[Bill McKinley]

Gents,

A couple weeks ago I ventured out to Long Island with a friend of mine to play some golf.  We had been planning to do this for a few months since my buddy dangled a huge golfing carrot out there when he mentioned he was able to gain some very solid contacts at the famed NGLA.  NGLA is one of my 5 courses that I have defined as a "whenever I get the chance, I'm going, no matter what I have going on."

So, we were able to play some other wonderful places while on our trip, and I figured I'd share some of my experiences with you all here in the treehouse.

First stop was an early morning round at The Bridge.  A very well healed newer place in Bridgehampton which was originally designed by Rees Jones, but is undergoing some very very cool renovations right now.  The Bridge was built the grounds of an old race track and some of the old signage and infrastructure is still around...



Entrance to the club as seen from the 18th tee


The golf course sits on high ground overlooking the Peconic Bay.  From the clubhouse...


The first hole plays very downhill as you can see from this lookback...


2 is a really tough long par 3 that was made even tougher by that hole location.  (Note the bunkers.  Not very Rees Jones like)


4 was one of my favorite holes at The Bridge.  Mid length par 4 with a very cool greensite


Very good look from behind the 4th


#5 is a longish drop shot par 3 with a phenomenal vista of the bay


#7 is a very good example of the work that is being done and how it will definitely improve the overall playability and fun of the golf course. Definitely a reachable par 5, now the tee shot is hit out of a bit of a chute into a very wide fairway  Before the change I believe players would have to trudge up a large hill and hit to a fairway about half the size.  Now players can challenge a centerline bunker to the left and hit a speed slot which will drastically reduce the length of your 2nd into the par 5.

Tee shot


Approach from the right side of the fairway


A closer look at the bunkering near the green.  Strategy galore!


#10 Par 5.  Downhill tee shot and uphill the rest of the way


#13 is a really long and difficult par 4 from the back tees, which at The Bridge are known as The Checkered tees.  Note the proximity of this tee and the 12th green.  A fair amount of quirk for a modern golf course as you hit over the previous green/approach


This shot of the 13th fairway was taken from the 10th tee. You can see the big mound/half bowl to the right of the green which helps errant approach shots funnel on down to the green.  A very cool view too!


The 16th hole is another example of the changes helping overall playability.  Before, players were asked to traverse up a very large hill to the tee box and hit down again to the green.  At this point in your round, a climb up this small mountain was a big ask.  Now the tee is situated at the left hand base of the hill and its an easy walk from the previous green.  Now the player is greeted with the view of almost a reverse redan par 3, although it doesn't really play that way.


The finishing hole is a good par 5 that presents a good opportunity to finish with a birdie.  Again the speed slot is an option with the well struck and well placed tee ball.  A very attractive 2nd shot that plays uphill.  The flag seen in the distance is cut on the back left portion of the green


Here's a look at the ultra modern clubhouse that sits high atop the golf course


So to sum up, I really enjoyed my round at The Bridge.  I didn't quite know what to expect, but my expectations were exceeded.  The most enjoyable part however, was the fact that I was able to get a lot of information about the ongoing renovations, where they would like to be going and how they got there.  Also of note, our caddy Adam was terrific.  One of the best I've had in my travels.  It should be noted that one of his trademark moves is his ability to forecaddy by running full speed, with bags in hand, about 300 yards ahead over rough terrain.  And being able to do so on many occasions.  

Special thanks to GCA's own Jeff Warne, who rode around with us for the majority of our round explaining many of the changes that they are implementing at The Bridge.

Next stop... Maidstone, The Ultimate Hamptons Country Club

[Joel_Stewart]

To be fair, the bunkers have been rebuilt.  Below are photos from Rees web site that show what the typical Rees bunkers looked like.

[Mike Sweeney]

Wow, The Bridge looks very very different. I remember very well the banked up slope and then trees on the left side of #1. Now they are all gone. Nicely done by The Bridge team.

[BHoover]

Thanks for sharing these, Bill.  I've never been to the Hamptons (for golf or otherwise), so I'm really surprised that the terrain is so undulating and has such dramatic elevation changes.  I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures.

[Bill McKinley]

Joel,

Thanks for posting those pics.  And yes, I did mean to say that that bunkers have been rebuilt.  But your pictures really do illustrate how much has changed over the last year or so there.

[Mark Pritchett]

Thanks for posting the Bridge photos.  I am glad to see the changes that are moving this course in the right direction.  If you get the opportunity to play there, take it! 

[jeffwarne]

Well was going to wait until we finished the renovation, and give it a chance to grow in but.......

The renovation is a collaboration spearheaded by our talented Superintendant Gregg Stanley , his incredible crew , myself, and Bryce Swanson ,Rees Jones Lead Associate.
The work has been done entirely in house, with the occasional outsourcing of bulldozer labor from a local earthmover. The "shaping" has been done by members of the crew, Gregg Stanley, and as demand/his schedule permits by a local shaper.
Because the bunkers are finished off entirely by hand , they carry the stamp of the laborers who are very good at adding their own touches which make them look quite old and definitely not mass produced.
It is NOT just a bunker renovation or simple aesthetic change,and is FAR bigger project than  that that  involving quite a bit of earth moving.
There are MANY holes where the entire perimeter of the hole was changed, and few grassing lines were untouched.

Most of the turf being used is being recycled from various parts of the course, particularly as we relocate old tees,and revegitate the formerly high input areas they were located in.

The goal is to make the course MUCH more walkable, and to offer the golfer width and  strategic  choices, but to also make it more maintainable in our VERY windy environment, where sand blowing out of bunkers is a frequent theme.

Also,in addition to locating them as near as possible to the previous greens, we have made an effort to lay the tees a bit more gently on the land and into the native vegetation and not have them so stacked,surrounded by green, and visible from various vistas around the course.
Bill's picture of #10 kind've highlights this contrast with 10 tee being original (the rest of the hole has been renovated) and #11 tee new.


Overall we have greatly reduced the amount of bunker acreage,and greatly increased fairway acreage but the bunkers  that are left are MUCH more in the line od preferred play and some are quite severe, at MANY different yardages from the various tees.



On Hole 2, which Bill commented on, we have NOT renovated the left bunkers yet , they just were given a different edge treatment a few years ago to avoid blowing sand and work WITH the windy environment, rather than against it.
 Most likely on hole #2, in keeping with the theme of the renovation, there will be much less sand more thoughtfully placed, but we've got a few ideas that may be implemented as well.
We did redo and greatly enlarge the approach chipping area and back right bunker in fall 2011.

Holes 3, 4, 5, and 6 have not been renovated and we will finish them in the fall/winter of 2013/14


If you click on Bill's excellent pictures, particularly # 7 tee shot and 13 tee shot, you can enlarge them and that gives a MUCH more accurate depiction of what's going on on those holes.

Note: Bill, your shot of 13 from 10 tee is overlooking the old #13 tees, which were revegitated last spring when we relocated the blue and black tees next to 12 green. The checker tee you picture on 13 is new this spring, and creates a cool Cape hole feel from all tees. (the carry looks intimidating but if you zoom iyou'll see it's actually easily carried)
Ironically I kind've like the look of the new centerline bunker from that old angle.
Zooming in on Bill's shot of 13 tee shows multiple options , either challenging the Cape or slinging around the centerline bunker to a speed slot, which was formerly all flanking bunker.
 
In many/most cases, large parallel flanking bunkers were replaced with fairway creating width, and  replaced with smaller, more strategically placed bunkers to take advantage of the newfound width which opens up preferred angles. Many bunkers  now seemingly "in the middle of the fairway" are actually part of a preexisting flanking bunker where fairway was added, and the bunker reduced in size but increased in difficulty to create useable alternate risk/reward routes to a hole, speed slot or pin placement.
edit:see Mark Saltzman's tee shot picture on #7-there's fairway over the far right bunkers, the far left bunker and the optimum line is left(which used to be all sand) of the centerline bunker to hit the superhot speed slot played in a prevailing left to right helping wind.

Also if you zoom on Bill's #7 second shot picture you'll see #8 tees up in the native near 7 green-the old tees were 120 yards long and left and in the area where you see new native only about an inch high now.
also if you look at Bill's second shot picture of 7 you'll see that the hill in the second shot was cut quite a bit to create more fairway and second shot options-previously the layup was pretty boring and divots were very concentrated.

if you click on 10 and zoom you'll see in the background where the hole 11 tees have been moved into the native vegetation, and the open area behind where the tees used to be seeded in native grasses. (barely grown in about an inch high at the moment)
edit: see Mark Saltzman's before pictures

Many tees have been relocated adjacent to greens saving the walker hundreds, if not thousands of feet in elevation change and distance over the course of 18 holes, with the added benefit of adding angles to many tee shots. When making a cut into some of these former "next tee mountains", the dirt was pushed (where possible and practical) to create land bridges where one does not have to walk down off a green, then up to a tee, then down again.

The walk has been softened from green to tee on 6 to 7, 7 to 8, 8 to 9 , 10 to 11 (arguably about the same walk,but moved tees to a beautiful historic part of the race track-"Echo Valley"- with great sandy vistas and  unusual vegetation including heather)
11 to 12, 12 to 13 , 13 to 14, 15 to 16 (as Bill illustrates eliminating 100 feet in elevation change) 16 to 17 .

We also softened the walk from 1 to 2, tying the green more visually to #2 by eliminating a large mound and opening up a big golf course bext hole view.
2 to 3 walk has been softened by cutting a slot into a mound, and will be softened and integrated to #3 further in the fall, when the tees are located closer to # 2 green.

Also may find a way to tie 17 green to 18 tee eliminating the last long walk.

It's still a work in progress, but if you played it 10 years ago, you would be VERY surprised.
Some of the work in Bill's photos was completed in April and is knitting in nicely, but like the work we 've completed the last couple years, like any other course, will look much better with a bit of maturity.

Member response has been overwhelmingly positive, with the occasional lament about a couple lost water views.
I would argue that the improved interior golf course and natural vegetation views are far better and diverse, and it's not as if The Bridge is starved for water views.

Will follow up with pictures when the grass has grown a bit and it will be less confusing

[jeffwarne]

Wow, The Bridge looks very very different. I remember very well the banked up slope and then trees on the left side of #1. Now they are all gone. Nicely done by The Bridge team.

Mike,
Send me your email?
I'll send you some pictures of the finished #1 from the tee. Very different.

Meanwhile, click on Bill's pictures on 7 and 13 -you'll see some good stuff.
part of 2,3,4, 5,6 not renovated yet

[jonathan_becker]

President McKinley,

Thanks for starting this thread.  I've heard good things about the work at The Bridge, and Jeff, thanks for your comments.

This should be a good thread with all the courses involved.

[Bill McKinley]

After traveling through Sag Harbor and into East Hampton I realized that this is what everyone is talking about when they say how cool the Hamptons are.  There are hundreds of beautiful homes with impeccable landscaping and architecture.  The streets are lined with shops and restaurants.  Very cool.  If I had my choice, I think I would like to spend my summers in East Hampton.  And if I "summered" there, I would definitely like to join Maidstone.

Maidstone is a club that has something for everyone.  Beach club, cabanas, tennis, paddle tennis, a great clubhouse with Ocean views and oh yeah the golf!  Maidstone has two golf courses, the East Course, which is a short course of 9 holes where members will play twice to have an 18 hole round.  And the West Course, which is the main event for most.  It is a wonderful members golf course.  It is extremely fun to play, plays very different from one day to the next, has plenty of world class holes and is the only course in Long Island with Ocean views.  What more could you ask for!!  I've heard critics of Maidstone say that it has a weak start and a weak finish.  Humbug!! This place has an identity.  Its not meant to beat you up from 1-18, it's meant to easy you into your round and also give you a chance for a strong finish.  Make no mistake, the meat of the golf course is in the middle, but I have much respect for the entire course.

Here's a view of the elegant clubhouse after walking off the 1st tee...


A look back from the 1st green.  A short par 4 with a neat little green site.  The 18th hole is to the right in the photo...


Many will say that the 2nd is one of the weaker holes on the course, but the green site again is very entertaining.  Very sharp drop off to the golfers right that will no doubt play into the minds of short approaches and long putts!


Things really start to pick up when you reach the 6th.  A medium length par 4 with a new (I believe?!) center line bunker that adds a nice element of strategy to the tee shot...


Excellent bunkering on this hole.  Love the left greenside bunker in this picture.  It looks much more impressive in person...
 

This shot taken from the 7th green highlight some of the wonderful terrain at Maidstone.  Just right of the flag is the 10th green in the distance and further right is the short par 3 8th...


The semi blind par 3 8th is a really neat hole.  The right hand dunes block out most of the green, although I could see the flag while standing on the left side of the tee box.  I really liked this hole...


A look back at the 8th green from the 9th tee...


#9 is probably the most well known hole at Maidstone.  Its a mid length par 4 with the Atlantic Ocean off to your right and a fairway situated between the dunes.  Outstanding!


Don't miss to the golfers right on this hole! A very steep drop off down to a bunker about 15 feet below the green awaits...


After playing 8 & 9, the 10th hole is certainly no let down.  A straightaway tee shot with a green perched up high and exposed to the elements.


A closer look at the green.  Today's back hole location was almost impossible to get close to...


One more look from the back edge of the green.  Ahhhhhh.....


The iconic short 14th in all it's beauty...


The 15th tee right next to the beach...


Hit your drive through the chute and look to your right at the beautiful homes.  Life at Maidstone!


The stretch 6-10 is probably the most impressive on the course from a quality of hole and architecture standpoint, but the stretch of 12-16 is definitely the most entertaining when it comes to your scorecard.  It goes Par 3,5,3,5,5 and birdies and eagles are possible, but so are double bogies.  From a match play standpoint, superb!

One more look at the view from the 18th green...


I really enjoyed my round at Maidstone.  The club and the golf course exceeded my expectations.  What a fun golf course to play!  It won't ever be long on the scorecard, but it will always be long on fun and playability.

Up next: One of the founding member clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

[Mark Saltzman]

As has been noted elsewhere, C&C have completed some bunker work at Maidstone.  Below see some before and after comparisons from Oct. 2011 vs Bill's photos from May 2013 (I presume)

Things really start to pick up when you reach the 6th.  A medium length par 4 with a new (I believe?!) center line bunker that adds a nice element of strategy to the tee shot...





Excellent bunkering on this hole.  Love the left greenside bunker in this picture.  It looks much more impressive in person...



 



After playing 8 & 9, the 10th hole is certainly no let down.  A straightaway tee shot with a green perched up high and exposed to the elements.






A closer look at the green.  Today's back hole location was almost impossible to get close to...







Hit your drive through the chute and look to your right at the beautiful homes.  Life at Maidstone!

[Mark Saltzman]

And here are a couple of before and afters of the work done at The Bridge.  My photos are taken in October, 2012.

#7 is a very good example of the work that is being done and how it will definitely improve the overall playability and fun of the golf course. Definitely a reachable par 5, now the tee shot is hit out of a bit of a chute into a very wide fairway  Before the change I believe players would have to trudge up a large hill and hit to a fairway about half the size.  Now players can challenge a centerline bunker to the left and hit a speed slot which will drastically reduce the length of your 2nd into the par 5.

Tee shot






Approach from the right side of the fairway






A closer look at the bunkering near the green.  Strategy galore!






#10 Par 5.  Downhill tee shot and uphill the rest of the way

[Patrick_Mucci]

Bill,

Great photo tour.

Jeff,

Great summary.

The dune to the front right of # 8 tee at Maidstone seems much smaller and lower than when I last played there.

When was it softened ?

[Todd Melrose]

Bill, great pictures- and the weather sure looked fantastic
Thanks for sharing

[Bill McKinley]

Patrick,

Thank you.  And yes I believe the dune the right of 8 was softened/lowered some.  It was my impression before that the tee shot there was totally blind, I didn't find that to be the case when I played.

Mark,

Thank you for adding you photos of each place to compare and contrast. I think the work that C&C has done has really turned out well! Especially #10. Wow!

[Mac Plumart]

Thanks, Bill.

Jeff...great comments.  The Bridge is looking really good.

Saltzman...excellent work!

[Dan Byrnes]

Enjoyed those.  Thanks for sharing.   Looking forward to the next stop,

Dan

[cary lichtenstein]

great changes

[Ronald Montesano]

President McKinley,

This is a top-notch thread...glad to see you are out of the bathtub...time to revisit Buffalo; we won't treat you so harshly this time around.

What courses are next on the agenda?

Did you find that the Bridge (don't answer, Jeff Warne!) is striving to alter its feel/aesthetics from what it had originally? What would that feel/aesthetics be, in your opinion?

Was the Bridge as firm a course as Maidstone, or were its fairways running less than the more-established course?

For anyone, does the Bridge have more elevation change than most eastern LI courses?

[Mike Sweeney]

For anyone, does the Bridge have more elevation change than most eastern LI courses?

Jeff would know the exact numbers, but here goes:

The Bridge and Noyac are built on ridges that look north to Peconic Bay/Sag Harbor, and yes they have some very interesting elevation changes. The Bridge sits higher/at the top on the ridge and Noyac sits on the lower end. The Bridge would seem like it has more elevation change but that may be due to the views. Atlantic is on a former potato farm closer to the ocean on flatter terrain.

Back when "The Bridge" was a famous race car track, I believe this elevation was part of its allure. I did two 4 wheel drive events on the property and was really excited when I heard they were building a golf course. The owner is a Yale graduate and the terrain is less severe than Yale, and there are no rocks like you had at Yale. I was thinking this course would be a modern day Yale on better soil.

I only played the course the one time back in the day, and my feeling was Rees Jones tried too hard to max out the Peconic Bay views, which were spectacular, but also created tough walks and elevation changes that were not necessary. I have always really liked Atlantic Golf Club but I always thought The Bridge could have been a better golf course because of its unique terrain.

Now it seems like they (Jeff and The Bridge team) are addressing all of the severity of the terrain that held the course back. Between the tree clearing, opening up landing areas, creating simpler green to tee walks with less views and more strategy, it really is a course that I need to see again. Bunkering is really just eye candy to me, but this new version looks better too.

Good luck to Bob, Jeff and the team on these changes.

[Chris Munoz]

I just have one question regarding maidstone.  the pin flags and the numbers on it.  is that what they use or are those temp flags.  I would think for a private club like maidstone, they would have a logo on there pin flags.  just wondering. 

looks like CC cleared a lot brush that was overgrowing.  opened a lot of sight lines and created and brought back some of the natural features that maidstone has. 

thanks for sharing the pics. 

[jeffwarne]

President McKinley,

This is a top-notch thread...glad to see you are out of the bathtub...time to revisit Buffalo; we won't treat you so harshly this time around.

What courses are next on the agenda?

Did you find that the Bridge (don't answer, Jeff Warne!) is striving to alter its feel/aesthetics from what it had originally? What would that feel/aesthetics be, in your opinion?

Was the Bridge as firm a course as Maidstone, or were its fairways running less than the more-established course?

For anyone, does the Bridge have more elevation change than most eastern LI courses?

Ron,
Given that Bill has only played it once, recently, not sure he can answer those questions about altering, short of him quoting conversations we had about the past.
Mike Sweeney and Cary L. saw earlier versions.

Frank Pont's golf course architecture pictures website has some wonderful pictures taken around 2005/2006 by some of the guys on Tom Doak's crew.
Some interesting comparisons can be made from those., even though even by that point some of the tree thinning had begun.
The Bridge is pretty firm and fast.
The Bridge is pure sand and has NEVER been closed for rain.
Once about 7-8 years ago we had 15 inches in two days and were the only course open for several days.
Several courses were closed for as much as 10 days.
sitting 240 feet above the bay at the highest point on Long Island certainly helps drainage
but it's sure cold as hell today

Maidstone sure is looking good!!

[Bill McKinley]

Ron,

Thanks for the kind words on the thread! As far as my impressions on The Bridge, it is difficult to tell what they are striving for based off one play in mid May.  But I would say that the place definitely plays firm and fast.  There was apparently a bunch of rain prior to our visit, we played early in the morning and the ball was bouncing!! Ball marks were difficult to find on the greens and you can just tell with the turf and the site (sitting up high and exposed to much wind) that it would normally play firm and fast.  I would say, with this renovation that they are increasing playability and walkability.  Our caddy had pointed out where some of the tee locations were previously and it would seem that walking 18 holes at The Bridge before would have been quite a challenge.  That being said, there are still plenty of views of the Bay while playing there.

The fairways at The Bridge where definitely running more than Maidstone.  The main reason for that is that Maidstone's fairways are usually quite long as compared to many other clubs of that stature due to their lack of fairway irrigation.  From what I've been told the fairways are long in the spring and baked out fast in the summer.  Really cool!

[Bill McKinley]

The previous day while making our way out to play The Bridge, we were driving along rt 27 through Southampton, when I looked to my left and saw it.  The "it" in this case was the iconic clubhouse of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.  Right up the hill just off Tuckahoe road.  In fact, if you had to travel on Tuckahoe road to get to your destination, you would drive within about 30 feet of the clubhouse and right across the 12th fairway.  Not that I'm encouraging excess traffic past Shinnecock, but if you are in the area, it would be worth a drive by.  But it just so happens that on this day, we would not be doing a drive by, we would be there to play!

We pulled into the parking lot across from the street from the clubhouse and it's very near the 10th tee and the 13th green.  In the distance you can see the windmill and clubhouse of The National and also the clubhouse of Sebonack.  It's very exciting.  This could be the nexus of the golfing universe! So much amazing golf packed into this little area of Southampton.  Oh yeah, you can also see a bit of Southampton CC from Shinnecock as well.  Why not!!

We arrived early to talk with a couple of the staff members at Shinny that we had dinner with the night before.  They toured us around the clubhouse and into the locker room.  Interestingly, there is no heat or air conditioning in the clubhouse.  We had a beautiful day for golf, but I will say that walking around the locker room in the morning, it was quite chilly in there!  I have to imagine that in the summer months it gets pretty warm in there, but that's why they have the most amazing porch!

Here's a view of the clubhouse from the practice putting green...


The 1st is a handshake opener bending to the right.  Elevated tee shot with the clubhouse right behind you.


The clubhouse dominates your perspective all the way around the golf course.  It is the only building that you can see while your on property.  Here's the look from behind the first green...


The handshakes are over after the 1st.  #2 is a manly par 3 of about 220 yards and it plays uphill.


A view from next to a greenside bunker at the 2nd.  Just awesome to be able to see the property weaving around the fescue, and of course the clubhouse in the distance...


#3 is a long par 4 bending to the left.  Proper tee shots are hit over the middle of the cluster of bunkers.  The 2nd shot plays uphill to a green sloped hard from back to front.  Oh yeah, NGLA is right over there on the left.  Hmmmmmm


#4 turns you back around towards the clubhouse.  Its a mid length par 4 that bends to the right.  One of the things I noticed on about the 13th hole at Shinnecock is that the fairways are pretty generous in width.  You can see it here in this picture, there's plenty of room left.  But your minds eye almost forces you to challenge the bunkers on the right.  Which I can tell you from experience is a bad idea!


The 5th hole is a definite birdie opportunity as its one of only 2 par 5s on the golf course.  The many bunkers on this hole are to be avoided or birdie will be a very tall order.


The green site is a really good one, cut from the Donald Ross school of upside down bowl.  Those going for the green in two will most likely see their shots roll back off the green or fail to hold it and end up in a tightly mown chipping area.  Shorter wedge approaches must be properly struck with controlled spin.  Too much spin and your off the green, not enough and your going off the back.  This photo shows a little bit of the upside down bowl nature of this green...


6 is a stout par 4 that requires two good solid shots to reach the green.  There is a bit of water on this hole, the only water on the course, but it doesn't appear to be in play too much.
Taken from the fairway...


Looking back shows the pond and I believe an area that is seeded for future fescue grow in...


Ahh #7, the iconic Redan par 3 7th.  The USGA does not have fond memories of this hole from the 2004 US Open.  But to me, its a beauty. Missing right is death. Missing short is ok, but trying to get a shot to stop close to that hole location is almost impossible.  Truly a wonderful Redan.


Word is that in 2004 an unusual wind direction brought drier conditions thus resulting in the 7th hole taking center stage on the weekend of the US Open.  I believe it was the first 6 groups averaged about 6 on the hole, resulting in the USGA deciding to water the green in between groups in effort to make the green more receptive and just flat out try and get the ball to stop!
Here's a closer look at the severe green...


The 8th hole is the shortest par 4 on the course that plays in the 340-350 range. Again the green is very good.  Lots of internal contours and some fun hole locations.  From behind the green...


The last hole on the outward half is a wonderful par 4 named Ben Nevis.  The reason for the name comes from the fact that Ben Nevis is a mountain in Scotland that is the highest peak in the British Isles. And the 2nd shot at #9 pretty much plays up a mountain! Very well named hole and very well designed hole.  Here's the tee shot...


The view from the fairway reveals a skyline green and a big guess as to how far this shot is going to play.  Raw yardage, way uphill, what's the wind doing up there?, where's the hole location, the ball is above my feet, etc...


Once you climb up Ben Nevis, the panoramic view from behind is simply awesome...


Back nine to follow...

[Tim Martin]

Bill-Great thread and pictures. Keep em coming!

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