I had the good fortune to spend this past and glorious weekend playing my first 36 holes at The Bridge and another 36 at Friars Head.
My rookie round at TB was met by wonderful weather, mild but apparent winds, and near perfect conditions. The greens were quick (likely 10-12), the course maintainence perfect. I vowed to give it my most objective obeservations and to forget about the price of membership or anyting other than the course and its practice facilities. The range and putting green are perfectly situated(next to the first tee) very ample and functional.
We played the course at its tips, a brutal 7341 (on the card) 76.1/140. The 1st hole, a 460yd straight away par 4 looks very inviting and feels like an invigorating start. From elevated tee to re-elevated green it has the trademark Rees look of a side opening to an oblong green guarded by a single and deep greenside bunker. The second, a 208 par 3 once again uses the elevated tee to elevated green with another oblong green and single deep bunker. The 3rd (a 439 4 par) with a semi-blind drive and fairway bunker to a crowned green and the 4th (a short dogleg left) were slightly more interesting. Not until the 9th(a 585yd par 5) did my interest pique again (other than the very pretty and expansive vistas from a few tees). The hole was rather bland until, near the hole, a few strategic bunkers and dunes appear to guard the green from errant shotmaking. The 10th, another 5 par made the drive fit into a skinny alley well defined by a neck of grassy and sandy bunkers let me down. Once past the drive, the approach was all uphill to a green that won't accept any shot other than a 250yd or under sky high fade. Just not quite as good as it visually appears.
From there on, the course resumes its vistas and elevation swopes. Not once does it veer off its path of formulaic Rees elevated tee, lower green for par threes, reverse or doppleganged for the 4's. All the holes are beautifully framed apart from one another and are wonderfully maintained. The walks between greens and tees are serious hoofs and tiring. No steps or planks are used to assist the walker. Only the very tiring walk from 15 to 16 is rewarded with something interesting...this time a 250yd all downhill par 3 to a well protected green. The 17th also elicits some reaction as it is the first time Rees really uses fairway bunkers to pinch the fairways. The ending hole, a 567 five is the best of its class, but still is in sore need of something special (such as a splitting fairway bunker).
Our between round lunch was punctuated by the host member lamenting over just how underwhelming the course is relative to the quality of land given to him. He remarked tha Rees has called this a "masterpiece" and if that's the case, history will not treat him well. I didn't do any "Rees bashing" and promised to rereview after another 18.
4 hours later, the verdict was final: It was a monumental miss on a great piece of land. The bulk of the holes border on repetitious, few are memorable and none are so visually or strategically unique. It's a tough and excessively tiring walk punctuated by scenic vistas. The course is no less than a decent one, but far short of anything great. As my member friend said, "it was a choice of location and proximity, but a miss on perfectly converting the property." He went on to say he didn't know if he could have gotten into other nearby clubs (inc. FH).
The next day might have been my best of the year. 36 holes at Friars Head with a stiff 20mph wind that shifted and quartered from North to West. The course forced me to use shots normally reserved for across the pond and the sagebrush whipped lands of Kansas and Nebraska. The same holes played 1-2 clubs differently from the 1st to 2nd rounds. The greens were running as fast as they ever had (at least 10 everywhere to 13 in spots) and the fairways were fairly firm. I could have played until dark and not once did I feel tired(even on the steps of 14).
Surely I plead guilty to being a FH fan, but it is deserved and earned. The Bridge made me yearn for Atlantic. The latter is a more complete and testing track, albeit with lesser vistas.
Simply put, what we have here is a dichotic and diametrically opposite result of two architects getting magnificent properties and waving their brushes over them. Thus an easy comparison evolves and one that becomes less and less flattering over time. I liken it to looking at late Warhol (Rees) and early Johns (C & C); both artists, but one lacks soul while the other worships it.
