I had the opportunity to play Sewickley Heights Golf Club on Saturday.
In a word "Brutal!" I never played a US Open style setup before, and really don't want to do it again - well at least until September after I recover from fairways cut to 3/8" with a 3 foot collar, then rough that was thick, consistent, with the inability to see your shoes.
I hit many fairways, but they ran into the rough. I hit many greens, but at 11.5 on the stimp, they ran to the fringes. And putting from above the hole - if you didn't make it - and I never did, it was "kiss it good-bye as it gathered speed and ran off the false fronts just as you've seen in the US Open. A putt from the side of the hole, the ball would make a 90* turn and fall away four to five feet. A putt from below the hole, if missed, and I always did, trailed off 4 to 5 feet after looking into the hole and laughing at your ineptitude.
With the course setup being readied for the club's Men's Invitational next weekend, and never having played the course before, you had to consider bogey as a par. You also had to do that to keep your sanity.
Even with the former college whiz-bang kids I was with, and having enough varied shots in their collective bags to last me for a decade, there were only two birdies all day. Pins tucked in the back corners, the tees at the tips, the rough, the stimp, makes you realize rather quickly how good the Pro's are.
We did have a great day to play, and I really enjoyed it. We were invited back at our leisure, so we'll be doing that come September.
From left to right:
OP Jr, Bobby, Old Guy, Shawn PS, notice the Goodyear Blimp coming over us to watch us play. Close - it was for the All-Star game.
The 14th hole and the castle in the sky.
The 14th is reachable in two by these guys. Not I. I take the lay-up approach, especially since there is water fronting the green.
While I have photos of all of them on this hole, we'll start with the perfect balance finish of OP Jr on the tee. Then again, they all have that finish. Don't they ever over-swing?
At the crest of the hill, with the green below, you see what can only be described as a castle in the left background. It's a single member owned residence.
A closer look at this home. But, as you'll note, you can't see the water. Hey, I found it with a downhill lie and a 7 iron approach.
The pin was in the false front. Just to explain, Shawn was in the right bunker in two. His sand shot was to 10 ft of the hole. After he putted, his next shot was from the base of the slope in front of the pond which precludes the question of "How fast was it?"
