Easy to go low...

[golfdoc]

So let's talk about going low. What do you think is the easiest course around to score low? Where do you score your best and why?

Give me a tight course of medium to average length and I'm cruisin'. Tell me that there is no OB and I'm strugglin'.

Give me great fairways, like Stonebridge and it's easy to hit the greens. Make me hit off clay with a few blades of grass (which some courses call fairways) and it's tough...

[Kilroy]

Cloverdale without wind is by far the easiest. In a wind it is a brute. Hmmm, sounds like real links golf

[el tigre]

Dan, there is no doubt that Cloverdale on a calm day is fairly easy course to play, especially in the late spring when the gorse is still low but the fairways and greens are excellent. But there are some challenging holes (4, 11, 15 & 18), and as you say, in a wind it is a brute.

Therefore, I would probably vote for Mountain Creek in Arnprior as being a little easier to score low. The fairways are fine and the greens are very good, with enough trees to break up the wind without getting in your way, and a forgiving layout that has a few challenges (9 & 18) but it won't beat you up too much.

[donh]

Hi guys,

Hammond is my "feel good" place. Wide open, let'er rip type of place. :jawdrop

[mr shank]

For myself & my buddies Cloverdale is the place to go if you want to feel good about your game.
It's a great place to get back lost confidence & the greens are always a treat to putt.

[GrantTotten]

I've found Pineview on the east side of town to be very forgiving to my (slice) game. I shot my best round ever there late last year. I hope to beat it this year, of course.

Grant

[jimrobin]

Cloverdale by far (without wind). Very wide open and a few short par 4's that are or almost driveable. My best rounds are there by 3 or 4 strokes.

[NoBack]

Feel good courses for me???

Manderley and Pakenham

[faldo]

Hah, two of my groups FAV's. We luv 'em both....

Can anybody explain how the Creek rates a SLOPE of 112 (Rating of 67.3) with a distance of 6,235 yds while the 'DALE is only at a 109 (rating of 69) with a distance of 6,655??

For our money Cloverdale is much, much tougher with big undulating greens, lots more water, lots more rough & it's 440 yards longer!!

Anyway, we get to each about 8-10 times a year each.
Monday morning 2/1's are the best deal in Canada.
Saturdays up the valley always include a stop at the PRIOR Sports Bar for cold jugs & all the sphagetti you can handle.

[Kilroy]

You have to take into account both the Slope and the Rating.
Cloverdale's par is one higher, the differential will be higher

Mountain Creek from the whites is 5990 112 67.3
Mountain Creek 88 (+18) differential of 20.9

Cloverdale from the whites is 5830 104 66.5
Cloverdale 88 (+17) differential of 23.4

Bear in mind, the RCGA does not factor wind into the sloping of a course.

Topography - Difficulty of stance in the landing area and the vertical angle of shot from the landing area into the green.

Fairway - The effective width and depth of the landing area, which can be reduced by a dogleg, trees or fairway slope.

Recoverability and Rough -The existence of rough and other penalizing factors in the proximity of the landing area and the green.

Out of bounds - The existence of out-of-bounds in the proximity of the landing area and around the green.

Water Hazards - The existence of water in the proximity of the landing area and around the green.

Trees - The strategic location, size, height and number of trees.

Bunkers - The existence of bunkers in the proximity of the landing area and around the green.

Green Target - The size, firmness, shape and slope of a green in relation to the normal length of the approach shot.

Green Surface - The contour and normal speed of the putting surface.

Psychological - The mental effect on play created by the proximity of obstacles to a target area

[Gary Hill]

I hate to disagree with "the boss", but the prevailing winds are taken into account when determining "effective playing length" for the slope rating.

[Kilroy]

Hmmm, that is what Gib Patterson told me when I questioned the low rating, since it is usually windy there. Thanks for the correction Garry.

[Colby]

BOOM

Down in flames

Oh wait I'm on Dan's team on Sunday...

[Kilroy]

Yup, ya got that right Colby. I am not an expert at the finer points of these things, but I was pretty confident going out on that limb. Oh well, that's why we have Gary here.

[NoBack]

Dan

Hope that limb will hold you both on Sunday!!

Better not have a crack in it...........

[The Shtick]

Sorry Steve-

But I'll have to back Dan up on that one...

Was it a 79 or 97 you shot at the last OGT event??

Oh yeah, I shot the 79. Get ready boys!!

BTW, sorry 'bout posting your 97 like that Steve

[Gary Hill]

97 OMG

[NoBack]

I cant remember if it was a 97 or a Two Four (of beer)????

Either way it was a very fun time!

Btw.............Schtick................it aint over till its over.......

And Gary.............it wasnt as bad as the 101 I shot last weekend, or the 77 I shot yesterday.................go figure.

[steve]

By far the easiest course to go low is Cloverdale from the white tees. The back tees is a different story. I've gone low at Pakenham from the middle tees but, once again, the back tees are a different story.

The bottom line is that no matter where you play, there is quite the difference between the middle and back tees. When I want to feel better about my game I play the middle tees. When I'm up for the challenge (tips at Stonebridge) I play from the tips.