Ice Castle

Photos by Steve Gordon from Ice Castle in Lincoln, New Hampshire.

Not golf in New Hampshire

Photos by Steve Gordon

Not golf but photos from a recent trip to New Hampshire.

Bath covered bridge.

Bath-Haverhill covered bridge.

Blair covered bridge.

Bump covered bridge.

Clarks covered bridge.

Jack O'Lantern covered bridge.

Senteniel Pine and Flume covered bridges in Flume Gorge

Smith covered bridge

Swiftwater covered bridge

Squam covered bridge

Turkey Jim covered bridge

Cannon mountain

The Basin

Atlantic City Country Club

By Steve Gordon

I made my annual trip from Lower Bucks County to Atlantic City Country Club to play golf on November 11^th. The Ottinger Group which owns ACCC as well as Ballamor and Scotland Run offer free golf on all three courses for veterans on Veteran’s Day. It’s worth the drive to play such an historic course for just a cart fee.

Established in 1897 and having the original John Reid layout tweaked by Willie Park, Jr. (1915), Howard Toomey and William Flynn (1925) and Tom Doak (1999) it’s a must play. It’s the home of the terms birdie and eagle and it has seen the likes of the greats of not only golf but of the world walk the fairways.

While Arnold Palmer and Fred Couples among others have lockers with their names on them they keep lockers for Willie Mays, Al Capone and other recognizable names. The men’s locker room is also a comfortable place to relax before or after a round, a place to escape to for cards with friends or to just sit in front of a warm fire on a cold day.

 

 The first tee is on the putting green. It’s an unusual sight to be practice putting and maybe 30 feet away have players teeing off on the 450 yard (blue tees) first hole. However that isn’t so uncommon on older courses like the old course at the Philadelphia Cricket Club which maintains 9 holes of the course that hosted the 1907 and 1910 US Opens.

ACCC has had its share of championships as well like the first Senior Tour even in 1980 won by Don January, the first intercollegiate Ivy League Championship won by Harvard in 1901, and the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open that marked the first time the tournament was held three times at the same venue. In all the course has hosted six major U.S.G.A. championships.

Logo landscaped behind 18th green

There are four sets of tees which range from the Back tees at 6577 yards to the Forward tees at 5228 yards. While for the top players and the distances they hit the ball today the yardage doesn’t seem long but make no mistake that this course is not a pushover.

Starting with a par 4 of 428 yards from the Middle tees (371 Gold tees) there is no easing into the round. There are only two holes handicapped higher than this opener. Two short par 4’s take you to the 131 yard (middle tee) fourth hole however the yardage on the scorecard doesn’t quite give an accurate view of this stretch of holes. The green complexes with deep bunkering and heavily tilted and contoured greens provide the challenge.

There are only three par 5 holes on this par 70 track and each will test your game and shot making ability. The sixth named “Far” plays 592 from the Back tees and 561 from the Middle tees. At 498 yards from the Gold tees it is no walk in the park for seniors. Bunkers are well positioned including one that fronts 2/3’s of the green.

The tenth is the most interesting at 484 yards from the Middle tee and listed as only four yards longer from the Back tee. The problem is a lake that is on play on the second shot. The options are a safe layup, blasting it over the water to the green or playing around it bringing a bunker complex right of the green into play. It is called the “Birdie” hole. Perhaps not a given if the wind is in your face.

The third of the three shot holes is just straight and long at 541 and 553 from the Middle and Back tees respectively and the 4^th rated handicap hole on the course. All three are a test.

Perhaps the most dramatic of the par 4 holes are 14^th and 16^th sandwiching a tough 172 yard par 3 all set out on the edge of the Bay across from Atlantic City. Don’t get distracted by the great view because these holes demand full attention.

14th and 15th greens looking toward Atlantic City

Fourteen cards a yardage of 333 yards from the Middle tees but clearing the marsh and avoiding trees on the left and a bunker on the right of the landing area is essential unless you can blast it over and past that trouble. It’s dramatic and you won’t see too many holes anywhere like it. Fifteen plays 172 yards back out into the marsh surrounding the green. Sixteen at 353 yards borders the wetlands entirely on the right then presents a bunker complex on the left to miss. Yardage isn’t a factor, accuracy is.

Eighteen of course finishes heading into the classic clubhouse and the seclusion of the locker room or to get a beverage and a nice meal. A stroll around inside the clubhouse will also reveal a collection of memorabilia and photos of the history of the game and the course.

18th green with clubhouse in the background

Not to be lost in this is the celebration to honor active military and veterans who wrote a blank check to their country to give their all to protect it against all odds and give the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. I salute all fellow veterans and acknowledge this offer by not only the Ottinger Group but all organizations who do likewise.

Bulle Rock - an evolving masterpiece.

Written by Bob Oliver

It is an intriguing question – how does one improve on greatness?

Ponder that for a moment.

Heck if you have already received recognition and respect you obviously want to maintain that level of greatness and so work a little harder to find areas where you might improve. 

For a golf course, it’s a never-ending battle with Mother Nature to maintain a level of greatness. But improve?

Bulle Rock Golf Club, the Pete Dye masterpiece located just off Interstate 95 in northeast Maryland, has been recognized with the respect of players and golf enthusiasts since being unveiled in 1998. 

You want chops? The LPGA played five major championships between 2005 and 2009 and saw an impressive list of Hall of Fame caliber champions such as Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak hoist the trophy.  Other winners included Anna Nordqvist, Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen. Numerous state and regional competitions have been held there, to say nothing about USGA qualifying for national championships. 

A 148 slope on its course rating tells a story about its difficulty, and numerous plaudits have been given by players of all abilities on the venue itself as another chapter of its own. Bulle Rock is a special place.

For 20 plus years Golfweek magazine has recognized Bulle Rock as one of the best modern courses in United States.  It also has the layout as number one course “you can play” in the State of Maryland.

After her win Pak said through a translator, “What a win!  And over such an outstanding golf course.   It was a major challenge for the players, as a major championship should be.   I am thrilled to have won.  This golf course is an intense challenge.”

No doubt Bulle Rock has the credentials to beckon daily fee players throughout the East Coast, whether for a day trip or a stop on the way to destinations such as Ocean City, Md., Williamsburg, Va., Pinehurst, NC or Myrtle Beach, SC.  It’s an easy stop along the way, one which will have you talking about the facility during the rest of your trip.

But improve as a golf course?  You bet! 

One guy who knows is Operations Director Damon Klepczynski, PGA, who was brought on board a while back to do just that as the club was placed on the sale market. You see, through all the plaudits and the greatness Bulle Rock was not a --- well --- profitable facility.

Its green’s fees were high, as in above $125, and many players extolled its virtues but couldn’t find a way to play more than one or two rounds a year. It’s a difficult layout, and up to six hours was needed to truly play the course as its course rating indicates.

In many respects, Bulle Rock epitomized Lee Trevino’s views of the state of the game. “Golf is too expensive, it takes to long to play, and it is just plain hard!” the Merry Mex told me few years back.

That about described Bulle Rock to the casual observer. Klepczynski addressed that statement and more when he arrived at the facility.

“Basically, I spoke with our customers. What did they love about Bulle Rock, what they didn’t like? How could we improve the overall golf experience? We knew we had a demanding course, a classical layout, but we knew we needed to improve the bottom line,” said the native of Bucks County, Pa. “Nothing was sacred, we considered everything.”

It was clear to Klepczynski that upending the applecart was important. No idea was too small or large. He drew from the yield management playbook, he talked to customers, he looked at the entire operation and broke things down in increments. He realized he could turn things around and still maintain the course’s prestige.

First off, the golf course is legendary, one of Dye’s best works and that is saying something. But for most players it was over the top penal. A slightly offline shot found its way, many times, in tall fescue grass that was hard to hit from if findable at all.

“We addressed this my taking down the historical fescue on 13 holes, providing for challenge and difficulty with less lost golf balls,” explained Klepczynski. “That enhancement alone cut about 45 minutes out without severely impacting the natural general difficulty.”

The players loved the revision, it made a world of difference. An errant shot was penalized by the rough, but it didn’t necessarily lead to a lost ball.  

 Another revision was to add a fifth set of tees giving visitors an option to play the right distance for their game. Additionally, there is a separate set of youth tees to enhance the experience for all levels of player.

Small enhancements to the bunkering were completed, sodding a couple of what started as more than 140 bunkers on the site. This eliminated a couple, say, dreaded 60-yard bunker shots and enhanced playability and cut a couple minutes from what was a marathon.  

The club owner, MTBR LLC, has had the club on the sale market for a bit, and while there has been lots of interest at this writing there is no deal complete. Under Klepczynski’s oversight the financials have improved as rounds are up as is the club’s food and beverage revenue stream. 

Daily fees were refreshingly lowered, and more players came…more than once or twice. Course enhancements reduced the amount of time to play, and the restaurant business was buoyed by a new golfer friendly menu and addition of numerous TV screens to allow viewing of golf and other sports while enjoying a beverage or meal.

Also introduced were up to 100 golf memberships to attract more play from the local community, something that was absent in prior years.

“We created a little bit of buzz,” laughed Klepczynski. “All of these things have been well received, and all we have to look at is the increase in business as an indicator of success. The momentum meter moved in the right direction.”

Heck, some even believe the facility will be in the green for the year!

Dye carved Bulle Rock over acres of rolling terrain in Harve de Grace near the junction of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. Its signature hole is, well, all of them. Each hole stands on its own as a unique test, with obstacles to snare errant shots and pristine greens that tantalize.

The tests are endless. The par-5 second, a 489-yard rolls downhill with trees to the left and OB to the right, is a classic Northeast hole. The green is well protected, slightly uphill from the fairway, making club selection imperative. The hole stretches out to 572-yards for the long knockers. Of course, diabolical Dye worked his magic around a stream less than 100 yards from the green that acts as a magnet. Beware!

Dye offers a respite in the par-3 third hole (116 to 177 yards) so a player must take advantage and score before the next two demanding par-4s. That’s the beauty of a Pete Dye design, as all the holes have difficulty and uniqueness, but some are just plain angry bears.

Trademark railroad ties are woven into the design, but not overbearing. Bunkers are strategically placed and seem to jump out to bite at the most inopportune times. Dye’s creations seem to lull into a sense of security at times, but clearly force the player to take their medicine when required.

The par-3 12^th hole (138-190 yards) requires evading of a lake all along the right side. The green protrudes into the lake so shots short, right or even a bit long can easily find a watery grave. Bunkers guard the left to force players to pick their poison.

The closing hole, the par-4, 377-yard (485 from the back tees) 18^th, is a test that brings fear to the heart and swing of every golfer. Water blankets the left side of the hole, a hill on the right, while the pin position on the green allows for multiple opportunities that can cause a couple club difference for the player. Many a match is settled right there below the clubhouse.

“It is an exciting hole,” explained Klepczynski. “So many variables, so many nuances, it promotes strategic play.”

18th hole

Today Bulle Rock continues as a challenging “must play” course, one that is not only difficult but playable and surely memorable. And the public agrees with its wallet, as rounds played increase by more than 1,000. The small membership base provides some financial stability and the buzz from visitors gets around and leads to more play.

Clearly Klepczynski and his team did the things that the public liked, as the guest comments sung praises.

Players find their challenging rounds more enjoyable. Tough, but fair. And they spend more time in the tavern after their round, as they don’t have to quickly leave after what was a 6 hour march.

Clearly, the club is well on the way toward providing a better experience and better value, something that is providing a nice shot in the arm improving an already great test of golf and overall free-standing golf experience.

All was accomplished without upending the designer’s approach. As the legendary Pete Dye said, “I did not undo God’s work.”

Wolff a can't miss prospect

From: www.golfbuckscounty.com/

Written by Bob Oliver on 07 June 2019.

Over the years I've been lucky in predictions of young players who were destined for stardom. 

Case in point. Brooks Koepka, who before he competed on the PGA Tour. He was in Europe, plying his trade, and like many I didn't know his name but saw him cashing checks. Writing on this site I mentioned he was going to be a player on the PGA Tour. 

Today, he's a star. A major champion. A threat to win any event entered. 

My latest prediction comes via college in the US. Mathew Wolff, the NCAA Individual Champion, All-America, and long-hitter who was superb in his senior year at Oklahoma State University. 

This kid has all the tools, and I'm thinking he earns his PGA Tour card this summer upon turning pro. Not sure he will win an event, but it could happen. But he will have eight sponsor's exemptions to earn enough money to secure his card without the need to go through PGA Tour Qualifying School.  

Actually, I'm thinking he posts at least one top-10, which means he gets an additional sponsor exemption. And with his game and maturity you can bet he will get his card this year. 

Of course, it won't be easy. It will require a couple top-10s for the money to add up, but from what I've seen this kid has the game, the maturity and the desire to be a PGA Tour star.

Mark it down. 

Review - Gamblers Ridge Golf Course

By Steve Gordon


I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to play new courses so on a hot mid July afternoon I made the hour drive out of Bucks County, PA to meet a friend to play Gambler’s Ridge. After checking out the web site what I was able to determine that this was a relatively short and playable public course.


Heavy thunderstorms were in the weather forecast but not until late afternoon so that wasn’t going to be a factor. Of course the heavy humidity was a little uncomfortable, but as we all know that helps the ball fly a little further than normal.
  

With the white tees set at 6040 yards (back tees 6294) the course was very comfortable to play where a senior player like myself could play the white tees without having to move up to the 5626 yard gold tees. The forward tees challenge beginners, juniors and the women at 5091 yard.


OK, enough with the analytics of numbers.


The course was an interesting mix of right and left doglegs using trees and ponds to keep you honest while it stretched out the straight holes. Much of it was like an old style course even as it was new to the scene in 1985.


The greens were generally smaller than what we see today and they tilted and crowned without big undulations. I commented at one point that a couple greens looked Donald Ross like. What wasn’t Donald Ross like with the greens was the huge double green serving the 15^th and 17^th holes. They were in very good shape and the ball rolled smooth. Once you get a feel for of the subtle breaks and the moderate speed you could roll the ball right up to the cup and watch some fall in.


It starts you out with a slight dogleg 337 (white tee) yard par 4 followed with a 359 yarder with OB on the right. After a short 110 yard one shot hole over water the first par five shows up at 521 yards straightaway and slightly uphill.


That seems to be the theme for the front nine with short par 4’s, two short par 3’s and two healthy par 5’s. There aren’t a lot of bunkers on the course but the ones that are there come into play as do a number of small ponds scattered throughout the layout.


The back nine throws a little more yardage at you with only one par 5 and a par of 35. Roughly 200 yards more total distance then the front side and one less stroke to par. The two par threes play from 164/194 depending on which tee is used on 11 and the 14^th weighs in at 201 yards.


After the 14^th the finishing holes heading to the barn from the white tees play 401, 513, 390 and 383 yards. It’s a stout finish that you may or may not get some help with some wind on. The back nine is without a doubt more of a test.


There are enough trees throughout the course separating the holes but not so many that you feel claustrophobic. There is no underbrush so you can find your ball should you miss the fairway but it is likely a punch out. A few holes have OB around the perimeter of the layout but it isn’t so tight to those holes that it is an issue sans a really bad shot.


Overall it was a fun course to play. The yardage on the par 5’s seems out of proportion to the rest of the course but that isn’t to say they are unplayable. If you move up to the gold tees they play 475, 485 and 490 yards.


My favorite hole was the sixth hole is listed at 286 yards with the scorecard showing a sight dogleg left and water on the left and in front of the green. It makes you think what you want to hit for distance to a spot where you want to hit the approach from. You can’t really see the green from the tee but you can see a big bunker on the right of it. It’s a hole easier to play once you have seen and played it but still everything is out in front of you to play it smart.


If someone suggested a road trip to play there I’d go again. For tee times call them at 800-427-8463 or 609-758-3588.