[Andrew Lewis]

Terrific stuff.

Also, apropos of nothing, because I have nothing really to add: just reading (and not knowing what Beverly looks like), I note that it "reads" a lot like Plainfield, another D Ross that I think just ideal.

Hi Peter -

I have never played Plainfield, but have heard others comment on similarities between the two courses.  One Ross I have played that invites comparison is Oakland Hills, as I see similarities on the way Ross structured certain holes and will add a few comparison comments later in the tour.

As it seems you are following the thread with at least some interest, I'd appreciate any questions you might pose...it's a more challenging exercise to do this without photos and when converting my mental pictures into words, I surely am omitting details that others might find of interest.

Cheers, Andrew

[J_ Crisham]

Andrew - I look forward to this, but wanted to compliment you on a terrific opening. I suggest that from now on all non photo tours include "location-land", "juxtaposition with history" and "noise and glamour" sections.

Peter

Check that - add that from now on all non photo tours also include/follow "the drive", "the approach" and "the green" framework, as well as the "Insider's Tip".

Terrific stuff.

Also, apropos of nothing, because I have nothing really to add: just reading (and not knowing what Beverly looks like), I note that it "reads" a lot like Plainfield, another D Ross that I think just ideal.

Peter,    I have played Plainfield and would make the case that it is a better piece of property in some regards. Beverly has a significant ridgeline bisecting the front nine that is utilized for both green and tee siting. Plainfield has a ridge that is similar. The holes at Plainfield run parallel to the ridge with the exception of the short uphill par 4 ,#5?  The green sites and bunker complexes are very much alike. We do not have a hole like #11 at Plainfield- perhaps the most severe par 3 in golf- the potato chip green. Bothe courses have strong par 4's. The par 3s at Beverly are collectively harder than those at PCC.

[JC Urbina]

Terry,

I thought the tree on # 1 would pose a serious risk for anyone trying to aim to a target on the right side of this green.

I just finished up my latest work at the Dunes Club, the views are getting better every year.  I will be curious what you think when you return.

Andrew,

Do you tell your guests playing for the first time what is behind the first green or do you keep it a secret trying not to psyche them out right away?

When you talk about a club and the atmosphere that surrounds it I am guessing Beverly ranks right up there with the best of them.  I was given a history book of Beverly from Pat Walsh and John Varna the Pro stopped me on the course to say Hi,  for a brief moment I felt just like one of the members.

[Terry Lavin]

I always tell guests that Rule Number One at Beverly is that one doesn't go over the green.  Skilled players are simply told that the miss is short.

[Josh Tarble]

Andrew,
In regards to #2, with a good drive is it always "go-for it" or do you primarily lay up even with a good drive.  Anything particularly threatening besides the right side trees?

[Terry Lavin]

Andrew,
In regards to #2, with a good drive is it always "go-for it" or do you primarily lay up even with a good drive.  Anything particularly threatening besides the right side trees?

This is the easiest of the four par-5 holes to reach in two.  The tee shot is elevated, the dogleg is very gentle and the front of the green only has a bunker at the very left side.  The only trouble up the left on one's second shot is in the form of bunkers which are around 100-140 from the green.  This is an easy birdie for an expert player and a comfortable par opportunity for a normal chop (10 to teens hcp.).  One can usually only blow up on this hole with a wildly errant tee shot to the left (trees blocking the recovery shot) or the right (high grass leading up to OB, which is 40 yards right of the fairway in the landing zone).

In truth, this would be a great hole to convert to a stout par four, by building a tee box on the brow of the ridge or expanding the very small one that now exists there.  It would play around 480 from that elevated perch.  It would probably mean moving the current fairway bunkers or adding one further up, so there's never really been any real impetus to do so.  We play it from the short tee from time to time just for fun.

[Andrew Lewis]

Andrew,

Do you tell your guests playing for the first time what is behind the first green or do you keep it a secret trying not to psyche them out right away?

When you talk about a club and the atmosphere that surrounds it I am guessing Beverly ranks right up there with the best of them.  I was given a history book of Beverly from Pat Walsh and John Varna the Pro stopped me on the course to say Hi,  for a brief moment I felt just like one of the members.

Hi Jim -

It depends on the skill and temperament of the player -- and the stakes of the game we are playing  

In general, I will note the miss is short and encourage aiming for the front (to a middle pin) or middle (to a back pin) of the green, in order to leave an uphill putt.

One further comment on your question regarding the front-right tree:  I really cannot see a circumstance that would justify trying to carry that tree.  For an uphill putt to a right pin, the player will want to roll it from the center / center-right of the green, and that can be done without an up-and-over shot.  Maybe if the approach is coming from the right side of the fairway to a far-back-right pin.  But even then...

Finally, as I'm sure Terry shared, Pat, John and our bartender Ray are essential parts of the club.  I hope that you had time for a beverage in the Card Room during your visit -- and if not, please let me know the next time you're in town...

Cheers, Andrew

[Andrew Lewis]

Andrew,
In regards to #2, with a good drive is it always "go-for it" or do you primarily lay up even with a good drive.  Anything particularly threatening besides the right side trees?

Josh -

After a good drive by my standards, I can sometimes run a 3-wood to the front of the green.  So I normally lay up.

But based on my recollection of your distances, you would probably have a 5-iron in hand and thus would almost always go for it.  The only  complicating factor on the third shot is if you miss to the right or long when the pin is cut on the back shelf.  Both recoveries are quite challenging due to the small size of the shelf and, if playing from long, the fact that the green runs away from you.

Cheers, Andrew

[JC Urbina]

Andrew,

I did not have time for a beverage in the card room but I sat in there and read the Beverly history book.  Before i could even settle in and open the first page I was approached by the staff inquiring if I wanted a drink or food. 

In the Big World of the golf experience the atmosphere has as much to do with playing the game as anything.  If more people could experience the family atmosphere of a golf setting I think more people would stay connected to the game.  Public or private, the setting is the key,

How Welcome Do I Feel.    That should be the new mantra of The USGA and the PGA, that's how you grow the game.

[Terry Lavin]

Our Locker Room manager, Pat Walsh is a key employee.  He make sure that everybody feels welcome and gets promptly hydrated.  I've nicknamed him "The Enabler", since he's the guy who first starts to ply the adult beverages.  This is oddly ironic, since he's a reformed cocktailer...

[Andrew Lewis]

Hole #3 (Par 3, 222 yds / 198 yds)

This, one might argue, is where the front nine really begins.

The drive – The player exits the second green to the right (east) and after a few short yards arrives at the third tee.  Again, the squared-off tee boxes sit on built-up pads, adding slight elevation to an otherwise dead flat part of the property.

The hole doubles-back to the south in the opposite direction of the second hole and plays straight from tee to green.  A patch of fairway begins 70 yards short of the green and meanders past a string of three traps on the left that announce themselves 30 yards short of the green and continue almost around the back.  Another bunker abuts the front right of the putting surface, framing what from the tee appears to be an impossibly narrow opening for a running shot.

Many first time visitors – especially those with GCA inclinations – can be forgiven for smiling and quipping, “It’s so refreshing to see Ross also believed in the short par four.”  A gracious host will reply, “Yes, I absolutely agree, and the 14th hole is a prime example.  This, however, is a par three.”  A less gracious host will just roll his eyes.  But in either case, after a quick confirmatory glance at the scorecard, the guest’s smile usually disappears.

Depending on where the tees are set, the pin location and the direction and force of the wind, the hole can be played with anything from 5-iron to driver.  But in the Ross spirit of testing different clubs from a player’s bag off the tee at par 3’s, this would probably be the 3-wood hole.

The green – The third green is a big one (think 30 yds by 30 yds) and a good one, with four main sections carved by two ridges that bisect the green horizontally and vertically.  The surface slopes back to front throughout, although not nearly as dramatically as many of others and – remember the overall grade of the property noted above -- mostly from left to right.

However, the quadrants feature modest “trout pool” effects to some hole locations.  A putt will never run downhill toward the back of the green, but it may veer counter to the general property grade when putting from the center of the green toward a pin cut near the left edge.  And in the rear quadrants, it will flatten somewhat at the front of each quadrant when putting toward the front of the green.

Birdie almost always wins the hole, and par gives your team better than coin-toss odds.

[Sven Nilsen]

A couple of follow up comments on the 2nd, as I try to catch up.

The downhill nature of the drive accentuates any shots that have a touch of a pull or a push.  I like to aim for the right bunker, hoping to draw the ball in towards the middle a little, but knowing that if I leave it out there my chances of recovery are higher than something getting behind the trees on the left.

The opening to the third green is very wide, allowing for longer shots to bounce and run onto the surface.  Although not every green sets up this way, it seems like The Bev provides you that option when its most needed.

As for the 3rd, its reminiscent of a couple of other long par 3's in Chicago, including the 16th at Skokie (the 5th at the Bev is also a lot like Skokie's 8th hole).  Many players are not going to be able to muster the full carry to the green, and will try to bounce a ball between the traps up on to the surface.  More often than not, the greenside bunkers are going to come into play.  As far as bunkers on the course go, these are fairly benign as they lie just below the level of the green.  Contrast these with the bunkers we'll find at the built up 4th, which offer much more of a challenge when having to splash out up to the raised green surfaced.

Sven

[J_ Crisham]

Andrew,    Just to clarify, the 3rd hole runs almost directly East(slightly South). My point is that the prevailing South summer wind can be a huge factor creating  a cross wind from right to left . The number of balls finding the left bunkers or even the area around the 4th tee is a no coincidence given the prevailing winds . The East wind which is infrequent, is probably the toughest wind at Bev because so many of the holes are north/south and 12 holes are then a crosswind. The 3rd from the tips at 240 yds plays 260 or so if the wind is up. Tough target given the bunkers.

[Terry Lavin]

Three is a very demanding tee shot, owing to the length, the four bunkers and the tricky crosswinds.  The green doesn't have that much internal contour, but it sure seems like it's not often that you see a birdie.  Having just said that, I must report that it is also the scene of one of the most memorable shots I've ever witnessed at the Bev, when I had Jeff Rude (Golfweek) and John Maginnes (PGA Tour Network) out one day.  Just before we teed off on 2, unbeknownst to my guests, I had called an airstrike from the Locker Room, consisting of four Transfusions and four Cubans.    Rude kept pestering me about club selection.  I told him to hit three-wood.  He kept saying that five-wood would be a better call.  We went back and forth for a few minutes and finally, I said, "you're my guest and you asked my opinion, so just hit the f'ing three-wood."    Rude hit the three-wood and it went in the hole.  As he was coming off the tee ready to hit some high fives, Jose appeared as if out of central casting and stepped out of a cart with a tray of drinks and a fistful of cigars.  Rude blurted, "that's the finest service I've ever seen at a private club, Lavin."  Can't make this stuff up.

[JC Jones]

I was shocked to read that the 3rd green is that large.  Like Andrew and others have pointed out, given the length of this hole, it is a very visually intimidating shot given the narrow area at the front.  I certainly "felt" like I was hitting a long club into a smallish target.  


***As an aside, in response to the comments about the feel, vibe, "club," etc., Beverly is perfect in every regard.  I've not visited another club that blends the seriousness for the game, a love of its history, a sense of place within its city/community, as well as the apres golf, better than Beverly.

[Peter Pallotta]

Terry - fantastic story! I wish you'd bought a lottery ticket for yourself later that day -- the stars don't align so perfectly very often.

Andrew - The picture you paint of a nerdy gca.commer smiling smugly at his appreciation for Ross' "short par 4s" only to find out that Ross could be an a--hole and that he's actually facing a Par 3 is very funny. (Also funny is thinking of all of us who at one time or another have argued that "par is just a number". Oh yeah? Then we should all happy to get our fives and move on to the next hole...)

[Andrew Lewis]

Andrew,    Just to clarify, the 3rd hole runs almost directly East(slightly South). My point is that the prevailing South summer wind can be a huge factor creating  a cross wind from right to left . The number of balls finding the left bunkers or even the area around the 4th tee is a no coincidence given the prevailing winds . The East wind which is infrequent, is probably the toughest wind at Bev because so many of the holes are north/south and 12 holes are then a crosswind. The 3rd from the tips at 240 yds plays 260 or so if the wind is up. Tough target given the bunkers.

Jack -

Good points on the wind direction nudging tee shots to the left.

After a consultation with Google Maps, it seems that you and I can split the difference -- the hole plays due SE.

Cheers, Andrew

[Declan Kavanagh]

Just wanted to butt in here and thank Andrew, the Judge and Sven for some great descriptions.  Having played the course twice and as recently as 10 days ago, this is very very interesting to me.  I have ten rounds in this year since CDGA play began with 8 of them in Chicago and I was astounded with the condition of the course in general and specifically the greens.  Obviously since Beverly is private it is expected to have faster greens than most public tracks but for the last week of April they were pure and buttery.  It is truly a gem and so close to downtown so yes, I am definitely a fanboy of The Bev.

So far I would have to agree with everything and say that #2 is one of the holes I most look forward to playing there as a long hitter.  I have gone for the green twice and succeeded both times.  Once with a 5 wood with the back right pin after a decent drive into an unusual wind and last week with a 4 or 5 iron to a front pin after a great drive.  Birdied both times but Ross quickly brought me back to earth on the subsequent two holes.

Excited to read more!

[J_ Crisham]

Just wanted to butt in here and thank Andrew, the Judge and Sven for some great descriptions.  Having played the course twice and as recently as 10 days ago, this is very very interesting to me.  I have ten rounds in this year since CDGA play began with 8 of them in Chicago and I was astounded with the condition of the course in general and specifically the greens.  Obviously since Beverly is private it is expected to have faster greens than most public tracks but for the last week of April they were pure and buttery.  It is truly a gem and so close to downtown so yes, I am definitely a fanboy of The Bev.

So far I would have to agree with everything and say that #2 is one of the holes I most look forward to playing there as a long hitter.  I have gone for the green twice and succeeded both times.  Once with a 5 wood with the back right pin after a decent drive into an unusual wind and last week with a 4 or 5 iron to a front pin after a great drive.  Birdied both times but Ross quickly brought me back to earth on the subsequent two holes.

Excited to read more!

Thanks for the kind words re: our conditioning.  Our relatively new Supt has done a terrific job during his 3 yrs. The fairways are firmer, bunkers have improved and the greens Sunday were outstanding. The improvement in conditioning has allowed Bev's resurgence back into the Top 100.

[Terry Lavin]

I'll make sure to include our superintendent Kirk Spieth in our July 15 play day. Details to follow.

[Phil McDade]

The 3rd hole is where Ross makes a nifty little turn in the routing, tacking back toward the clubhouse, and providing the player with a stark change in wind direction from the previous two holes. Ross had little room to maneuver at Beverly -- working with two long, rectangular pieces of land -- but the slight turn of the dogleg of the 2nd is combined with the 3rd to give adequate room for the tee shot of the sharply turning 4th. The back nine is routed as one might expect, but putting this fairly flat hole into the corner of the rectangle sets up a bunch of good holes to follow on the front nine.

[Sven Nilsen]

Phil:

Its also interesting to note that on each nine, only two consecutive holes run in the same general direction (1 and 2, 11 and 12).

Sven

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

I always tell guests that Rule Number One at Beverly is that one doesn't go over the green.  Skilled players are simply told that the miss is short.

Sorry to go back to #1... but do you think that going for a back pin would be even more tempting if those trees behind the green were removed to create somewhat of a skyline green?  Or maybe it puts the player less at ease without the framing of the hold.  

I'm assuming that's what it must've looked like originally before those trees matured into what they are now.

[Terry Lavin]

I always tell guests that Rule Number One at Beverly is that one doesn't go over the green.  Skilled players are simply told that the miss is short.

Sorry to go back to #1... but do you think that going for a back pin would be even more tempting if those trees behind the green were removed to create somewhat of a skyline green?  Or maybe it puts the player less at ease without the framing of the hold.  

I'm assuming that's what it must've looked like originally before those trees matured into what they are now.

That's a great thought. They'll be gone by next season. Late season lightning strike.

[Phil McDade]

Phil:

Its also interesting to note that on each nine, only two consecutive holes run in the same general direction (1 and 2, 11 and 12).

Sven

Sven:

I've always thought Ross' little switchback on the 3rd was the key to utilizing the best features of the land on the front nine. I can imagine him assessing the property and thinking: wonderful elevated tee for the 2nd, perfect natural green site for the 5th, ridge to valley par 3 (6th), abrupt use of the land for 7 (the three-hole stretch that for me is the highlight of the front nine). So how does he get to those? By turning the fairway slightly left on the 2nd (which avoids a long straight fairway running parallel to Western Avenue), and finding room for the 3rd and 4th tee on a relatively undistinguished portion of land. It's not too uncommon to find courses where holes switch directions frequently, but to do so on such a restricted site is the mark of a very good routing. Not surprising to see such thoughtfulness in a Ross course.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()