[PThomas]

i had the chance to play this very fine Smyers club recently..i think the course doesnt get enough attention..besides having many fine holes, the course is "out in the middle of nowhere", which is a huge plus:  no housing, very quiet....

4 sets of tees, 7102, 6718, 6553, 6373...yardages i cite are from the second longest set

1st hole tee shot, par 5, 519 yards, dogleg left



from behind 1..there's a nasty ridge in the green!



approach to #2, dogleg right par 4, 432 yds



approach to 3, a difficult dogleg left par 4 of 452 yds....you can run the ball on the green from the right...thank goodness!



3rd to number 5, par 5, 506 yds



more in a bit...

[Steve Kline]

Paul - is that course in Bealsville? If so I put in some of the drainage on the greens. I worked on the course for a week or two after college until I realized I was cut out for the job, was going to move way more than I wanted, and wasn't going to have much opportunity to actually play golf.

[PCCraig]

Paul:

Thanks for posting. Smyers certainly creates some bold features. I like the bunkering but the more I look at them the repetitive hang down lip seen in the center of most bugs me.

[PThomas]

Paul - is that course in Bealsville? If so I put in some of the drainage on the greens. I worked on the course for a week or two after college until I realized I was cut out for the job, was going to move way more than I wanted, and wasn't going to have much opportunity to actually play golf.

yes it is Steve

[PThomas]

par 3 5th, 183 yds



tee shot on 6, par 4, 308



approach to 6



par 3 7th, 168 yds



tee shot on 8, 364 yds



9th tee, 429 yds, a stern hole



approach to 9



downhill par 3 10th, 175 yds




11- 425 yds- you can catch a downslope with a good tee ball



2nd to 11..that is a creek in the foreground that big hitters may have to be concerned with



a look back at 11

[Anthony_Nysse]

The bunkering on the par 3, 5th look totally out of character with the rest of the course. I know that A LOT of courses in that area had a VERY tough summer. If they lost any turfgrass, the course has recovered VERY well. Place looks great!

[Phil_the_Author]

Paul,

It looks like a fun and challenging golf course. I must say, though, that the first thing that struck me in your photographs were the encroachment of so many mature trees casting large and long shadows across putting surfaces and fairways. Was this the result of time of day and/or year or is there a need to remove more of them?

[PThomas]

Paul,

It looks like a fun and challenging golf course. I must say, though, that the first thing that struck me in your photographs were the encroachment of so many mature trees casting large and long shadows across putting surfaces and fairways. Was this the result of time of day and/or year or is there a need to remove more of them?

Philip - i think it was a function of the time of day, as twas approaching twilight

[PThomas]

cool cross bunkers on 12, 425 yds



beautiful uphill 14th, 374 yds



15, 217 yds



15 from the green



18 tee, 538 yds, par 5



 
a few holes  missing, sorry, was having such a great time with my host, enjoying the course and its surrounds and the perfect weather and twilight approaching...

Four Streams is quite good, and one should not pass up an opportunity to play it, even thought it is a bit out of the way...another fine piece of work from Mr. Smyers

[Carl Nichols]

Paul:
I think you mislabeled the second shot to #9 as the shot to #10, and the par 3 10th as the 11th. 

Philip:
The first 12 holes at Four Streams are pretty open, so that's probably just a function of the light and the camera. After 13, though, the course goes into a more densely wooded area, and definitely feels (to me, at least) a lot tighter.

Smyers really requires the player to think about and use slopes on holes like #5, #6 (great short par 4), #11 (which has an awesome green, even if it's not a great driving hole IMHO), and #13.  The cross bunkers on 12 are cool, too, and 18 is a fun finishing hole.  Really good course.

[PThomas]

Paul:
I think you mislabeled the second shot to #9 as the shot to #10, and the par 3 10th as the 11th. 

correction made Carl thx

[Matt_Ward]

Paul:

Played there about 5-6 years ago -- why course doesn't fare even better is hard to fathom. The location isn't exactly a place that's on the beaten trail but once there the setting is well done. Solid Smyers effort and this time he had quality land to allow the personality of the course to shine.

Well worth playing for those in the DC area -- especially if they can wiggle an invite when the Open is held at Congressional next June.

Paul -- if you gave a Doak course number what would it be ?

I'll respond after your reply.

[Carl Nichols]

Matt:
For me, it's one of those courses that could be either a 6 or 7, and that's not a criticism -- I think that makes it a very very good course.  Whether it's a 6 or 7, for me, depends on how I'm feeling about the weaker holes. 

[PThomas]

Matt - i'd give it a Doak 7 i think...i guess i could understand someone giving it a 6, but certainly no lower

a testing layout in good condition in a great setting...hard to beat that!

[Matt_Ward]

Carl:

Interesting point -- but what are the "weak" holes in your mind.

Paul:

I think FS gets little acclaim because so much focus is on courses in and around the 495 Beltway.

FS is one of Maryland's best layouts and as I said previously very few people talk about it and even fewer have played it.

Deserves a better awareness from those who love quality design. Hats off to Smyers there.

[Carl Nichols]

Carl:

Interesting point -- but what are the "weak" holes in your mind.

Weak holes:
7; everything but the green on 11; 15; 17.  These aren't bad holes by any measure, there's just not really really good IMHO, and thus could slip Four Streams from a 7 to a 6. 

Did I miss your number?   

[Ben Kodadek]

I'll go ahead and ask before someone beats me to it....why the striping in the rough?

[Matt_Ward]

Carl:

No real disagreement -- but for MD FS is very solid in so many ways. MD has a better portfolio of public and CCFAD layouts -- unfortunately few people have made the trek to Bealsville. Beltway-itis indeed keeps many from venturing too far off the well worn path.

[Tommy Williamsen]

A few years ago there was some talk about altering #11.  It is the most controversial hole on the course.  The wetlands at the bottom of the hill created an awkward second shot.  Generally you have a down hill lie hitting to an elevated green, 175-200 yards away.  Before the economy went south there was a suggestion of moving the fairway to the right and the green back and to the left and making the hole a par five.  The drive and the second shot would need to be well struck to carry the wetlands.  It would be interesting to see if it would work. 

The club has Smyers come in once a year to walk the course and make some suggestions.  I think it is a good practice.  One that more clubs should have.

[Rob_Waldron]

In intersting note is that Jerry Pate did the original routing for Four Streams. Steve Smyers used the approved routing and cmpleted the construction drawings for the course. The property was originally a nursery so there was plenty of landscape inventroy to incorporate into the course.

Tommy: I always thought #11 would make an interesting par 5 with the changes that you mention. What intrigues me is the opportunity to build an alternate par 5 green to the left and keep the existing green ala #18 at Manufacturers G&CC outside of Philly. 

[Matt_Ward]

Be curious to know if FS has hosted any major state or regional events ?

[Tommy Williamsen]

It has held the MD Open, Middle Atlantic Am,  and is a regular site for Junior Am qualifiers.  It is the home course for Georgetown U and the site of their invitational.

[Matt_Ward]

Tommy:

Thanks -- hard for me to fathom why the course doesn't get even more attention -- especially given the dearth of really solid private layouts that are nearby.

[Rob_Waldron]

Four Streams has also hosted US Am Qualifier.

It is well recognized in the DC area. It is a second club for many Congressional and Lakewood members.

The golf course is generally known for its fine conditioning.

[Jerry Kluger]

Matt: Membership at Four Streams is limited to individuals - what I understand this to mean is that your spouse is not a member and can only play as a guest.  I also understand that junior play is not allowed.  We can have all kinds of discussions about this but that certainly has some limitations at its exposure.  What is interesting is that it has an 18th hole with a hidden green similar to that at Dismal River which had caused a great deal of discussion.  Personally, I was not a fan of the 18th at DR and I am not a fan of the 18th at FS. However, FS is still to me a really good course with some fine holes and great conditioning.  For a long time I drove all the way out there to take lessons from their teaching pro, Steve Bosdosh.   In fact, I had seriously considered membership but I needed a place where I could play with my kids. 

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