Not every course can be a great Goat Track. Reviews of other Tracks that we've played, some legit Goat Tracks (outside of Connecticut), some that once were, some not so much, plus some other stuff we've stumbled across along the way...
| Goat Tracks Outside CT | International Tracks | Wannabes and Usedtobes in CT | Wannabes and Usedtobes outside CT | Anti-Goat Tracks (private) |
Other Stuff | ||
| Chowdah | non-Chowdah | West of the River | East of the River | ||||
| Edgewood | Grossingers Little G | Dunloe | Simsbury Farms | Grassmere CC | Triggs Memorial | Wampanoag CC | Recommended Tracker Reading |
| Coventry Pines | Vanny | Castle Rosse | Tower Ridge | Minnechaug | Eagle Sticks | Other Sites of Interest | |
| Goddard Park | The Terp Track | Hawk's Landing | Rolling Meadows | The Ranch | The Cornetta Golf Clinic. 7/10 | ||
| Pembroke |
Hoboken Golf (Virtual Track) |
Timberlin | Okemo | 2009 Golf Show Review (CT Expo Center) | |||
| Fairchild Wheeler | 2008 Golf Show Review (Javits Center) |
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| Rolling Greens |
Other Sites |
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Stanley GC a/ka "Stashu" | Myrtle Beach (various) |
Tracks in the Land O'Chowdah
Edgewood GC, Southwick, Mass. (back 9 reviewed Sept., 2009)
Sherpa Matt has recommended Edgewood at nearly every GT Minor Event over the past two years, after he started playing it every Monday in his newly-found golf league. We were remiss in not playing/reviewing it sooner.
Anyone who treks north on Route 10 towards Edgewood, any Tracker at least, may notice that the path to this great Track is dotted with certain roadside landmarks, mainly congregational churches and farm stands; a great and balanced approach to a Tracking venue. The most notable church on the scenic journey was the "Assembly of God" in scenic Southwick. The inspiring part about that landmark, from a Goat Tracker perspective, was that it hit the right GT hymnal note, i.e., "when Goat Trackers descend on a course, it's occasionally (maybe frequently) a 'God-awful assembly.'" That was way more amusement than necessary to get through the trip to Edgewood.
The Edgewood GC Review
Revisiting the approach...you just can't have a course lo
cated on Sheep Pasture Road, much less a course sign next to the street sign (pictured at left), without attracting attention from the Goat Track folks. (2007 Goat Tracker of the Year, Sherpa Matt, gets a pass here; since he recommended the course and from what we understand, approaches Edgewood from a different direction). At the entrance to the course though, the 60-degree ascent to get to the parking lot and pro shop makes it pretty clear that one is in rarefied Tracking air, with a good view of the Berkshires, to boot.At this point, we were clued in that Matt had his 'A-game' working and would share his insights on our trek around the back 9.
Tee Boxes: pretty firm, but not quite hard enough to pop a nut; some were kind of uneven, but nothing exceptional by Goat Tracking standards; on the other hand, if you consider a lot of grass exceptional, these are.
Fairways: There was a lot of interesting stuff going on here. Sure, there were the usual dead spots, but this was the first Track we've run across that had designated dead spo
ts mapped out on the scorecard. Rest assured, it was more than funny to the Sherpas.Oher Course Layout Features: It may have taken a while for the Edgewood newbies to catch on, but once their "Inner Sherpa" kicked in, it was all, "ahh, grasshoppahhh..." For Golfer Number Two, it seemed to click on the dogleg 12th.
The T-Rex bit: there are plenty of courses with doglegs and ways to work around them; periscopes, gongs, slices, hooks, skulled tee shots, etc., but the gong on 12th at Edgewood may be our favorite. An old wagon wheel and a rock; absolutely classic from a goat tracker perspective. Bang a gong, get it on.
Greens: most impressive. We won't utter any heresy here (i.e., "break on a green at a public course"), but we did observe some strange rolls.... and bounces. Not that we're experts at firing at the pin, but the pin placements seemed less than Tracker-friendly, unless you were watching someone else's shot bounce or roll off the green, in which case they were just freakin' hilrious! The best example was Sherpa Matt's blind (alternate fairway) approach shot into #15, the "easier" par-5. Golfer Number Two gave him the play-by-play rundown from inside the tree line. "You fired it right at the pin, then it started moving kind of slow, maybe like a cobra, then maybe more like a cobra with a mongoose clamped onto its neck...but you're still on the green...just sixty feet from the pin."
"The Hedge" otherwise known as the part of the 12th green that has settled/sunken in over the 4" drainage pipe running just beneath the surface horizontally, with longer "hedge like" grass growing in the trench. We can see how a putt across or through it may be difficult to gauge for speed, with the golf equivalent of "stop sticks" there, but "break" should never enter into that equation.
Bunkers: Good stuff; kind of like Berkshire ski resort snow in late March/early April, i.e. loose and coarse, which we like. We thought about comparing it to aggregate as opposed to sand, but that wouldn't be right. The downside is that if anyone has blasted out of a greenside bunker, you'll be looking at a pebble-filled putting line, but that's just part of the Tracking experience.
Sherpa Matt pointed out that the left greenside bunker on #16 is a "puttable trap," where occasionally in his league play, Trackers opt for the putter instead of the sand wedge to save their bacon on this hole. Sounded like a good idea, probably equally applicable to most of the greenside bunkers at Coventry Pines.
"Fear not the OB" Part of what we like about Edgewood is that it looks like a heavily wooded course and it is, with a lot more oaks than pines. What's best about it these o.b. areas, from a Tracker perspective, is they're both richchet-friendly and the "woods" are not nearly as imposing as they appear to be from the tee, with enough openings between the trees for displays of "Track Acumen." The best example of this, among many, is the right side of #18. Matt said that you can drill a tee shot deep into the woods on the right side upslope and expect to play it from a decent lie. We were skeptical, but Matt backed up his assertion by drilling his drive a good forty feet into the trees, only to have it roll out to a very playable lie for an approach shot. A great on-course demo.
The 19h: Closed when we made our way off the course after dark, but we've heard good things.
In Summary: After conferring with GT Sherpas Matt and Jeff, we rate Edgewood a stout
out of 4 GT logos, which puts it ahead of most Goat Tracks we've reviewed this year. Overall, a good value (a great value if you catch the twilight rate) and better than average Goat Tracking experience; difficult to surpass, really.
Coventry Pines GC, Coventry, Rhode Island (reviewed July, 2009)
An aptly named course, since it's both located in Coventry and loaded with pine trees. We're pretty sure that there weren'
t any sleepless nights spent trying to name the course. Coventry Pines meets or exceeds most Goat Tracking criteria and is definitely worthy of being considered Goat Track material. Our thanks to Dan, who both recommended this fine course and joined us for a round, providing his "local expertise."
The Coventry Pines Review
Pre-tee
There's a lot to take in from the gravel parking lot at Coventry Pines while you get your sticks out of the trunk. As you soak it all in, you may notice that Coventry Pines doesn't have a range, it has a "practice field," similar to the practice area near the cricket fields at Keney...maybe...to a certain extent...we'll leave it at that.
Continuing the pre-game warm-up, after loosening up on the practice field (closed when we played), you may want to hit the practice green. 
This earns high marks here, mainly because it reinforces part of the Costanza Constant, as noted on the GOAT TRAQ FAQ page. The practice green at Coventry Pines, in addition to being the smallest we've ever seen, is also built into a slope near the pro shop (don't let the picture at right fool you). The result is that there's no chance in hell that you can encounter a putt on the course that even vaguely resembles one from the practice green. We can't heap enough praise on the Coventry Pines folks for pointing out the sheer futility of practice greens. The added bonus was the lines strung overhead (not visibile in the picture above, unfortunately), within arm's reach. Consider yourself warned not to raise your putter over your head here, otherwise you may get what you deserve for being on a practice green in the first place.
Pro Shop: What else is there to say? Classic, rustic, New England. A stone chimney? It all works. We also app
reciated the "no alcoholic beverages allowed on the course" sign posted near the pro shop. This appears to be there mainly for entertainment purposes since, in our brief sampling of carts leaving the course before we teed off, there were probably as many with coolers as without. Maybe it was just a picnic lunch thing.
Onto the Course...
We were told that Coventry Pines usually "crisps up nicely" by mid-summer, but with this summer's heavy rainfall, we encountered completely different Tracking conditions (it's worth noting that we played this Track after some pretty heavy precip the previous night). Based on course conditions, we did some follow-up research to confirm that Coventry, Rhode Island is in fact approximately 420 feet above sea level.
Layout: For the most part, it's uncomplicated, with a lot of pine trees. Classic old school Tracking.
Fairways/Rough: Aside from approach angle, no real benefit or downside to being in one versus the other, consistent with a lot of Tracks we play.
Bunkers: We ran into a couple on #1 and #3 that were partially "reclaimed," possibly a sand conservation measure. A fair number of them are essentially flat; those that aren't demonstrate a remarkable ability to retain water, which may explain the design preference for flat bunkers. The ones that weren't holding enough water to be used as stocked ponds were firm enough to make rakes unnecessary; a good way to speed up play (and since we finished in 2 hours flat, no complaints here).
Greens: The most notable feature here was that most putts absolutely died about a foot or so from the hole. Conditions were generally consistent with what we'd expect at a true Goat Track; some bare spots here and there, random unrepaired ball marks, etc., but nothing too unusual. That said, people who should know better insisted on violating the Universal Truth of Goat Track Putting (no break on a green at a public course). Not surprisingly, none of those putts made their way into the cup (apparently "Ignore This Universal Truth at Your Own Peril" doesn't register with some folks).
Drainage: Usually, this section of a typical Goat-Track.com course review falls under the "Water Hazards" heading, but "Drainage" is the more relevant issue to address here. As noted above, we checked to make sure that we weren't at or below sea level, given the proximity to the Narragansett Bay, Pettaquamsutt River, etc.
The 4th hole took the whole "walking on a waterbed" concept that we encountered at the 2008 GT Championship at Airways GC last August to a new level. It was amazing to see h
ow much of the course was floating on subsurface water. We're not civil engineers, but purely out of coincidence, we played Chanticlair GC earlier in the week and discovered that a course can actually be drained to the point where the question doesn't arise whether it should be converted to a cranberry bog. In our less than expert opinion, one thing that may have impeded good drainage was that every "brook" on the course has a maximum depth of six inches. Oddly enough, one of the driest places on the course "strictly prohibited" cart travel. Go figure.
Other Notable Track Features
If you want to imagine that you're playing somewhere else, which isn't unreasonable, the left rough on #7 is the place to be, as it evokes thoughts of the fabled "pine straw" at Augusta National....if you've been out in the sun long enough to really tap into your creative inner Tracker.
#8: A par-3 with a blind shot to the pin. There's a tree behind the green with a bullseye nailed to it to provide a rough idea of where to hit your shot. Brilliant. GT Duke pointed out that the initials "GT" were painted on the corner of the sign. Pure coincidence, or is it...
Kickin' it Old School: Literally. Coventry Pines (and nearby Goddard Park, which we also played that afternoon) are the only courses we've run into since the mid 90's that allow metal spikes. The challenge, of course, is to find a place that sells them (Golfer Number Two had to resort to buying them on eBay [may as well have been the black market], but he's now the proud owner of something that resembles real golf spikes...and you just can't put a price on that!).
In summary, while there's absolutely no question that Coventry Pines is a true Goat Track, we're going to rate it 
out of 4 GT logos for now, pending a future review.
Goddard Memorial State Park Golf Course, East Greenwich, Rhode Island (reviewed July, 2009)
After playing 9 at Coventry Pines, the second half of our Land O'Chowdah double dip, Goddard Park, provided a good change of scenery. The split doubleheader concept is pure genius from a Goat Tracking perspective; fifteen minutes or so to get in the car, listen to some tunes or a ball game, regroup, and prepare for the next course. We can't say enough good things about it. Of course, this feat is much easier to pull off at 9-hole Goat Tracks that don't accept tee times. Both Coventry Pines and Goddard Park fit the bill on that front.
Based on prevailing weather conditions in the Northeast this "summer" (i.e., "maybe I'll build an ark, just in case") prior to playing Goddard Park, it was fair to assume that the "normal" midsummer conditions, based on "normal" rainfall and no fairway irrigation weren't to be expected.
The Goddard Park Review
Pro Shop: How can you beat having a pro shop that looks like (maybe actually is) a log cabin? The overhang and wraparound porch is apparently a place where Cliff Claven fans share their thoughts with golfers waiting to hit the first tee. Indescribably enjoyable.
Fairways: Similar to other Goat Tracks we've played this summer, Goddard Park was "greener than the historical norm," i.e., not brown. Upon closer inspection, both GT Duke and Golfer Number Two noticed that, if you're not rolling the ball over in the fairways, you'll probably end up hitting through enough carefully camouflaged crabgrass to either throw your back out or at a minimum, cuss out your shot as your club gets caught in it. In general, the fairways are wide enough to land passenger jets, which is fine by us.
Rough: As advertised just prior to our round, by our tour guide, Dan. Heavy enough to make shots seemingly disappear; sparse enough to allow a Tracker walking through it to stumble across more golf balls than he lost. And under those circumstances, a found ball is your ball. There is no moral high ground here.
Bunkers: Not much to note here, average for the most part, aside from the bunker in front of the green on #6. Front lip raised a few feet above the green, kind of like staring into a crashing wave, blind shot to the pin, has airmail/re-approach from behind the cart path written all over it. Fair enough; if you can't hit the green on a 295-yard dogleg par-4, you get what you deserve. Respectable.
The Muni-Track Thing, it's all about flava...
We've never been to Bethpage, but if we had to guess, on the spectrum of state/municipal parks with golf courses (with...say Keney at one end of the spectrum and Bethpage at the other), Goddard Park is probably closer to Keney than Bethpage.
The entrance to Goddard Park starts off with some stone walls along the roadside and stone pillars at the entrance gate. The first impression is impressive, as you wind through the park on the way to the course (opposite of Keney, where you see the course first, before the "happy picknickers")
A major difference between Goddard Park and Keney Park is that there's a picnic area at Goddard bordering the course behind the 7th green and 8th tee, whereas the picnic area at Keney is well sequestered. GT Duke did raise an interesting and timely question on the 8th tee, "Kind of a long day out here and I'm thirsty. Do you think that if we walked over and asked, we could get a good mojito?"
In summary: Although we may have missed the opportuynity to play Goddard Pard under the conditions previously advertised, it can't be denied status as a Goat Track and the Keney flava was just great. We'll give it 
GT logos out of four
Pembroke Country Club, (Pembroke, Mass.); submitted November, 2007 by GT Duke.
I have a Track for you, Pembroke CC. Looks great (unTracklike) in pictures, but don't let that fool you. By July this year it would have made Airways look like Augusta National during the Masters. What looks like grass is actually goose crap. There is actually "ground under repair" on some of the greens, I kid you not. Before May and after June it's in true Track form, within that window, not so Track-like. On the flip side, as a former country club, it's one of the best layouts I've ever played; a great mix of short and long par 3's and 4's, a reachable par 5, and mostly elevated greens.
Brief History of the Track: purchased by the current owner about ten years ago for real estate development, which was kiboshed by the local zoning board. As a result, there is little, if any maintenance, which has allowed this "Country Club" to achieve Track status. Although the site link for wedding facilities at the Club is both a bit disturbing and untracklike, it doesn't detract too much from this course's Track credentials.
Non-Chowdah Tracks
Grossingers Little G (a/k/a "The Gold Standard of Goat Track Golf" (course review submitted by Sherpa JB; October, 2009)
I was fortunate to be invited to a golf outing at Little G by the 2008 Goat Tracker of the Year. My three-hour drive from West Hartford to meet Wink in Liberty, New York seemed a waste of time, but it turned out to be a life-changing experience. (note: I can over-dramatize a ham sandwich, so calibrate your imagination accordingly)
Located on a cheap slasher film setting, Grossingers Country Club is still operating, but just barely. Decades ago, before airline travel and Florida were invented, Grossingers was a renowned borscht belt destination for New York's Jewish community. The hotel closed in 1986 and is now in total disrepair, but the golf courses remain open. The buildings on the grounds are similar in appearance to an Iraqi police station, after a visit from a backpack-toting extremist. The worst of urban blight in a rural setting. Even the clubhouse vaguely resembles an abandoned North Hartford crack house. And be advised...don't visit the bathroom under any circumstance. The parking lot is by far the more sanitary option.
Little G is a gem of a golf course. This 9-holer was originally part of the Big G's 18 holes. Somtime in the 1950's, another 9-hole course was constructed and the Little G has been vanquished to ugly step sister status ever since. Designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1925, it measures 3,166 with a rating of 36.1 and slope of 132 (for those who take note of such details). The point being, that although Little G is short by today's standards, it's no cupcake; featuring par 3's of 180 and 220 yards, the 220-yarder being uphill. The opening and closing holes are mediocre in design; the seven in between are heaven on earth.
The fairways are enormous and the greens are well cared for, but the best feature of this course is its unspoiled state. It has been maintained in its original form. No asphalt cart paths, no ball washers, no benches, no signs directing you to the next tee. No indication that the course had even been played that week. No other person in sight, no broken tees, no cart tracks, no beer cans or trash anywhere. She is as untouched and accessible as your junior prom date.
To rate this course would be like comparing some skank sitting at a Holiday Inn bar to Ivanka Trump. From a Goat Tracker's perspective, Little G is the Sistine Chapel and Copper Hill is a scribbled picture ripped out of a coloring book. The reason no one knows about this place is because of its location. Liberty, New York may not be the end of the world, but you can see it from there. That's both the good news and the bad news. Good news: it will remain unspoiled. Bad news: it could go out of business any minute. If you have time to waste, I encourage you to make the scenic drive to Grossingers. Play the Big G, it's a wonderful layout; then play the Little G and the long drive home will be an emotional one because your life is now complete, you just climbed the Mount Everest of Goat Tracks.
Don't call it a rating, more like a token of appreciation. Little G is the first ever recipient of the elusive 
out of four GT logo rating. Didn't think it would ever happen; may never happen again.
"da Bronx Course", Van Cortlandt, a/k/a "Vanny." At long last (Summer, 2007), the highly anticipated course review to "celebrate the lore of fabled Van Cortlandt" has been submitted by the Tracker known in some social circles as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. The Doctor's observations and reflections follow...
"A Bronx Tale, or How I Learned to Love to Ride the New York Subway System at 4:30 a.m."
To provide some context, the person who lined up our tee times lived in Riverdale, which was a fairly short walk to Vanny. As a "family guy", the result was some ungodly tee times made to avoid infringing on his family time. "Ungodly" was seasonally adjusted, but generally fell in the range of 6 to 6:45 a.m.
Making matters worse was the fact that the "temporal-minded staff" at Van Cortlandt required all golfers to arrive a half hour before tee time. Allowing for a typical hour-long subway ride from 34th to 242nd Street, plus fifteen minutes of hoofing time each to and from the subway stations, I would leave home around 4:30 a.m. Posing the obvious and fairly rhetorical question, "What good goes on in the New York subways at 4:30 a.m.?", the equally obvious answer is "None, whatsoever." I'll qualify that by saying that there is a laudable segment of the population that rides the subways at that hour for perfectly honorable reasons (e.g. those in the medical, wait staff, and security guard professions), but let me tell you, those folks are in the minority. Most who ride the subways at that hour are late-night partiers, vagrants, or criminals (any similarity to John Rocker's infamous diatribe is unintended). As an aside, just to provide the readers a better frame of reference, many a Vanny venture was preceded by "Friday Night Libations" which only added to the fogginess of waking up at 4 a.m.
While there were numerous memorable (or is that forgettable/regrettable) early morning subway trips, the most memorable was one of the times that I was running late and barely made the train. I got on as the door closed, dragging my K-mart-issue Wilsons behind me. I saw a rare stretch of empty seats to my left. While I should've instictively known better, I went for a seat. As I was sitting, I saw two inebriated fellows, presumably of Celtic descent (based on their brogues) watching my every move. I put my golf bag between my legs and sat. I no sooner planted my feet and golf bag when I felt them sliding on what was a hot, squishy, putrid-smelling pink vomit. The two Irish guys looked at me and laughed (thanks, guys). Not exactly the best foot to get off on, so to speak, with everyone in the subway car looking and laughing at me. Then there was the time that I almost got my ass kicked for wearing what two acutely intoxicated and less than amiable lads called "tube socks"...
The walk from the 242nd Street stop involved a Frogger-like street crossing (even at that hour) and a "short cut" through Van Cortland Park, which was generally safe at that hour. The clubhouse was no better or worse than most municipal golf clubhouses; sparse, but functional ambience, complete with a framed "Wall Street" poster leading up the stairs to the locker space.
As a rule, the employees of the pro shop ran things with Teutonic efficiency; woe to the group that showed up late for check-in time thirty minutes before tee time. When tee time approached, we boarded our "electric battlewagons" and took the two-minute ride to the starter box. The ride overblessed us with a picturesque view of goose shit-laden Van Cortlandt lake. Once at the starter box, the starter, of such an age that he may have carried a flag for the Grand Army, ran things with the same Germanic efficiency as the pro shop folks.
As for general observations on the course, the City put millions of dollars into the course in the late 90's making it respectable; par 70, moderate yardage, little sand, fair amount of water, and some nasty hills, with three par 5's of beastly length.
My Tracking experiences were shared with hundreds of my best golfing buddies on an average weekend day, by mid-afternoon golf carts were routinely stacked up like so many cars on the L.A. Freeway. Although I'm not a huge fan of carts, they're essential at Vanny in order to keep your round under six hours and to navigate the logistical clusterfuck between holes. Also, it's not a bad idea to have a set of wheels in case a gang fight breaks out on the 14th hole. Granted, during my golfing tenure there, gang fights had lost their cachet, but one perhaps apocryphal account of the old Vanny mentioned a gang fight taking place on one of the fairways, replete with burned out cars in the background.
Obviously this Track is all about ambience, but some observations on the holes one encounters at Vanny:
#4: Difficult par 4 with no room to the left, but playable from the next fairway to the right, which tends to be in the wheelhouse of most Trackers. By August, the fairway resembles the pock-marked surface of the moon, which of course helps those of us prone to the occasional worm burner off the tee.
#7: To the left, the Saw Mill Expressway. As a lefty with a wicked slice, I more than once wincingly awaited the wail of car brakes and the sickening screech of metal hitting metal as some unlucky soul caught my errant slice through the windshield and careened into the guardrail at an ungodly speed, but alas, it never happened (phew!); a difficult par three based on length and the gnarly weeping willow guarding the green.
#12: Toughest hole on the course in my opinion, an interminably long par 5 with water everywhere, placing a premium on course management and/or Track acumen. This hole gets progressively worse as the season progresses, reminiscent of No Man's Land on the Western Front during the First World War, albeit sans the riga-mortified horse carcasses.
#15 thru 18 are the more "goat track-esque" holes, in terms of terrain; steep uphill & downhill holes. Most notable is #16, which plays downhill, but an errant tee shot may send hand ball players in the adjacent housing scrambling for cover. As an aside, the tee box affords a view of the beauty and splendor that is Riverdale.
#19: While there is opportunity for a cold one back at the "clubhouse," the best bets to dip your beak and exchange war stories are Dorney's or Fenwicks in Riverdale.
Golfer Number Two's Favorite Track outside the tri-state area, The Terp Track, a/k/a the University of Maryland Golf Course (reviewed April, 2006). This was an unexpected gem. Situated on part of the swamp on which our Nation's capital was built, I had a chance to play this course before it reached its usual ungodly hot & humid summer conditions (with Friar Tuck as a tour guide). Maybe my expectations were too high, but I figured that a course in a premiere Division I golf conference would be more impressive. Not quite the case here. Nice job of selling the comparison to the surrounding area though..."an oasis within the Beltway"; the bar for being an oasis there doesn't need to be set too high. Once I realized I was at a Track, I settled in, found my "Track Chi" and my game improved. Maybe it was the reed-filled marshes, reminding me of other courses like the Skunk or Del Boca Vista that made me feel right at home.
If only I could transport the terp statue near the clubhouse up to the GT, in honor of the proverbial mating snapping turtles on #2, that would be awesome.
The course met a lot of the usual Track criteria (fairways, traps, etc.), but to be fair the clubhouse and facilities were impressive (aside from the restaurant/bar being named Mulligan's, which doesn't rank too high on the originality scale).
Hoboken Golf was an effort to reach from Connecticut for part of our foursome, but as Goat Trackers, it's all about effort, occasionally futile effort. We've invested some serious time seeking out other "Virtual Tracks" in addition to our favorite off-season corrugated resort, Fore Seasons Golf Club, just to see what else was out there and that led us to Hoboken.
There was a sense of excitement on several fronts that made this trip most intriguing. Would it be the same sim-golf experience we were used to? Better? Worse? Would Snooki be off her publicity tour and returning home to serve as the BCC (turns out that Snooki's actually from NY, whod've thunkit...)? So many unanswered questions...
There's no need to describe the thrill of venturing into Jersey to anyone who's previously tried to navigate the approaches to the GW bridge or the Tap. Sherpa JB and Golfer Number Two arrived at this golf hot spot well ahead of schedule and, in true Costanza fashion, were excited to get such a good parking spot, not even a half block away from sim-golf nirvanah, or so it seemed (of course, the vehicle had to be moved because, to the uninitiated, the on-street parking rules in Hoboken are so complex and inane that you may want to seek legal counsel before leaving your car on the street there).
First impressions of Hoboken Golf were impressive, or at least as impressive as they can be in Hoboken. Somewhat similar to the "Learning Corridor/Hooker Corridor" we're familiar with near Goody (2007 Goat Track of the Year), Hoboken Golf is nestled in the "Anger Management Corridor." If smacking a golf ball
doesn't work for you, try the kick boxing studio next door. The wording on the awning at 127 Grand St. isn't legible in this pic, but it seems that KO Kickboxing has a pretty dedicated following, part of which may be patrons leaving Hoboken Golf, wanting to smack something else.The early arrival gave Sherpa JB and Golfer Number Two an opportunity to scope out the vicinity and the facility. Ian, the owner/proprietor, assured that this would be an exceptional fake golf experience. "We've been open for seven years; a lot of other places have come and gone in that time."
Despite such assurances, things started to go awry when we received what seemed like a half hour tutorial on how to use the "improved" simulator from Ian. Maybe it was only five minutes, but it still felt like thirty that none of us would ever get back. Delivered with all the enthusiasm of a Ben Stein economics lesson (maybe less), it was somewhat excruciating and did not set a good tone for what should've been an enjoyable fake round at Pebble.
As aficionados of FSGC, we're accustomed to hitting normal clubs normal distances while playing fake golf. That said, drives over 200 yards were rare in Hoboken, 170 was more common...and frustrating. We asked Ian about this apparent glitch in the "improved simulator software." The response, "I'm a two handicap and it's pretty accurate." On what planet it's accurate remains to be determined, but rest assured our group has never had to bang out approach shots from 200 yards plus on nearly every hole...ever! None of us will ever mistake ourselves for Jamie Sadlowski, but If we didn't know better, we may have done a brief check to make sure our cajones hadn't been removed after hitting such lackluster drives.
When all was said and done, there has never been a more weary group of Trackers; a group of Trackers less enthused about finishing a round, than at Hoboken Golf. Never has there been a foursome so worn out that merely getting up from a couch to play a shot became an unwelcome challenge. When asked, the consensus grade for Hoboken Golf was "F-." That roughly translates to
(half) a GT logo out of four, being generous. As Sherpa JB asked, "can we just give it a horn?" That pretty much sums it up. Hoboken scores high on the overpromise/underdeliver scale. Going back to the brochure, "Hoboken and Golf, two words seldom associated with one another..." and probably rightly so. We remain much bigger fans of FSGC."Goat Tracking Between Pints" (report filed by Sherpa [and foreign correspondent] JB 1/08)
On a July, 2007 trip to the "old sod" of Ireland, I dedicated myself along with my two sons to Goat Track research. Although the trip was a family reunion with full itineraries carefully planned by the wives each day, I knew from the time our flight landed that I would blow off a few activities to "give back" to my fellow Trackers. I was answering to a higher authority and felt a responsibility to determine whether Goat Track golf exists in Ireland. My conclusion is affirmative. I have two examples in Killarney that I would like to share with my fellow Trackers, Dunloe GC and Castle Rosse GC.
Those of us that consider ourselves GT aficionados know that 9 hole courses are prime "fishing holes" for GT conditions. Seeking out a 9 hole course is a fundamental tactic used by Trackers to "weed out" the "nice" courses. I am uncomfortable with well-maintained, pretty courses with their pruned trees and flower beds; manicured golf courses are for guys with manicures and that's just not me. I prefer a pale yellow fairway that's as hard as a freeway. You will find none of those "yardage boosters" in Ireland though. It rains constantly and the temperature rarely approaches 70, so even the greens keeper at Long Hill CC (f/k/a East Hartford Public) would be challenged to kill the grass over there. Price is another important consideration in Track selection. No disappointments here; golf is cheap and cash transactions are preferred. There's a lot to love about Ireland, including these two venerable Goat Tracks:
The pro shop attendant frowns on credit cards and did a jig when I broke out a wad of euros. The three of us wandered over to #1 and waited for the group ahead to clear. We were hoping a local would join us to give our experience more of an Irish flavor, but instead we were joined by a guy from Austin, Texas. We told him how disappointed we were to be joined by a fellow Yank and he seemed equally disappointed with us, but we pressed on anyway.
There were wonderful views of lakes and mountains and not a condo in sight, which was refreshing. What wasn't refreshing was the distinct and powerful odor of natural fertilizer which, combined with a "soft rain", may have helped keep the fairways lush and green, but also inspired us to leave our shoes outside that night. In true Goat form, Dunloe's greens keeper must have attended the same turf management seminar as the guy from Copper Hill (a/k/a "The Goat Track"); the mower was locked on one setting, with only the greens cut to a different height. The course was soggy and fat shots accompanied by large divots were the technique of the day. The layout is short, 5,000 yards because of the par 3's, but overall I felt the course's best feature was its unkempt, low-maintenance characteristics. We teed off around 3 p.m. and were back in the parking lot calling Jimmy by 5:00. We shared the cab with our new friend from Austin, whom we saw later that night in a pub. Nice guy, he bout us a round of drinks and picked up the cab fare. He probably felt sorry for us because we told him we planned on playing Castle Rosse the following afternoon. He refused our generous invitation to join us. We soon found out why.
Castle Rosse GC, Killarney - 9 holes. This course was an adventure from the moment we called for Jimmy, our cab driver. Again, he figured the course was 10 minute drive, but we careened sideways into the lot in less than 5 minutes. Travel with Jimmy at the helm is not as much a cab ride as it is a Formula One experience. As our adrenaline rush subsided, we wandered around looking for a pro shop. There is a hotel on site, so after a 1/2 mile walk around, we asked for help. The Irish are overly friendly and helpful. A maid and hotel clerk immediately dropped what they were doing and dashed to our aid. Out came keys, doors were flung open, and rental clubs, score cards, pencils and the mandatory umbrellas were all efficiently distributed. Upon asking "how much?" we were told to check in after the round and if the pro shop attendant was back from lunch, we could pay then. Our helpers vanished and we started off for the first tee and found ourselves lost again. Folks can usually count on the #1 tee being close to the pro shop; well, not at Castle Rosse, where part of the charm is its haphazard design. Again the plea for help was sounded and in typical Irish fashionwe were promptly escorted to the tee. Finally, after handshakes and the standard 30 "your welcomes", we were off on a magical tour of a cow pasture surrounded by hedgerows.
This place is not a golf course as much as it is an adventure in the Irish countryside. Early in the round four locals on horseback thundered across the 4th fairway, followed by a number of other horses without riders. I thought we were closing in on either a fox hunt or the stretch run at Saratoga. Time after time, we putted out, looked around, and had no clue where we might find the next tee; no signs, no paths, not even a trail of beer cans to follow. On the 1/2 mile march between the 5th green and 6th tee, there was a house with a family sitting out front who offered us directions and lunch. The Irish are unusually keen about making new friends. We did our best impression of "the ungrateful Americans", as we waved them off before someone knitted us a sweater. Back to the golf, we liked the fact that nothing was marked; no yardage markers anywhere, the tees were visible only because of the white and blue rocks, and were otherwise indistinguishable from the fairways. The grass was emerald green and the scenery truly stunning, but it's the unmanicured conditions that all Goat Trackers truly appreciate and Castle Rosse delivers. The silly layout was just a bonus.
The highlight of the day came between the 8th and 9th holes as we came upon a leprechaun who was selling golf balls out of a pillow case. Though we couldn't understand a word he said, we loved the smell of the weed he had stuffed in his pipe and bought 2 dozen balls for 10 euros. I wanted to pay more, but the Irish do not negotiate, they probably sell used cars over there for what they are truly worth. Quite an unusual concept. Anyway upon finishing our round, we found the pro shop open and squared up with the attendant after a truly unique Goat Tracking experience.
Simsbury Farms GC (front 9 reviewed Sept., 2009)
Since the inception of Goat-Track.com, we've been torn as to whether or not to include a review of Simsbury Farms on this site. "The Farms" definitely fits in the "usedtobe" category, based on the hardpan conditions that were prevalent every midsummer from its inception through the mid 90's; it fits into the "wannabe" category, too (after the taxpayer-funded, privately-managed restaurant was added several years ago). After Golfer Number Two made a couple of trips to the on-site driving range this spring, with nothing more than a humble hot dog cart nearby, it became obvious that Simsbury Farms deserved some space on the Goat-Track.com site and since it's so close to the GT nerve center, it would be a shame not to include it.
Simsbury Farms may do a lot to deny its Goat Track heritage, with fully-functioning irrigation, an expanded 19th/restaurant, etc., but at its core, it's still a Goat Track to us.
Great hilly terrain, apple trees throughout, rabbits that apparently f**k like rabbits (based on their sheer number) all over the course, and a great "double green" on the back 9. How is this not a Goat Track?The first sign, both literally and figuratively, that you're on the verge of a good Goat Tracking experience is in front of the Apple Barn on the approach to the course.
A couple of highlights from the front 9:
The 5th, the first par-5, is probably the most notable hole on the front 9, in terms of features that Goat Trackers look for/appreciate. Two cedar trees on the middle-right side of the fairway, landing zone material for average drives with a moderate to aggressive "fade;" possibly the Farms' answer to the Eisenhower Tree at Augusta. The brook on the left and pond in front of the green aren't nearly as interesting; equally frustrating though, and they add to the overall Goat Track feel of this hole.
The Frog Rock.
Most who've played the front 9 at the Farms have been truly inspired by this unique Track Feature in the right rough on #7 and rightly so. In our case, the "inspiration" hasn't often resulted in executing good golf shots. Oh, well. We're not sure whether the Frog Rock was in the original Geoffrey Cornish course design, but if so, we're more than impressed. In Summary: We've torn up plenty of turf on this fine course over recent years, yet can recall when one would probably break a wrist trying. On the day of this review, Friar Tuck and Golfer Number Two were slightly annoyed that Course Management didn't have a clue as to when their scramble tournament would be off the course (delaying the far more important round, as far as we were concerned), but we stil give Simsbury Farms
out of 4 GT logos, mainly because it has great "Goat Track sensibilities" and despite how good the greens are and how much they've improved the course over the years, the "Frog Rock" tells us that this is still a fine Goat Track.As far as the review of the back 9 at The Farms goes, Golfer Number Two and Friar Tuck most recently played it 4/23/10, but weren't properly motivated to review it; still letting it sink in before writing the review. We will say though that the "double green" is probably the highlight. Details (and pics) to follow...at some point.
Although Tower Ridge CC is in the backyard of the "Goat Track.com nerve center," it was historically off limits to those of a gentile persuasion in its original incarnation as Cliffside CC. Cliffside (built in 1959) was built 35 years or so after Tumblebrook, a top-notch Country Club in this area, and provided an outlet for those not seeking membership at Tumblebrook.
The need to play and review Tower Ridge was mainly threefold:
- It's been reported to be an exceptional course (Geoffrey Cornish design, Cornish being the pre-eminent designer of Northeastern golf courses)
- Based on the "terms of transfer" to the current ownership group, Tower Ridge could not be developed into residential properties for ten years (and that clock has been ticking for a while).
- "Relativity": Forebears of Goat-Track.com's main contributor have been steeped in the tradition of Tower Ridge/Cliffside (mainly as landscapers and caddies) from the course's earliest days. Based on their experience, playing on "caddy days" (Mondays), they offered ringing endorsements of the course. We're glad to have an opportunity to play and review it.
Not one, but two ranges. The fact that only one of them is a driving range (and the other is the Connecticut State Police Firearm Training Range adjacent to the course), is irrelevant. From our viewpoint, Tower Ridge still has two ranges. The downside of course, is that the "second range" may desensitize one to the sound of gunfire prior to a subsequent round at Keney, which may not be such a good thing.
First hole: "road access" much closer to the left fairway tree line than on most courses we know. Of course, when the course was built, Nod Road was much less heavily trafficked, so hitting back across the road wasn't as big a deal These days, it requires a much better sense of timing and more intestinal fortitude to get a shot back across the road and through the trees on the other side. Anyone who can play a shot across the road, off the roof of a passing SUV, and back into the fairway is Himalayan Sherpa material.
Second hole: Across the road (familiar territory to some, depending on where their drives went on the first). Two noteworthy and potentially Trackworthy aspects of the second hole:
- One would never think that an arborvitae tree line two feet to the left of the tee box could be in play. Au contraire, mon frere. Protect your nuts or your noggin; take your pick and choose wisely,
- Find the right green to approach. Maybe if Friar Tuck hadn't scared the shit out of us by pinging his drive on #2 off the trunk of one of the arborvitaes near the tee box, we would've had better bearings here. As it turned out, we were slow to recognize that the 2nd green was tucked to the left of.......the green we were aiming at, the 3rd.
There is something to be said for the multi-million dollar house overlooking holes five through seven. As Sherpa JB noted, "the pool is definitely in play on #6, it's just a matter of club selection."
#8 is probably the most frustrating par-3 we can recall playing recently and we'll leave it at that.
We like the 9th hole, the proverbial shot at redemption, at 335 yards downhill. An "S" shaped fairway; a chance to let slices leak off into the driving range (and play a striped yellow ball as your approach shot [a savvy Tracker tees off with a range ball on this hole]); and a chance for great chip shots for those not skilled enough to hit the green in regulation. There's a lot to like about this hole.
Goat Tracker spin from the back 9:
The 10th is a great start to the back 9. After decompressing from the change in altitude on the 9th, one sees the sign for the women's tee on the 10th. Those less affected by altitude sickness realize that the women's tee and men's tees are separated longitudinally by the Tower Ridge Tennis Courts. Outstanding!
The 12th & 13th holes bring you back across Nod Road and onto the same flood plain near the Farmington River as the 2nd and 3rd holes (the main reason this parcel hasn't been developed).
#14 was a highlight; the hole closest to the "second range," otherwise known as the state police firing range. The gunfire's a bit louder here than over the rest of the course and actually can function as a metronome. As long as the folks on the range are firing in rhythm, it can be a great way to to get the timing of your swing back in sync....address (bang!), pivot (bang!), top of the backswing (bang!), contact (kaboom!); can't say enough good things about it.As noted by some Stracka.com readers who saw the pic posted below on that site, the consensus, to paraphrase, was "take the drop; the risk/reward for playing from the woods isn't worth it." Even the highly esteemed Tracker known as Ornery Bob chimed in to say, "I've dumped more than a few in there, never felt compelled to look for any of them though."
15, 16, and 17: all good golf holes, but the course had pretty much worn us out by this point.
Nice job with the layout on the 18th; similar to the 9th, downhill, just a bit longer with a pond in front or the green. Definitely a good finishing hole.
Non Goat Track spin:
Greens: The consensus was that these were light years away from what we're used to; smooth, good pace, good roll...playing greens like this once or twice a year is a real treat. Playing them more often at Tower Ridge is probably :"challenging" and we like the fact that there appears to be a learning curve to putting these greens well (although in GTC;s case, it's a steep learning curve because he was bombing away early, often, and impressively, punctuating his round with an impressive 30-footer for bird on 18).
Bunkers: not as much sand as we might have expected, but still in good condition and in a variety of shapes and sizes to keep things interesting.
Most other aspects of the course are what one would expect from a decent course, with possibly more side hill lies than one may be accustomed to.
Of the courses with hilly terrain that Goat-Track.com has reviewed in 2008, we give an edge to Tower Ridge based on its layout. It's not really Goat Track material, but is still fun to play. The occasionally-discriminating Tracker known as Sherpa JB has endorsed Tower Ridge by considering it as an addition to his "non-Goat Track rotation" going forward, as a reasonable alternative to non-Tracks such as Rockledge and Tunxis, which will not be reviewed on this site. Two Goat Horns Up!
Hawk's Landing CC, Southington CT (back 9 reviewed 5/08, front 9 reviewed 7/08)
This course got a couple of mentions as a potential Goat Track, or at least a "course of interest", so we decided to find out for ourselves. Fortunately, the Tracker known as "Rabbit Ears" was alongside to help put things into perspective.
Brief History: According to Rabbit Ears, Hawk's Landing Country Club was known as Pattonwood GC until at least the late 1990's, when it was a quasi-executive par 61 18-hole course with quintessential Tracking conditions and was a great place for a quick weekend round. Kind of an odd location, in that you wind your way uphill and away from the main drag in Southington (Route 10) to what seems like another planet, sort of.
Despite efforts to "upgrade" this course from its previous Goat Track status, when it was Pattonwood GC, Hawk's Landing CC earned the honor of being named "2008 Goat Track of the Year" and should be darned proud of it. (full press release on the GT Forum)
General Layout:
The layout was stretched out from its original format and a couple of new holes (13 & 14) were added at the outer edge to make it a regulation course. If one pays close enough attention to the layout, he can catch glimpses of its Goat Track origins. (Note/Tracking advisory re. 13 & 14, if the weather looks like it's turning and T-Storms will roll in, this part of the course probably won't make your short list of places you want to be)
Compared to other courses we've played (Stanley, Westwoods, Okemo) there was minimal navigational difficulty in finding the next tee and no need to ask the group in front of us to leave a trail of bread crumbs or empty beer cans. Two thumbs up.
How can you not have fun on a course where, over the first two holes on the back 9, you can hit your ball into yards with a pool and a trampoline, respectively? This was a good sign, although our reluctance to get arrested for trespassing limited our willingness to take full advantage of HLCC's surroundings.
While this former Goat Track may have been "upgraded", they didn't go overboard, which made for an enjoyable golfing/Tracking experience.
A unique par 36 layout on the back, with 3 par3's and 3 par 5's. Bonus points awarded for mixing it up a bit. (front 9 has 3 par 3's and 1 par 5, truer to the course's original layout).
The "Video Flyover" of Hawk's Landing. Highly unlikely that the flat screens on the 19th hole patio can be seen from this view.
As noted on the review of the back 9, the expectation here was that the front 9 at Hawk's Landing would play more like an overextenced executive course than the back 9. While this may be sort of true, it doesn't diminish how much fun it is to play; not by a long shot.
Three of the five par 4's on the front 9 are less than 300 yards and are just an accident waiting to happen, or a scoring oppoortunity, depending how you look at it.
Tee Boxes: We were caught completely off guard here; they were a lot more level than those on the back 9. Nice job of mixing it up. Stone yardage markers take out the guesswork.
Greens: This is a great course to play right after one has played a certified Goat Track, i.e., you will be long on every putt for the first 3 holes until you've made the speed adjustment (you should know better than to make a "break adjustment". Tracker Dave is still trying to figure this out.
Water Hazards: Mainly centered on a brook that traverses several holes, which was dry and somewhat playable on this trip. One would have to go back to the source of the brook to find even the smallest amount of algae. Very untracklike.
Finishing hole: Sand, water, trees, uphill; what else could you want from a par-3 finishing hole? Definitely provides incentive to save your mulligan, if you play those rules in match play. Two thumbs up.
Update on the 19th: Tracker Dave and I have concluded that Hawk's Landing has the deepest "talent pool" of BCC/waitstaff of any course we've played recently. Two thumbs up.
Course Features/Conditions, back 9:
Tee Boxes: Something of an eye opener, even to a seasoned Tracker accustomed to the tee boxes at the UGT's (Keney and Goodwin). More grass on most of them than we're accustomed to, which is fine, but in terms of contours, the best way to describe them is to compare them to a waterbed that someone had just jumped on, flash frozen, and turned into a Chia-pet. Somewhat challenging to find a lie where the ball's not below your feet, on a downhill lie, etc. Kudos for adding that subtle challenge to the course! This is definitely something that a Tracker can take advantage of when playing against less experienced opponents.
Fairways: Since this is an "upgraded Track" the fairways were in far better condition than we're used to and, with the exceptions of the undulating fairways on 13, 14, and 17 (which were reminiscent of Okemo...and come to think of it, an exaggeration of the slopes on the tee boxes) they were perfectly playable.
Greens: A lot quicker than we've been accustomed to so far this year (but not quick enough for Rabbit Ears not to leave his 3-foot putt to halve the match on 18 short of the hole).
No real "turtlebacks", a lot of fringe on the backside of some, fair amount of slope, good two-toned grass on some; all in all, pretty fair and puttable.
Rough: For the most part, goes back to the course's Track roots, just spotty enough to allow enforcement of "the grass rule" on several holes. This was greatly appreciated, mainly as a reminder that we hadn't left our comfort zone altogether (especially on 13 & 14)
Bunkers: Apparently, part of the remodeling/redesign included cutting some pretty serious lips in some of the bunkers and putting sand in them, very un-Tracklike. Rule of thumb: if you can see a goose's footprints in a trap, there's way too much sand in it for it to be a Goat Track sand trap.
Best Holes: The par 5's are more challenging than they appear, despite the short yardage. Some features of two of them....
15th: You can talk as much smack as you want to on the tee box at 15 without much fear of immediate retribution. Why? Because if anyone gives you any shit on the green, you won't be able to hear it. Absolutely great how the traffic noise from I-84 nearby drowns out a whole lotta yappin'.
17th: Another reminder that we were somewhere that used to be a Goat Track. A great L-shaped water hazard...that wasn't green with algae. Bonus feature on this hole is the tree situated 70 or so yards in front of the green, reminiscent of the cedar tree that guards the green on #3 at Del Boca Vista, only more imposing.
The alternating par-5/par-3 layout over the last four holes makes this course a lot of fun to play and must be press/dollar Nassau heaven.
Other/Misc.:
Starter: Helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly (a completely different vibe than one gets after trudging to/from the starter's shack at Tunxis, for example)
BCC: One of the most diligent we've seen (details on the BCC page).
19th: Minor points deducted because the patio is on the wrong side of the clubhouse, but it all seemed to work out; plus there's a flat screen television outside, which although it's a lot more upscale than Trackers are used to, is a nice feature.
Only minor complaint: Whoever striped the (paved section of the) parking lot should be slapped upside the head. Unless the expectation was that the lot would be full of golf carts and/or Mini Coopers (which it's not), something went awry in the planning process. Head towards the gravel section of the lot if you want a better shot at not seeing new dings in your doors when you leave.
All in all, Hawk's Landing is a good change of pace from the usual treks around the Track.
Part of the Goat-Track.com mission this year is to expand the radius for Tracks to be reviewed and Timberlin, in central Connecticut, fits the bill. This review was a fall back position and sort of accidental; the original plan was to play the course we were hoping to find based on the "public golf course" sign by the side of the Wilbur Cross Parkway. Unfortunately, that course has been defunct for at least five years. What a shame...so based on Rabbit Ears' useful preliminary recon, we played Timberlin.
General: This course does not qualify as a Goat Track, although it does have some great Track Features. Course conditions are comparable to Tunxis and Rockledge; the amount of misery inflicted on the scorecard is more comparable to Rockledge (based on personal experience). That said, this is a most enjoyable course to play, especially if you're trying to break up the routine of playing on the usual Goat Tracks to which you're accustomed.
Not to be a sap, but there are some impressive scenic views of the surrounding area from Timberlin, based on the course being at least halfway to what seems like the middle of nowhere.
Tee Boxes: Way better than we're accustomed to and perfectly respectable. On a couple of holes, it was difficutlt to find a non-sloping lie to peg it up, but overall a much more subtle challenge than we faced at Hawk's Landing. Bonus points awarded for sneaking the elevation changes in there to test Track Acumen. Also, a good observation by Rabbit Ears that a pry bar was not necessary to tee up.
Fairways: Again, comparable to Tunxis, Rockledge, or any other non-Goat Track; not beaten to shit; no need to enforce the "grass rule." Smelled like they may have fertilized recently, but there weren't any signs posted, so we can't be sure. The course was a little on the damp side on this day, based on a lot of rain the night before, but we're still convinced that the course probably doesn't drain all that well (based on some minor casual water and the amount of mud on the club faces [we dug deep...and often]) and must be like a sauna when it's hot & humid based on the moisture retention.
Greens: Amazingly uniform in both the color & type of grass, as well as speed, which was probably a bit slower than usual from the rain, but reasonably quick for a public course. Getting out of the fringe had potential to be an adventure, but if that's where you are, you pretty much deserve what you get.
Rough: Probably because of the fairways being fertilized, you were more likely to be in deep guano if you missed the fairway by two feet than if you missed it by twenty; the rough grows where the fertilizer goes... Once you figure this out, it plays to the strengths of a Sherpa with Track Acumen, i.e. "if you're going to miss the fairway, miss it by a lot!"
Bunkers: I may have to play Minnechaug again to compare notes, but Timberlin seemed to have the most fairway bunkers I've seen in a long time, which probably doesn't mean much. On the plus side, the grass on the lips was cut down below two feet, as opposed to what we've seen in the last rounds played at Blue fox Run and the Skunk. They definitely made the course more challenging, which probably wasn't what we needed on this day; no complaints though.
Best Track-like Features: Even the best of golf courses get compared to Goat Tracks in one way or another and there's nothing wrong with that at all, in fact it should be viewed as a compliment. With that said, here are the four Goat Track observations made on the back 9 at Timberlin:
1) Stone retaining wall at the water hazard on #12: the wall at the back edge of the pond was held together with some sort of super-strength chicken wire. This was truly exceptional and may not be seen again. As an added bonus, this pond had some algae on it, so we didn't feel comppletely out of place.
2) Another water hazard? The pond on 12 opens up to another, larger pond further left, which is reminiscent of #3 at Canton Public (r.i.p.), "we've got a marsh here, but an even better one over there, if you think you're up to it." Without the cross breeze, there's no doubt that we would've been down close to a pint of blood on this hole, courtesy of the mosquitoes that must wreak havoc from there.
3) The Coyote Decoy: (this one really hit the sweet spot) On #13 there was some sort of hunched coyote figure strategically placed at the edge of the pond. Fortunately, there was a tag on it, so we could reasonably assume that it was fake; however, there was a discussion about which club would be best to take one out, if necessary. Two thumbs up for the Spackler-esque course management, thinking outside the box, and doing something to keep the goose shit to a minimum near the pond (possible landing area). We consulted with the geese at the brook 100 or so yards away to try to understand why they weren't hanging out at the pond. They were less than responsive.
4) Matt, the "Goat Track Natural Historian," would've appreciated the turtle perched on a log in the middle of the pond on #17. For whatever reason, seeing turtles on the course just makes the round that much more enjoyable.
Although there was no BCC making the rounds, the Timberlin experience was top notch and is highly recommended to those who can get there. We hope to provide a review of the front 9 in the not too distant future.
Before my first trip to this course, I was encouraged by the listing on ctgolfer.com, hoping for a Canton Public-esque Tracking experience, i.e. a 9-hole course in the sticks designed in the late 1940's. Sorry to report that this course doesn't qualify as a Track, it's more of a "tweener", not quite enough "Track charm," not quite Tunxis or Rockledge either. I knew something was awry when I saw the housing development bordering the course. I asked "Ornery Bob" (long-time resident Tracking expert east of the Connecticut River) to confirm whether this course had undergone a major design change since the housing development took root. He sent this link, much appreciated. Obviously I take issue with the opinion that the greens are difficult to read. Tracking Rule #1, "there is no break on a green at a public course!" (Rockledge and Indian Springs being notable exceptions)
Course Pluses: a brick oven pizza joint (Gina's) adjacent to the pro shop; a decent place to hang out after a round and/or solve the problem of finding dinner. High marks given for that.
General Course Layout
Somehow a sizable housing development was squeezed in around the course. On the first tee, there are "normal" houses across the street on the left side; on the right, a driving range fence protecting several McMansions from errant tee shots (not to mention cutting off the driving angle to the green). Whoever is responsible for the current course layout should've been summarily executed for the following reasons:
1) "signs, signs, everywhere a sign." If you need more than one sign on a course to tell you where the next tee is, something has gone horribly wrong. In this case, there were six (give or take one). To their credit, at least they pointed you in the right direction (as opposed to the navigational cluster that is the Stanley Golf Course). The advantage of such a setup on a nine hole course, is that if you choose to play 18, you can go "Hansel & Gretel" and leave a trail of crumbs, or empty beer cans, to mark your trail.
2) Course navigation head scratcher, the trip from the 5th green to the 6th tee requires crossing in front of the tee box on the 4th. Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?
3) The "Road to Nowhere"; at least a 1/2 mile trek from the 7th green to the 8th tee. If you play this course on Halloween, you can probably Trick or Treat at 30 houses along the way, if you're so inclined, as you wind your way through the neighborhood. The trek from the 8th green to the 9th tee is relatively short, only a 1/4 mile or so and maybe 15 to 20 Trick or Treating stops. On the plus side, they're nice homes, so I'm pretty sure that they stock good candy for the occasion.
Sand Ho! `, but fair, i.e., no steep grades on the front lips that make for unplayable shots. Seems that someone had some free time with the backhoe, some of the traps are truly expansive. From a Tracker perspective, two thoughts come to mind:
1) on the 2nd hole, there was so much sand that I was wondering whether they sold the houses adjacent to the fairway as beachfront timeshares
2) no doubt there is more sand in one bunker ant Minnechaug than there is in every trap at the GT combined.
Greens: unexpectedly quick for a Track, reinforcing the premise that Minnechaug isn't a Track.
Par 5's: Great driving holes, especially #3 from the elevated tee box. Great holes to grip & rip, unless you want the option of playing from an adjacent fairway, in which case you're shit out of luck.
"The Lorax was here": probably the most heavily wooded course I've played in recent memory. No amount of Track acumen can bail your ass out once you've found the trees.
Yardage markers: The fairways were marked with the usual red, white, and blue convex dots to mark distance, but as most Trackers will attest, those are useless when you visit the fairway about as often as the Kardashian sisters attend MENSA meetings. An occasional 150-to the green birdhouse or stake would've been appreciated by those of us trying to triangulate distance from lies off the beaten path.
The Island Green: After you've trekked from the 7th green, feeling like the mailman (not Newman, of course, since he was never on his route) carrying your golf bag through the neighborhood on your seemingly unending quest to find the 8th f**k**g tee, you find the island green. Must be a great feeling in mid-summer. The problem with this hole is not that it's an island green, but that it requires what most Trackers consider the most difficult shot in the bag, the 3/4 wedge. I dumped two in front, one in back and pressed on because I was running out of golf balls (used my last range ball on the 9th).
All in all, an interesting course at a fair price and one that I'd play again, but probably not part of the GT Minor rotation anytime soon.
Grassmere CC, Enfield (reviewed June 2009) Other Track Features:
Grassmere's website raised some eyebrows with the GT folks by leading off with "Grassmere Country Club is the perfect location for your wedding, special event or coprorate outing!" Hold on just a minute! Somehow the cart got in front of the horse...and it wasn't even a golf cart. How could a 9-hole course possibly tout itself as a wedding/banquet facility and more importantly, why would that take top billing over golf? We were reminded of the amusement park scene in "This is Spinal Tap," and the memorable line, "I've told them a hundred times, put 'Spinal Tap' first and 'puppet show' last." Naturally, our curiosity was piqued and a trip to Enfield to play 9 at Grassmere was inevitable.
The Grassmere Review
Signage: If you can spot the sign pointing to the course from Broad Brook Road, you're home free. The thought here seems to be that since the clubhouse is visible from the road, another sign would just be redundant. We respect that. There is, however, a more useful "tee times available" sign at the entrance, to let you know when you're about to drive past the course, which makes sense. Both subtle and effective.
Parking Lot: A true stroke of genius; paved, but unstriped. Hawk's Landing could learn something from this inspired design feature.
Pro Shop: Probably didn't pay enough attention here, possibly due to the fact that the register for paying greens fees is right next to the door, so you can get in and out quickly, which makes Grassmere stand apart from other Tracks we frequent. There's not a bunch of merchandise cluttering the area either, so it lends itself to the same type of "drop step, pivot, order, and retrieve a beer" move that can only be duplicated at Airways. No wasted time. No wasted effort. Outstanding. That, combined with the most cheerful and helpful person we've run into in a pro shop in eons, made this an uncommonly pleasant experience.
Moving onto the course, the gazebo and manicured flowering shrubs behind the first tee quickly put to bed the notion that Grassmere could be considered Goat Track material using our standard criteria, but it was still unknown whether it might qualilfy based on the "other criteria" used to grant Hawk's Landing Goat Track of the Year status in 2008.
Layout: Consistent with the "no sign policy" in front of the clubhouse, there are no signs on the tee boxes either; however, they're not really necessary if you just follow the cart path around the course. This was a refreshing change from some of the navigational clusteramas we've experienced at other Tracks. The only tee box that was remotely dificult to find (in sequence) was #6, which was tucked back in a corner behind a pond and that brief search kept us on our toes. Well done.
Cement yardage markers flush to the ground on the tee boxes make carrying a scorecard to check hole distances completely optional, which works pretty well for match play. Another sight rarely seen in our travels was the matching shrubs at the 150 yard markers, easily visible from off the fairway, for those who prefer to take more challenging approach shots.
Tee Boxes & Fairways: While it shouldn't be surprising to see tee boxes that haven't been beaten to a pulp, it was. It almost defied logic as to how they could have so much grass without any sand/seed containers nearby. The most noticeable/striking feature of the fairways to the seasoned Goat Tracker was that the edges of the rough were easiliy distinguishable from the fairways. Can't stress enough the importance of contrast....and grass, for that matter. The only Track-like feature of the fairways at Grassmere is that they're very enticing for some grip & rip because they're pretty wide for the most part; so much so that they inspired two thoiughts: 1) anyone who's agoraphobic may have a problem playing here and 2) Elaine's quote from the "pothole episode" of Seinfeld, "Hey, look at this. Wide lanes. This is so luxurious. Woo..yeah," while she was on mile 114 of the Arthur Berkhardt Expressway (adopted by Kramer). The only downside of this setup is that the rough is also pretty wide, so the Tracker accustomed to looking for his drive in the next fairway may spend more time looking for it in the rough, unless he can really snap one sideways.
Greens: In terms of speed, the greens at Grassmere fall into a category you don't want to play either just before or after you've played a true Goat Track. Probably good for three strokes added to your score, based on putts that will either sail by the hole or be miserably short, depending on which speed adjustment you're trying to make. The first par-3, #5, has some serious undulations to it, which makes for some nasty pin placements, but overall the greens have the amount of break we'd expect according to the "Universal Truth of Goat Track Putting," i.e., none.
Bunkers: Didn't get to experience any first hand, mainly because there aren't many. Two greenside bunkers appeared to have been filled in on the 1st hole and there aren't any fairway traps to speak of. With any luck, we'll hit into a few on a future visit and be able to provide an update.
Water Hazards: Not much to report here, either. Mainly just a brook that runs throughought the course, similar to the one at Brooklyn CC, occasionally opening up into some marshy areas on #5 and #6. Given the limited amount of water and the maximum amount of reed-filled areas sprouting from them, two thumbs up.
Track Management Highlights:
1) #2: Airmail. There's only about 20 feet, if that, on the downslope behind the green before your shot ends up buried in poison ivy; another 15 - 20 feet before it's bouncing across the road. Best not to be long here.
2) A good mix of deciduous and evergreen trees in the rough, offering opportunities to display Track Acumen with a variety of approach angles and trajectories.
"The House on the Hill." We've seen lots of houses bordering courses, but few as strategically located 
as the one between the 3rd green and 4th tee at Grassmere. Apparently the people living there are well aware of this too, since there are two golf carts parked in the driveway. Truly inspiring to see this in Enfield, as opposed to Florida or Arizona.
"Ringin' the Bell." On the dogleg right 6th hole, we appreciated the bell hanging 
next to the bridge over the brook cutting across the corner (to let the group on the tee know it's ok to hit), since we haven't seen one in a while.
"Side Out." The only course we've been to with a volleyball net near the clubhouse. Pretty impressive, maybe even better than the cricket fields across from the 10th hole at Keney or the horseshoe pits near the clubhouse at the GT.
In summary, Grassmere provides a pretty good experience for both Trackers and non-Trackers alike, even though, or maybe because, it lacks true Goat Track conditions. We can't overstate how difficult a feat this is to pull off. As such, we rate the course a very respectable 
out of 4 GT logos and look forward to playing it again.
The intrigue that led to a review of Rolling Meadows was largely based on the fact that it's located in the same general area (the sticks) as some other courses East of the River (Tallwood, Blackledge) that are familiar to many Trackers and get a lot more attention. Since there's not much point in reviewing Tallwood and Blackledge on Goat-Track.com (well, at least not Blackledge; Tallwood has some great Trackish quirks), it made sense to give the less-publicized Rolling Meadows a try.
Course Features/Conditions
Fairways: The most noteworthy aspect of the front 9 at Rolling Meadows. To an experienced Goat Tracker, it sets up as something of a "Jedi mind trick." While we're not experts on exactly how the "Jedi mind trick" works, it just sounds right. Maybe a more accurate definition would be "Goat Tracker mind fuck." As Goat Trackers, we've all honed our respective "skills" based on hitting approach shots from the rough or, preferably, the next fairway. The front 9 at Rolling Hills challenges that skill set. On the first hole, you're confronted with a fairway so wide, that the challenge lies in how you can tap into your Track Acumen to miss it and set up a "normal" approach shot. Apparently it takes something of a well-shaped duck-hook (maybe an exaggerated draw) to hit into the o.b. trees on the left hand side of #1. Fortunately, there's a par-3 on hole #3 that allows one to regain perspective and break the trance created by the seemingly impossibly wide fairways.
Greens: Another "mind trick"? Quite un-Tracklike as far as their condition (free of mushrooms, crabgrass, and dead spots), but very Track-like where it counts. Some were sloping, some were undulating, but in the end, if you played the break, you were a fool, thus upholding the "Universal Truth of Goat Track Putting." Most commendable.
Rough: This is a challenge, to get into the rough, that is. Where the opportunities present themselves to drive into parts unknown, you're far more likely to go o.b. than into the rough. If you try hard enough, you may be able to take advantage of one of the fairway bunker opportunities out there. The small strip of rough on #1 was a bit on the furry side and probably the highest out there, but manageable. There are a few holes with open pasture area nearby, which was reassuring, just not near enough to hit into.
Bunkers: Deceptively pliable. Upon further review (because more than one bunker had to be visited), they were rock-free; however, it's advisable not to dig too deep. Rolling Meadows' bunkers are most challenging in how they make you find the right depth to plunge your sand wedge. Given the combination of ample sand in the traps and no dry 3-foot high grass overhanging the lips of the traps (see: Skungamaug) we'd say that the risk of starting a brush fire from a sand wedge-to-rock spark is minimal.
Other Trackworthy features/notes:
Just enough trees. First time I can recall that I've ever skulled a shot out of a greenside trap, had it hit a tree behind the green on the fly and carom back for a reasonable up & down. Other than that, the front 9 doesn't appear to yield as many opportunities as we'd like to test Track Acumen re. playing into, off of, and around trees.
Best approach shot: #9. Uphill to an elevated green, traps front left and front right, with some good roll off the back; reminiscent of #9 at the Tradition, minus some sand and mushrooms.
In summary, the front 9 at Rolling Meadows provides something close to a Goat Tracking experience, minus the conditions that we generally have come to expect from the best Goat Tracks. The only knock against Rolling Meadows is that you may as well be speaking Swahili if you ask about a weekday twilight special. That aside, we still look forward to reviewing the back 9.
D. Fairchild Wheeler Municipal Golf Course, Fairfield/Bridgeport, Connecticut, known locally as "The Wheel" (subsequently, "Fairchild Wheeler" has been dubbed "Ferris Bueller" by Sherpa JB; Black Course reviewed May, 2010).
Fairchild Wheeler/Ferris Bueller has been on the GT radar for a while. Golfer Number Two first played it back in 1992. "Hardest course I ever played, which shouldn't be confused with most difficult. You couldn't hold the greens there in July with a nerf ball." We got a heads up about "($2mil in) course improvements at The New and Improved Wheel" from a GT site reader (crwelton) in August, 2009 and have been anxiously awaiting to return to the course ever since. Our frame of reference going into the review may have been biased based on playing the course mid-summer in the early '90's, when it was a true Goat Track and was as hard as an industrial diamond...and oddly enough, located less than a mile from the company, GE, that invented industrial diamonds. Coincidence?
Pre-Tee Stuff
If you're not just walking onto the Wheel for a quick 9 late in the day and need to make a tee time, the Fairchild Wheeler site is pretty useful for booking tee times online; plus, it provides some entertainment value. Before you can access the site, you must consent to the following conditions noted in the pop-up that appears:
"Please note that jeans of any style (shorts or long pants), short shorts or mini-skirts, cut-offs, tank tops, dew rags, bathing suits or men's and boy's shirts without a collar are not permitted.
Caps should be worn with the bill facing forward.
Only soft-spike shoes or rubber soled shoes are permitted. If your golf shoes do not have soft-spikes, please see a golf shop attendant to have your spikes chaned.
Thank You
Stephen P. Roach; PGA"
Cart Valet: This was downright shocking. Wondered for a moment whether Sherpa JB would think he was playing Wampanoag. Close, but not quite.
Course Condition Minutiae
Sand: Plenty of it; not too many traps though; in fact we saw some that were "reclaimed." Just a lot of sand in the ones that are there, which makes sense, with O&G nearby to supply it. Bunkers are best defined as non-obnoxious and playable; almost an enjoyable experience, really.
Bombs Away (Layout part 1): There are some changes in elevation that may make some par 4's play shorter, but we checked the card...and did a double take. Despite being par 35, the back 9 of the Black Course is nearly as long as the original 9 at Bel Compo (Blue Fox Run, blue course), not a course for sissies. If you're not swingin' it and bringin' it, you may be in for a rough stretch on the back 9 at Ferris Bueller, since 5 of the 6 par 4's clock in at over 400 yards (correction, one is a mere 395).
Layout, continued: Just to refresh our memories that we were playing at a muni, we got a "Fore!" holler when we were on the 8th tee, from the 200+ yard, elevated, par-3 7th tee box. Not too surprising that errant shots would be fired from there. Relieved that there were far fewer shots fired at us on the other holes that would cause one to reflexively protect one's noggin and nutsack than at the Brennan Course in Stamford (as a Fairfield County frame of reference) or other "compact" munis. With all the blind shots on the Black Course (and there are many), one might think there would be an ambulance permanently on call at Ferris Bueller, but no.
Hazards: Based on the Tracks we're used to playing, we're accustomed to seeing reed-filled marshes, swamps, 
overgrown brooks, etc, but Ferris Bueller puts a different spin on it, probably a Fairfield County/Gold Coast thing. These areas are all marked as "conservation easements" per the Town of Fairfield. Nice job of putting frosting on that piece of wood and calling it a cake. As crwelton noted, "conservation easement = free lift." We'll have to keep that in mind on the next trip.
As Sherpa JB noted, the Ferris Bueller course definitely has an "inner Track" screaming to get out. Keeping with the John Hughes theme/analogy, we're reminded of the Judd Nelson (Bender) "inner fat chick" line to Molly Ringwald (Claire) in "The Breakfast Club." The rough at Ferris Bueller has a Keney-like consistency to it (i.e. sparse and hardpan) and some of the tee boxes have the uneven footing we look for at a good Goat Track. Despite that, until we play this course in "hardpan season," we're hard-pressed to truly consider it Goat Track material. The greens were in far too good condition, to the point where there may have been too much commentary regarding "reading the break," which suggests that some in our group were convinced they weren't playing at a Goat Track or muni...or even a public couse, which is high praise in itself.
In Summary, it was great to revisit Fairchild Wheeler for the first time in a long time and see for ourselves what the New and Improved Wheel was all about. Fairchild Wheeler seems to be Fairfield County's counterpart to the Hartford County Urban Goat Tracks, Keney and Goodwin, just with better conditions and less crack, which is fine by us.
Ferris Bueller scores very high on the "value proposition" scale (at least from Mon. - Fri.) and the conditions and course design were better than we expected (Golfer Number Two was a little fuzzy on course design based on his last trip there, go figure). In a backhanded compliment/ringing endorsement, the 2008 Goat Tracker of the Year, Wink, offered," If things don't pan out elsewhere, I'll definitely come back here." Translation: "This was pretty darned good; right course, right place, right price." Good pace of play, challenging holes, great value; it somehow defies many GT grading criteria, especially at a muni, so we're rating the Ferris Bueller Black Course 
out of 4 GT logos.
Rolling Greens scores some points on the Goat-Track.com grading scale based on some odd layout quirks and course features, but overall doesn't really qualify as Goat Track material. To give our readers a better feel for the review process, we're presenting it in a "pro" vs. "con" (point/counterpoint) format.
Pro:
General: 9-hole layout, always something that Goat-Track.com reviewers look for as an indicator of GT potential.
Navigation: When the guy in the pro shop says you'll probably have a tough time finding the next hole at least a time or two, this is the kind of navigational cluster that we expect from the finest Goat Tracks.
Slow, slower, slowest: speed, or lack thereof on the greens, consistent with some of the most well worn Tracks we'rve played. Re. the practice green, as noted on GOAT TRAQ FAQ, the practice green at a respectable Goat Track should always be the opposite (in one way or another) of what's on the course and in this case, the practice green at Rolling Greens suggests that there will be break on the greens on the course, based on its beveled surface (and true to the rule, it's not a concern on the course).
5th tee box: about 20 feet above the cart path below, with ledge blown out of the front side, providing a majestic launching pad. Best aspect of this tee box is the cement piers across the front of the back tee box, like an old wood post guardrail with cable in between; in this case, each post with five lawn tractor tires stacked around the piers. Awesome.
Water Hazard on #6: big fans of the pond to the left of the green, reeds and cattails in front; a feeder pipe in back. No doubt this is mosquito heaven in midseason.
Bunkers: Inviting. Unfortunately none were fully explored during this round, but they seemed to have some selling points:
- An occasional trap with tire tracks from maintenance equipment; a nice change of pace from the goose footprints that we're accustomed to seeing in them this time of year
- No lips, compacted, and for the most part, flat (one exception being the front right trap on #9); possibly rewarding Track Acumen, i.e., the ability to hit enough topspin to get through the thin rough and skim through the traps with little difficulty.
Con:
General: "Rule #1" as posted on the etiquette/course rules sign outside the pro shop, "no five-somes." Really?!? This flies in the face of the lax enforcement that we look for, appreciate, and occasionally take for granted at a Track and is generally a dealbreaker. On the other hand, we were afforded the opportunity by the "pro shop powers that be" to play two balls around the course without retribution; still, it doesn't seem to be enough to overcome "Rule #1."
Condo City: Rolling Greens sets up kind of like a cross between Stashu and Minnechaug. Stashu is within a 7-iron of multiple condo and apartment complexes; Minnechaug is ensconsed by a housing subdivision; Rolling Greens combines the two by having multiple condo/apartment complexes running through it, with a housing subdivision thrown in on the 6th ... and that just doesn't provide a good "Goat Tracking feel" at all.
As noted in our "parking lot reviews" of other Tracks played in 2008, we should've known that passing several apartment/condo complexes as we turned left across a four-lane divided road to get to the course would not bode well.
Navigation: not that we were disappointed that we didn't wind up at the wrong tee box during the round, but we were fully prepared based on the heads up from the pro shop. In the end we'd have to say that Rolling Greens wasn't nearly as confusing as advertised.
Slow, slower, slowest: Greens this slow probably shouldn't be his big. We were also disappointed that, given their "speed," the greens at Rolling Greens didn't have any of the "visual entertainment" that we Goat Trackers enjoy while putting on slow greens, such as crabgrass, no grass or, most notably, the mushrooms (fungus anong us) as at The Tradtion GC in Windsor. Also, we came to think that "Rolling Greens" may be a misnomer; possibly "Grind to a Halt Greens" or "Bump and Run on the Greens" would've been more appropriate.
6th tee box: We as Goat Trackers appreciate funky layouts, but this one seemed to be just ridiculous; a tee box pointing to someones's back yard (so far, so good), but a landing zone that left one on a severe downhill lie unless within 70 yards of the green, (not so good). Looking back.......a tee box so elevated that it couldn't be seen from the landing area. In fairness, it just takes a well-placed 5-iron off the tee to have a reasonable shot at par, but it was still kind of annoying.
In summary, while it was good to play another Geoffrey Cornish course, and Rolling Greens is a decent course at a less than obnoxious price, it's a "tweener" and probably doesn't rank that highly compared to other "tweeners" we've reviewed on the GT site.
Stanley GC (a/k/a "Stashu" [it's a Polish thing], located in Hard Hittin' New Britain)
We've played Stashu a handful of times over the past decade, just often enough to see the slow and continuous erosion of it's old school Track Cred and Track Charm.
Based on our 4/23/09 review of the White Course, Stanley has lost its way and its standing as a preferred Track in the view of Goat-Track.com. As a result, it has been removed (demoted) from the CT GT (Connecticut Goat Tracks) page and placed in the "wannabe/usedtobe-CT" group on the More Tracks page. Some Goat Trackers, notably Rabbit Ears, argue that Stashu doesn't even deserve a spot on Goat-Track.com at all, since it falls into a category generally not reviewed on this site. Benchmark courses in that group include Tunxis and Rockledge, both of which are decent, but score too high on the b.s. meter for us to waste time with here. Since we originally reviewed Stanley when it still had some Track Cred, we're grandfathering it in.
The City of New Britain may be going straight down the crapper with an occasional courtesy flush, but Stanley, stragegically located just off I-84 and Route 9, seems to have a different agenda. At some point, the end result of its "vast improvements" will probably include alienating a sizeable chunk of its dedicated base, while at the same time disappointing many of the newcomers it tries to draw, in a Clooney-esque "cloud of smug."
There was bad mojo afoot prior to our trek to Stashu. A puff piece placed in a made-up golf publication never bodes well for the course being fluffed.
We won't waste valuable web page space or reader interest here, but feel free to read about the nonsense that irked us about Stanley from the get go here.
Onto the review of the White Course at Stanley
This was our first time playing the course in a couple of years and we were glad that we weren't automatically sent out to the Blue Course, where the 9-holers usually get exiled (much like the Red Course at Tunxis, which drew rave reviews from GT Duke [not posted on the site, don't bother looking]). With a loudspeaker attached to the top of the starter's shack, it's safe to assume that Stanley doesn't mess around when it comes to corralling the lemmings waiting to tee off.
General Course Conditions: Pretty much free of dandelions and other "non-standard vegetation" that we'd expect to see this time of year. Bravo. We knew from the well-maintained cart barn and the manicured shrubs between the pro shop and the first tee on the red course, that Stanley puts far more emphasis on outward appearances than it used to.
Greens: Since Friar Tuck and Golfer Number Two got paired up with a couple of folks more accustomed to playing Stanley, it was good to hear one of them utter Mel's rant from the GT Open (4/16/09), "How can you figure out where the putt's going to go out of those craters?" How, indeed. Once Friar Tuck and Golfer Number Two pointed out to our newfound friends that Stanley's greens were like glass compared to those at Copper Hill, the whining stopped. On the other hand, Friar Tuck and Golfer Number Two both heard some nonsensical comments about "reading the break" from our tour guides, nodded in recognition of their ignorance of "the universal truth," i.e., "there is no break on a green at a public course" and watched with little surprise as their putts missed wide left and right, with the exception of a "blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" birdie putt from 35 feet or so on #7.
The "lowlands" on the 4th and 5th are classically mushy, with skunk cabbage flourishing in the left o.b. area on #5. Based on prior experience, these are interesting holes to play in a scramble event, especially if you're playing with some similarly untalentad folks. (pictured at left, encouragement to overthink one's tee shot)
Navigational Clusterama: The upside of getting paired up on the first tee at Stanley, if there is one, is that it greatly improves your chances of making it off the course by dusk without relying on the group ahead of you to leave a trail of empty beer cans to lead you back.
Once you move on from the fourth hole on either the Blue or White course (similar to working through the mixmaster in Waterbury or the I-84/I-91 interchange in Hartford), you may just hallucinate and see Rod Serling because you've entered the Twilight Zone. Foursomes have gotten lost here during charity tournaments. Enough said.
Kudos for the effort, but if the ball washers need to be color-coded (pictured above right) to let you know which 9 you're on, something may have gone awry on the layout.
Player Assistant Cart: An unfortunate misnomer. When this cart cruised up to the 6th tee, our curiosity was piqued; it was the "Player Assistant Cart" after all. Was it there to assist players in finding errant drives, possibly offer swing tips, or otherwise assist us with lowering our scores? Not so much. A ranger by any other name is still a ranger and still about as useless as tits on a bull.
19th: It couldn't have been made more apparent that we were light years away from the Schlitz bar bottle laden golden age of Stanley's historic 19th hole than when we sa
w...............the hostess station...and eventually the hostess. We have no problem with hostesses (in bar terms, a distant relative of the BCC), but once you've arrived at the point where you need to be seated in Stanley's clubhouse (which Goat Trackers used to be big fans of), the train has left the tracks, Elvis has left the building, i.e., it's pretty much over. This may have been the straw that broke the Goat's back.
What we took away from the Stashu Experience was a greater appreciation of Tracks that either have gone or have tried to go upscale, but still remain fun to play, such as (2008 Goat Track of the Year) Hawk's Landing and Simsbury Farms. (To that end, the good karma that "The Farms" has garnered with us over the last few years will be rewarded with an official review on the GT site this year. We're sure they'll be most appreciative.)
The Stanley Experience was best summed up by first-time visitor Friar Tuck, who said "If I don't come back here for ten years, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it."
We rate the Stanley Experience 
GT logos out of 4. Not too long ago, it earned a much higher GT rating.
Triggs was recommended to Goat-Track.com by esteemed Tracker Friar Tuck. After hearing this, GT Duke made the observation that Triggs can't be considered a Goat Track because it's a Donald Ross course. We headed out to decide for ourselves and put the controversy to bed.
Although it does have some Goat Track features, overall Triggs doesn't really qualify as a Goat Track, at least not in the conventional sense.
Stonework: A great, old, four-foot high wall extending behind the first tee to the outer edge of the course. Always a good sign and a reassuring thing to see at the beginning of a round for most Trackers.
Bunkers: Scored surprisingly high on the GT grading scale, not because of the sand, or lack thereof that we would expect (yet not encounter), but because they provided a "WOW!" factor, actually more of a "WTF?!?" factor. Most of the bunkers at Triggs are higher on the back lip than the front lip and the backslopes are covered in three-foot high grass; providing a much better chance of finding a ball in the trap than one just behind it. Impressive.
Signage: Pretty simple. Plastic-coated corrugated material on wire frames stuck into the ground like croquet wickets, similar to what one might see at a charity scramble event. We didn't inquire whether it's always been this way; whether they're in the process of getting new signs; or whether there's just a perpetual problem with sign theft, but we should have. One might have thought that the course was far enough from the Providence College campus that sign stealing wouldn't be as much of a problem as it is near campus (we defy anyone to drive within a ten block radius of the PC campus and find signs on three consecutive cross streets), but we could be wrong.
[Not that we were looking for a "sky caddy" level of detail, but since there's no map of the holes on the scorecard and nothing to work with from the tee box signs, some stretches of the course can be tough to read for the uninitiated. On the other hand, the carts have GPS holders, so it is possible to get a read on course layout if you pay for GPS for your round; that just doesn't sit well with us.]
The Abandoned Tee Box: On #17, there's an abandoned island tee box in the middle of a partially drained pond. Curious to see what this was like when it was in use, but it was pretty cool, nonetheless.
Navigation: If you miss the turn for Triggs off of Manton Avenue, it should take you no longer than three minutes to feel like you're on your way to Goodwin Public (frame of reference for seasoned Trackers), which can be both good and bad; but bad in the sense that at that point you're getting no closer to the course.......for starters.
History of the Track, Part I: After asking for a different viewpoint on Triggs back in May, we got this greatly appreciated post from someone on Stracka.com, "It's been a while since I played this course in college, but what I do remember was a quarter barrel on every tee box and you could take a cart to the package store when you ran out of booze."
History of the Track, Part II: The proverbial carrot that Friar Tuck threw out there to get Goat-Track.com to review Triggs was, "I found a set of brass knuckles near the 17th fairway." Who could possibly ignore this? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Based on these features, it's easy to see why there was so much interest in finding out just where Triggs stood in the Pantheon of Goat Tracks.
Non-Goat Track Features: Pretty much everything else as it relates to actually playing the course. Of note:
Fairways: Quite different from what we see on the Goat Track circuit, in that there were more divots in the fairways than in the rough, which suggests that the caliber of golfer at Triggs may be slilghtly better than we run into elsewhere, or within our group, for that matter. Also, amazingly well-manicured, probably shorter than the greens on half the Goat Tracks we've played this year.
Greens: Grass??? Speed??? Break??? It was like being on another planet! We probably could've done without the putts that veered off a foot from the hole and most of our putts will be at least six feet short of the cup when we return to "normal" Tracking conditions, but these greens were both challenging and fun to play.
Goat Track Neutral Features
The Mound Builders: Our resident expert on golf course design, GT Duke, concurred that the mounds, which were seemingly everywhere, probably weren't consistent with the original Donald Ross design. They seemed somewhat out of place, but didn't seem to improve or diminish play; however, they probably lowered the grade on overall layout.
Trees: Also, per GT Duke, Triggs differs from other courses in the area (extending out to greater Boston) that have a good Goat Track feel, in that it has a different mix of trees on the course. The classic Goat Tracks it seems, have a lot more pine trees than Triggs does, most likely because they were easier to plant and grow quickly. Possibly minutiae to some grip & rip, flail & wail Trackers, but certainly not something that's lost on a Sherpa who uses the pine-laden Canton Public GC as the Goat Track benchmark.
All In all, Triggs is a good course to play and we can recommend it on Goat-Track. com based on some of its course features, as opposed to its actual playing conditions, which are at least a cut above what one would expect from a true Goat Track.
At first glance, Eagle Sticks doesn't seem to have much "Track cred", primarily due to the saccharinely sweet, flowery prose on the home page, which would nauseate most Trackers, as well as course conditions that are unlike anything to which we're accustomed (i.e., far better maintained). That said, there are two aspects that have earned this course a spot here: 1) a great twilight special. Not a big fan of the POP (pay one price) greens fees as a matter of principle, but $25 at a top 100 public course is a great value and a lot better than one could hope for at a similar local course, Richter Public; 2) by their own admission, EagleSticks is in the middle of nowhere, which lends it a certain Track credibility.
The Ranch Golf Club (Southwick, Mass.); filed by Sherpa JB under the general heading, "sometimes it's just as important to know what's not a Track." (summer 2006)
Did a scouting mission at The Ranch Golf Club yesterday. You can leave this course off the Goat Track website for now. The layout, conditions, staff, and facilities all combine to make this place unsuitable as a Goat Track. I figure they may have a fire, chinch worms, plane crash, grubs, tornado, or other incident that will change the "features", enabling this course to be re-evaluated in the future. Being a responsible Tracker, I am always looking for new candidates for Goat-Track.com. (side note: validating Sherpa JB's review, Golf Digest named The Ranch "Best Public Course in Massachusetts." Definitely not a Track.)
The Tracker known as GT Duke offered the following brief commentary after a trip to the Grand Strand, April, 2009:
Tidewater: Rating "F." Most overrated 18 holes I've played. Nice course, but the pre-game hype was too much. They seem to be impressed with the fact that they marginally have water views...more like salt marsh and intercoastal housing. Very poor conditions...almost GT material.
Prestwick: Rating "B." Nice venue. Peter and PB Dye design, so there are lots of railroad ties. Narrow fairways and elevated greens that are very hard to hold(if you could hit them, which I couldn't). Worth a play again, but I played two that I liked better. Nice conditions.
The best of the four courses played this trip (a virtual pick 'em):
Legends Parkland: Rating "A." Traditional layout, generous fairways, excellent conditions; homes nearby were obscured, so it was "very pleasant" golf.
Legends Moorland: Rating "A." More Pete Dye layout; mounds and elevated greens. No houses on the course and very private setting. Excellent conditions.
Don't Dare Call Them Goat Tracks! Private Country Club Reviews
Wampanoag Country Club (West Hartford, CT: review submitted by Sherpa JB, October, 2009)
A friend invited the 2008 Goat Tracker of the Year, Wink, and me for a round at a private course in West Hartford called Wampanoag Country Club. As I pulled in and positioned my high-mileage 1999 SUV between two late-model S-Class Benzes, I noticed another golfer pulling into the lot. I watched closely as a golfing goddess exited her Mercedes mini-van just a few spots away. Captivated by her beauty and grace, it was love at first sight for me. Her long dark hair, short golf skirt, and tight top exuded the unmistakable aura of self-confidence and wealth. Intoxicating. Seeking to impress her with my sophisticated persona, I spit out my gum and zipped my pants. As I prepared to introduce myself to my future wife, I was interrupted by the world's nicest starter, Randy. Apparently, delivering one's golf cart to their vehicle is part of the experience at Wamp. Randy leapt out, welcomed me, ripped the bag from my hand and loaded it while asking a number of questions about personal preferences regarding beer, cigars, bag positioning on cart, etc., etc., etc...I hug Randy and tell him no one has ever cared this much about me.
I love this place already and I'm still in the parking lot.
After convincing Randy that I'm capable of finding the range, putting green, locker room and pro shop without his assistance, I finally push him away and redirect my attention. I loosen up my muscular physique on the range, while maintaining my best stalker stare on my future wife in the tight sweater.
Interrupted yet again...this time by the golf pro, who introduces himself and tells me how happy he is that I am spending the day at Wampanoag. I tell the pro that i join him in his happiness and ask him to back away because he's obstructing my view. Unfortunately, the rest of my group arrives, ending the best part of my day so far. Fortunately, we were soon on the first tee watching Ms. Tight Sweater and her equally alluring partner, I'll call her Ms. Best Smile on Earth, tee off. Moments later, I experience the best view ever on a golf course, as Ms. Tight Sweater and Ms. Best Smile on Earth walk down the emerald fairway, contrasting a perfect blue sky. Breathtaking.
I learn there are only two rules at Wampanoag Country Club: pay your dues on time and play fast. We hit from the back tees, which extended the golf experience to nearly 6,700 yards. Long, but manageable for 15-handicappers like Wink and I. All of us played great golf that day. The reason? Perfect attitude. Just the most pleasant atmosphere possible. This is why rich people are generally so happy; you'd have to be, playing in these conditions. Coolers with cold beer on the cart, perfect lies, raked traps, I could go on, but I'm on a word count here...
Summing it up
Pace of play: Perfect. Finished in 3 hrs. 45 min.
Layout: Perfect. A Donald Ross classic
Greens, tee boxes, fairways, traps: 10 on a scale of 1 to 9
Service: Holy shit! Just stop, I can't take it! 10 on a scale of 1 to 9
Value: Free for me so wtf? Not sure what it costs to maintain a membership at Wampanoag, but if you have the dough to make it happen, I can't think of a better place to spend it.
Recommended Tracker Reading
Articles
Magazines
Books
Articles
"Can Buddha Help Your Short Game?" (Hannah Karp WSJ, 4/27/10). This subject may be turning more heads now because of Eldrick, but as any reader of this site knows, the GT Sherpas have been ahead of the curve on this.
"693 Reasons It's Tough to Get an Ace" (Rick Reilly, ESPN the Magazine, 9/11/09). Plumbing the depths in search of self-validation on an executive course.
"The Founding Fathers of Golf" (WSJ 7/16/09). Some historical perspective on the British Open. An interesting read.
"Icing that Putt - Literally" (WSJ 2/7/09, link contains podcast interview) True winter golf at its finest; requiring a whole new level of Track Acumen. There are also some interesting bits about "golf in Greenland" and "virtual golf." Truly worth a read.
"The Ultimate North-South Divide: Fore! Welcome to the World's Most Dangerous Golf Course." (The Independent [UK], orig. published 4/4/07, added to GT 1/09) For those undaunted by the rifle range adjacent to the 14th at Tower Ridge, this "course" in the Korean DMZ may be more to your liking (course photo).
"The Art of Gamesmanship: how golf allows opponents to get under your skin, and stay there." (WSJ, 1/10/09) This article provides food for thought for the Tracker and ties into question #9 on the GT survey. As an example of gamesmanship, the article references this clip of Lee Trevino at the 1971 US Open playoff with Jack Nicklaus, and cites two authoritative works on the subject. We finally (April, 2010) reviewed one of them, "How to Win at Golf Without Actually Playing Well" by Jon Winokur, and have posted our review in the Books reviewed section below.
"18 Holes in 45 Minutes." (WSJ,11/8/08) This article provides a look at the world of speed golf with an interview and a round with the world record holder, Christopher Smith; an interesting read with some useful pointers for aspiring GT Sherpas.
"Golf's Crash Course in Humility." (WSJ, 10/18/08). This article starts off with a good premise, tracing the "Goat Tracker Movement" and "anti-Tracker Movement" (our words, not theirs) through history, using former presidents, the Great Depression, and the PGA Tour to provide some context. It starts to meander halfway through, like an approach shot into the woods following a great drive, but is still a good, informative read. At a minimum, it's worth a look to see the pic of Craig Stadler's predecessor, President Taft, taking a hack.
"Pedigree Links." This article from the 6/27/08 edition of the "Shore View" newspaper provides some background on the renowned Fenwick course. Thanks go to Rabbit Ears for passing it along. Note: the article is a little more "homespun" than most content on the GT site and the combination of features that both add to and detract from Fenwick's "Track cred" are most intriguing.
"Brown Grass, Icy Air - Heaven." (WSJ, 1/12/08) A good article about Tracking at the oldest public course in the U.S., Van Cortlandt. For more on "Vanny," check this review from an experienced Tracker on the More Tracks page.
This article ties a lot of the elements of the GT concept together, with a golf industry/PGA award linking Skungamaug to my all-time favorite Track, Canton Public, and its long-time club pro, Walt Lowell. It may be considered heresy in some GT circles, but I'd give Canton a slight edge over the Copper Hill on most GT criteria (exception being no BCC); unfortunately now that it's been transformed into "The Shoppes at Farmington Valley", we can't really make any more comparisons. ("Can I reach the Panera Bread from Talbot's with a 9-iron, or do I need to 'club up' to an 8?" Very sad.)
Magazines
We're going to spend a couple of months reviewing GofingMagazine.net because a) they spiffed us at the golf show and b) Golf Digest isn't doing us any good, so why not look at something new?
"How to Win at Golf Without Actually Playing Well," by Jon Winokur. If you've pretty much given up on improving your game through sound mechanics, this may be the book for you (reviewed April, 2010). The nearly in-depth GT review.
"Who's Your Caddy?: Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf," by Rick Reilly (formerly of Sports Illustrated, now with ESPN). Synopsis: Mr. Reilly recounts his experiences caddying rounds for Tommy Aaron, John Daly, Jack Nicklaus, Bob Newhart, Dewey Tomko, Donald Trump and others. Funniest chapters are probably those on Daly and Tomko.
"Maybe It Should Have Been a Three Iron: My Year as a Caddy for the World's 438th Best Golfer," by Lawrence Donegan. The book's not quite as funny as "Who's Your Caddy" (British humour, go figure), but is a pretty entertaining and quick read. The premise is similar to Reilly's, but the book's a little more in depth. A British writer offers to spend a year caddying for a journeyman player, Ross Drummond, who's near the bottom of the European Tour money list. The book alternates between chronicling the trials & travails of a player barely scraping by on tour and the caddies' gypsy sub-culture.
"How to Really Stink at Golf, " by Jeff Foxworthy (2008). This was reviewed mainly because it seemed like a plausible premise with some "Goat Tracking sensibilities." On the other hand, it also seemed like a contrived attempt to shamelessly market something lame for Fathers' Day. The latter is closer to the truth, so this isn't recommended Tracker reading as much as a review and a "caveat emptor" warning.
That said, this isn't a book so much as it is a collection of 32 jokes stretched out with enough illustrations to make it look like a book by its cover (cliché, but true, go figure). The good thing is that if you bring it with you to the tee box on your weekday league night, you can probably read it cover to cover while waiting to tee off. Of course if you do that, everyone will think you're a tool; the point is that it's a quick read.
Although the bar wasn't set too high after reading a couple of reviews on Amazon, I was hoping to find some nuggets and came up with four, the most quotable of which may be, "Somewhere in hell, there's a golf course where every shot is 55 yards from the hole." Unfortunately, that's about as good as it gets. If you've got 20 minutes to kill and can have your kid retrieve the book from the library for you (saving you the trip), you won't be investing too much time or money.
"Bring your 7-iron and Lower Your Scores...at the Rocky Hill Marriott"
This was obviously too good to pass up...and as responsible Goat Trackers, we did not shortchange ourselves of the opportunity. Our observations on the path to golf nirvana that starts in a hotel conference room.
There were three main reasons for attending this event: 1) it's the dead of winter and there aren't many other Tracking-related activities within our reach, 2) we wanted to see how reasonable the benchmark for "spokesmodel talent" at the NYC Golf Show in 2008 was, and 3) we had some unresolved issues as they related to "simulated golf technology" following our trips to FSGC. We didn't fare too well on the third one, but we can live with it.
The Golf Show at the Connecticut Expo Center was considerably smaller than the one at Javits Center, which meant, by definition, that there was considerably less useless crap. Thumbs up. One thing gleaned from Friar Tuck's preliminary recon of the Expo Center's site was that this place appears to have hosted either a wedding reception or a prom; either way, it's pretty funny.
Spokesmodel Talent: Thanks in part to the 2008 Javits Center experience setting the bar fairly low for us, we were not disappointed. Most noteworthy was the Jaime Pressly stunt double at the unavoidable "win a 7-day trip to Florida" booth; nearly as obnoxious as the character on My Name is Earl. Go figure. As Friar Tuck noted, "the flipped back bangs are what put it over the top."
Carnival Games & Rides
Carnival Games: There was a "chipping contest" set up at the outer edge of the booths where you could pay a buck to hit two plastic "napkin holders" into an inflatable target, with the upside being a golf calendar with one good chip shot and a sleeve of balls with two successful attempts. Although we didn't score one of the valuable prizes (shockingly enough), we did talk our way into getting one of these goofy things to hit as a souvenir and it will be field tested at the first Goat Track Minor Event this spring.
Carnival Rides: The ubiquitous Segway, which it seems has been/is/will be at every golf show ever. With a fair amount of open floor space to roam at the CT Expo Center, there were numerous Paul Blart wannabes zipping around on these things. Turns out they were being charged $7 a pop for the experience, so we passed, but it was kind of amusing to watch and worth noting here.
Faux Swing Analysis: We took our hacks at the long drive contest in the Pro Swing booth, which appeared to use the same technology as the Holiday Golf simulator used at Fore Seasons GC, but we couldn't get any answers as to why our completely misguided efforts at FSGC produced such spectacular results there. Oh well.
Onto Actual Swing Analysis, there was a teaching pro on site, John Shea, who was video recording swings, trying not to let on how nauseus they made him, and providing useful advice, as opposed to the "constructive criticism" generally offered amongst Goat Trackers.
Video of Golfer Number Two's swing (above), serves as a cautionary tale, but we did at least determine that his swing isn't quite ugly enough to shatter a camcorder lens...and that provides hope for the 2009 Tracking Season! (best part of the clip is the Segway zipping around in the background)
Best Booth not Previously Seen at a Golf Show: The Orange Whip Trainer. You have to decide for yourself whether it's worth a c-note to buy something that basically duplicates the effect of swinging two clubs to warm up; it's entirely up to you. One observation from Friar Tuck, "it would be interesting to see how many orange spots you can put on your ceiling and how many white paint chips you can get to rain down onto the floor using this thing (if forced to use it indoors with conventional ceilings). Not gonna happen here, but for those committed to practicing, it pretty much does what it says it will. Golfer Number Two can vouch, based on a personal demo.
Best part of this booth (what made it worth mentioning here) was the John Candy tie-in (not sure whether it was a reference or an inference, but it came to mind before trying out this gadget).
We appreciated that there were about a dozen driving mats set up with a net to help pass the time while waiting for the free lesson, a great ego boost;, since shots are always majestic when they can be launched a total of 12 feet. The rest of the show was pretty much the same old, same old. Feel free to read the write-up of the 2008 show at Javits Center (below) to fill in the blanks.
The golf show overview, starting with what was in the booths
1) plenty of remaindered, demo/used, overstocked, and discontinued items to be had (clubs, bags, shoes, gloves, shirts, balls).
2) Free Trips: I avoided getting too close to these for the most part (timesharelecturephopia), but the rhetorical question that ensued was, "which booth gets more activity, the one with an attractive blond and a smokin' hot brunette or the one with some poor schlub trying to work the crowd?" I'd venture to say that if you put those two cuties in front of the "Southern New Jersey Getaway" booth, they'd have drawn a crowd.
3) Gadgets: My first thought here was that some of the stuff here couldn't quite make the cut to be in line for the 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. infomercial slot on the golf channel.
4) everything else, for the most part, does not deserve any acknowledgment here
The Goat-Tracker-relevant details:
1) Merchandise: There was nothing relevant here, unless you're looking for a quick and cheap way to amass a huge number of Titleists with various logos, only to send them off to a different set of woods, ponds, etc.; which if you think about it, may be good advertising and good for the economy.
2) Free Trips: These booths were useless, aside from the smokin' hot brunette at the "Free 7 day trip to Florida" booth (noted above). I'm sure that the "If I win, will you go with me?" question increased exponentially after happy hour, based on the show's clientele.
3) Most intriguing booth in a WTF kind of way: TheDashMate booth. Someone so hot trying to sell such a small-ticket piece of crap was mindboggling. At one point I wondered whether the guy running the booth was her "manager" in an 8th avenue professional relationship kind of way.
4) The unofficial contest for best spokesmodel: Clearly was between those holding posts at the DashMate booth and the Free Florida Trip booth (or at least the one I noticed). A very subjective call; blond/brunette; dressed up/casual, so difficult to decide.
5) Most entertaining booth: Sponsored by MotionGolf. Wait half an hour or so behind 10 other people in line to get your swing analyzed by some pretty cool technology and most likely be ridiculed afterwards by a "witty" Brit and a teaching pro. Kind of a good cop/bad cop thing or Simon/Paula on American Idol, if you choose to go down that path. Worth the wait because it was a free lesson and, as another person in line noted, you weren't missing much elsewhere. Best comment from the Simon wannabe was, "What's your handicap?...(response, 25)...Really? Back in England, we don't have players with handicaps over 20, we just ask them, 'Does your husband play, as well'" (After taking my hacks on camera, I wasn't advised to melt my clubs immediately upon my return home, which was a plus) All in all, the technology was kind of confusing, but pretty cool and better than the last golf lesson I had. Two thumbs up. Would hate to pay for it though.
6) The "free club giveaway" from Upswing Golf. I called their toll-free number to see what the embedded charges were for the "free club." Turns out that they're $22.95. If you check the site, their marketing premise is that they can sell clubs direct with a lower markup and that their equipment is top-notch and has received good reviews. Their claim to fame is that two of the senior officers in the company are from Callaway and Taylor Made. Product review: I ordered the gap wedge, which arrived about ten days after ordering and it's been a good addition to the arsenal. Good feel, clean design; distance, seems to be around 100 yds. +/- 5 and is useful on mini-chips around the green. (as of 2/09, we can't find a working link to Upswing Golf; maybe they folded up the tent)
Exhibits that could be construed as either annoying, puzzling, or just plain idiotic:
The Xtensor: Judge for yourself, but the initial take is that this is idiotic. Resistance exercises for your fingers...not worth dwelling on that. Don't expect to see this infomercial anytime soon.
Golf Cradle: "for the golfer who 'takes pride in their clubs.'" You've absolutely got to be shitting me...One can only hope that there's some irony here and that the people buying this product are the same ones who throw and slam their clubs on the course. If there's another product that is more of a polar opposite of what Goat Tracking is all about, we haven't found it yet.
The Segway exhibit: Most of us are familiar with what a Segway is. Apparently at some point, some budding genius had the foresight to attach a sidecar, i.e. golf bag, to it. As I recall, most courses refrain from letting people under the age of 25 rent golf carts because of the underlying liability. If the bag-carrying Segway finds its way to the mainstream, that age limit should be pushed up to at least 30, mainly because if we all think about how much fun you can have on a wet golf course with a cart (and possibly a few beers), multiply it by 100 and you'll get a rough idea of how much damage you can cause with a Segway.
The Video Caddy: Maybe I've just been jaded by some of the other Trackers I play with, some with less "etiquette" than others, but I'm pretty sure that, although it's a "swing tool", the Video Caddy is more useful as a BCC surveilance tool. You'll still shank it after the taping , but at least you'll have a wonderful remembrance of the BCC.
Bat-Caddy may have been the single most annoying exhibit, mainly because these remote-controlled, self-powered upright carts were wandering around by themselves in the aisles; reminded me too much of "Terminator 3, Rise of the Machines."
Other Sites that may be of Interest (some Tracking-related, some...not so much)
Golf Blogs
Although the N. Tha Bunker blog link on golf buzz has mysteriously disappeared, we're on the scent. It's always helpful to know about other Goat Tracks outside Connecticut and our people are in the field to scout the Muni Tracks in Atlanta, like it or not. The Candler Park course, referred to as "The Goat Track" by an insider, is said to be the original executive course of Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler.
nothreeputts: There's a pretty entertaining and wide range of golf topics covered here, somewhat more polished than what can be found on the GT site.
pasturegolf: Some have commented that this site has certain "Goat Track sensibilities:" no argument here. The courses featured here are more rural and Track-like than the mainly suburban courses in the local GT group, plus some other good stuff from a perspective that any Goat Tracker can appreciate.
Golf "social networking" sites...Stracka.com is listed on the home page and has been the preferred site; however, they've dropped some features we liked and now it's not much more than a version of facebook where you can update your handicap (same goes for the newer sister site GolfQ.com). The GT site is also linked to The Golf Space, My Space, and golf-finder.net, which has more of an international spin. Vaya con dios.
Other Stuff
Marseliworld.com: The unofficial Keneyriffic index that used to be MarseliWorld has been replaced by the Cove Index (recreation conditions in Stamford/Fairfield County) and there's an eclectic mix of other stuff too (if you're curious about sailing or the lost art of unicycling, among other things). Dave's a guy with varied interests and it's worth an occasional click or two to see what's going on in "MarseliWorld".
Shutuptimmccarver.com: The name says it all. If you watch enough baseball on FOX, you're not surprised that this site exists, Yankees fan or not. After this site was submitted, I asked myself, "self, Joe Buck's just as big a jackass as McCarver (if not bigger), where's the shutupjoebuck site?" Where indeed......apparently there are lot of like-minded folks out there on this one and I've scratched the surface by finding two sites, still hoping to find the proverbial great white whale of anti-Joe Buck websites; surely it's out there somewhere. If anyone thinks he's found it or has a personal favorite please email it to goattracker@yahoo.com.
