Sunningdale

[corey miller]

Recently replayed Sunningdale with Dr. Childs, Mike Cirba and sometimes contributor and often lurking Michael Moss who has devoted a lot of time and effort into providing the members with a special golf experience.


Restoration work done by Mike Devries and Joe Hancock and it is spectacular.  The course has been "touched" by more than a few hands over the years but the highlight circa 2019 is the wonderful green contours which to me are reminiscent of the Maxwell greens I have seen.


Certainly a style that I find appealing but the perfect contour to the surroundings and the size of the greens with a thoughtful gentleness to the slope.


I know the members should be thrilled and that I also should seek out some of Mike D's original work.  Stellar.


We did have a post round debate on how we would "rank" the courses of Westchester........Seems top five in the county regardless of criteria. 

[JWinick]

DELETE

[Kevin Neary]

Aerials look very similar to nearby Siwanoy. How do the two compare to one another? I had a blast when I played there a few years back in the Met Junior.

[SPDB]

Just played it a few weeks ago.    I was the only one in the group that felt that both courses were comparable, as my group generally preferred the old course.    What was your group's take?

Corey is referring to Sunningdale in Westchester County, NY, not the one in Surrey/Berkshire, UK

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

The only comparison to Siwanoy that works is that they are on very hilly terrain.  They both have superb greens complexes, but Siwanoy is classic Ross, and Sunningdale is altered Raynor.  The work of Travis, Tillinghast, and DeVries makes the greens far from the original stock templates. And very fortunately, DeVries has done an awesome job of recovering the course from the Stephen Kay vandalism of the mid to late 90's.

[corey miller]

Sunningdale(NY)Scarsdale NY

[JWinick]

Oops!   I didn’t read the whole post.  My bad. 

[Joe Bausch]

Here is a photo album from a fall visit a handful of years ago when this renovation was ongoing.  You can see the 3rd hole under construction, which is pretty cool.  And the fall colors are spectacular.


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Sunningdale/index.html

[Joe Hancock]

Corey,


You have been a cheerleader for the work done at Sunningdale for quite a while now. That in and of itself is enough, but the joy that the Sunningdale members convey since the completion of work a couple years ago continues to reinforce the leaderships’ decision to let Mike “have at it” as the right choice.


As always, good to see you and the good Dr. again. Meeting Mike Cirba for the first time was a pleasure, albeit far too little time spent with you all.


All the best,


Joe

[Jeff Schley]

And very fortunately, DeVries has done an awesome job of recovering the course from the Stephen Kay vandalism of the mid to late 90's.

That is funny.👍

[Steve Lapper]

 The work done by Mike and Joe at Sunningdale CC (Scarsdale) has been an undenibably success. They took a good, yet uninspiring, course that had seen itself tortured and scarred by poor decisions and recovered (and recreated) an eminently fun, playable and charming gem.


 Having seen too much Stephen Kay butchery there and elsewhere, it's actually sad to witness his leaving the place considerably worse off than he found it. Give the club's leadership the credit for having the vision to hire Mike (and Joe) and let him bring some genuine architectural chops and excitement to the property.


 
  As for the fan club troika of Miller, Cirba and Childs recognizing the architecture and the excellence of the new work...they clearly missed one of the most important old school features of the place...it's stellar hot dogs!! It figures those guys would be so myopic as to omit the one of the club's strongest assets!!!


 


 

[MCirba]

Sunningdale proves the adage that a terrific green can make a stellar golf hole all by itself.


Thankfully, Sunningdale let Mike and Joe have at it in terms of redesign and shaping which created a consistent and compelling look and playability across the property.


And while that "terrific green" adage is most often used to describe courses with lifeless property,
Sunningdale benefits from a property that has more rolls than Einstein Bros.  That asset, combined with removal of scads of trees that blocked views across the scenic landscape, moves Sunningdale into that rare pantheon of top courses in golf-rich Westchester County.


And Steve, our gracious host strongly recommended the burger, which I ate.  One of our group got the hot dog and I was instantly jealous.

[Peter Pallotta]

I've seen Sunningdale through photos, and have played other work by Mike and Joe. I think they bring to the table two rarely-mentioned (but I think very important) qualities, i.e. good taste and quiet authority.  They have the confidence not to 'over-do' anything or to leave their 'signatures' behind, and the craft to gracefully highlight the course's features only as much (but no more, or less) than is necessary for the enjoyment of the game. They're not old men, but they sure do seem like old pros.       

[Kalen Braley]

Cmon Peter, don't sell these guys short.  Mike and Joe are tremendous slouches!! 

[John Emerson]

Speaking of Sunningdale(UK)...anyone seen the internet homepage?  The first line makes me want to vomit.  Why do they want to compare themselves to ANGC??!! 

[Daryl David]

Speaking of Sunningdale(UK)...anyone seen the internet homepage?  The first line makes me want to vomit.  Why do they want to compare themselves to ANGC??!!

I guess we can blame Alister Tate for that gem.

[Paul Jones]

I enjoyed Sunningdale, only blemish was hole 16 - not sure how to play that hole.

[corey miller]

The #16 hole is far from "ideal" but it bothers me a lot less than it seems to bother others and I hate commenting on architectural choices made when I have not a clue as to how they fit into the full complement of holes which is outstanding.


I told my host that as an "outsider" the only thing I really feel comfortable commenting on is aesthetic things...which for me were two different small issues a "1" on the Doak scale and a "5" which BTW is better/fewer  than the issues I find at my home club.


I do know a few members have some issues with the hole (which again I think overblown) but as golfers isn't it our charge to figure out the best way to play the hole?


I do think some changes are being made to the hole but like all these issues, they should be done thoughtfully in consultation with the architect. 


In fact...and it hits on a recent thread..I am more comfortable with "changes" coming from the architect after viewing play and dynamics of hole than from memberships soliciting changes because I can see where years and years of suggestions to a consultant will eventually "wear them down".

[Michael J. Moss]

In fact...and it hits on a recent thread..I am more comfortable with "changes" coming from the architect after viewing play and dynamics of hole than from memberships soliciting changes because I can see where years and years of suggestions to a consultant will eventually "wear them down".

Corey,
Rest assured, the second shot landing area on 16 is going to be messaged next spring because Mike wants to. I’ll leave it at that except to say, the expertise of “environmental consultants” seems to vary greatly.