Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: jonathan_becker on November 24, 2009, 01:49:21 PM
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I played this hole in NE Ohio last weekend and I had to laugh the second I stepped on the tee. This is hole #11 at Chippewa GC, a par 5 that's 470 straight up the hill from the back tees (really should be a long par 4). Anyway, it's hard not to notice the massive amounts of power running through this hole (other holes have power lines as well, but this one is the worst) and there's a nice humming sound as well that greets you on the tee. :D
Architectually, there isn't much, and I don't mean to bad mouth the course because the playing conditions at Chippewa are second to none, but I have to laugh every time I look at this photo because it's just ridiculous. At $25 for 18, the price is hard to beat. The best way to sum it up is that it's a below average course with top notch conditioning.
I hit my drive right below the top power line and turned it over nicely into the fw. I hear people hit the tower all the time.
So, who has an opinion on this hole? Could we give it a negative Doak rating? ;D
Feel free to post other horrible monstrosities that you guys have seen as well. This is one of the worst I've seen in quite some time.
(http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt263/dfjb23/DSC02014.jpg)
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Great design around the utility's right of way!
I'm afraid to say it would make a better dog park.
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I do like the way the fairway is draped over the land. For $25 the power lines aren't that big of a deal. You could have them removed, but the greens fees would be $14,000 per round.
Mike
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It does not set up too good for the left to right hitter.
Anthony
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Anthony,
I disagree... A power fade right between the towers is the correct line to set up for a short approach from the proper side of the fairway... ;D
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How about a split fairway bottle hole with a fairway betwwen the power poles serving like bunkes on a classic bottle hole.
Anthony
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Just to play the contrarian, and ignoring the aesthetics, which is hard to do, imagine the right power pole is a tree. Then it looks like there might be some strategy involved. The player would need to choose whether to draw or fade around the "tree".
Hazards come in all shapes and sizes, this one just happens to be be metal and exceedingly ugly!
Having said all that, it is one ugly looking hole.
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Just to play the contrarian, and ignoring the aesthetics, which is hard to do, imagine the right power pole is a tree. Then it looks like there might be some strategy involved. The player would need to choose whether to draw or fade around the "tree".
Hazards come in all shapes and sizes, this one just happens to be be metal and exceedingly ugly!
Having said all that, it is one ugly looking hole.
Dale,
I gotta say, your glass is definitely half-full!
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Not exactly a Sand Hills windmill. ;D
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Was it impossible to move the tee 30 yards to the right?
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That smalll "grove" of small evergreens on the right side is not pleasing to my eyes or brain.
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Kyle,
Yes, it's impossible to move the tee. There's another green to the right of the tee.
And yes, the evergreen grove is very out of place. I hope your brain can recover. ;) ;D
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Just to play the contrarian, and ignoring the aesthetics, which is hard to do, imagine the right power pole is a tree. Then it looks like there might be some strategy involved. The player would need to choose whether to draw or fade around the "tree".
Hazards come in all shapes and sizes, this one just happens to be be metal and exceedingly ugly!
Having said all that, it is one ugly looking hole.
I suck at photoshop
(http://img.skitch.com/20091124-f76tgkygq3j6hw2nymuk5qpdtb.gif)
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For a lefty, aim at the cedar shrubs and cut it back towards the poles.
This is ugly, but we be kind of fun with a rowdy foursome - if your fillings weren't humming too much.
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Call me sick, twisted, and dimented....but this is one of those holes where its so bad its good. I mean cmon, what in the world could the architect have been thinking by doing this....assuming those power lines were pre-existing. Sure the tee can't be moved to the right but only because HE chose to put a green there.
So put me down in the camp as one who would probably actually enjoy something like this....only cause its a course I didn't pay much to play in the 1st place.
There are worse examples than this...one in the bay area IIRC where the tower is literally right in the middle of the fairway!! :)
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at least the cart path is well hidden ::)
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Call me sick, twisted, and dimented....but this is one of those holes where its so bad its good. I mean cmon, what in the world could the architect have been thinking by doing this....assuming those power lines were pre-existing. Sure the tee can't be moved to the right but only because HE chose to put a green there.
So put me down in the camp as one who would probably actually enjoy something like this....only cause its a course I didn't pay much to play in the 1st place.
There are worse examples than this...one in the bay area IIRC where the tower is literally right in the middle of the fairway!! :)
Use them like goalposts Kalen?
Anthony
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Anthony,
I disagree... A power fade right between the towers is the correct line to set up for a short approach from the proper side of the fairway... ;D
nice ;D
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I guess no one has ever heard the old-time golfer's saying that power lines and towers are 90% air...
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Just to play the contrarian, and ignoring the aesthetics, which is hard to do, imagine the right power pole is a tree. Then it looks like there might be some strategy involved. The player would need to choose whether to draw or fade around the "tree".
Hazards come in all shapes and sizes, this one just happens to be be metal and exceedingly ugly!
Having said all that, it is one ugly looking hole.
I suck at photoshop
(http://img.skitch.com/20091124-f76tgkygq3j6hw2nymuk5qpdtb.gif)
Mike,
My nominee for post of the year. Just when I thought I was the funny guy Mike comes along and topps me by 10.
WELL DONE
ARG
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Call me sick, twisted, and dimented....but this is one of those holes where its so bad its good. I mean cmon, what in the world could the architect have been thinking by doing this....assuming those power lines were pre-existing. Sure the tee can't be moved to the right but only because HE chose to put a green there.
So put me down in the camp as one who would probably actually enjoy something like this....only cause its a course I didn't pay much to play in the 1st place.
There are worse examples than this...one in the bay area IIRC where the tower is literally right in the middle of the fairway!! :)
Use them like goalposts Kalen?
Anthony
Amen to that one. I'm thinking aim right between them and let my banana ball do what it does best and I'd be in terrific shape.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ponds yet either, they frame those towers very nicely!! ;D
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At least the golf course is in nice shape. Golfers will tolerate a lot of weird stuff as long as the greens are smooth and not slow and the fairways are decent.
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Feel free to post other horrible monstrosities that you guys have seen as well. This is one of the worst I've seen in quite some time.
You remember this one don't you Jonathan? ;) ;D
(http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr7/rednorman/playagranderoll33057.jpg?t=1259097563)
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I guess no one has ever heard the old-time golfer's saying that power lines and towers are 90% air...
Keep em coming I'm bored.
ARG
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Call me sick, twisted, and dimented....but this is one of those holes where its so bad its good. I mean cmon, what in the world could the architect have been thinking by doing this....assuming those power lines were pre-existing. Sure the tee can't be moved to the right but only because HE chose to put a green there.
So put me down in the camp as one who would probably actually enjoy something like this....only cause its a course I didn't pay much to play in the 1st place.
There are worse examples than this...one in the bay area IIRC where the tower is literally right in the middle of the fairway!! :)
Use them like goalposts Kalen?
Anthony
Amen to that one. I'm thinking aim right between them and let my banana ball do what it does best and I'd be in terrific shape.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ponds yet either, they frame those towers very nicely!! ;D
If the fairway is between the towers it would give the hooker and the slicer something to aim at.
Anthony
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Another vote for the "ground" game...
Hit the "power" draw (since the power fade was already mentioned.)
I am truly at a loss...what a design. I have to believe that the utility feed went through after the course was designed. The ponds look man-made and no jackass would locate a pond that close to a utility tower. For that matter, the trees look man-made and spray painted.
I take it that we are looking at the lovely 11th hole, the second of consecutive par fives that open the inward nine?
James Harrison and Fred Garbin breathed life into this beauty in 1962. Ahh, the golden age of the 1960s...
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Becker,
Did you apply the coup de grace yet? Tell the faithful what the name of the road is, where lovely Chippewa resides.
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Call me sick, twisted, and dimented....but this is one of those holes where its so bad its good.
Ok, you are sick, twisted and demented
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I'm less horrified by that hole than I am that Anthony thought he was the funny guy.....
:)
Joe
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Thanks for the replies thus far. A co-worker and I have been laughing at the responses, especially Mike's photoshop display. ;D
Eric,
I totally forgot! What an entrance to the great Playa Grande!
Ronald,
Once again, I totally forgot! Chippewa Golf Club is on SHANK ROAD!!!! :o ;D
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I'm less horrified by that hole than I am that Anthony thought he was the funny guy.....
:)
Joe
Funny Ha Ha or Funny................
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Ronald,
This is a golf architecture forum, so I should've listed the gca. My mistake and yes, you are correct. Harrison and Garbin designed it in 1962.
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Clearly this is the best hole of it's kind. The two Kop Shot Ponds must be revolutionary. They are the most unique thing I've seen posted on here for a long time. 1962 huh? I'd have guess a different era. Like 1976.
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Adam:
I had to build a couple of holes along power lines like that at Quail Crossing in Indiana, many years ago. It's sort of inevitable if you are building a course with any housing as part of the master plan, you are going to have to use the golf holes as a buffer between the housing and the power lines at some point.
Fortunately, I managed to avoid putting the tee UNDER the power lines. And the two holes (par-5 3rd and par-4 15th) are actually pretty good holes, although I'm sure a lot of people don't notice because of the setting.
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Tom,
I have no clue what Riverfront was like when you walked the property way back when but you do cross under power lines between 12 green to 13 tee and 16 green to 17 tee. You don't notice the first crossing because you are in the trees. They are no where near the line of play or observable from the holes.
They may have been put in much later than the course construction.
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Is it just me or does this scream for an episode of the Big Break? Hit one to the left of the towers, one between and one to the right? First one with three in the fairway gets immunity?
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wouldn't the hole be rated at approximately 250,000 volts?
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Fortunately, I managed to avoid putting the tee UNDER the power lines. And the two holes (par-5 3rd and par-4 15th) are actually pretty good holes, although I'm sure a lot of people don't notice because of the setting.
Tom, I don't recall the power lines so the architecture must have been pretty solid.
I was surprised at the proximity of the power lines at Valhalla.
I am a little disappointed that Mike DeVries didn't make better use of the power lines at The Mines. Joe Hancock missed a great opportunity to add value - what a putz.
Mike
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Having played Chippewa many times, its hard to defend this particular hole. In fact, ive actually hit those power towers. But the course its self is not bad. As jon said previously, the conditioning of the course is second to none. The hole that precedes this one is a beautiful sweeping dogleg left par five. The green has a strong cant to the left. And the hole after this one is a tough as nails par three that plays about 175 yards. The green is probably only 12yds wide and 35 yds deep with a strong slope back to front. Ive seen plenty of good golfers hit his ball from one side to the other side because he missed pin high in the rough. As for the gentleman who complained why didnt harrison just move the tees to the right. Well, the green of #14 is there. And its a hell of a par four where you are hitting a long iron shot off a sidehill downhill lie to an elevated green. 14-15-16 are dubbed the bermuda triangle, (kinda corny), but they are each very good holes, and anyone playing these three holes in even par has probably gained two if not more strokes on the field.