The Walking Scorer

This is a Donald Ross course on the shores of the Long Island Sound.  It is quintessential Donald Ross, with smallish greens and subtle challenges.  The land is mostly flat, being at the Connecticut shore, but there are two notable uphill par 3's.   It really shows off the skills of the designer to make a challenging course with interesting shots on fairly ordinary ground.  It's a shame that it doesn't show up so well in pictures.  And my opinion is definitely colored by the fact that I shot a good score with three of my old golf buddies on a nice summer day. There is history here, too.  The clubhouse walls are covered with plaques commemorating the winners of the various club championships and other events since 1919, and some of the names are also on plaques in the World Golf Hall of Fame.  Which is another tribute to the designer. More pictures .

They aren't kidding I played the Forward tees, 6220 yards, which is just about at the edge of my ability these days.  I don't know what Meg would do, who likes something around 5000 yards.  The two locals with me played the middle tees at 6704, and couldn't handle it at all.  I shot a higher score than I want to admit to, and they were worse. The rough is the main obstacle.  It wasn't at US Open length, only about 3" deep, which is 1/3" longer than the diameter of a golf ball.  And thick.  If you can hit a wedge 60 yards from the rough, and it goes where you aim it, that is a very good golf shot.  I guess the mild weather on Long Island is quite conducive to grass growing.  Farther out on the island, the following week, I volunteered at the US Open at Shinnecock, on a totally different kind of golf course, sandy, windswept dunes with sparse grass, and a totally different kind of impossible challenge. Some of the holes have a lot of sand traps...

This isn't a top 100 course, but the best in Rhode Island.  I played with two Texans on vacation, and a Boston financier who retired near here and once owned a ranch in Texas.  And I, of course, am a Texan by domicile.  On the first tee, a dogleg left, the local guy told Big Juan (who is not Mexican, but had his golf balls monogrammed with "Big Juan", like mine say "Mr. Science".  We exchanged balls after the round.) to "aim for the cot".  Juan turned around and said "The cot?  I don't see a cot."  "The golf cot, out theyah on the fayaway."  "Oh.  We call that a carrrt ."  And we were off. The course opened in 2002, designed by Arthur Hills, and has been named the best in New England.  The fairways are wide enough, but lined with tall fescue all around. And those are the easy lies, if you're not straight enough.  or long enough It's called a "modern" links course.  The te...

It's Sentry for the Sentry Insurance company, headquartered across the street.  The CEO in the 1970's was a golfer, and hired Rees Jones to build him a course.  There's a nice clubhouse Fancy GPS systems And two "signature" holes.  The owner's is the 16th, a par 3 Which all proves that insurance is a nice business to be in. The designer's signature hole is a drivable par 5 only about 350 if you cut the corner, but it's all carry. This is a fun and interesting course to play, not one that beats you to death, and more reasonably priced, especially for the locals. More Pictures .

Hawktree, in Bismarck, is the best course in North Dakota.  Not a top 100, but quite good, interesting, and playable. They had recently aerated the greens but they rolled very well. The tee markers were made of barbed wire, Falcon Hawk Eagle and Owl The bunkers had black sand which I managed to stay out of until the 18th hole.  The fairways were generous, and the greens large and very contoured. And some cool elevation changes, that I like The grounds crew was resting when I passed by I apologize for that, it's unfair, but I couldn't resist.  The course is well-maintained for anywhere in the US, and especially so for North Dakota. Even the advertising in the Men's room was interesting More pictures .