Sand Valley September trip booked...tips/advice/experience please!

[aiyyer]

Anybody check the mileage on a Mammoth round?

I had 7.4 and was hitting it straight!!

 

[sabram]

9 hours ago, Mullenboy said:

Thanks for all the comments on Sedge!  You all saw a lot more than I did in my one play.  I think another issue is that I am a 61 year old senior... can hit it 230 max.. 200 in the air.  We played back/middle combo tees... so none of the par fours were reachable.  I can see if they were, that alone would make the course more fun.

 

As it was for me.. it was boring... relative to the other courses anyway.

 

I need to play it more.  😉

Playing the right tees is crucial to enjoying the course. It does not play short. When you pro rate the yardage by the par it's quite long. I'm in my 70's and played from a more forward tee so I could trach most holes in regulation.

[ode1]

12 hours ago, sabram said:

Playing the right tees is crucial to enjoying the course. It does not play short. When you pro rate the yardage by the par it's quite long. I'm in my 70's and played from a more forward tee so I could trach most holes in regulation.

This.  Not saying every hole should be reachable in regulation, but if most 4s are not then moving up is a no brainier.  I often chart my own combo tees by looking at the card and checking off the holes and then have a good idea after playing course a few times.

[Roody]

18 hours ago, aiyyer said:

Anybody check the mileage on a Mammoth round?

I had 7.4 and was hitting it straight!!

 

 

I believe it. I don't track my steps, but my wife tracks hers. And when we played that day I think she said she logged over 22,000 steps. 

[Mullenboy]

46 minutes ago, ode1 said:

This.  Not saying every hole should be reachable in regulation, but if most 4s are not then moving up is a no brainier.  I often chart my own combo tees by looking at the card and checking off the holes and then have a good idea after playing course a few times.

OK I can see the misunderstanding but Guys, I played the right tees.  Playing the combo tees set out, I could reach every par 4 in two shots, easily.  The course played just fine and I shot a pretty good score (74 - I'm a 5 index).  I was just talking about the so-called DRIVEABLE par 4s cited by a previous poster as part of what makes the course fun.  None were close to driveable for me, so... no fun added.  That's all.

Edited October 15, 2024 by Mullenboy

[StudentGolfer4]

49 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

OK I can see the misunderstanding but Guys, I played the right tees.  Playing the combo tees set out, I could reach every par 4 in two shots, easily.  The course played just fine and I shot a pretty good score (74 - I'm a 5 index).  I was just talking about the so-called DRIVEABLE par 4s cited by a previous poster as part of what makes the course fun.  None were close to driveable for me, so... no fun added.  That's all.

Im not questioning if you played the correct tees, and I agree, driveable is different for everyone. I regularly play with some buddies that think anything under 320 is driveable! For me it has to be closer to 275, or a bit longer when conditions play as firm as they do at sand valley. 
 

Comparing the short par 4s at Sedge (6,12,18) to the short ones on Sand (9) and Mammoth (6 and 14) did you have a preference among those holes? I would have to look back at the cards but I’m guessing none of them presented you with much of a decision either since you weren’t able to reach any of them. 14 may be a bad comparison because that’s actually driveable for almost everyone due to the downhill design.

 

Short par 4s aside, did you feel the approach shots into Sedge were lacking compared to sand valley and mammoth?  To me they were more varied and demanding than mammoth and more in line with sand valley. I found a nice variety of greens that would help in certain areas along with others that would repel. Is there somewhere specific you felt like the holes just weren’t as engaging?

Edited October 15, 2024 by StudentGolfer4

[doc52]

19 hours ago, aiyyer said:

Anybody check the mileage on a Mammoth round?

I had 7.4 and was hitting it straight!!

 

 

Was told by the staff that it's 4 miles to the 9th tee box.

[Mullenboy]

There wasn't a driveable par 4 at the resort for me besides Mammoth 14.  So that's a wash.

 

I just found a lot more hohum shots at Sedge than at the other courses.

 

To each his own.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2024 by Mullenboy

[ode1]

2 hours ago, Mullenboy said:

OK I can see the misunderstanding but Guys, I played the right tees.  Playing the combo tees set out, I could reach every par 4 in two shots, easily.  The course played just fine and I shot a pretty good score (74 - I'm a 5 index).  I was just talking about the so-called DRIVEABLE par 4s cited by a previous poster as part of what makes the course fun.  None were close to driveable for me, so... no fun added.  That's all.

Gottcha.  A simple solution to that is to put a peg down where the front edge is comfortably reachable.  I am all for playing courses the way they are designed and occasionally taking on the risk and going over things, cutting corners, etc.  if the design intent is to be drivable then IMO it is worth it to try it at least one time where you hit it reasonably well and see what happens.  A course I love in the UP is Sage Run and there are 2 holes - #8 and #16.  Severely up hill and #8 is mostly blind and #16 is blind ......there is virtually no where to lay up and IMO foolish to even try, which is not to say there aren't places to miss, there are (but not obvious the first time playing it).  I tell everyone who will listen to forget the tee markers and put a leg down at a yardage where you can get one on if you hit it good.  #8 that is always an option with the tee markers.....#16 is hit or miss as there several different pods of different tees and variation for the lay out depending on the day, and it might require putting a peg down where there is a tee box but no marker.  These two holes are a blast to play.  The only thing preventing me from reaching the green is me. OR if into a really stiff breeze it might not be doable.  Sounds like Sedge allows for multiple ways to play the hole which is cool.  A really good drive for me is 280 these days, so I'm no typical WRX,er🙃

Edited October 15, 2024 by ode1

[Mullenboy]

6 minutes ago, ode1 said:

Gottcha.  A simple solution to that is to put a peg down where the front edge is comfortably reachable.  I am all for playing courses the way they are designed and occasionally taking on the risk and going over things, cutting corners, etc.  if the design intent is to be drivable then IMO it is worth it to try it at least one time where you hit it reasonably well and see what happens.  A course I love in the UP is Sage Run and there are 2 holes - #8 and #16.  Severely up hill and #8 is mostly blind and #16 is blind ......there is virtually no where to lay up and IMO foolish to even try, which is not to say there aren't places to miss, there are (but not obvious the first time playing it).  I tell everyone who will listen to forget the tee markers and put a leg down at a yardage where you can get one on if you hit it good.  #8 that is always an option with the tee markers.....#16 is hit or miss as there several different pods of different tees and variation for the lay out depending on the day, and it might require putting a peg down where there is a tee box but no marker.  These two holes are a blast to play.  The only thing preventing me from reaching the green is me. OR if into a really stiff breeze it might not be doable.  Sounds like Sedge allows for multiple ways to play the hole which is cool.  A really good drive for me is 280 these days, so I'm no typical WRX,er🙃

Tough to do that on a first playing.  🙂

[ode1]

45 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

Tough to do that on a first playing.  🙂

Understood.  I tend to be conservative in general, especially at a new track, amazing how that leads to/can lead to good scores!

[sabram]

Video interview with Tom Doak from The Fried Egg about designing Sedge Valley. 

 

Fried Egg's Sedge Valley Doak Interview

[aiyyer]

Forgot to post photos.

Mammoth Dunes

[aiyyer]

Sandbox 

[aiyyer]

Sand Valley

Edited October 23, 2024 by aiyyer

[aiyyer]

Sedge Valley 

[aiyyer]

Lawsonia 

[aiyyer]

Played only 7 rainy holes at Lido and skipped Erin Hills. Great trip and lucked out on 75/45 weather. 
Lawsonia was a huge surprise for the price. 

[Chanceman]

11 minutes ago, aiyyer said:

Lawsonia 

Great pictures with the fall colours. 

[jvincent]

10 hours ago, aiyyer said:

Lawsonia 

 

 

 

 

Good picture showing the scale of the slope on the Box Car.

 

[StudentGolfer4]

@aiyyer we need a full write up of your trip! It’s making me think back to my days at sand valley. 

[ode1]

3 hours ago, jvincent said:

Box Car

Great hole, all the par 3,s are legit!

[klebs01]

On 10/13/2024 at 6:22 AM, mshills said:

On vibin’, does SV ever feel busy? Meaning, at capacity, does it seem like it could stand more dining, more bartenders, more driving range space, more anything? Or do you not ever really notice the resort is slap full more than a year in advance?

 

The only real concern I’ve picked up on is the occasional incompetence from a caddie, and that’s not unique to SV, encountered both extremes, great and terrible, at streamsong. 

I had an incompetent caddy at Brandon so it even happens there. 

[aiyyer]

1 hour ago, ode1 said:

Great hole, all the par 3,s are legit!

10 was one of favorites.

from the Teebox, the bunker looks like it’s in front of the green, but there’s actually 30/40 yards between the bunker and the green. 

[sabram]

18 minutes ago, aiyyer said:

10 was one of favorites.

from the Teebox, the bunker looks like it’s in front of the green, but there’s actually 30/40 yards between the bunker and the green. 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2024 by sabram

[ode1]

5 hours ago, aiyyer said:

10 was one of favorites.

from the Teebox, the bunker looks like it’s in front of the green, but there’s actually 30/40 yards between the bunker and the green. 

Yes, a subtle feature for the first time or occasional golfer at LL to steer you away from the right side which is the easier miss.  Left and long are no bueno.  The green is big enough to suit either shot shape, but I still think a gentle draw is the best flight.  Erase that bunker and suddenly the hole looks easier.  Another feature I enjoy is the use of cross mounding to block or semi block the view of where to hit it as well as hide the trouble.

[aiyyer]

I was paired with three great local guys who guided me around. On 10 they told me about the bunker location relative to the green. Hit an iron over the bunker and ran up the green which is huge and sort of lopsided? Walked away with a par.

Played the next two holes and had to stop because of rain and running out of time to drive to the airport. 

Great course - the two nines appear different. 

[aiyyer]

PM me if interested in a Lido Pullover or headcover. Both new.