Harbour Town Golf Links

Thus far on my quest, I have found Pete Dye designed golf courses have been a mixed bag. I don't like The TPC at Sawgrass, although I like Whistling Straits and The Ocean Course at Kiawah. Casa de Campo has nine really good holes and nine average holes.

This summer I traveled down to the South Carolina Low country for some R & R and golf. I scheduled an early morning tee time at Harbour Town Golf Links (ranked #67 in the world).

In general, I have found it a good rule to be suspicious any time words are spelled out in old English like, "Harbour" or "Olde". Normally this is a red-flag that screams 'tourist rip-off'. Generally, it means a place is set up well for the silver-haired set and can be a great place to go if you are looking to over-pay for cute little Christmas tree ornaments and lots of other useless drivel.

Did I go to Harbour Town with pre-conceived notions? Yep, but it's hard not to, having seen the course on TV so many times, and I have several friends that have played it and complained that it was so tightly packed with condos that it was difficult to appreciate the course. In addition, Harbour Town is like a golf factory with group after group going off at regular intervals and pushed along the course. Plus, you have to ride in a cart here, which I'm not a big fan of.

Low country live oak with Spanish moss

Harbour Town is located in the Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which, for such a small state, is golf rich. South Carolina features three of the top ranked courses in the world: Harbour Town, Yeamans Hall in Charleston and The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. Hilton Head is one of the most successful real estate development ventures in U.S. history. There are over 20 courses in Hilton Head and the density of the housing is in fact alarming and omnipresent throughout the golf course.

Harbour Town has many public roads running through it. The most common sighting on the golf course when I played were scores of families riding bikes around and amongst the condominiums. I found that Harbour Town had a certain kitschy quality and sense of real Americana to it, that, in the end, I found hard to dislike. Like watching a Jerry Lewis movie, it is so bad, it's good. No matter how much you try, you can't stop watching and you end up enjoying it. Such was my experience at Harbour Town. I came to appreciate the uniqueness and subtlety of the golf course despite the intensive housing development.

The Golf Course

To summarize Harbour Town: narrow fairways and small greens. The design, layout and routing are imaginative and good, even though the course is completely flat. You can't just get up and hit driver on every hole. It is designed to really make you think about the type and shape of the shot before hitting each one. The narrowness of the fairways and the over-hanging trees force you to have to hit a certain side of the fairway in order to have a decent shot at the small greens. In this regard, Harbour Town reminded me of Merion.

The picture below shows both the narrowness of the fairway and the omni-present housing lurking behind the trees.

2nd hole narrow fairway and houses

Although the fairways in reality are not that narrow, they give the appearance of being so. This is because so many of the holes have overhanging trees that encroach over the fairways, making it a visually difficult golf course to drive the ball. Harbour Town represents the type of short, shot-makers course that seems to be out of vogue. It's nice to have world-class courses like this that are not all about length and brute force.

The other thing I appreciate about Harbour Town as a student of golf history is that this is one of Pete Dye's earliest designs and one of the first he used railroad ties on. As essentially the first course of its genre built in the modern era, this makes it a historically important course. Jack Nicklaus was a co-designer, and it was the first course he was involved with from a design standpoint. Also, I like the Low country setting with all the live oak trees with their hanging Spanish moss. The course also has a very interesting combination of palmetto trees, pine trees, elm trees, pampas grasses and other native plants.

Railroad ties on par three 4th

My two favorite holes on the course were the 13th and the 16th, which showcase Dye's bunkering abilities. The 13th has a narrow landing area off the tee (seen below). It is critical to hit your drive to the right-hand side of the fairway to have a reasonable shot at this unique green. The green itself is 'Y' shaped, with an imposing railroad-tied bunker half-way around it.

13th hole from the tee

13th green

13th green

The 16th hole is a sharp dogleg-left and has a long bunker down the entire left side and is a good risk/reward hole. The bunker is a magnet for balls. Even those of us in my group that avoided the bunker off the tee, ended up in it eventually.

The mental image I had of Harbour Town, based on the pictures I have seen of it, is that it plays along the water, which it doesn't. It is an inland course. The iconic picture of the lighthouse is a bit misleading. You expect the course to be mostly along the water. In fact, you don't see the water until you reach the 16th green. I found the 18th to be an interesting hole but not really as good as all the hype surrounding it. It has O.B. all the way down the right side and the Calibogue Sound on the left the entire way. Comparisons to the 18th at Pebble Beach are not in order.

I played a good paced round at Harbour Town, with a cart and a fore-caddy to move us along. We played in 4 1/4 hours and as much as I don't like riding in a golf cart, in scorching heat and high humidity, it makes sense that they use them. Overall, I enjoyed Harbour Town.

The Carolina Low Country

As I've said, I am a fan of the Carolina Low country. It is hot, humid and sultry and has a lot of charm. I enjoy having grits with breakfast and the other distinctive regional cuisine: She crab soup, crawfish, cornbread and the local seafood. I like the distinctive Southern drawl they speak with and the slow pace of life here is a nice change. Plus, how can you not like a place that sells "worms and shrimps" in gas stations and convenience stores.

After I finished playing Harbour Town I drove up to Charleston to play Yeamans Hall. Those of you that have been to Hilton Head will appreciate that I made the classic driving mistake on my way out. I turned into the wrong housing development, which actually isn't hard to do, because many look alike and with the low hanging trees it is always somewhat dark. I got lost and drove in circles for 30 minutes around the various neighborhoods that you need a satellite navigation system to get out of.

As you will see in my coming post on Yeamans Hall, the two places are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Harbour Town was the easiest course for me to play thus far. I went on-line prior to my trip and had the round completely booked within five minutes. The very private Yeamans Hall has almost no houses around it, gets little play, is the picture of proper Southern gentility and was very difficult for me to get on to play. Rather than just driving up to the bag drop like you do at Harbour Town, at Yeamans you have to get through the guarded entrance, seen below.

The entrance gate to Yeamans Hall

On my drive up to Charleston I took the back roads to soak up the atmosphere. It is an eclectic mix of tidal salt marshes, rivers, swamps, plantations, antique shops and fireworks stores. There is good reason they call this the Low country. Hopefully, the pictures below can give you a good feel for what it is like. It has a Fellini-like mix of high and low.

Plantation entrance with a beautiful allée of trees

Low country antiquing

Low country entertainment

Oh yea, I almost forgot, I have to put in the obligatory picture of the signature lighthouse hole.

P.S. I did manage to get excellent prices on a couple of new Christmas ornaments while at Hilton Head and spent well less than the $270 that the greens fees cost me.

Oakmont

Oakmont and the Pittsburgh area have come a long way since playing host to their first major championship in 1919, the U.S. Amateur. American Golfer magazine, which covered the championship extensively wrote at the time about, "The Smoky City" and said, "Golf balls last a far less time in Pittsburgh than elsewhere, for the grass is covered with soot and the ball, as it rolls along the ground eats it up. Then when the clubhead smashes against the ball, the soot is driven into the cover and the ball soon becomes black."

Sometimes I come back from a course immediately inspired to write about it. I got no such inspiration after playing Oakmont (ranked #15 in the world) because I was so worn down. I played Oakmont about three years ago, before I owned my digital camera, so I have no brilliant shots to show. The recent US Open provided my needed inspiration to write up my Oakmont post.

I also find it difficult to write about courses that people know so much about and that get so much TV exposure. The thing I took away from Oakmont is that it is a very difficult golf course. As you saw during the US Open, it is extremely difficult. The thing is, the course is pretty much always like you saw it on TV. Some courses need a lot of preparation to host a major championship. Oakmont could really host a major at a moment's notice. A lot of top courses boast that they could host a major at any time without a lot of preparation. At Oakmont, it is not a boast, but a legitimate claim. I have found it to be the most difficult of all the courses I have played - harder than other arduous courses such as Bethpage Black, Pine Valley, Winged Foot, Olympic Club or Carnoustie. It no doubt has the fastest greens of the top 100. It's debilitating.

Pittsburgh

I had never been to Pittsburgh before going to play at Oakmont. Pittsburgh is one of those cities that has a rust-belt image and has a reputation as being rough and gritty. The reality of visiting Pittsburgh was quite different. It is a very nice city situated around three rivers. There are a series of narrow valleys all around the city going in all directions with rivers at the bottom of each. It is hard to get a clear vista in any direction because of all the hills and valleys, but it has a certain uniqueness to its topography that makes it an attractive city in its own way. There are about a dozen vintage (not surprisingly, mostly steel) bridges that cross the rivers at various points around the city. Collectively, I found they are architecturally very interesting. Not only is Pittsburgh also a big college town, it sort of has a retro-feel to it that I like. Pittsburgh is an under-appreciated city.

Getting to Oakmont

When you drive east out of the city to get to Oakmont you drive along various narrow river-valleys with vestiges of old Pittsburgh visible. One of the defining features of the area as you get out of the city proper are the narrow valleys with railroad tracks running parallel to the river, and old steel factories squeezed between the roadway and the mountains. When you get to the Oakmont exit you then cross back over the Allegheny River and drive through a not-so-great neighborhood and up a long hill. At the top of the hill turn left, and you are at one of golf's historic masterpieces. You know the place is special as soon as you turn in, with the old tudor style original clubhouse. The locker room is original and very impressive, so steeped in history with pictures of past champions all around. I just liked the ambiance and feel of the place. There is a sign as you walk past the clubhouse that states that you have to walk the course unless you have a note from a doctor. It is one of those places like Winged Foot or Merion where you really can feel the history as you walk around the course.

The Golf Course

It you can define a course by the quality of the champions that have won there, then Oakmont is unquestionably great: Tommy Armour, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazan, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Ernie Els.

Both Johnny Miller and Ernie Els call the first hole the hardest opening hole in championship golf and it's hard to disagree. Along the right-hand side is O.B. the entire length of the hole. If you don't hit the ball far enough on your tee shot, you have a blind downhill shot to the green. The green slopes right to left and back to front and is lightning quick. Many golf course architects believe in a moderately easy hole to open with and then the course gets progressively more difficult. The father and son designers of the course, the Fownes', did not share this philosophy. Their design philosophy of, "A shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost", was executed with precision when they designed Oakmont.

After playing the first hole you cross over the Pennsylvania Turnpike on a foot bridge and get to the second tee. Holes 2-8 are cut off from the rest of the course by the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The third hole is the one with the famous "Church Pew" bunkers on the left side. They are, by far, not the most difficult part of the hole. I found the green to be very tough. It is an elevated green, ala Pinehurst #2, is inverted, and quite difficult to hold, and like all the greens is lightning quick. After finishing the par three 8th hole, you walk back over the busy Turnpike and play the 9th hole, which has a beautiful vista of the clubhouse in front of you as you walk up the hill.


I am making a big leap of faith here that most of my readers don't suffer from a certain dementia characterized by a joy of repetitiveness and thus I will spare you an analysis of the remaining holes because they are all hard and the greens are all lightning fast.

History

As hard as Oakmont is today, it used to be even harder. They used to use deep-toothed rakes in the bunkers to create furrows, making it quite difficult to get out of. Golf Illustrated in 1919 wrote about Oakmont, "...one of the most difficult courses in America. It is one of the most closely and scientifically trapped courses in the world and woe betide the erratic player".

Bobby Jones was worn down by the Amateur held at Oakmont in 1919. Over six days he played 36 holes a day and lost eighteen pounds. Jones rarely criticized things, but in a 1926 article he criticized the furrowing of bunkers as being unfair. He wrote, "I was afraid, after Oakmont, that any criticism I might make of the sand hazards there would be interpreted as an ill-natured grumbling against the course, because I had made such a miserable showing in the tournament." Below is a picture of Bobby hitting out a furrowed bunker at Oakmont. Thankfully, they no longer furrow the bunkers.

Trying to play the top 100 courses in the world, it is inevitable to run into weather troubles along the way. The first time I went to Oakmont, I was only able to play nine holes due to a severe thunderstorm that came through in the afternoon. We had to retire to the men's grill and had a grand time amicably talking golf until dinner-time. If you have to be stuck in a clubhouse, there are worse places in the world to get rained out. My host was gracious enough to invite me back to play a full eighteen holes two months later.

I have no real criticism of the golf course itself. The routing is world-class, varied and there is enough elevation change to make it interesting. There is good reason why Oakmont is on the National Register of Historic Places. The issue I have with Oakmont is that for the average player it's too long, the rough is too high and the greens are too fast. As Johnny Miller says, "Oakmont's mean". I am glad I made the pilgrimage to see this shrine of golf, but I am in no hurry to go back.

After seeing Oakmont, I would have to agree that Johnny Miller's 63 in the final round of the 1973 US Open to win, has to be the best single round of golf ever played.

Scioto Country Club

Scioto (pronounced like Toyota, "sigh-OH-tuh"), Country Club is ranked in the top 100 in the world for several reasons: It is a Donald Ross design built in 1916; It has hosted five U.S.G.A. championships; It is the course that Jack Nicklaus played golf on as a young man and Bobby Jones won his first U.S. Open at Scioto. Scioto (ranked #71 in the world) was founded in 1916. One of the co-founders was Samuel P. Bush, great-grandfather of our current "decider", although I will try not to let this fact negatively influence my impression of the course.

Jones won the U.S. Open in 1926 at Scioto only fifteen days after he won the British Open at Lytham & St. Annes. Remember that this is before the era of jet airplanes, when golfers crossed the Atlantic by boat. At both Lytham and Scioto, Jones came from behind to win. At Scioto he gained the lead on the 17th hole in a final day of 36 hole play.

The Buckeye State has an abundant amount of good golf courses. Columbus alone has three world ranked courses - Muirfield Village, The Golf Club and Scioto. The state has two other courses in the world's top 100 - Inverness in Toledo and Camargo in Cincinnati. It also has three other highly-regarded courses - Firestone, Canterbury and Double Eagle.

Second green at Scioto

Like its Donald Ross designed neighbor, Inverness, Scioto has small greens. During my round I putted or chipped a lot off the collar of the greens, as did everyone in my foursome. Even if you hit the green, often times the ball bounces off or ends up on the fringe or in the rough. This is in part because they are small greens and in part because the edges are slightly crowned - not like an overturned bowl or a traditional Pinehurst #2 green, a lot more subtle. The net effect of the green designs is that the ball rolls off a lot. The approach shot to most greens is a narrow fairway area, taking away any possibility of a bump and run shot. The elevated greens are so well bunkered that the correct shot to hit into each green is a high shot that spins or lands softly. The picture above of the second green is typical of most greens on the course.

Bunker on the 2nd fairway

Scioto has been modified from its original 1916 design. All that really remains of the original Donald Ross design is his routing. The greens were redone by Dick Wilson in 1963. Although they are not Ross's originals, I found them to be challenging and interesting. As a classic Ross routing, Scioto represents the archetypal tree-lined, American-style target golf course. It is one of the most perfectly manicured and conditioned courses I have ever played.

3rd green

My favorite hole on the course was the par five eighth. Like Peachtree in Atlanta, Scioto has a creek that meanders through the rolling hills and provides an effective hazard on many holes, including the eighth. The eighth is a dog-leg through the rolling terrain that plays over water to a slightly elevated, well-bunkered green.

Approach to the 8th green

Although the course doesn't really have any similarities to a links course, the stone walls that ring a couple of holes on the back nine brought back memories of the stone walls at Muirfield and North Berwick. Below is the stone wall along the 12th fairway.

Stone wall on 12th hole

The majority of the golf courses in the world's top 100 are all about golf. Take, for example Shinnecock, Pine Valley, The National Golf Links, Chicago Golf, San Francisco Golf, Muirfield, Cruden Bay, Dornoch, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, etc. They are not country clubs, but are focused on golf only. Scioto is the quintessential Country Club, offering a full array of activities. It has a swimming pool for families, tennis courts, an exercise room and is setup to accommodate both men and ladies. It has a series of patios, a grill room, restaurants, and even a barber shop that is still in use. You can see that Scioto is located in a nice neighborhood of Columbus by the stone houses, seen in the pictures, surrounding many of the holes, although the course doesn't have a feel of being hemmed in by houses. Jack grew up in the neighborhood behind the course.

16th green

We took caddies at Scioto, as I always do if caddies are available. I was surprised to see most members riding in carts, especially well-fed ones. One gentleman riding up and down the fairways had an unseemly resemblance to Rush Limbaugh. My advice to you porkers is lose the carts; you might actually avoid that future operation to have your stomach stapled if you get some exercise. Hello people, golf is a walking game!

Part of the Scioto clubhouse is dedicated to the history of the championships played there and to its famous prodigy, Jack Nicklaus, and his teacher, Jack Grout. Visiting Scioto is a required part of a golfer's education to see the course where a pudgy kid from Columbus developed into one of the greatest golfers of all time. It is a rewarding experience to stand on the expansive driving range and imagine all the balls Jack used to hit.

I look forward to returning to Ohio in the not-to-distant future to complete my golfing education.

Scioto's Web Site

Sebonack Golf Club

The stakes are high when you are building a new course next to two of the world's greatest courses. Sebonack Golf Club is located next to both the National Golf Links of America and Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, NY. Sebonack is located nearer to Peconic Bay than Shinnecock, immediately to the west of The National.

Sebonack is an old native American Indian word that roughly translates into "golf club for the filthy rich." The Indians were very prescient in their naming of this land, which seems like it was always destined to be a golf course. It has the perfect sandy soil for golf with gorgeous views overlooking the bay. Similar to the benevolent dictator model that was the genius behind The National (Macdonald), Oakmont (Fownes) and Pine Valley (Crump), so it is with Sebonack and Mike Pascucci. Pascucci made his money in the car leasing business. He reportedly paid $46 million for the 300 acre property. It is also reported that the course and the club cost between $100 and $120 million to build all-in, plus or minus a couple of million, but whose counting among friends?

The price of entry into Sebonack is a tad high. There is a $650,000 initiation fee and membership is by invitation only. Similar to The National Golf Links, Sebonack has "founding" members. These ten gentleman shelled out $1 million each for the privilege and can nominate and sponsor new members. The total net-worth of the ten founders combined exceeds the gross domestic product of many countries. Sebonack will probably be the first golf club not only ranked in the top 100 golf courses in the world, but also as a stand-alone entity will rank in the World Bank top 100 GDP rankings. If it were a sovereign state, it would rank between Mozambique and Estonia.

I have been getting feedback from my readers accusing me of being a golf snob. I can assure you my dear fans, that nothing is further from the truth. I learned to play the game playing on municipal courses, waiting for long stretches on tee boxes and without any of the perks and thrills that these elite courses offer. I can also assure you that I could not join Sebonack even if I was invited to, which I have not been. I have perfected the art of networking and have an unflappable determination to play all the world's top courses; in many cases, simply by asking the right people. I may be a pompous charlatan, but I am not a snob.

The entrance gate to Sebonack

The Golf Course

Pascucci hired the unlikely team of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak, who have very different styles, to design Sebonack. The idea was that Doak would do the major routing and be responsible for the look of the course, while Jack would help on the risk/reward decisions and design. Who knows what the real truth is or what the dynamics of the two partners were when designing and building the course? Rumor has it that it was a tense relationship. If the rumor is true, then tension produces a good golf course. Now that this beauty of a course is in place, it hardly matters how they got along; the course is spectacular. The bunkers on most holes were clearly influenced by Doak; it has the same look and feel as many holes on Pacific Dunes. I personally saw the Nicklaus influence on the par threes, particularly the fourth and eighth holes.

Although I haven't read anywhere that Doak or Nicklaus set out to replicate holes from other courses at Sebonack, I found that, similar to what Macdonald did at The National, many holes here are strong replicas of other classic holes from around the world.

The exciting opening hole at Sebonack

Sebonack is a golf course that both lives up to the potential of this unique site and the pedigree of its designers. Although it is a new course, having opened in 2006, I believe it instantly has one of the best starts in golf; rivaling Merion and Prestwick with opening holes that get the juices flowing. Like these two grande dames, the first hole at Sebonack is a very short par four, at 337 yards. Like at Merion, it is a dog-leg right and it is set so that as you walk toward the green, the bay starts to become visible in front of you. I personally like a short starting hole, which gives the opportunity to start your round with a birdie or par. Don't be fooled by the short yardage on the card into thinking it is a complete lay-up hole, however. The real fun starts when you take out the flat stick. The first green is wild and crazy with wicked undulations. Walking up to putt on the first green is like getting hit in the face with a wet dish rag. It hurts. Never-the-less, the green shocks you into the round and unmistakeably lets you know that you are in for a unique round of golf.

The second hole is the best on the course in my view, and one of the best in the world. It is the number one handicap hole and plays 414 yards with an uphill second shot. The prevailing wind is in your face, so it plays longer than the card. You have to hit your tee shot through two large American elms that frame the fairway about 100 yards off the tee box. The shot plays down a hill into a valley that is covered with sand and bunkers. It requires a well struck ball to find the middle of the fairway, but the hole has classic risk-reward characteristics that rewards a well played shot hit between the bunkers with a favorable kick forward. The second hole reminded me of a combination of the 12th at Prairie Dunes, with the two trees serving as sentinels on either side of the fairway; and the 8th at Crystal Downs, with the severely sloping green that repels a short shot.

The second hole seen from the tee box - world class

This second shot into the green is an instant classic in the golf world, although I can see how it may be controversial. Some may call the green unfair because the foreword one-third of it is such a severe drop-off. I can't even imagine how they mow the grass. A shot hit too far goes into the devilish downhill bunker beyond the green. If you hit your shot to the right spot on the green past the drop-off, but short of the bunker, it is a rewarding shot because the ball feeds down to the center of the green. Because of the steep drop-off, this is effectively a postage-stamp green. The margin for error is almost nil. It is difficult to see the severity of the drop-off coming into this green from the photograph (below). The green is elevated probably eight-to-ten feet above the fairway, so severe is not too strong a word to describe it.

Approach to the second hole

As if the second hole wasn't great enough, what also makes it more interesting is the history behind the trees. This property at one time was the summer estate of Charles H. Sabin, former president of The Guaranty Trust Company. Sabin was an original founding member of The National Golf Links of America and a friend of Charles Blair Macdonald. The trees used to be on either side of his manor house ("Bayberry Land"), which was taken down when the course was built. The entrance gates you drive through to get into Sebonack (picture of the gates is at the top of this post) are also from the original Sabin estate.

The fifth hole is noteworthy as a short, down-hill par four with great risk-reward characteristics. It reminds me of the world-class seventeenth at The National. According to our host, this was a hole Nicklaus was responsible for and Jack feels it is similar to the 12th hole at The Old Course at St. Andrews. The hole is only 360 yards and plays downhill, with a pot bunker in the middle of the fairway, so you have to choose to either lay-up or go left or right and are duly penalized or rewarded.

The par three 12th green

The par three twelfth hole (above) reminds me of the 14th hole at nearby Maidstone, which I like. It is a 136 yard par three that plays down into sand dunes with the bay as the back-drop. Nicklaus says this hole is modeled after the Postage Stamp hole at Royal Troon, but I don't see any likeness.

The 11th green

The routing at Seconack is interesting. The whole property gently slopes downhill toward the bay. The first three holes play near the water, then the character of the course changes as you go in-land into a forested area. Several holes are then in a sandy/scrubby area. Once you get back to the green at the eleventh hole you are back near the water for two holes, then the course goes back in-land. There is a great vista that unfolds before you when you are finished playing the 17th hole. You walk through a clearing out onto a high bluff overlooking Peconic bay. The 18th plays immediately next to the bay on your left the entire way home.

Approach to the 16th green - notice the "Doak" influence on the bunkers

The course is set on prime Hamptons real estate in an idyllic setting that helps you to sometimes forget where you are as you snake around the course. In a lovely surprise, as we were walking to the ninth tee, a group finishing the 'Alps' hole at the adjacent National Golf Links rang the bell as they were walking off this blind green to signal to the group behind them that they were done playing the hole. The 'Alps' hole is as close a 50 yards from you as you tee off on this uphill par five. It is very charming.

I wouldn't say all 18 holes at Sebonack are standouts. The par three fourth is nothing special. The eighth and thirteenth holes are also not standouts and the water carries over the in-land ponds seem a bit forced to me. The greens were a little slow when we played which is chalked up to the course being new, although they were in excellent condition. The course plays pretty difficult so I imagine when the greens fully grow in and are fast, it will be a stern test of golf, especially when the wind is up. I also liked several of the green complexes, like the third hole, that allow you to hit shots into the back of the greens and slope back down to the center - serving as a backstop effect. Particularly on uphill shots this allows you to be aggressive on a well-struck approach shot. To me, this was one of the defining characteristics of the course.

The ninth green

As it turns out, the match I was playing ended up tied on the 18th green so we played the 'bye' hole, or 19th hole. The 19th hole is a short par three near the 18th green that plays back toward the bay. The idea of this extra hole is exactly what we used it for, which is as a tie-breaker for matches. The genius of it is that it's a short hole. I hit an eight iron, as did my playing partner. It's very exciting to both have birdie chances to win a playoff. Well done Jack and Tom!

The down-hill 11th hole from the tee box

I enjoyed playing Sebonack a lot. Although the course is too new to be ranked yet, my sense is it will soon become recognized as one of the world's top courses. I had a dream day of golf when I played Sebonack. I played The National Golf Links in the morning, had their famous lobster lunch, followed by an afternoon round at Sebonack. Thanks to my Ecco shoes, two great caddies and lots of adrenaline, I happily played the 37 holes and was not fatigued in the least as the sun started to go down. I don't want to rub it in, but I am living la dolce vita in my golf travels, although all the lobster and walking caused both my gout and my lumbago to flare up. Occupational hazards.

When I grow up, I want to retire to the Hamptons and have my choice of playing Shinnecock Hills, Maidstone, The National and Sebonack. There are no finer collection of courses located so close to each other anywhere in the world.

It almost feels like you are back in the roaring 20s on the eastern end of Long Island these days. We are fortunate to live in a second "Golden Age" of golf course architecture fueled by rampant economic prosperity globally. The Sabin's were one of the most prosperous families of the Jazz Age and spent time during the summers entertaining at their Southampton home. It is hard not to feel just a bit like Gatsby while at Sebonack.

Modern Day Golf Course Development

In an interesting case study of golf course development today, I stumbled across the public relations strategy many new courses engage in. I always research all the courses I play and try to read as much as possible about them. For Sebonack, I read about fifteen magazine and newspaper articles about the course. I found it funny that they almost always use the same canned phrases, stock photos and quotes. My research revealed that Sebonack uses the Hunter Public Relations firm to spin its story. Coincidentally, it appears to be the same firm that markets Trump courses as well. It is pretty sad to me how the media basically just reprints press releases and works with P.R. firms to do stories and prints canned quotes. How about some original reporting and thoughtful commentary? How about getting out there and getting some sand in your shoes and eating some lobster?

Part of the reason I write this blog is to give an undiluted opinion and behind the scenes look without the fear of pissing off a course or a potential advertiser. I am the editorial board, the legal department and the in-house fact checker. I like my independence. That, plus, I have never even remotely been offered a writing job; but let's not quibble over a small point.

The "cottages" under construction at Sebonack

I suppose it makes sense for a course like Sebonack to market itself from a P.R. standpoint. It certainly helps eliminate the perception that this is a playground for the über wealthy; it helps to "position" the story of development in an environmentally friendly way; and it no doubt helped Jack and Tom stay on the same page publicly.

Mike Pascucci is described in all the press accounts as a local guy made good and is very philanthropically oriented. Based on my own research, and unlike the horses-ass-of-the-world Trump, the P.R. here does not distort. I know two people who know Mike, are unaware of my secret identity, and without solicitation both confirmed that he is the genuine article. He's the anti-Trump. I commend him for living his dream and building Sebonack. The course lives up to everything I have seen written about it.

The "cottages" and clubhouse are still being constructed at Sebonack. For the Hamptons, the "cottages" are relatively modest - each will hold a fore-some. They reminded me of the cottages at Bandon Dunes and Sand Hills. The clubhouse is being built at the highest point on the property and will have majestic views looking down on the National clubhouse, Peconic bay and the course. From the look of the skeleton of the building that was present when I was there, it does not look like it will be a modest building. It looks like, when complete, it will be the Parthenon of the golf world and will shortly assume an exaulted place in the world of golf that obesssive golfers such as myself will clamor to be invited to.

The interesting history of the Sabin estate "Bayberry Land"

Golf in the Hamptons - Shinnecock, Maidstone Club and The National

I am not in the habit of re-posting previous write-ups but I couldn't resist this one. I was fortunate enough to visit The National Golf Links again and this time went crazy with my digital camera. This post has been updated for your viewing please with a rare insiders look inside The National Clubhouse. Enjoy.

Inside The National Clubhouse

"The National” is how those inside refer to it. Those not familiar could be excused for assuming the reference is to Augusta National. However, within golfing circles, the National is just as exclusive as Augusta. The full name is The National Golf Links of America (ranked #20 in the world) and it is located immediately adacent to its better known neighbor in Southampton - Shinnecock Hills.

The most "ideal" golf course in the world

The National was the brainchild of Charles Blair Macdonald, one of the founding fathers of golf in America. Macdonand's idea was to build an "ideal" golf course and he modeled most holes after famous holes in the British Isles from courses such as Prestwick, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Sandwich and North Berwick.

The Library at The National

The National has been dominated by financiers and bankers since its inception. The founding members were senior executives at Guaranty Trust, National City, First National and the House of Morgan. Given its proximity to New York City, the club retains its ties to Wall Street and the houses of Morgan to this day.

17th hole at National looking back from the green

Like the other great risk/reward course on the East Coast of the United States, Merion, you must play the National with your head as much as your clubs. Macdonald's design philosophy was to provide a safe line of play if you want to play cautious, but also to offer a more difficult but rewarding shot to those willing to take risk. How many times have you heard that a certain piece of land is perfect for a golf course? In the case of the National Golf Links it is true. Every hole at the National is good. After playing the National I felt that at least five holes are truly world class: the 3rd Alps, the 4th Redan, the 14th Cape, the 16th Punch Bowl and the 17th Peconic. The 17th is a 360 yard risk/reward hole that, along with the 10th at Riviera, are probably the two best in existence.

Macdonald remains a presence in the library today

I could write pages of accolades about The National but won't. Instead I will share what many of the game's greatest writers have to say about it and I agree with them all:

Bernard Darwin calls it: "endearing";

Herbert Warren Wind calls it: "a majestic monument";

John de St. Jorre calls it: "the most scenic in America";

Horace Hutchinson says: "it has no weak points".

The card table in the "green" room at The National

The National has a large windmill set on a hill overlooking Peconic Bay. You aim at the windmill as you play the uphill 16th hole. The 16th has a punchbowl green sunken into the surrounding land. When you are finished putting out on the 16th you can't see much of anything except the sides of the punchbowl. It is also very quiet because you are sunken down into the landscape. To proceed to the next tee you walk up the hill and at the apex you see the beautiful expanse of Peconic Bay out ahead of you; the windmill and clubhouse are on your left and the 17th hole is beneath you. I know there are those who won't necessarily share my view that The National is one of the very best courses in the world. However, it would be hard to argue that standing on the 17th tee here, along with walking up the 9th fairway at Royal County Down, is unquestionably one of the finest views in all of golf. I invite those who differ to post something that you think is better.

The ambiance of the "green" room

The National is also famous for its lunch, which hasn't changed since the course opened. It is a lobster lunch that includes fishcakes, crab cakes, beef and kidney pie, shepherd's pie and macaroni and cheese. The overall ambiance of The National is very good, if a little formal. If you get the chance to stay overnight at The National and experience the full treatment you are among a very select and privileged group.

The dining room for the finest golf lunch in America

The view from a National "dorm" room on the 3rd floor

For me, an overnight stay at The National and a round of golf is as good as golf gets, bar none.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (ranked #4 in the world) deserves a special place in the world of golf because it was the first club incorporated in the U.S. in 1891. It has a rich and storied history and is unquestionably a championship course. I have had the honor of playing Shinnecock Hills several times and think it is a great golf course but not necessarily in the top 5 in the world. Perhaps, like the Old Course at St. Andrews, it takes a longer period of time to reveal its greatness. I must say that I have appreciated it more each time I have played and can see how it has many subtleties and nuances that have to be mastered. The Redan 7th hole is probably the best rendition of this hole design anywhere outside of the original at North Berwick. In the five attempts I have made thus far I have been unable to hit the green.

7th at Shinnecock as seen from the left bunker

The clubhouse at Shinnecock is certainly historic but I was taken aback at how close it is to both Highway 27 and the road running through the course. Don't get me wrong, I would at any time make the long drive out to Shinnecock to play the course, sit on the porch and look out at the landscape below, but in my opinion the clubhouse ranks only as the 4th best on Long Island behind those at The National, Maidstone and Garden City.

Comparing Shinnecock and The National is inevitable since the two courses are immediately adjacent to each other. It is in some ways like comparing Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. I will paraphrase the famous quote comparing Nicklaus and Palmer: "God will give you the talent (Nicklaus) but they will like you more (Palmer)". To my mind, Shinnecock is Jack Nicklaus and The National is Arnold Palmer. Maybe Shinnecock is a better course, but I like The National more.

Maidstone Golf Club (ranked #61 in the world) is the least known of the three top ranked courses in the Hamptons. The course is located about 10 miles further east of Shinnecock and The National in East Hampton. While the course itself doesn't have the grandeur of the National or Shinnecock, it is worthy of its world ranking. It is the only one of the six top ranked courses on Long Island that is set on the Atlantic Ocean. Designed by John and Willie Park Jr. in 1891, it is a short course that has a weak start and a weak finish but shines in between. The 14th hole, a par 3 set among the sand dunes right next to the Atlantic defies description. Even the pictures I have attached here doesn't do it justice. The views are from the tee, below the hole and the view of the ocean from the green. It is on the short list of fine one shot holes in the world.

The world class 14th at Maidstone

The 14th green at Maidstone from the rear

View of the Atlantic Ocean from Maidstone tee box

Maidstone is also a beach and tennis club and may be the most family oriented course on the list. One thing a married man needs to attempt this top 100 quest is an understanding wife. Mine is a saint and rarely complains about my golf trips. She accompanied me to East Hampton when I was invited to play Maidstone. Taking her for a nice weekend of laying on the beach while I played a guilt free round of golf got me at free pass for at least ten more courses! It was a perfect August day played with a member who was the perfect gentleman. I enjoyed the Maidstone experience very much. The place has an understated flair to it.

For those not familiar with the level of wealth present in East Hampton and to understand the psyche of Maidstone a short anecdote sums it up best. Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan Am was an early member of Maidstone and served as club president. Juan used to fly his own plane with pontoons out from New York City and land on Georgica Pond, which the course snakes around. Fast forward sixty-plus years. Today's Maidstone members have their G-4s land at nearby East Hampton Airport and then take the five minute ride over to the course. A pressing issue currently is that the runway is too short to land a G-5. Any questions?