In this month's edition, Golf Digest published three lists of the Most Fun Golf courses, one for public in America, one for private and one for Great Britain and Ireland. These lists will not be reproduced here due to the fact that they have not yet been posted on the Golf Digest website. However, I feel a little discussion is in order about some of the rankings. The private and GB&I lists are both discarded from this discussion as I have played none of the 70 courses listed. However, I have played 7 of the top 50 public courses.
First, as Bandon Dunes noted on their site, the Resort has 3 of the top 5 and 4 of the top 6, with Old Macdonald being ranked #2, Bandon Preserve #3, Pacific Dunes #4, and Bandon Dunes #6. Bandon Trails makes the list at #27. My first thought when I read this was "I wonder how much the resort had to pay to get THOSE rankings?" I stand by that assessment. How was this list determined? I have played 3 of the 5 courses at Bandon, and while they were certainly fun to play, I can't honestly say that I had exponentially more fun at Bandon playing with a great group of guys than I had about a month later playing Metropolitan Municipal in Oakland, CA with virtually that same group of folks.
No, it seems to me that the magazine simply threw together a list of courses that are popular today and/or have some kind of scenery involved. It seemingly does not take anything else into consideration. What is their justification for the Gil Hanse designed Rustic Canyon being ranked #30, so far behind the Bandon courses? Did Gil or the club forget to cut a check to Golf Digest? What of a course like Tobacco Road, a course with more variety and visual stimulation than most on the list than I have seen?
There is little rhyme or reason here and no mention of what methodology was used to determine this list. The #1 course on the list, Pebble Beach, is certainly understandable given the course's history and aura. But beyond that, it gets a little lost, honestly leading me to believe that this list was merely bought and paid for by advertisers and glad handing course owners trying to get their names at the top of the page. Take my not so humble opinion for whatever you choose to, but do so with the knowledge that I simple tell things as I see them. Sometimes, that might irritate people...and I do not care.
Thursday
Augusta National and Female members
It was announced on Monday, August 20 that the Augusta National Golf Club has admitted two females into its membership. The club's reason for accepting two ladies into the membership right now is unknown to this writer and really does not matter. Truthfully, even the fact that they now have women as members does not matter. No, in reality, this will do virtually nothing to change anything about the world of golf, any "rights" discussion among non-White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Heterosexual, Male groups, and won't affect any part of my life, either.
This little happening will not do anything to change the world of golf. Sure, now the club can be acting in accordance with PGA Tour rules about not having restrictive membership practices, but that knowledge likely did not factor into the clubs decision at all. I should say that the club cares no more today than they did yesterday, or any of the previous 29,107 +/- days of its existence, that they have female members. Nothing about the culture of the club is going to change. And nothing about the world of golf as a whole is going to change. The game will still be difficult to access for a huge segment of the population due to economic status or lack of available courses. Not to mention the outright discrimination that takes place at many clubs, which leads to my second point.
Augusta National never out rightly said that women could not be members. They simply did not have one. This in contrast to places like Shoal Creek where it was blatantly stated that they would not allow African-Americans to be members. Or some of the older clubs where there are written policies in place stating they are open to males only. Or clubs that don't allow Jewish people to be members. The list could go on, of course. Now, it is no one’s place to tell these clubs who they should or should not allow as members. They are private clubs with the ability to do as they choose. However, it should be obvious to most that individuals who do not fit into the White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Heterosexual, Male mold often times have difficulty joining all manner of private clubs. From high profile golf clubs to middle of the road country clubs to athletic clubs even down to organizations like small town hunt clubs, restrictive practices exist everywhere. Augusta National Golf Club accepting two women, no matter how high profile they may be (though, in reality, how large a percentage of the population, outside the states of South Carolina and Texas, had heard of Darla Moore prior to Monday?) will not alter the reality of the situation nor will it prompt any clubs to change practices.
But finally, does this decision by Augusta National affect *my* life or *your* life? I should think that unless you are close personal friends with former Secretary of State Rice or Ms. Moore, it does not really alter your life at all. Your chances of playing Augusta National prior to death were likely close to the chance that you will see a unicorn on the way to work today. Those chances have not improved.
No, the truth is, nothing has changed. The Master's will still go on next year, same as it did this year. As much as some might want to think this is some great step forward for golf and non-White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Heterosexual, Male "rights," it is not. This decision does not affect you, it does not affect me, and it does not break down any glass ceilings. While it is not a bad thing that Augusta National accepted women into the membership, it is no earth-shattering happening. It is really something of a neutral item that is getting blown up on a slow news day. Do not expect to see any huge shift in club cultures or anything else because of this.
This little happening will not do anything to change the world of golf. Sure, now the club can be acting in accordance with PGA Tour rules about not having restrictive membership practices, but that knowledge likely did not factor into the clubs decision at all. I should say that the club cares no more today than they did yesterday, or any of the previous 29,107 +/- days of its existence, that they have female members. Nothing about the culture of the club is going to change. And nothing about the world of golf as a whole is going to change. The game will still be difficult to access for a huge segment of the population due to economic status or lack of available courses. Not to mention the outright discrimination that takes place at many clubs, which leads to my second point.
Augusta National never out rightly said that women could not be members. They simply did not have one. This in contrast to places like Shoal Creek where it was blatantly stated that they would not allow African-Americans to be members. Or some of the older clubs where there are written policies in place stating they are open to males only. Or clubs that don't allow Jewish people to be members. The list could go on, of course. Now, it is no one’s place to tell these clubs who they should or should not allow as members. They are private clubs with the ability to do as they choose. However, it should be obvious to most that individuals who do not fit into the White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Heterosexual, Male mold often times have difficulty joining all manner of private clubs. From high profile golf clubs to middle of the road country clubs to athletic clubs even down to organizations like small town hunt clubs, restrictive practices exist everywhere. Augusta National Golf Club accepting two women, no matter how high profile they may be (though, in reality, how large a percentage of the population, outside the states of South Carolina and Texas, had heard of Darla Moore prior to Monday?) will not alter the reality of the situation nor will it prompt any clubs to change practices.
But finally, does this decision by Augusta National affect *my* life or *your* life? I should think that unless you are close personal friends with former Secretary of State Rice or Ms. Moore, it does not really alter your life at all. Your chances of playing Augusta National prior to death were likely close to the chance that you will see a unicorn on the way to work today. Those chances have not improved.
No, the truth is, nothing has changed. The Master's will still go on next year, same as it did this year. As much as some might want to think this is some great step forward for golf and non-White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Heterosexual, Male "rights," it is not. This decision does not affect you, it does not affect me, and it does not break down any glass ceilings. While it is not a bad thing that Augusta National accepted women into the membership, it is no earth-shattering happening. It is really something of a neutral item that is getting blown up on a slow news day. Do not expect to see any huge shift in club cultures or anything else because of this.
Wednesday
Anchorage Golf Course- Anchorage, AK
This course has most of what a person would look for in a very good course. The par 3's range from short iron to hybrid clubs. Par 4's that run from nearly 460 yards (a significant distance given average Alaska temperatures) down to 330 and the par 5's run from easily reached in two shots to a solid three shotter. Given what this writer has seen of courses on the Golfweek Top Municipal course ranking, this course should be on that list, only location is holding it back. The course does seem to be slightly repetitive with the mid-length par 4's, but the holes individually are varied enough to keep them from being boring.
Holes to Note
Hole #2: Par 4, 341 yards
This hole plays straight off the tee and into a sharp dogleg. While the players instincts would tell him to play close down the tree line on the right, no benefit will come from doing that. Indeed the best play is either directly down the center or even favoring the left side of the fairway for a flatter lie.
Into the green, the player is left with a carry only shot to a rather flat green, but one that does slope from back to front. For the player who leaves his shot a little short or a little long of the green, a difficult shot awaits.
Hole #3: Par 3, 177 yards
This mid length one shot hole features a very interesting green that is shaped rather like a boomerang. In the center of the curve is a deep grass bunker waiting to penalize shots hit to the left of the green. Fortunately for the players who slice the ball (those being the majority of golfers) the penalty for missing right of the green is not nearly as severe.
From up close, the swale is a bold and key feature on the hole.
Hole #6: Par 5, 495 yards
Playing downhill from the tee and seemingly with the prevailing breeze, this is a fine risk-reward par 5. The hole looks tight down to the fairway but once arriving the player realizes that the hole is rather generous. The preferred line off the tee is away from the bunker on the right and down the left side. Playing down the left opens up the hole better for those players choosing to lay-up on the second shot and gives the shorter yardage for those going for the green. The better angle to the green can be had by playing down the right side of the fairway, however; giving the player the ability to run the ball onto the surface in the event that the green is right on the outer reaches of his distance capability.
Of course the scenery in the distance is not terrible either.
From 210 to 250 yards, any player considering going for the green is going to face a tough decision. The green is likely in range for this player but he must consider the water that flanks the green to the left and the stand of trees that lie not far to the right. The player who played down the right side is not looking at a smaller effective width on the right and also the knowledge that a ball that is hooked more than slightly will end up in the water. But the player who favored the left side has a generous fairway to play to in the range of 75 to 100 yards from the green. Any closer than that and he begins to get a bit greedy.
The approach to the green is rather open to the player coming in from the right side, inside of 150 yards. The set of bunkers near the water are actually saving bunkers, keeping shots that are slight misses from going into the water. The green is a generous target, especially for short iron approaches, but is large enough that going for the green in two shots can be a sensible play.
Hole #10: Par 4, 419 yards
This hole plays straight off the tee, slight dogleg to the right. There is seemingly nothing going on from the tee that would make the player put much thought into the tee shot.
But after cresting the hill and coming into view of the entire fairway, the entire look changes.
A huge mound guards the center of the fairway. Given the nature of the site and it's location, one would think that this is natural, perhaps a way to cover up some huge boulder that came to rest here many years ago rather than attempting to move it. There is also another boulder sitting right on the rough line down the right side. Any player tempting the right side had better be long enough to carry these features, otherwise he'd better hope for a lucky bounce.
The green on 10 is also one of the best on the course. It funnels into a small neck near the bunker that can be seen in the above image and then into a small back area. The front of the green is quite generous and accepting of most shots. Inside the green lie several interesting features. In the center of the green is a fair sized rise that makes any shots not finding the proper position on the green a very tricky ordeal. Also on the green are two smaller mounds that can effectively segregate a middle pin position as well.
Hole 16: Par 3, 190 yards
This hole is straightforward, as most par 3's are, really just requiring the player to hit a straight shot to a give yardage.
But once on the green, the features that may have seemed small and perhaps insignificant from the tee show themselves to be very bold and any player not taking the proper time to judge his tee shot is going to be in a very difficult situation, with a three-putt, or perhaps even a four-putt, a possibility.
Overall, this is a very solid golf course. They are apparently making an effort to host a USGA championship and based on the courses this writer has played that have also hosted USGA events, outside of the flagship events, this course compares favorably; the logistics of getting people to the event, however, are a drawback. But this course has what anyone would want in a golf course, variety in the holes, variety in clubs hit both into the green and off the tee, great scenery and good turf conditions. 6 out of 10.
P.S. Just because this is Alaska, during the round, one of the natives decided to come out of the forest and mosey about the fairway.
Hole #10: Par 4, 419 yards
This hole plays straight off the tee, slight dogleg to the right. There is seemingly nothing going on from the tee that would make the player put much thought into the tee shot.
But after cresting the hill and coming into view of the entire fairway, the entire look changes.
The green on 10 is also one of the best on the course. It funnels into a small neck near the bunker that can be seen in the above image and then into a small back area. The front of the green is quite generous and accepting of most shots. Inside the green lie several interesting features. In the center of the green is a fair sized rise that makes any shots not finding the proper position on the green a very tricky ordeal. Also on the green are two smaller mounds that can effectively segregate a middle pin position as well.
Hole 16: Par 3, 190 yards
This hole is straightforward, as most par 3's are, really just requiring the player to hit a straight shot to a give yardage.
But once on the green, the features that may have seemed small and perhaps insignificant from the tee show themselves to be very bold and any player not taking the proper time to judge his tee shot is going to be in a very difficult situation, with a three-putt, or perhaps even a four-putt, a possibility.
Overall, this is a very solid golf course. They are apparently making an effort to host a USGA championship and based on the courses this writer has played that have also hosted USGA events, outside of the flagship events, this course compares favorably; the logistics of getting people to the event, however, are a drawback. But this course has what anyone would want in a golf course, variety in the holes, variety in clubs hit both into the green and off the tee, great scenery and good turf conditions. 6 out of 10.
P.S. Just because this is Alaska, during the round, one of the natives decided to come out of the forest and mosey about the fairway.
(Apologies for the poor image quality, iPhones take quality pictures at a distance, not so quality when zoomed in)
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