St. Louis C.C. - Curtis Cup

[Bill Shamleffer]

Unfortunately I will not be getting back to St.Louis this weekend to catch any of the Curtis Cup.  I did go to the Curtis Cup at Essex Country Golf Club in 2010 and I HIGHLY recommend any GCA folks in the St. Louis area to try to attend.  It is a great event.

For all of those not in St. Louis who have been curious about St. Louis CC, The Golf Channel will have coverage at Midnight Friday 6/6 (technically I guess it is Sat.), and then at 5:00-7:00 pm on Sat & Sun (6/7 & 6/8) (all Eastern times).

[Jim Nugent]

Bill, do you know which tees they are playing? 

[Buck Wolter]

I posted this on another thread

I did learn the Curtis Cup is this week at St Louis CC and the USGA has some great photos of the course posted-- about 15 miles west of the Mississippi.

Here's the uphill Biarritz (Double Plateau) #2 with #3 (Eden) in the background.

http://www.usga.org/ChampEventPhotoGallery.aspx?id=21474862016&aid=21474866628#21474866592

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I will be there Saturday if anybody wants to meet up and grab lunch.

[Bill Shamleffer]

Bill, do you know which tees they are playing? 

Jim, per the Curtis Cup page on the USGA web site the course will play to 6190 yards for the Curtis Cup.

[Joe McCormac]

Having played the course many times, I do not understand the description of the 16th "aptly named Redan"

The green slopes from left-to-right NOT as they have it described.

[Gary Sato]

Having played the course many times, I do not understand the description of the 16th "aptly named Redan"

The green slopes from left-to-right NOT as they have it described.

Would that not be a reverse redan?

Ran did a course profile a few years ago.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/saint-louis-cc/

[Joe McCormac]

I think yes.  I'm not trying to split hairs on the definition of Redan, but it's probably my favorite hole at the club.  The defining feature is the green and they have it described backwards.

[Jim Nugent]

Buck, I have to say the photos in that album mostly hide what the course really looks like for the player -- because almost all of them are taken from behind the greens.  For the most part, the player sees and experiences the course very differently than we see in these photos.  At least that's my memory of it. 

I haven't seen SLCC since 1971.  Don't recall the 16 green (Redan) sloping as much as the photo indicates.  Did the club make it steeper, or is that my faulty memory? 

Any predictions on scoring? 

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I just drove by the course today and it looks in great shape. Its early enough in the season where the bent grass fairways still look beautiful.

By late August it'll be another story as the St Louis summer heat takes it toll.

I may be wrong, but I don't believe fast and firm can apply to bent grass. It's either moist our it's dead.

[Nigel Islam]

If you got as much rain out west as we just did, firm and fast is not likely even with near dead bent.

[Tom_Doak]

It's sort of a dirty trick on the GB & I team to play the event in a hot and humid midwestern city.  85 degrees with humidity is pretty far outside their comfort zone.

[Nigel Islam]

It's sort of a dirty trick on the GB & I team to play the event in a hot and humid midwestern city.  85 degrees with humidity is pretty far outside their comfort zone.

Yeah and it started getting a lot more hot and sticky the past week or so too.

[Jim Nugent]

Tom Doak, have you played or seen SLCC?  If so, what do you think of the course?

[Buck Wolter]

It's sort of a dirty trick on the GB & I team to play the event in a hot and humid midwestern city.  85 degrees with humidity is pretty far outside their comfort zone.

Payback to GB&I for having the 2012 cup in Nairn no doubt.

[David Amarnek]

High of 78 today.
I live within walking distance and just heard some thunder and the rain has started.
I walked the course yesterday and it is in wonderful condition, considering our brutally cold winter.  SLCC is one of the few courses in the area with bent grass fairways and it seems to have done very well compared to the zoysia fairways in the area and our own Westwood bermuda at my club, Westwood CC.  The greens are in great shape as well.
I'm curious to know how SLCC looks on TV and will check the coverage when I can.

[Rich Goodale]

Is Barney playing for the USA?  It's one of his home courses.....

[Matt Bielawa]

Really cool looking course.  That 6th green looks really fun.

[John Kavanaugh]

Is Barney playing for the USA?  It's one of his home courses.....

For one I am not a member there and secondly I would more likely be mistaken for a member of the away team.   Why if golf is so accessible in GB&I do they have no minorities ever represent their teams?

[Buck Wolter]

Just catching up but the course looks outstanding on TV, it's one of my favorite places on the planet.

John I think we had lunch there one day together  if I recall -- turtle soup with a splash of sherry.

Buck

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

John

Were you there today?

[Tom_Doak]

For one I am not a member there and secondly I would more likely be mistaken for a member of the away team.   Why if golf is so accessible in GB&I do they have no minorities ever represent their teams?

Actually when they played at Pacific Dunes in 2006, there was a young woman on the GB & I team with Indian parents ... Kiran Matharu.  She was only 17.  She looked like a very good player, but she had said the wrong thing in one of the team meetings and was benched the last day.


Jim Nugent:

I have played St. Louis CC, but it was way back in 1981, on my way back to Cornell from working the summer at Long Cove.  I know Kye Goalby [who lives in St. Louis] has done a bunch of work there under Brian Silva's direction.

[BHoover]

The course does look exceptional on television. It's unfortunate that the coverage is limited because the USGA seems to choose the most interesting courses for its less heralded events (Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, Women's Am, etc.).

[John Kavanaugh]

No I was not there. I do love the club and would have joined had I been qualified. It really is a great place in every respect.

[BCowan]

Brian,

   I can't speak for all of them, but a friend of mine is a club prez at a course and in their founding the founders advocating for AM events only.  My guess is that is the reason.