little saviour shelf, but leaving a finicky 3rd approach. It continues to 8 par 4 uphill, with interesting LZ and great green complex, then the 9th, super fun drivable par 4 with all kinds of neat stuff front and back of the green, then on to par 3 10th, with huge amazing green that falls away rear right always narrowing as it goes back right.  That string of holes stands out to me.  see PC website pictograph of Pines course...

http://www.theprairieclub.com/coursetour/thepinescourse/

16-17-18 are a great finish, to be described later..