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TheHumbleGolfer

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  1. Spyder, It's a pretty cool place. Entirely artificial golf course with unbelievable views and a whole bunch of thrilling shots. Here's a course review with a lot of pictures: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.ca/2012/01/arcadia-bluffs-golf-club-review.html If you can figure a way to get on to either, don't miss The Kingsley Club (http://www.kingsleyclub.com) or Crystal Downs (http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.ca/2011/12/crystal-downs-cc.html) I haven't played there, but hear good things about Belvedere, a Willie Watson design(!): http://www.belvederegolfclub.com
  2. North Palm Beach CC West Palm Beach GC Atlantic National In that order.
  3. Holes 10-12 traverse the flattest part of the property. Some may call these holes less interesting, but they are where I really started to love Streamsong Blue - they are interesting but not overdone - they show tremendous restraint. The 10th hole is a 170-yard par-3 with tees that adjoin the fairway cut run-off from the 9th green. A foreshortening bunker makes depth perception a problem. The simple look of the hole may leave golfers shaking their heads when they walk off the 10th with bogies. I think the 11th hole is tremendous. It is hard to describe, but the blindness of the tee shot, the pair of small centreline bunkers on an expansive fairway, the sunken and wild green and especially the gentle rolls in the fairway (which reminded me of waves in an ocean) they all combined to make a subtle elegance. I know that dirt/sand was moved everywhere, but this hole had a tremendous sense of place. It felt like a hole that was meant to be there. This 450-yard par-4 plays into the wind and is the definition of a half-par hole. Walking of the 11th green in admiration of Doak's restraint, I was a little shocked on the 12th tee as the hole is the only one on the course where things look a little overdone. There is a lot to take in on the 12th - bunkering right, a centreline mound at 220 yards, blind fairway (?) left of the mound, the green in view - all of it combine to make a cluttered visual. Add to that the most boldly contoured green on the course and this may become a love/hate golf hole. Photos and review of the entire course available here: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2012/12/streamsong-resort-blue-streamsong.html
  4. They're open as of Dec. 21. Courses are in excellent condition too!
  5. Tom Doak's Blue Course at Streamsong Resort is exceptional. From the first tee to the final putt, the golfer is challenged to think his way around the golf course as the direct line is rarely the ideal play. The Coore & Crenshaw Red Course is routed through larger dunes and more prevalent water hazards, perhaps making it a slightly more complicated site, but it is Doak's routing that is the more comfortable one. Doak's routing is near flawless with very short green to tee walks, constant changes in direction, and an ability to move the golfer up and down elevation with ease. The 1st tee, sited at the top of a 60 foot high (?) dune is something of a curious decision, but as Doak noted in an earlier thread the additional length was needed to prevent golfers from waiting for the first green to clear. And, the view is exceptional. The other curiosity is the decision to route the par-3 7th such that the golfer walks to the green and near back to the tee. Tie-ins on both golf courses are perfect. Transitions from green to fairway to bunker to sandy waste area to dunes to native grasses to water hazards are so natural that one wonders whether these golf courses have been here forever. Bunker shaping will be familiar to fans of Doak and/or Coore & Crenshaw. Doak's greens drape perfectly on the land. There is a convexity to the undulations on some greens that is unlike anything I have ever seen before. On the Red Course, bold and broad internal contours will have misplayed shots roll slowly and steadily away from their targets. On the Blue Course, shots landing on the wrong part of the green, especially if from the wrong angle will be propelled in directions the golfer had not considered. The Red Course is overt in its penalties, the blue course subtle; but I'm not convinced the Blue Course is any easier. Unlike the 470 yard behemoth of a par-4 on the Red, Doak eases the golfer into the round, offering the opportunity to hit less than driver from the elevated first tee. The width of the 1st fairway is probably 40 yards at its narrowest, and where the option to bailout right is available, the fairway widens to about 100 yards. Golfers on the 1st tee help to give a sense of scale. Aggressive tee shots down the centre/left will be rewarded with a simple pitch. Approaching from the right, though from the fairway, is a difficult task requiring a blind approach over a dune to a green that falls off on the left. For a review and hole descriptions of the remainder of the front-nine, see: http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.com/2012/12/streamsong-resort-blue-streamsong.html Back-nine to come soon!
  6. MacDutch, I was offered an industry rate so, no, I didn't pay full rate. But, it was good enough that I'm planning on going back in a couple of weeks when I will be paying full freight.
  7. My top-5 in order: Kingsley Club Franklin Hills Crystal Downs Oakland Hills (South) Indianwood (Old) Honourable mentions: Country Club of Detroit Arcadia Bluffs Orchard Lake Need to see: Plum Hollow Oakland Hills (North) Detroit GC (South) Lost Dunes Greywalls
  8. Why limit the discussion to Raynor, rather than discuss the trio of Macdonald, Raynor and Banks? I've played the following Raynor designs: Creek Club Fishers Island Mountain Lake Southampton Yale What would you like to know?
  9. Let's not forget that many of the great modern architects were one-time apprentices of Pete Dye's. Is Dye overrated? No, not at all. Pete Dye's influence is a major determinant in the way the best modern golf courses have been designed. Dye's best work, in my opinion, was early in his career when he was more willing/interested in working with what the land gave him. The Golf Club, Teeth of the Dog and The Honors Course are all exceptional golf courses -- subtle is the name of the game.
  10. I had the privilege of spending a day at Streamsong Resort this past weekend. The Red is good, one of the more interesting courses in a state known for mediocre golf. The Blue is exceptional, destined for world top-100.
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