New England golfers, please chime in - May 1st course conditions?

[Imp]

[quote name='tmfool ' timestamp='1400028399' post='9290149']
[quote name='Imp' timestamp='1399899541' post='9278175']
Green Valley in Portsmouth is getting better and better every day.

--KC
[/quote]

green valley - very under-rated old school design

put it inside rt128 - and it would be high-priced private
[/quote]Agreed. It's a good walk up and down the hills.

--kC

[bmoney003]

not going to highfield friday...going to SHinig rock.

anyone have any info on this (other than it being rated #1 public course in NE)...49$ with a cart is hard to beat anywhere

[Bigbigrdg]

I played shining rock last weekend....it was in pretty good shape but it takes a couple of rounds to know where to hit the ball and what club to hit off the tee. My buddy and I both striped drives on one hole and thought we would be right down the middle and both hit it through the fairway. Cant wait to give it another go this summer.

[sodak77]

[quote name='bmoney003' timestamp='1400093319' post='9295331']
not going to highfield friday...going to SHinig rock.

anyone have any info on this (other than it being rated #1 public course in NE)...49$ with a cart is hard to beat anywhere
[/quote]

My personal opinion is that Highfields is a much better course than Shining Rock. I have no idea on how Shining Rock received that good of a rating as it has a number of very quirky holes. Kind of like a Cyprian Keys if you have ever played it.

[DCSerafin]

I couldn't agree more with both bigbigrdg and sodak77. You'll need to decide which course is better. I could only comment on conditions and I think they both are nice. Highfields is certainly much more plush and consistent with excellent rough but shining rock has some great greens. You can't and probably wouldn't want to walk shining rock, this coming from someone who walks Blackstone, Blissful and Greenhill.

The first time I played shining rock, after each hole I would say, oh if I knew that, I would have played this club or hit the ball over here, etc. It is a course you need to see from green to tee to understand. I literally shot 22 strokes better the second time around and most of that was ball position off the tee, not because I putted or struck the ball 22 strokes better (if that makes any sense). Comparing Shining Rock to Cyprian is fair but I think what makes Shining Rock quirky is the way you have to navigate to get to your ball (leading back to my comment about walk ability).

Both are much tighter than Highfields so if your spraying it around you will be losing balls. It's a very tough front 9 with little relief. Overall some nice views and some very interesting holes, read and take note of the tips on the yardage book and have fun.

[bmoney003]

based on the recommendations...and the fact that I want to enjoy myself Friday instead of grind...i cancelled shining rock and am going back to my personal favorite HF

[jdl]

Shining Rock is a quirky course. Overall I like it, but it has a couple of problems. First of all, there's a big difference between the middle and back tees. I think most golfers will find the middle tees play really short and you end up hitting a lot of irons/hybrids on the par 4s. But the back tees have some forced carries that could give shorter hitters some trouble.

Also the layout of the first few holes means there's inevitably a backup on the 3rd tee box that takes a while to dissipate. On a Friday you might be OK, but weekend mornings you can count on having 2-3 groups waiting on the 3rd tee box.

[Imp]

Crumpin Fox. Played Sunday morning (5/18). A few greens still have some recovery on certain areas but overall in great shape for how late they opened in the season. No backup early enough but by the time we left around 1, there were about 8 carts lined up on 1 to go out.

As we were sitting on the deck at the end eating, we watched groups come up 18, and probably the 3rd or 4th group behind us, there started to be LONG delays between groups arriving to the green. (Whereas we finished our round in 4:10). 1) They need a marshall out there to move groups. 2) It doesn't help that on many holes (it's endearing to some) that it's fairway or trees. No runout area. You have to be somewhat accurate with your shots. 3) The rough is long. Many times we even passed our balls and had to backtrack.

I still liked the course, now that my capabilities to play this game have improved. (6 shots to the green less than 10 feet to the flag). Greens held when you came in high. But any kind of roll and you're on the back.

Edit: They were re-reated last year by the way. Previously the tips were rated 141, now, the blues (one forward from the tips) are 141.

--kC

[jdl]

Played CT National Saturday, lucked out with the rain stopping an hour or two before our 9:15 tee time. They started us on #10 because they said they wanted to let the front 9 dry out a bit more (?). Anyway, it's in good shape, parts of the 17th and 18th fairway were marked off as GUR, but they still looked pretty decent to me. One of my favorites within an hour's drive.

[TBD203]

Played all 3 cfox courses last year Imp, so glad to hear Crump is in good shape. In fact I'm wearing my navy Fox golf shirt now. Good times.

[mainvillian]

[quote name='jdl' timestamp='1400523195' post='9324907']Played CT National Saturday, lucked out with the rain stopping an hour or two before our 9:15 tee time. They started us on #10 because they said they wanted to let the front 9 dry out a bit more (?). Anyway, it's in good shape, parts of the 17th and 18th fairway were marked off as GUR, but they still looked pretty decent to me. One of my favorites within an hour's drive.[/quote]


Few of their holes front and back 9 that have sloping in the fairway have been roped off from the April rain. Number 6, a par 5, the landing area for most of the tee shots is one area that is still soggy. Hopefully a little dry stretch will get those areas opened up. Greens are pretty much healed from the spring time aeration and beginning to get quick. I did notice over the weekend the rough is starting to get thick fast. Course plays a lot different when the fescue is present imo.

[DCSerafin]

Speaking strictly about conditions and price... (Value)
Old marsh in wells, ME- Sat, 5/10 - overall good shape for Maine as many courses greens took a beating with the severe winter (feel awful for them). Everything was in good shape. 1st green was closed and a Few others showed some damage but it was managed well and didn't impact the putting. Paid 40.00 to walk which is a bargain for the conditions. Taking 1st green being closed out of the equation, would rate it an 8 out of 10.

Pine Hills Jones - Thursday- in nice shape... Greens have quite a bit of poa anna growing (at least that's what it looked like) but rolled nice. Fairways were firm and fast. Overall 8 out of 10. Paid 65 (last day of spring rates) probably wouldn't be happy paying 110.00

Bayberry hills - Friday - excellent shape. Everything was in great shape. Greens rolling nice overall 9 out of 10 rough was spotty in some places. Paid 89.00 Ok with that price.

Bass River - Saturday - nice shape - Greens rolled nice. Overall 8 out of 10. Paid. 89.00 little steep for caliber of course.

Waverly Oaks - Sunday - overall very nice shape. Little biased here as it's one of my favorites. Everything was in nice shape. Greens a bit slow, rough was spotty in some areas. Overall 8.5 out of 10. Paid 95.00 which is a little high for the conditions.

[geoangus]

Played Shennecosset yesterday; the fairways were in good shape, but greens were WAY slower than the practice green. I thought I had hammered a few putts only to find them still way short. Greens were also unreceptive to anything but the highest approaches. I had several balls land pin high, but roll/bounce through the green. I'm not used to playing short of the green and having the ball release to the hole. Boy did my score reflect that.

[Bigbigrdg]

Good to hear Old Marsh was in good shape minus the one temp DCS! Playing there on sat and was hoping it was in good shape. Planning on making another tee time for sunday in that area(staying in OOB for a bachelor party).... Any other suggestions? I called Sable Oaks because I loved the course last year but they had 9 temps which is too bad because the greens last year were great.

[mainvillian]

Playing Meadowbrook Monday morning, any updates? I'm sure the course is in it's usually great shape.

[jdl]

Played Blackstone National this morning, greens are still not recovered from being punched and dressed in early May! They rolled OK, but slow. Really need a stretch of good warm weather around here.

[TBD203]

Would love a few dry days prior to the Member-Guest next week. Course is in good shape but it's been so wet the last few weeks that you get no roll out, and greens can be slow.

[jdl]

Played Campbell's Scottish Highlands in Salem NH this weekend, greens were the worst I've seen this year anywhere. It's been a course that's always been in good shape, not this year.

[Imp]

NH Got hit really hard this winter and there are a few courses that escaped the damaging snow/ice. Two that I played personally in great condition are Owls Nest and Canterbury Woods.

Mt Washington did not fare well at all... as in if they charge you more than $30/$40, don't play it.

--kC