Baltusrol will need no introduction to readers of this blog. It's simply one of the premiere names in the golf
 |
| Directions to our meeting room included a right turn at 1980 Jack. |
world, as they've been host to seven U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, two Women's U.S. Opens and they will host their second PGA Championship in 2016. It's probably best known (at least in our era) as the location of two of Jack Nicklaus' four U.S. Opens (1967 and 1980), but it's been hosting USGA events since 1901.
Perhaps two other events are worthy of mention. First, Bobby Jones lost in the final of the 1926 U.S. Amateur to George Von Elm. he found himself two down to Von Elm on the 13th holes, and played a risky shot attempting to carry a creek that angles across the fairway. He did not succeed and lost the match, but it is said that his appreciation for that hazard was replicated in the angle of the creek on the 13th at Augusta National.
While Baltusrol as a club dates to 1895, that was of course too earlt to have involved the great Tillinghast. He found the existing course not worth preserving, and developed Baltusrol as a "dual course", routing, designing and building both courses simultaneously between 1918-22. From the club's website:
Untried prior to Tillinghast’s proposal, the Dual Courses concept was an historic accomplishment in the world of golf course design at the time and made Tillinghast’s career. In fact, his seminal work at Baltusrol is the subject of an application for National Historic Landmark status, currently pending with the National Park Service. Baltusrol is already listed on the State of New Jersey and Federal Registers of Historic Places.
 |
| The storied clubhouse from the chipping green. |
Our outing was on the Upper Course, which I much prefer. As it's name implies, it's on the higher ground of the property with greater elevation changes, and it's the far more playable of the two. The Lower is no doubt a great test of championship golf, but I'll confess it's a bit of a Bataan Death March with back-breaking Par-4 after back-breaking Par-4. And lest you think we played min-golf, we played this alleged "members' course" from the so-called Baltusrol (green) tees which clocks in at 6,558 yards, and carries a gaudy rating and slope of 72.5 and 142, respectively.
I shan't bore with details of the golf, but fun was had by all. I played with Bill Baum, who has become a friend after we played together at Knickerbocker and Bethpage. We were paired with two very nice
 |
| The NYC skyline from the 5th tee. |
gentlemen named Mike and Dan, with whom we got on famously, or so I thought. As we were walking up the 18th fairway (our 5th hole of the afternoon), I noticed that Dan's ball had unfortunately come to rest in a large divot. He asked me whether he was required to play it from there, and I mumbled something about the rub of the green and it was unfortunate and not completely fair and....by then I was probably out of earshot.
I can only conclude that my answer was unsatisfying to Dan, because he hit me with his shot from the divot. I tell you, these guys are good!
It one-hopped into the fleshy side of my knee and there's only the slightest discoloration and no pain, but I take your point, Dan. I don't know what got into my head to think the ball should be played as it lies, and I shan't be making that mistake again. A good laugh was had by all for the remainder of the round and over an adult beverage later, and since a blogger needs good stories, I thank you, Dan.
The other story starts on the putting green, when I look down and see something completely unexpected but known to me, since I blogged about it last week here. It was an actual Schenectady putter wielded by a gentleman named Kevin Mendik. Kevin plays exclusively with hickories, and I stopped on my way out of the parking lot to go through his bag with him.
There were putting and approach cleeks, spoons and one of the concave wedges designed by Walter Hagen but banned in 1931. Come to think of it, Kevin, while I know the R&A's ban of the Schenectady putter was overturned, is that concave wedge, you know, conforming?
I can't tell you the joy at running across someone geekier than your humble blogger. I must get Kevin and his hickories to Willow Ridge... how much fun will that be? There is one issue, though, and that's that the old equipment doesn't work with the modern golf ball. Anybody know where I can score some Tour Balatas?
 |
| Kevin with his non-conforming wedge in the parking lot. |
In addition to a presentation by club members on preparations for the 2016 PGA Championship, we also had a presentation by Bobby Jones related to their apparel and equipment lines. Best of all, the equipment portion featured Jesse Ortiz, the renown golf club designer who made his reputation at Orlimar, anyone remember the Tri-Metal Wood? First and foremost, Jesse couldn't be a nicer guy.....I met him on the range and he approached me and introduced himself. We spent a few minutes discussing his clubs, mostly the hybrids, which my old Governors' Cup partner and blog blurber (try saying that three times quickly) Elliot DeBear absolutely loved.
I did very much like the club, the sole of which is far more rounded than most hybrids you'll see, which is why Jesse believes they work better out of the rough. He even took me over to the side of the range where I could create a range of lies in the rough, and I was quite impressed. Of course I just bought two new hybrids, so I'm not exactly in the market, but I'm happy to plug a good product and guy. Later Jesse gave a world-class rant (and that's a genre in which I consider myself competitive) on the state of the equipment market, taking the TaylorMades of the world to task for their hour and a half product cycles and the like.
Lastly, how do you know you're at a first rate club? Sometimes it's the small stuff, such as my love of the ball-washer towels at Round Hill. In this week's installment, it's the cooler on the golf course filled with Fuji apples:
 |
| I can't tell you how good the Fuji's were. |
No comments:
Post a Comment