[Ronald Montesano]

I stumbled into a golf course this June, one that I had need to play for many years, and finally managed. I'm not going to name it yet, so if you recognize the holes, do us the favor of not revealing its identity. In due time, I'll offer up a bit on the layout and its creator. Suffice it to say that, if in the area, it's a worthy stop/destination. Here we go.


THE FIRST HOLE of the original course is now the 10th, but we will view the course as intended by the architect. In other words, we teed off on the current back nine Downhill after the blind drive, this par 4.5 features zero bunkers and a nice, natural green setting. The putting surface is marvelously contoured.

[Adam Clayman]

When you look up "opening holes" in the dictionary, these pictures should be the entry.
 I have no idea what course this is, but whoever decided, in their infinite wisdom to alter the configuration, was more dum than wise.

[Peter Pallotta]

+1 Adam and Ron
And isn't it true (despite what even the architects themselves might say) that no hole on a golf course better and more clearly expresses their actual design intent/philosophy/ethos than does the first hole?
I think architects might be a little embarrassed by that kind of 'nakedness', so they try to cover it up by talking about pace of play and a chance to warm up (sans driving range) and gentle handshakes and routing necessities (given the clubhouse site).
But I think: you show me the first hole on a golf course and I'll tell you what that architect cares about most.
P

[Ronald Montesano]

Well, thanks. I appreciate thoughtful commentary like this, so I hope the rest of the photos inspire such verbiage.

[Ronald Montesano]

The second hole of the original course (the current 11th) has broken ground to overcome. Have a look and decide if the architect successfully navigated the stretch of property. The hole is a 390-ish par four, traveling right to left. REMEMBER: if you know the course, do us the service of not revealing its name, nor the name of the architect.

[Ronald Montesano]

The Third Hole or the 12th, depending on your flavor preference, is the second, long hole on the course, and is trickier than than its long-form predecessor. This one goes from wide-open tee ball (the right rough is part of the warm-up area) to narrow and crowned, to a green that slopes away, from front to back, beyond a fairway rise. Who builds crazy holes like that? There is room at the back of the green for hole locations, which makes it even more enjoyable. As I review these images, I wish that I had found more time to shoot. We walked the course, which curtailed things a good bit. We were also on a schedule, needing to arrive somewhere else by nightfall.

[Peter Pallotta]

Ron - This fellow (whoever he is) sure seems to have known what he was doing; and golfers back in the day must've loved stretching out their muscles with those three (then opening) holes. Alas, though when it comes to golf courses I'm neither a tree hugger nor a tree hater, it does seem a shame that the 'expanse' and breathability of the holes themselves isn't matched by the surroundings. I will fall silent now and just read -- no fear of me giving away the mystery!
P

[Ronald Montesano]

Hole The Fourth is the first par-three trace on this layout, and it is quite deceptive from the tee. You know where the top of the flagstick is, as you can see the flag. Unless you've played here before, you have no idea where it sits on the green, and how much putting surface is there for the taking. I believe that I fell asleep when we reached the putting surface, as I cannot find any images of the green. Trust me when I say it is sibling to the 3rd green, gently sloping away from the tee, a notion not often produced in modern-day golf course architecture.

[Ronald Montesano]

The Fifth Hole tee (the current 14th) is located up and left from the 4th green, and it offers a reveal not as dramatic as the one over Ghost Tree Hill at Old Macdonald, but a memorable one, nonetheless. Five is a downhill, driveable, short par four hole. Unless the ground is super dry, or you get a favorable carom off the cart path that diagonalizes the fairway, you probably won't get home in one. Yet another nearly-bunkerless hole, once again the ground serves as hazard and helper.

[Ronald Montesano]

The Sixth Hole is an over-the-top par four, driven from a sunken tee, over a crest, to a flattish fairway. It's a strong hole, with enough width and character to offer interesting angles of approach.

[John Foley]

Rob - how about a clue - is this in the 'hood ? I REALLY like what I'm seeing.

[Bill Crane]

Ron;


Upstate NY ??


At first I thought it might be Saranac Inn Golf Club, but now I don't think so.  Too many overly hilly holes.

[Ronald Montesano]

Both will be quite happy to know where it is. As a reward, here are TWO HOLES for this reply.


The Seventh Hole (present-day 16th) is a mid-length to longish par three, but its downhill lean ensures that you take a club less. I liked the look of this hole from the beginning, and enjoyed playing it.












The Eighth Hole (current 17th) begins the movement back toward the clubhouse. Its bend to the right is complemented by what I found to be the most interesting green on the front nine. Driver not necessary, but it is nice to come into this slim putting surface with a shorter iron.

[Ronald Montesano]

The Ninth Hole (18th hole on the original layout) at our mystery course is the narrowest driving hole on the layout. It is the only one that makes you scratch your head and ask, could they not have cut down a few trees, somewhere? What is interesting is, you can play iron-iron to about 50 yards shy of the putting surface, then hit a wedge in for a chance at 4. The green sits in a wondrous, open space, a complete contrast to the tunnel of fairway from which you have just emerged. After you play this hole, you understand why it was the original 9th. It's not exciting (compared with the original 18th/current 9th) and it borders on awkward. In addition, it doesn't offer a view from the veranda.

[Ronald Montesano]

Getting close the haunted day, so let's return to this golf course mystery. We'll look at hole 10 through 12 of the original course today, currently the 1st three holes on the flipped-nines course. As much as I loved original 18 as a finishing hole, I enjoyed original 10th as a way to ease into the back nine. One unflappable vote for the original arrangement of the course.


The 10th Hole is a 400-ish par four that plays much shorter, thanks to downhill lean and run-out. Much like the original 1st, it's nice to have a very-short iron into the green as you head away from the clubhouse for a second time.

[Ronald Montesano]

Hole the Eleventh is another example of how to successfully build a really nice par three on an otherwise-banal piece of the property. You'll contrast this one with the second par three on the front nine, where the hole design was much more ignored. This one has a little more length, but those right-side obstruction bunkers deceive; get past them and you have a bound into the green site. The only thing missing is a leftward cant to the green pad, to give a bit of kick to a back-left hole location.

[Ronald Montesano]

Hole Number Twelve is a change-of-direction par four. We trace three compass directions in the back nine's opening triumvirate, a terrific accomplishment for any architect. Not completely contrasting to each other, but darned close. The rolls of the fairway are like a spread-out six pack of the abs. A neat, sideways-ribbon look to them, and boy do they offer options to the lay of the approach. 12 is another par-four hole that tips at around 400 yards from the member tees. A look at the scorecard notes that all four 2-shot holes on this side of the course measure between 390 and 410. Coulda-shoulda? That's splitting hairs.

[Ronald Montesano]

Approaching the home stretch at our mystery club, we traverse a flattish stretch of the property. The run from 13 to 15 features two par threes of similar length, wrapped around a mid-length par four. Each has value, but are not show-stoppers. They are solid golf holes, and the par threes could certainly have been better shaped, but none is a wasted expanse of golfing ground. The 14th exhibits a feature not normally found on this architect's course, which makes it all the more dear. I'll let them simmer without any more verbiage.


Hole the 13th









Hole the 14th















Hole the 15th

[Ronald Montesano]

Let's close this mother out. Holes 16 through 18 are a terrific finish. Two par 5 holes and a par 4 bring you back to the clubhouse. 16 and 18 are both reachable par 5s, but 18 runs so steeply uphill that it plays more like 560 than the measured 484. 17 is a sturdy par four, slightly over 400 paces. 16 turns left, 17 back right, 18 both ways. The 18th has two greens, one up to the left, and the other down to the right. Both are nifty. Soon enough, I'll reveal the name of this golf course and its location.


16th Hole














17th Hole
















18th Hole

[Ronald Montesano]

https://parks.ny.gov/parks/172

Nestled within this New York state park is an incredible golf course. One of the earliest designs of Robert Trent Jones, Sr., it demonstrates how he might have gone in a more classical direction, had not WW2 intervened. Demanding that everything USA be the best, the toughtest, etc.,  RTJSR went in that other direction that catches so much sheeeeet on this DB. If you find yourself near Syracuse, be certain to stop by GLSP and play this golf course.

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

RM

[Brad Tufts]

Hi Ron,


Sadly, I couldn't identify a course that I had actually played!


I played it in early May in the rain one year when visiting for my cousin's graduation from SU.


Looks better than I remember, and I remember thinking it was pretty cool and a total hidden gem.

[Ronald Montesano]

Brad,

My photos aren't the greatest. We were Curtis Cup (Quaker Ridge) and US Open (Shinny) bound, and wanted to play along the way. Green Lakes had long been touted as a non-RTJ RTJ, and it didn't disappoint. Circumstances conspired against Senior, as the demands of a country and its course funders pushed him toward the diabolical courses for which he is known. Another one of his early municipal courses, Durand-Eastman Park, was butchered by a highway early on. It (1934) and Green Lakes (1935) are examples of what his work might have become. Another under-the-radar, NYS course by Senior is James Baird State Park in Poughkeepsie. I want to see Battle Island, in Oswego, as well.


http://www.roberttrentjonessociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RTJ_Course_List.pdf

[John Foley]

Ron - Wow - like Brad I couldn't remember a course I plaid albeit 35 years ago!!!


Looks great and a place I'll make sure to swing by in the future.

[MCirba]

Been too busy to spend much time on GCA later and just stumbled across this thread.

The reason John Foley didn't recognize it is the same reason I didn't when I stopped back to see her last summer after having played her in 1975.   They've planted a zillion pine trees!   

You should have seen Green Lakes in her glory days.    She was splendid.

[Ronald Montesano]

John and Mike,


In your estimation, based on my photos, which holes received the greatest alteration through the planting of trees? We found the course, with the exception of #9 (current #18) to have very nice width for all shots.

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