The Step-Mother of All Golf Trips (Days 4-6)
A blog covering the first three days of a nine day trip the Gurus took back east in 2010 (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) where we played some of the finest courses in the country.
Blog by: Mike SutoriusSeptember 17, 2010 - Hudson National Golf Club and Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Day 4 featured a combo of courses that overlooked the Hudson River – Hudson National Golf Club, and Sleepy Hollow Country Club. These two designs, separated only by about 7 miles, but approximately 80 years, soon established themselves as one our favorite 36-hole days of all time.
Hudson National is a Tom Fazio design that opened for play in 1996. It is built on the same property as a 9-hole course from the late 20s called Hessian Hills Country Club. In 1932 a fire destroyed the clubhouse, netted the owners a timely insurance settlement (during the Great Depression), and the club closed soon after. In honor of the site’s history, the original stone foundation and some broken walls of the Hessian Hills clubhouse, now located between the 4th and 5th holes, were preserved, providing an aged ambiance to the new course. Despite the previous existence of a golf course, Fazio’s team still blasted away an estimated 100,000 cubic yards of earth and rock to form a walkable collection of 18 holes. The final product is spectacular, one of my two favorite Fazio designs.
Our member host for the day was great guy named Bruce. He is the type of member that every course should send new guests out with. He was a fantastic representative of the club – so knowledgeable, so passionate about every hole, so anxious to share his great treasure with us. The course occupies one of the highest points in Westchester County, and offers unbelievable panoramas of the surrounding area. At least half of the holes gave incredible vistas of the Hudson River. Not only were the views incredible, the property within the confines of the course was spectacular. Dark green fairways, continual granite rock outcroppings, and stark white bunkers interwoven into a fantastic golf design made for a great morning.
Our afternoon round was at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Sleepy Hollow, like Piping Rock, is an original C.B. Macdonald / Seth Raynor routing, and like Quaker Ridge has benefitted from a recent Gil Hanse renovation. The final product is a course that is visually stunning, and a ton of fun to play. Bill and I were offered a cart, if we wanted one (which we did), then took off as a 2-some to play the course named for Washington Irving’s famous short story. We finished just before dark, which affected the quality of our pictures on the 18th hole – which is unfortunate because one of the most impressive clubhouses in all of golf sits behind the 18th green. This converted 75 room, Vanderbilt manor was once the largest private residence in America However, the course itself gave infinite opportunities for quality shots -- with the golf clubs, and with the camera. You could say shot values for the round were extremely high.
That night we had about a 90 mile drive to put ourselves in a good position for the next morning’s round in Ringoes, New Jersey. When we found ourselves backed up in some stand-still traffic and asked for a detour, Nikki, our navigator, decided to give us another cultural treat, and routed us right through the middle of Harlem. Thank you Nikki! This was one of the worst experiences of my life, and not for any of the stereotypical reasons that just popped into your head. Not only was the pace of traffic worse than on the expressway, but we additionally encountered an all-new new traffic challenge. If the art of the “double-park” was not invented in Harlem, it has at least been perfected there. Unlike “no standing” we had at least heard the term before, but had never encountered it – especially not on this level. Apparently, in Harlem, it is the standard to simply double-park (in the first available lane) whenever and wherever there is not space against the curb. Our initial solution to the avoiding of re-occurring parked cars in our lane was to just move to the far inside lane. We soon found that we were far from safe here, however, as taxis would fly down the outside lane and then, without warning, when they encountered a double-parked car, swerve into the inside lane. We had noticed earlier in the trip that almost every taxi and bus in New York has damage to their side panels. By the time we had gotten through Harlem, our only surprise was that there are actually some that do not. What a circus!
So, as a note to you future New York City guests, here are a few local rules:
- “No Standing” actually means “No Parking,” “No Waiting,” and “No Stopping.” I am assuming that you could actually stand in that zone and not be in violation. The violation of this rule is a $115 ticket and $185 tow (even at 11:00 at night).
- Double-Parking is apparently okay. Park wherever and whenever you want if the curb is full. Your vehicle can then be left unattended while going to dinner, to a show, or any other various activities.
- There is no such thing as an Improper Lane Change. Feel free to change lanes at will, at any speed, without the use of turn signals, and with blatant disregard for life and liberty. It is the apparent responsibility of the vehicles already in the lane that you wish to enter to create separation and avoid a collision.
- Buy the insurance coverage that is offered by the car rental agency. In most parts of the country it is a scam. On your vacation to New York City it will be the best deal you will find – by far.
- If you happen to by the victim of a side-swipe on any day of your vacation other than the last, do not attempt to get it repaired. Chances are extremely high that this will not be your last collision.
Another note of interest on this eternal trek to New Jersey would pertain to our eating plans. We had realized, prior to the golf trip, that Red Lobster would be offering their Endless Shrimp promotion and that Olive Garden would be offering their Never Ending Pasta Bowl. We fully intended to take advantage of both. Since we had already partaken of Endless Shrimp earlier in the trip, we found an Olive Garden with gluttonous intentions. Instead of the Never Ending Pasta Bowl, however, we actually encountered some version of the Never-Returning-Waiter, and the Never-Ending-Wait-For-Your-Order. It was a long day.
September 18, 2010 - The Ridge at Back Brook and Aronimink Country Club
Our 9th round of the trip was at another Tom Fazio course, The Ridge at Back Brook. There, we had the great privilege of playing with Head Professional, Steve Scott. Mr. Scott’s most noted achievement was his 1996 U.S. Amateur battle with Tiger Woods at Pumpkin Ridge’s Witch Hollow course in Cornelius, Oregon. Steve was a pleasure to play with, had great information about the course, and showed us that he can still play. Good golf is a requirement from the Gold Tees which stretch out to 7,153 yards, and play to a stiff 74.8/143. While Back Brook, the course’s namesake creek, winds it way through the property and comes into play on several holes, the most characteristic feature of the course is the exposed red rock outcroppings that are encountered on several of the holes. Evidently, those outcroppings are part of a massive underground geological rock formation that runs through the area. Local rules state that “all rock outcroppings are an integral part of the golf course.” Fortunately, in the interest of maintaining the condition of our clubs, we never had to apply this rule.
Our afternoon round was at the esteemed Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a course that designer Donald Ross referred to as his intended masterpiece, and still claimed 20 years after its opening that it was even better than he realized. This ends up being quite a statement when you contemplate the other fantastic Ross designs (Seminole, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, Pinehurst No. 2, Inverness, East Lake, Scioto, Plainfield, etc.,). Tiger Woods apparently shared Ross’s fondness of this 1928 design as he announced Aronimink as the 2-year site of his AT&T National Golf Tournament, while Congressional was getting a facelift, and was undergoing some final prep work for the 2011 U.S. Open. The 2010 event, won by Justin Rose, was Aronimink’s first PGA tournament since the 2003 Senior PGA. It also was the host of the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player.
Again, we found ourselves finishing the round just before dark – this time pushing it even more than we had at Sleepy Hollow. Had we arrived a few minutes earlier, we could have gotten out in front of several brutally slow groups and played as quickly as we wanted. As it turned out, we had to make great time on the back 9, where we caught up to, and finished with, a couple of cool college kids, Matt and Kevin. My only regret on the round was only recording a par, after giving myself a fairly easy birdie putt, on my wife’s namesake hole – hole #7 (Shawnee, as all the holes are named for various Native American tribes).
September 19, 2010 - Merion (East) Golf Club and Hidden Creek Golf Club
Our 11th round of the trip was an experience that we will never forget. It was at Merion Golf Club. That should be explanation enough. However, that singular experience was accentuated by the fact that we there playing as the guests of club historian, Mr. John Capers III. We knew we were in for a treat, but Mr. Capers gave us the experience of a lifetime, beginning with simple access to the hallowed grounds, and culminating in a 5 ½ hour history lesson about one of the most storied courses and country clubs in all of golf.
Bill and I met up with Mr. Capers, and a new associate Brad, to begin the day. John instructed us to grab our golf shoes and a couple of golf clubs, and to follow him up the stairs to the top floor of the clubhouse. We there encountered the epitome of old-school locker rooms where we changed our shoes, and then loosened up by hitting some balls into a couple of nets, in an unfinished-appearing, attic-type space above the pro shop. It was not your typical range.
Obviously, by the size and location of the “range,” space is limited at Merion, where the famed East Course is built on a scant 126 acre parcel, a tiny plot by today’s championship golfing standards, but none of it wasted. In fact, Jack Nicklaus once said, “Acre for acre, [Merion] may be the best test of golf in the world.” We found that statement to be true. Throughout the round, John kept us riveted with details of past USGA Championships, their participants, and their respective battles with the course. He also entertained us by running down a guy who was speeding in his car through a marked zone on the road that intersects the course following the first hole. John could also play an impressive game of golf (he is still swinging a 7.5 degree Titleist driver!) all morning long. John, it turns out, is a stickler for speed limits – both on the course and off. In accordance with Merion’s strict policy, we were never behind (or ahead) of schedule, and we finished within seconds of our prescribed time.
Following the round, we were thrilled to continue the history lesson with John and Brad over a great lunch at the club. After lunch John took us on a guided tour of Merion’s Championship Legacy Trophy Room, where we were able to personally view the 6 different replica trophies that represent events contested at Merion, and 3 that are included as a tribute to Bobby Jones’ 1930 Grand Slam victories. Following the visit to the Trophy Room we were able to visit the Archive Room which is a collection of material related to the courses at Merion. Club records, books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographic assets, architectural drawings, artifacts, and memorabilia are catalogued and preserved in this room. Like I said, it was the experience of a lifetime!
Following the tour, we jumped in the car and headed for Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Hidden Creek Golf Club. Hidden Creek is a minimalist 2002 Coore / Crenshaw design. In fact, Bill Coore is quoted as saying “The Hidden Creek site required very little alteration to the landscape. The holes lay on the ground pretty much the way we found it. That’s consistent with the way Ben and I like to work . . . We look for projects in which the site lends itself to golf in its natural form. Hidden Creek looked like golf in its natural form in terms of rolling terrain and trees. Since the fairways required minimal movement of earth, it enabled us to emphasize details, such as bunkers and the contouring of greens.”
Unfortunately, one of our most vivid memories will be of our caddie, “Mike.” Mike informed us within seconds of meeting us that we were his second loop of the day, and that we would be finished in 2 hours. Mike did everything in his power to make that happen. Needless to say, we were rushed the entire afternoon. It was almost impossible to take a picture without Mike in it, as he would almost jog out in front of us at all times. To make matters worse, he smoked the entire round, continuously leaving us in his trail of fumes. When we finished the round (in closer to 2 ½ hours), we learned why he was in such a hurry as Mike had a ride waiting for him, and was ready for his tip. Although we wanted only to offer such “tips” as “Second-hand Smoke Kills” and “Speed Golf Was Not What We Signed Up For,” we were able to find a member who could advise us on an acceptable local tip, and we paid him so that he could be on his way.
- The chances of a detour actually saving you time - Hype
- The idea that a golf course must be 7,000+ yards to be a worthy test - Hype
- The impact of traffic on your quality of life - Not Hype
- Merion Golf Club as a perennial member of every publication’s Top 10 - Not Hype
Continue reading about the Gurus' experience at Galloway National, Atlantic City CC, Trump Philadelphia (formerly Pine Hill), Pine Valley, and The Creek Club: (2010 NY Trip Days 7-9) >>>.
Read about the Gurus' experience at Garden City, Plainfield, Bayonne, Trump National Bedminster (New), Rock, and Quaker Ridge: (2010 NY Trip Days 1-3) >.
Read about the Gurus' experience at Hudson National, Sleepy Hollow, The Ridge at Back Brook, Aronimink, Merion (East), and Hidden Creek: (2010 NY Trip Days 4-6) >>.
You can also click on an individual course name to read the review posted on that particular course.
