Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: JC Jones on October 11, 2014, 02:47:06 PM
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I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to play Roaring Gap last week and I came away incredibly impressed. A sporty course coming in at around 6400 from the tips, it makes up for its lack of length by giving you some incredible greens. I did not have an opportunity to play the course prior to the restoration but I understand that this was a full scale restoration including greens, tees, irrigation, etc.
I'm starting this thread in hopes that those who have taken pictures can help provide the visual. I'm also calling out Dunlop White to give us more information on the restoration.
You can find a good read on page 12 of this link:
http://content.yudu.com/Library/A257az/TRIADMay2013/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=
There might not be a better place in the NC mountains than Roaring Gap Club. I know I've not yet experienced one if there is. Not surprisingly, the course measures up to the place.
In the old Confidential Guide Doak listed a few places that he said one should grovel to get the chance to play, Roaring Gap should be on that list.
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Jason, I played RG last August with our own Daryl Boe. We played 27 holes and we both were absolutely stunned by the course. You're right, it wasn't long but it played longer than the yardage. I thought the shots into the greens required a lot of thought and imagination. The pro shop is a throw back to a more simple yet elegant time. It is perfect. NC has more than their fair share of mountain courses. Roaring Gap certainly belongs on the short list of great ones.
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See below for PDF slideshow with plenty of photos!
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf)
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JC:
That's a place I would love to get back to someday. It reminded me a bit of Crystal Downs the first time I went to northern Michigan ... a great layout in a sleepy location with a short season, so it had stayed off the radar. I hope I don't have to grovel to get there again.
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It's funny you say that, Tom because my playing partner and I said the exact same thing.
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Tom,
You're welcome to visit Roaring Gap any time. It's just an hour away from Old Town…. two reasons to come back! No groveling is necessary.
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf)
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Dunlop,
You have some absolutely stunning photos. I'm way impressed. Did you do those yourself?
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Dunlop,
You have some absolutely stunning photos. I'm way impressed. Did you do those yourself?
Photos mostly by Larry Lambrecht (photographer). Our superintendent, Eric Guinther, Larry Van Hoose and I also contributed a few.
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JC, Tom - that made me laugh, because the first thing I did after reading JC's post (and the linked content) was to go to the club's website, which basically said "Yes, this is an amazing place - now go away". :)
Peter
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Wow is right.
Gotta get to Roaring Gap.
WW
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Dunlop,
Thanks for sharing the slideshow. The before and afters are always fascinating. I wish more would chronicle courses like this.
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Dunlop,
One thing that surprised me was the size of some of the greens relative to the scale of the course. Do you know how much green surface was recovered?
Also, do you have a picture of the 12th green to 13th tee tie in?
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Dunlop,
One thing that surprised me was the size of some of the greens relative to the scale of the course. Do you know how much green surface was recovered?
Also, do you have a picture of the 12th green to 13th tee tie in?
Jason,
I'm glad you and Mark Pritchett enjoyed the Roaring Gap restoration.
As for the green sizes, Roaring Gap fortunately uncovered old aerial photos, as well as Donald Ross’s original routing plan, and many of his hole drawings and green sketches of the course. We discovered that over the last 85+ years, Ross’s large intricately-shaped greens had been reduced more than 35% in size to resemble non-descript, small postage stamp-sized ovals, causing them to lose their original shape, size and strategic corner pin locations. So much of Roaring Gap's greens had been lost over time that current golfers assumed the knobby undulations outside the evolved oval perimeters were chipping areas. Instead, they were integral parts of the original putting surfaces.
Worse yet, core green plugs indicated that decades of topdressing had caused the shrunken putting surfaces to rise approximately 12" above their original grade levels, which effectively amplified the awkward disconnect between the evolved puffed-up, oval shapes and their surrounding features. So we endeavored to restore the approximate size, shape and dimensions of the original greens. Today, we have approximately 94K sf of putting surface.
Please refer to the green restoration profiles of Holes 15 and 17 in the slideshow linked below…
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf)
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I, too, enjoyed the restoration at Roaring Gap about 3 weeks ago. I had a foggy hazy day so my pics pale in comparison to Dunlop's.
Dunlop's point about green size is readily illustrated on #17. The "knobby undulations" are certainly an integral part of the green.
I was intrigued by 9 green (a sort of crescent moon shape) and my favorite was 15 green. A rectangular 3 level that hugged the countour of the land perfectly with a back to front slope you can't imagine. I do have a question for Dunlop. The fairways at times seem wide, for example the short 9th. Is that because originally the course was tied in with the Inn and was a resort a la Pinehurst?
(http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad310/wellmond/2014/photo_zps3362378c.jpg) (http://s946.photobucket.com/user/wellmond/media/2014/photo_zps3362378c.jpg.html)
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The back bunker on the par 3 2nd.
(http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad310/wellmond/2014/photo_zpsd11b10bf.jpg) (http://s946.photobucket.com/user/wellmond/media/2014/photo_zpsd11b10bf.jpg.html)
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The par 4 4th, the clubhouse/Inn barely visible behind the green. (http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad310/wellmond/2014/photo_zpsbe0cea42.jpg) (http://s946.photobucket.com/user/wellmond/media/2014/photo_zpsbe0cea42.jpg.html)
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The 6th drop shot par 3. Only a hint of a huge swale short and right of the green is visible from the tee. (http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad310/wellmond/2014/photo_zpse97beafe-1.jpg) (http://s946.photobucket.com/user/wellmond/media/2014/photo_zpse97beafe-1.jpg.html)
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The par 4 17th. A true infinity green. The expanded putting surface "knobby undulations" visible.
(http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad310/wellmond/2014/photo_zps4659be50.jpg) (http://s946.photobucket.com/user/wellmond/media/2014/photo_zps4659be50.jpg.html)
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Nasty day!
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The fairways at times seem wide, for example the short 9th. Is that because originally the course was tied in with the Inn and was a resort a la Pinehurst?
Hello Bruce, The front 9 weaves through a forest of trees. Over the last 15 years, we have peeled back much of the overgrown trees and understory vegetation squeezing the fairways from both sides. The hole corridors and fairway widths on the front 9 used to appear like bowling alleys before the tree work. Today, the bunker and green features are no longer positioned out in the rough camouflaged by trees and their shadows. On Hole 9, the extent of the fairway width actually corresponds with the crescent moon shaped green (you mentioned) and ties into the large deep bunkers guarding it. A narrow fairway would feel forced and out of scale with the open breadth-of-space on that hole, in my opinion. (FYI: Most members consider the front 9 unduly narrow)
The back 9, in contrast, was originally wide-open. Unlike the front 9, decades of overgrowth hardly affected it. Instead, it was the victim of a ploriferation of secondary tree plantings, which plugged up all the open spaces. Here, we have been removing these plantings to recover the original sweeping vistas. The back 9 is highlighted by a single swath of fairway which joins holes 14, 15, and 16 pictured below.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/RoaringGapClub_15_zps9502f799.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/RoaringGapClub_15_zps9502f799.jpg.html)
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The fairways at times seem wide, for example the short 9th. Is that because originally the course was tied in with the Inn and was a resort a la Pinehurst?
Hello Bruce, The front 9 weaves through a forest of trees. Over the last 15 years, we have peeled back much of the overgrown trees and understory vegetation squeezing the fairways from both sides. The hole corridors and fairway widths on the front 9 used to appear like bowling alleys before the tree work. Today, the bunker and green features are no longer positioned out in the rough camouflaged by trees and their shadows. On Hole 9, the extent of the fairway width actually corresponds with the crescent moon shaped green (you mentioned) and ties into the large deep bunkers guarding it. A narrow fairway would feel forced and out of scale with the open breadth-of-space on that hole, in my opinion. (FYI: Most members consider the front 9 unduly narrow)
The back 9, in contrast, was originally wide-open. Unlike the front 9, decades of overgrowth hardly affected it. Instead, it was the victim of a ploriferation of secondary tree plantings, which plugged up all the open spaces. Here, we have been removing these plantings to recover the original sweeping vistas. The back 9 is highlighted by a single swath of fairway which joins holes 14, 15, and 16 pictured below.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/RoaringGapClub_15_zps9502f799.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/RoaringGapClub_15_zps9502f799.jpg.html)
iii
Have you struck gold twice? I am incredibly impressed with your efforts at Old Town. Is the Roaring Gap story somewhat similar? Care to share the story?
Ciao
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….about Roaring Gap's Pinehurst Legacy.
Bruce and Sean Arble, In 1925, Roaring Gap originated as a corporate venture for Pinehurst, Inc. and Leonard Tufts, who was interested in creating a mountain resort away from the summer heat of the Sandhills to serve as an alternative resort enticement for his mostly northern Pinehurst clientele, who were tiring of the trip back home every summer.
In the beginning, Roaring Gap was referred to as "the Pinehurst of the Hills". It was a "legitimate annex of Pinehurst". The Graystone Inn at Roaring Gap was built to function as the summer counterpart to The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst. In theory, Roaring Gap would help Tufts solidify clientele year-round and stabilize a trained workforce year-round by avoiding off-season pitfalls inherent with an unsteady client-base and employee turn-over.
Pinehurst, their department heads, staff and clientele simply mobilized operations to the Roaring Gap annually when the season turned every summer. It's no coincidence that the golf course was designed by Donald Ross, and Tufts was the first President of Roaring Gap Club. Ross's good friend Alex Innis served dual roles at Roaring Gap and Pinehurst, along with a host of staff members, including Palmer Maples, and E.G. Fitzgerald the Manager of both hotels.
The historical entries and coverage of Roaring Gap in "The Pilot" newspaper is mindboggling -- the scope and magnitude of which leave little question about what Roaring Gap truly meant to the Tufts family magnate. The Roaring Gap advertisements demonstrate an exorbitant investment and commitment by Tufts in marketing Roaring Gap to the world.
The Ross-designed golf course was identified by Tufts in all ads as "The Aristocrat of Courses". Apparently, this was the golf course slogan!
In 1925, Ross designed and constructed 18 sand greens at Roaring Gap. In 1929, Roaring Gap converted all greens to grass. Hotel guests all noted that "it was a treat to play on grass greens for a change" following their winters in Pinehurst. Thus, Roaring Gap had grass greens before Pinehurst No. 2., which converted from sand just prior to the 1936 PGA Championshionship. Roaring Gap may have helped influence and encourage Tufts and Ross to make the necessary conversion at Pinehurst?
Richard Tufts actually held the course record at Roaring Gap through the 1930's…. firing a 68 in 1928.
Naturally, a layout so intimately tied to Donald Ross, Leonard Tufts and Pinehurst, Inc. had to be restored and taken seriously — even 90 years later.
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Dunlop,
Thank you for the information. Roaring Gap has to be one of the most history rich clubs I have visited.
What year did the Inn close and the club become private?
So, #4 was #18 originally?
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Dunlop,
Thank you for the information. Roaring Gap has to be one of the most history rich clubs I have visited.
What year did the Inn close and the club become private?
So, #4 was #18 originally?
The Graystone Inn was originally constructed as a 55-room hotel with expansion plans for 250 rooms. Because of its proximity to the Donald Ross designed golf course, hotel guests routinely started their rounds on Hole 5 next to the practice putting green laid out on the hotel’s lawn [as pictured below]. Likewise, Hole 4, fittingly named “Graystone” for its commanding view of the Inn, served as the finishing hole until 1939, when the golf shop was erected in its current location as designated by Ross when he designed the course.
Ross didn't like the arrangement that existed between 1925 and 1939 during which time hotel guests played the course in the same sequence but in a different order than he designed. (I have a copy of the letter from Ross to Tufts where he reiterates his displeasure with starting and ending your rounds at The Graystone.) Pinehurst Inc. relinquished operations of the club in 1933 -- as Tufts had to scale his interests back due to the Depression -- though he kept his cottage on the mountain for a long time thereafter.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Postcard_1926_zpsc0b03250.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/Postcard_1926_zpsc0b03250.jpg.html)
See Practice Putting green on the lawn to the left. Circa 1926
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/article_zps13921ebb.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/article_zps13921ebb.jpg.html)
A 1927 view of the former finishing hole as seen from the top of The Graystone. (current hole 4)
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Hole4_zpsab689369.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/Hole4_zpsab689369.jpg.html)
A 2014 view of Hole 4 from the top of the Graystone. (former finishing hole)
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/DSCN5420_zpsea47f607.jpg) (http://s863.photobucket.com/user/dwhiteiii/media/DSCN5420_zpsea47f607.jpg.html)
A 2014 view of Hole 5 from the top of the Graystone. (former starting hole)
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Dunlop
The bunker detailing is outstanding. A great expression of the classic flat bottom bunker and the faces are uniformly executed with a soft artistic hand. I am envious.
Mike Young speaks of eliminating his flashed faced bunkers at The Fields and i wonder if these are what he has in mind?
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Thanks Ward! Our old single-row irrigation didn't reach most of the old fescue-faced bunkers on the course. As a result, they struggled.The restored bunkers look and perform so much better now with a bluegrass/fescue blend on the shoulders along with dedicated irrigation. Lots of varying looks can now be achieved with the ability to control water in this new turf.
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf)
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Roaring Gap is a great course and club, and a must see for GCA aficionados, and Ross fans in particular. My favorite way to describe the course is "sporty."
The restoration work there is very impressive. Something that particularly impressed me is this: many/most restorations tend to look new. I can think of some Ross restorations in the central NC area that fit this mold. However, at Roaring Gap the restoration, and the greens in particular, look like they've been there since the beginning. Not sure how this was done, or if I'm seeing things, but it is fantastic.
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The restoration work there is very impressive. Something that particularly impressed me is this: many/most restorations tend to look new. I can think of some Ross restorations in the central NC area that fit this mold. However, at Roaring Gap the restoration, and the greens in particular, look like they've been there since the beginning. Not sure how this was done, or if I'm seeing things, but it is fantastic.
That was our challenge at Roaring Gap. We didn't want to walk away from our Ross restoration feeling that it looked brand new? While we set out to reclaim the size, shapes, and dimensions of our Ross greens, we also wanted to retain the look, feel, and texture of our age-old putting surfaces, which had evolved naturally through the decades -- and had given our greens an old-fashioned, seasoned appearance -- a "look" that could best be created through time.
So, it was our preference to preserve these native turf mutations on our putting surfaces that had naturally evolved. Our green compositions consisted of a native blend of approximately 80% Poa and 20% Bent (and all the different hues, blends, and mutations within). We elected not to use one of the clean, new pure hybrid mono-stands of turf that had not "mottled" yet -- meaning that it would appear too sanitary and unblemished without any sense of yore. So Architect Kris Spence and Superintendent Erik Guinther agreed to "recycle" the native Poa turf blend rather than fight Poa on a new type of bent-dominant surface.
As a result, we stripped our current green surfaces and stockpiled the sod to the side for re-use after green re-construction. Because the new green perimeters were expanded 35% (or more in some cases) to their original footprints, and lowered 12" just above the surrounding grade, additional sod would be required. Guinther made certain of its availability by developing a 20,000 square foot green nursery, which he harvested from aerification plugs the preceding season. Because the nursery germinated from their native poa dominant green compositions that had evolved over 85 years, the turf supplementations during green expansion resembled that used on the rest of the course.
But to prevent the "new" germinated sod from visually clashing with the old native sod on the expanded perimeters, we decided to use the following strategy: The additional sod needed for green expansion on Hole 1 would be borrowed from the green sod cut from Hole 2. The additional sod needed for green expansion on hole 2 would be borrowed from the green sod cut from hole 3…. and so on. We kept borrowing from the greens ahead all the way down the line, until eventually, there wouldn't be anything left to borrow. At that point, the sod needed to cover the greens at Holes 7, 8 and 9 would be taken straight from the 20,000 sf green nursery. The rationale being that we didn't want to segregate a green with sods of different maturities, since it may be readily apparent to distinguish "old" native turf from "new" nursery turf, (even if it was germinated from the same core compositions), especially when placed right next to each other on the very same green. In the end, the "old" turf and the "newly germinated" nursery turf proved to be indistinguishable on separate greens. (We executed this process 9-holes at a time over two years.)
Today — not only have our original Donald Ross green forms been recaptured, but importantly, the old original putting surfaces have been preserved in the process, so in theory, they look authentic, or at the very least, unique and special. I documented the process on Hole 1 as shown below:
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/ScreenShot2014-10-11at64523PM_zps6f5cb3e0.jpg)
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Here's a good local article written about the restoration.
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RGC_TriadGolfToday_Restoration2.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RGC_TriadGolfToday_Restoration2.pdf)
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Dunlop,
Wow! What unbelievable attention to detail! Do you, or do any fellow loungers, know of any other restoration that went to any such great lengths to rediscover (?) their original design. The process RG went through sounds painstaking -- I'd love to know how the idea was initially hatched, and then sold to the board.
Anyone have any other stories that can rival this for authenticity?
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Tom,
You're welcome to visit Roaring Gap any time. It's just an hour away from Old Town…. two reasons to come back! No groveling is necessary.
http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf (http://www.dunlopwhite.com/www.dunlopwhite.com/Roaring_Gap_files/RoaringGap_Restoration_Slideshow2.compressed.pdf)
Dunlop -
Spectacular. Thanks for sharing. And nicely done!
MGM
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The restoration work there is very impressive. Something that particularly impressed me is this: many/most restorations tend to look new. I can think of some Ross restorations in the central NC area that fit this mold. However, at Roaring Gap the restoration, and the greens in particular, look like they've been there since the beginning. Not sure how this was done, or if I'm seeing things, but it is fantastic.
That was our challenge at Roaring Gap. We didn't want to walk away from our Ross restoration feeling that it looked brand new? While we set out to reclaim the size, shapes, and dimensions of our Ross greens, we also wanted to retain the look, feel, and texture of our age-old putting surfaces, which had evolved naturally through the decades -- and had given our greens an old-fashioned, seasoned appearance -- a "look" that could best be created through time.
So, it was our preference to preserve these native turf mutations on our putting surfaces that had naturally evolved. Our green compositions consisted of a native blend of approximately 80% Poa and 20% Bent (and all the different hues, blends, and mutations within). We elected not to use one of the clean, new pure hybrid mono-stands of turf that had not "mottled" yet -- meaning that it would appear too sanitary and unblemished without any sense of yore. So Architect Kris Spence and Superintendent Erik Guinther agreed to "recycle" the native Poa turf blend rather than fight Poa on a new type of bent-dominant surface.
As a result, we stripped our current green surfaces and stockpiled the sod to the side for re-use after green re-construction. Because the new green perimeters were expanded 35% (or more in some cases) to their original footprints, and lowered 12" just above the surrounding grade, additional sod would be required. Guinther made certain of its availability by developing a 20,000 square foot green nursery, which he harvested from aerification plugs the preceding season. Because the nursery germinated from their native poa dominant green compositions that had evolved over 85 years, the turf supplementations during green expansion resembled that used on the rest of the course.
But to prevent the "new" germinated sod from visually clashing with the old native sod on the expanded perimeters, we decided to use the following strategy: The additional sod needed for green expansion on Hole 1 would be borrowed from the green sod cut from Hole 2. The additional sod needed for green expansion on hole 2 would be borrowed from the green sod cut from hole 3…. and so on. We kept borrowing from the greens ahead all the way down the line, until eventually, there wouldn't be anything left to borrow. At that point, the sod needed to cover the greens at Holes 7, 8 and 9 would be taken straight from the 20,000 sf green nursery. The rationale being that we didn't want to segregate a green with sods of different maturities, since it may be readily apparent to distinguish "old" native turf from "new" nursery turf, (even if it was germinated from the same core compositions), especially when placed right next to each other on the very same green. In the end, the "old" turf and the "newly germinated" nursery turf proved to be indistinguishable on separate greens. (We executed this process 9-holes at a time over two years.)
Today — not only have our original Donald Ross green forms been recaptured, but importantly, the old original putting surfaces have been preserved in the process, so in theory, they look authentic, or at the very least, unique and special. I documented the process on Hole 1 as shown below:
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/ScreenShot2014-10-11at64523PM_zps6f5cb3e0.jpg)
That might just be the most interesting post this cynical GCAer has ever read-and reread.
Well done and thanks for sharing.
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Thanks to Will Spivey and Jeff Warne for noticing how meticulous this process was, and the results were truly magnificent. I never dreamed the greens would be this good. It's hard to visualize greens in pics, but I will try to share more. You actually need to see and experience them first-hand to understand.
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(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Golf%20Album%203/RoaringGapClub_6_Gx_zpsae79eef7.jpg)
Hole 6: short 137-yard Par 3 with a volcano shaped green.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Golf%20Album%203/RoaringGapClub_15x_zps2a059e02.jpg)
Afternoon shot of Holes 15 and 16: Joint fairways have recently been restored.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Golf%20Album%203/RoaringGapClub_15_panox_zpsd889a7e3.jpg)
Morning shot of Holes 15 and 16: Joint fairways restored.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Golf%20Album%203/RoaringGapClub_17_panx_zps3427a9c5.jpg)
Hole 17 with 50 mile views: The undulating knobby horizon line to the green once again matches the foothills in the backdrop.
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/dwhiteiii/Golf%20Album%203/RoaringGapClub_17_SR_zpsbba03966.jpg)
Sunrise of Hole 17
More to follow….
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Looks great - will definitely have to get out there when it warms up.
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Thanks for getting this started Jason, and for all of the photos and info Dunlop. Gorgeous.
I am fascinated by the before, during, and after photos of the green restorations. Reading your descriptions of the work on 15 and 17 makes me wonder: How do the original shapes get lost in the first place? (perhaps this is a question for Tom and the other architects amongst us). Is it carelessness over time? Misguided greens committees? A little of both?
Every time I see photos like this, it just seems so obvious that the restorations are a massive upgrade in both interest and aesthetics, and I am always a little surprised that the greens were allowed to get to the point where they need such significant work.
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RG is truly wonderful and I try every year to go up and see Mr. Glenn. Is there anything better than a private, quiet Donald Ross gem tucked away in the middle of nowhere? Carolina, Mimosa Hills, Roaring Gap and Camden come to mind. The memberships are friendly and proud to show off their golf course. The staffs are always accommodating and happy to have visitors. Usually, if you manage to play on a weekday, the courses are empty and you really get to take it all in. Special places... Roaring Gap belongs at the top of the list.
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Roger--
I know "Smiling Bill"'s smile was even wider when they finished with the Roaring Gap restoration. It turned out fabulously well and the greens turned out simply outstanding with lots of interesting movement throughout. The Gap is one of those really fun courses where Donald Ross allowed the land to speak for itself and golf courses flows perfectly with the ground... and given the location, the course is VERY walkable. The 6th, 11, and 12th are my personal favorites although the view on 17 green is stunning. The amazing thing about 17 is that they were able to maintain the quirky nature of the green in the restoration. Not sure if I'd want to have to make 3 on the finisher for my supper very often, it's a really tough finish. Mega kudos to Dunlop for two fabulous restoration jobs at OTC and RGC.
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At the recent Donald Ross Society Fall Outing, Head Golf Professional Bill Glenn was in true "smiling" form as he greeted 40+ members of the Ross Society -- most visiting for the first time -- to see the golf course transformation. One of the participants was Palmer Maples, Jr., son of Pinehurst's Palmer Maples, Sr., who was Leonard Tuft's first Head Professional at Roaring Gap Club at it's inception.
Here is a "Photo Journal" of the iconic day. From all indications, Captain Mike Fay, the DRS Board and the participants were impressed with the character and detail of this decade-long restorative effort, culminating in this season-ending celebration. Enjoy!
Photo Journal
https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-HZTWcL (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-HZTWcL)
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Dunlop - absolutely great - you should be very proud. How much longer are the leaves going to be in full color?
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Roaring Gap is closed for the season, but will re-open in May 2016. Meanwhile, I will be happy to post Ran Morrissett's course profile. He does great job with these.
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Besides the "Photo Journal" from the recent Donald Ross Society Event,
https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-HZTWcL (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-HZTWcL)
Ran Morrissett introduces his Roaring Gap Course Profile below…..
Posting an updated profile on the 6,455 yard Roaring Gap the same week that the PGA Championship is being held on the 7,501 yard Whistling Straits puts the old brain in motion. Both are eighteen hole golf courses but one measures 1,000+ yards longer and has 20 times (!!) more bunkers. There is no doubt which is the ‘harder championship test’, but which is better? That’s where divergence occurs! I know where I would rather play, particularly on a frequent basis, and it is Donald Ross’s recently restored mountain gem. In fact, it is the kind of course that you want to play all the time. Honestly, what else matters?! Am I alone in thinking that most golf course rankings - tragically - fail to take this crucial factor into account? Be it in the fall or summer as when this photo was taken, Roaring Gap is always delightful. How or why a course is better is an unending topic, one that this web site and Discussion Group frequently explore. Personally, courses that are fun, provoke thought, are in a pretty setting and can be walked in under three hours score high. A ~ million courses around London, Reddish Vale, Country Club of Fairfield, etc. fall in that bucket. The more I see, the more I realize one thing: The better the targets (i.e. the greens), the better the golf. Surely, that is unassailable logic, even in this Discussion Group? ;) To that end, one of my all-time favorite set of targets is now Roaring Gap’s. No great surprise that Ross is the architect, BUT I never would have guessed I would be saying so after a 2001 tour there. Back then, the greens were a 1/3 smaller, oval and featureless. No more! Led by green committee member Dunlop White and architect Kris Spence, the course, and especially its green complexes, has been transformed over the past twelve years into something very special. Even when measured against all the other high quality restoration work that has taken place around the world in the past decade, this one stands out. A June email from Lynn Shackelford said as much. He had just completed a Carolina mountain tour, but his raves on Roaring Gap didn’t remind me of what I had seen so long ago. So brother Bill, Dunlop and I rendezvoused there. Unfortunately, Bill and Dunlop both currently enjoy fine form :-[ , so it was enthralling to see how the green complexes at Roaring Gap retarded low scoring from either scratch player. A interior view out across the Home green. Sean Arble heads there later this month – I can’t wait to read his take, especially as Roaring Gap is wonderfully British in its low key approach to the game. Meanwhile, it is always a pleasure to check in with Dunlop, see what superlative work looks like, and appreciate that courses need not exceed 6,500 yards to be deemed ‘great’, no matter what course rankings and television say. Hope you enjoy this updated course profile found under Courses by Country, Architecture Timeline, and the link below. Best,
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http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/roaring-gap/ (http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/roaring-gap/)
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http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/roaring-gap/ (http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/roaring-gap/)
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As already stated, great stuff Dunlop. Really something to be very proud of.
Here are a couple of my photos from my visit on a beautiful fall day a few weeks ago.
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The golf course looks exceptional and it seems that whatever Dunlop gets involved in turns into a winner. I can't wait to see the golf course next year. As an aside and to add to a list of Ross Volcano holes I think Shennecossett #4 has to be in the conversation. Affectionately known as the "Anthill".
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The golf course looks exceptional and it seems that whatever Dunlop gets involved in turns into a winner. I can't wait to see the golf course next year. As an aside and to add to a list of Ross Volcano holes I think Shennecossett #4 has to be in the conversation. Affectionately known as the "Anthill".
Hole 8 at Misquamicut also. I still think the "Battleship" at Bald Peak Colony and "Do-Drop" at Roaring Gap are the coolest I've seen. Is the "Anthill" a par 3 like all the rest?
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The golf course looks exceptional and it seems that whatever Dunlop gets involved in turns into a winner. I can't wait to see the golf course next year. As an aside and to add to a list of Ross Volcano holes I think Shennecossett #4 has to be in the conversation. Affectionately known as the "Anthill".
Hole 8 at Misquamicut also. I still think the "Battleship" at Bald Peak Colony and "Do-Drop" at Roaring Gap are the coolest I've seen. Is the "Anthill" a par 3 like all the rest?
Dunlop-The "Anthill" is a par 3 of 208 all the way back and 180 from the member tees. As far as Misquamicut 8 it is certainly another great "Volcano" hole and one of my favorite Ross courses. He was blessed with an incredible piece of land at Misquamicut with the outward 9 playing over some very rumpled ground with an amazing amount of land movement and the inward 9(11-17) playing out along the water with totally different topography. It is an absolute joy to play.