I showed around Tim Weiman and our neighbor Paul Rudovsky yesterday afternoon; I will let them weigh in on what they saw, if they wish. I'm in town for 6 more days and we hope to have 12-14 greens checked off by the time I leave. We are into the more dramatic parts of the property now . . .
Tom,
Wish I caught this earlier. Obviously, I liked what I saw. A big plus is that it appears #10 will have its own character distinct from the other Pinehurst courses: big and bold but with a sense of intimacy due to the proximity of greens to the next hole tees and the recurring ability to stand on a tee and look back at play on the previous hole. That really appeals to me.
While the course looks like it will be challenging for better players, there seemed to be substantial width in landing areas, so there shouldn’t be too many balls hit into the woods.
No mention of #10 would be complete without mentioning the topography and elevation change throughout the course. I suspect thinking carefully about club selection is going to be a recurring theme throughout the course.
Finally, #17 is going to be a big hit IMO. There are lots of forced carry Par 3s in the world of golf, but this one just seems to have a unique character due to the green and view of all the water from the tee. Also, I think the excitement will build when putting on the #16 green.
FYI, I am planning to return in the back half of October and hopefully with Kevin Frost in the spring to convince him to do a painting of #17.
Congrats to you, Angela and the rest of your Renaissance team. Can’t imagine #10 won’t be a big winner.