Patti Engineering Insight

I am presently watching Tiger Woods tie Arnold Palmer for 4th place on the All Time PGA win by lapping the field at Torrey Pines South (as I write this he is up 11 strokes!). Tiger will have a 2nd shot at Torrey Pines in 2008, as it will become the 2nd municipal course to host a US Open, Bethpage Black being the other course in 2002 (again in 2009).

The Torrey Pines Golf Courses were built in the 1950s by William F. Bell Jr. who took over the project from his diseased father. In 1999, Rees Jones, who’s Dad was Robert Trent Jones Sr., restored the course for Championship play increasing the length to over 7,600 yards. It is presently ranked #90 by Golf Digest among Public Courses in the United States.

The day I played Torrey Pines, we played it from the Blue Tees because that is where all the groups in front of us where teeing off from. The Blue Tees were well over 7,200 yards which is still the longest I have ever played a golf course! The course really does not have a lot of trouble, but the length will make it a challenge. A bogey golfer like me will feel that there are ten par-5’s on the course (the number of holes over 450 yards). I am happy to report I was ecstatic to take only 104 strokes to go around the course.

In true California fashion, a San Diego resident will pay $87-$94 to play the South Course, while they rake non residents over the coals ($227-$263). I somehow got the resident fee, thanks to my smooth talking buddy Dave. If you get to San Diego, where the weather is always beautiful, give Torrey Pines a try. Take along Dave as he can save you a buck fifty.

My greatest moment in golf happened on this hole on May 31, 2003. I was a horrible golfer at that time and had just recently started to keep an index which was well north of 30. My final score would be 106 that day. My playing partners, all customers at Ashworth, Inc. would all shoot between 80 and 86 so my main objective was keeping my pace of play up.

As we approached #14, we were playing the back tees (190 yards) and I was playing with a Strata Ball that I had found a couple holes earlier. The green was about 40 feet below the tee, so I grabbed my 4-iron. My shot landed about 10 feet in front of the cup, at which point one of the members in the foursome said “that has a chance” just before the ball rolled into the cup. It is my only hole-in-one (In fact I have never even witnessed another hole-in-one).

There were some people on the balcony of the condos to the left that helped us celebrate the accomplishment by cheering. I really had to work to compose myself for the tee shot on the next hole. The bar at the clubhouse was pretty empty after the round, so I got off cheap in the time honored tradition of buying the house a round. A friend, Kevin Winship, of Winship Studios, snapped the picture above for me when we were in California later that year getting some marketing pictures.

The Aviara Golf Club, designed by Arnold Palmer, was opened in 1991. It is the center piece of the Four Seasons Resort in Carlsbad, CA. The course is very beautiful and exceptionally maintained. It is fun to play and has plenty of elevation changes. Like a typical Palmer Course, though not easy, it provides a fair challenge. I have stayed at Aviara with my wife and highly recommend the resort. The rooms are clean, the facilities are great, and the staff is both friendly and helpful.

Boyne has 2 Resorts and Eight Golf Courses located in Northern Michigan. Four of the Golf Courses are located at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, MI. The newest of which is the Arthur Hills Course (2000). The Course has lots of teeth as it is a Par 73 which slopes at 144 from the back tees.

Like many other courses on my list, this course has a ton of elevation changes with Hole 13 as the signature hole on the course. The drive from the 12th green to the 13th tee is an adventure itself. The winding cart path seems to climb in to the woods forever.

As you reach the light, you seem to be on top of the earth. There is a 150 foot elevation drop from the tee to the green. You must be accurate with your tee shot as you need to land somewhere on the plateau below. If you push your shot you are lost in the woods (but you may see a deer). If you hook your shot, it will roll all the way to the fairway for the 12th hole, at which point you will be asking directions on how to get back to the 13th hole.

There are 3 other courses at Boyne Highlands. The Heather (1967 – Robert Trent Jones) is a great tract and has not lost anything in 40 years. The Moor (1974), and the Donald Ross Memorial Course (1985), were both designed by Bill Newcomb who has left his mark on Michigan Golf. For the overall Golf experience, I prefer Treetops, but Boyne Highlands is a great place to spend a weekend.

As the crow flies, Shepherd’s Hollow is less than 1.5 miles from my front door. The course was designed by Arthur Hills and opened in 2000. The land for the 27 holes is leased from the Colombiere Center, which is a retreat center originally designed as a college for Jesuit Priests. You barely see a house on the course (though you may a priest’s cemetery).  The land has great elevation changes and is densely wooded. It is a course where your blood pressure quickly drops with all of the beautiful scenery.

It is ranked #12 overall in the State of Michigan and #37 in the United States among Public Courses by Golf Digest. One curiosity I found is that Golf Digest uses the 2nd and 3rd nine in its Rankings (Holes 10-27). I and many others I talk to have the opinion along that holes 1-18 make the best tract. I find 19-27 are “tricked up,” do not flow very well, and there are at least 3 holes which are unfair.

Hole #12 is a lengthy Par-3. If you push your shot you may end up in the woods, hooking will probably get you into a bunker. Take plenty of club as I always seem to end up short. There are several other great holes on the course. My favorites include the Par-5 4th, 13th, and 18th. The Par-4’s have quite a variance as you have monsters such as the 483-yard 11th and shorties such as the 345-yard 3rd. The variance of holes is one aspect typical of an Arthur Hill’s design that I find great.

If you plan to play Shepherd’s Hollow, prepare yourself for a slow round. I always find a round will take about 5.5-6.0 hours during heavy traffic time. You will find the food in the clubhouse great, as I have never had a bad meal there. If you come visit me, I will be glad to check it out with you. I must warn you that I prefer a crack of dawn tee time to avoid a long round.

The Orchards Golf Club, located in Washington, Michigan, was opened in 1993 and designed by Robert Trent Jones II. The name, “The Orchards,” is a popular name for a golf course, being used for at least 4 other courses in the United States.

The Orchards has been given several awards and is presently ranked the #14 public course in the state of Michigan by Golfweek magazine. It has been ranked as high as #12 by Golf Digest for the State of Michigan (although it was not listed in the 2007 rankings).

The course has 2 very distinct sides. The front 9 is pretty tight, has some blind shots, and is pretty heavily wooded. The back nine (my personal favorite) is links style with many elevation changes. The 13th hole measures a staggering 607 yards from the back tees (and it plays all of it!).

In 2002, the course hosted the 77th United States Amateur Public Links Championship. The Orchards has a great practice facility and the rates are fairly reasonable. If you get a chance to visit Washington, Michigan check it out, you will not be disappointed.