Talk about impatient. We've still got more than a year before the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble's long-delayed successor, launches, but NASA's already talking about what comes next. It takes a long time to plan out these big flagship space missions, and the JWST comes with a big catch that Hubble didn't have. It's not serviceable. For one, if there's a problem with it right off the bat like there was with Hubble, we're in trouble, and secondly, it means we can't add on to it. That's why Hubble's lasted as long as it has. Hubble now is a completely different beast compared to when it launched in 1990. Here's a fun fact for you, the JWST is technically in violation of the law because it can't be serviced. Congress actually passed a law in 2010 about that. I guess the JWST was grandfathered in or something.
So anyway, what will succeed James Webb? The strongest contender is the Large UV/Optical/Infrared Survey (LUVOIR). But whatever comes next will be big, probably twice the size of the 6.5 meter telescope on the JWST. A telescope that big is needed for the search for habitable exoplanets. Sure, we've found lots of candidates and potential exoplanets, but for now, that's all they are. Potential. James Webb will be able to image a few, but there's no guarantee any of the worlds it'll probe will be Earth-like. At this point, we have no idea how common Earth-like planets are. Maybe it won't be a problem, but maybe it will. Maybe we'll need something bigger to increase our odds. Of course, the next massive space-based telescope will also do other things, such as take reasonable images of Pluto and Kuiper Belt objects.
Of course, all this is at least 10 years down the road, I'm sure, so don't hold your breath for anything. There's a quality conclusion right there.
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Review: Leatherstocking Golf Course (Part 1)
Most people who visit Cooperstown, New York, are going to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It is the obvious reason to visit the town...
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
Review: Atlantic City Country Club (Part 2)
See Part 1 here.
Alright, we've taken a break at the turn, now, back to the golf. We start the back nine with a short par 5, and the best birdie opportunity on the course. 490 yards downwind, if you cut the dogleg it's effectively shorter than 9. Or you could pop it up into the trees right, hit a tree on your punch shot and have to get up and down for par, completely wasting the best opportunity for birdie on the entire course. What's that? I did the second thing? Of course I did. Anyway, if you've hit a good drive and cut the dogleg, the second shot isn't easy, per se, considering the pond left of the green, but chances are you've got a short iron in hand, and that makes the shot a little less intimidating.
Next up is the eleventh, a hole with lots of sand in play. This is a hole where you definitely want to hit the fairway, so I'd say that a 3 wood is probably the best option off the tee. That'll leave a longer approach, and this is a fairly long par 4, but you don't want to be in any of those fairway bunkers. This isn't a particularly inspired hole either, so we'll move on.
The twelfth, at 134 yards, is the shortest hole at Atlantic City, but this is not a hole to be underestimated. The green is not large, and it is completely surrounded with sand. It also played straight into the wind, so a couple of extra clubs off the tee are absolutely needed to reach the hole. Basically, you want to hit this green with your tee shot. Otherwise, making par is difficult.
It's at the thirteenth hole where the fun really begins. We've been teased before, but for the next four holes, the salt marsh will be very much in play. We start off the run with a 550 yard par 5 playing straight into the wind. The tee shot is the most demanding on the course, with a pond left and the salt marsh right. It was too much for me, I pushed my drive right into the marsh. Had to do it at least once. From the fairway, the best place to lay up is on the right side, along the marsh. This will give you the best angle into the green. It's interesting, out of the 3 par 5s on the course, only one of them is a real birdie opportunity. The others are long, into the wind, and actually pretty tough. If you're not on top of your game, you will bogey them. Just another thing to make this 6,600 yard course anything but a pushover.
We now find ourselves teeing off on a small peninsula jutting out into the marsh, facing a choice. The fourteenth hole is a short par 4, with the green tantalizingly close to the tee. The safe play is to aim well left and make sure you get across the water, but that's the coward's way out. So, even though the hole was playing into the wind and I'd been struggling with the driver all day, I stayed aggressive. The wind meant the green was out of range, but my driver decided to cooperate this time, and I had only a 50 yard pitch into the green. That shot rolled 18 feet past, and I rolled in the putt for the only birdie of the day. Most people would give this hole the award as the best on the course, and it is a lot of fun, especially from all the way back.
Next up is a medium length par 3. Well, it was 190 yards, but it was downwind, so an 8 iron was all that I needed. Now, I was an idiot on this and the next hole. Not in terms of golf, but in terms of the cart that I had to use. I left it right in the way, and while I was able to crop it out on this hole without effecting the picture too much, you'll have to deal with it on the next hole. Anyway, even downwind, this is still not a friendly looking hole. There's not much room to miss anywhere.
The last hole along the marsh is the sixteenth, a mid length par 4 that played right into the wind. The sixteenth tee is what you saw in the little preview I showed a couple weeks ago. But hey, it makes the tee shot that much more compelling, not that it needed much help. On a course filled with excellent holes, this one might just be the best. It's close between this and the fourteenth. The risk/reward factor is much more obvious on 14, but this hole is much more of a challenge. Even a good drive left a mid-iron, a safe drive out to the left would mean a long iron and a worse angle over greenside bunkers. And I don't know, this hole just looks a little better to me.
It is a bit of a letdown to leave the coast, but the seventeenth does make it easier. Of all the holes on this course, this is the one that looks the most links-like, though arguably it would fit better on the Melbourne Sandbelt. Either way, this is a good looking hole, played to a semi-blind green nestled in a little bowl. All you can see from the tee is the flag and a lot of bunkers. It's a little longer than 4 or 12, but it's nowhere close to being as long as 15 or 8, and it played downwind as well. It's still not an easy hole, the green is really quite small, and the tee shot is intimidating.
The eighteenth is a 430 yard par 4, playing straight downwind. That was a good thing, I think this hole would be a lot less enjoyable into the wind. The back nine up to this point has been generally short and quirky, and to close with a long par 4 playing into the wind would be inappropriate, I think. We had our tough par 4 back at 16. But downwind, this hole becomes a lot more fun, and a challenge as to how much of that dogleg you're willing to bite off. The difference between how I played this hole and how I played 16 nicely illustrate the benefits of wind in golf. On 16, a 400 yard hole, a good drive and a good 8 iron wasn't quite enough to get to the green. On this hole, 30 yards longer, a good drive and a sand wedge airmailed the green. The hole was all the way back, and there was no way I was going to get up and down from that position. So it was a bogey to end the round.
The back nine is actually not very long, not even topping 3,200 yards, but I would not go so far as to call it easy. The front was definitely harder, but the wind was even more of a factor on the back, and that kept it from being a pushover. I can't vouch for the day in and day out, but I'm going to guess the wind I experienced was a normal occurrence, and that provides as much defense as a few hundred extra yards would do on an inland course.
And now for the big question: How is the golf course? Well, I'm happy to say that it is fantastic, and easily the best golf course I've ever played. Everything came together beautifully to make this probably the best round of golf I've ever played. The weather was great, the views were great, I didn't have to do too much waiting around, and the golf was very good. I've gone lower than 78, and since this was a par 70, I've definitely had several rounds where I was better off in relation to par, but this was real golf, and a real golf course. It was tough, and I had to earn that 78. I'm not usually very good around the greens, to put it mildly, but I was all over it out there. I didn't miss a single chip. Is it expensive? Yes, it really is. It was $99 after 3:10 PM, and if you start in the morning, you would pay almost double that. I won't say the course is worth that much, because I don't think it is. But I felt like I got my money's worth, and that really is saying something. I probably wouldn't go back in the summer months, but I would definitely play here again if I'm ever in the area.
Alright, we've taken a break at the turn, now, back to the golf. We start the back nine with a short par 5, and the best birdie opportunity on the course. 490 yards downwind, if you cut the dogleg it's effectively shorter than 9. Or you could pop it up into the trees right, hit a tree on your punch shot and have to get up and down for par, completely wasting the best opportunity for birdie on the entire course. What's that? I did the second thing? Of course I did. Anyway, if you've hit a good drive and cut the dogleg, the second shot isn't easy, per se, considering the pond left of the green, but chances are you've got a short iron in hand, and that makes the shot a little less intimidating.
Next up is the eleventh, a hole with lots of sand in play. This is a hole where you definitely want to hit the fairway, so I'd say that a 3 wood is probably the best option off the tee. That'll leave a longer approach, and this is a fairly long par 4, but you don't want to be in any of those fairway bunkers. This isn't a particularly inspired hole either, so we'll move on.
The twelfth, at 134 yards, is the shortest hole at Atlantic City, but this is not a hole to be underestimated. The green is not large, and it is completely surrounded with sand. It also played straight into the wind, so a couple of extra clubs off the tee are absolutely needed to reach the hole. Basically, you want to hit this green with your tee shot. Otherwise, making par is difficult.
It's at the thirteenth hole where the fun really begins. We've been teased before, but for the next four holes, the salt marsh will be very much in play. We start off the run with a 550 yard par 5 playing straight into the wind. The tee shot is the most demanding on the course, with a pond left and the salt marsh right. It was too much for me, I pushed my drive right into the marsh. Had to do it at least once. From the fairway, the best place to lay up is on the right side, along the marsh. This will give you the best angle into the green. It's interesting, out of the 3 par 5s on the course, only one of them is a real birdie opportunity. The others are long, into the wind, and actually pretty tough. If you're not on top of your game, you will bogey them. Just another thing to make this 6,600 yard course anything but a pushover.
We now find ourselves teeing off on a small peninsula jutting out into the marsh, facing a choice. The fourteenth hole is a short par 4, with the green tantalizingly close to the tee. The safe play is to aim well left and make sure you get across the water, but that's the coward's way out. So, even though the hole was playing into the wind and I'd been struggling with the driver all day, I stayed aggressive. The wind meant the green was out of range, but my driver decided to cooperate this time, and I had only a 50 yard pitch into the green. That shot rolled 18 feet past, and I rolled in the putt for the only birdie of the day. Most people would give this hole the award as the best on the course, and it is a lot of fun, especially from all the way back.
Next up is a medium length par 3. Well, it was 190 yards, but it was downwind, so an 8 iron was all that I needed. Now, I was an idiot on this and the next hole. Not in terms of golf, but in terms of the cart that I had to use. I left it right in the way, and while I was able to crop it out on this hole without effecting the picture too much, you'll have to deal with it on the next hole. Anyway, even downwind, this is still not a friendly looking hole. There's not much room to miss anywhere.
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The last hole along the marsh is the sixteenth, a mid length par 4 that played right into the wind. The sixteenth tee is what you saw in the little preview I showed a couple weeks ago. But hey, it makes the tee shot that much more compelling, not that it needed much help. On a course filled with excellent holes, this one might just be the best. It's close between this and the fourteenth. The risk/reward factor is much more obvious on 14, but this hole is much more of a challenge. Even a good drive left a mid-iron, a safe drive out to the left would mean a long iron and a worse angle over greenside bunkers. And I don't know, this hole just looks a little better to me.
It is a bit of a letdown to leave the coast, but the seventeenth does make it easier. Of all the holes on this course, this is the one that looks the most links-like, though arguably it would fit better on the Melbourne Sandbelt. Either way, this is a good looking hole, played to a semi-blind green nestled in a little bowl. All you can see from the tee is the flag and a lot of bunkers. It's a little longer than 4 or 12, but it's nowhere close to being as long as 15 or 8, and it played downwind as well. It's still not an easy hole, the green is really quite small, and the tee shot is intimidating.
The eighteenth is a 430 yard par 4, playing straight downwind. That was a good thing, I think this hole would be a lot less enjoyable into the wind. The back nine up to this point has been generally short and quirky, and to close with a long par 4 playing into the wind would be inappropriate, I think. We had our tough par 4 back at 16. But downwind, this hole becomes a lot more fun, and a challenge as to how much of that dogleg you're willing to bite off. The difference between how I played this hole and how I played 16 nicely illustrate the benefits of wind in golf. On 16, a 400 yard hole, a good drive and a good 8 iron wasn't quite enough to get to the green. On this hole, 30 yards longer, a good drive and a sand wedge airmailed the green. The hole was all the way back, and there was no way I was going to get up and down from that position. So it was a bogey to end the round.
The back nine is actually not very long, not even topping 3,200 yards, but I would not go so far as to call it easy. The front was definitely harder, but the wind was even more of a factor on the back, and that kept it from being a pushover. I can't vouch for the day in and day out, but I'm going to guess the wind I experienced was a normal occurrence, and that provides as much defense as a few hundred extra yards would do on an inland course.
And now for the big question: How is the golf course? Well, I'm happy to say that it is fantastic, and easily the best golf course I've ever played. Everything came together beautifully to make this probably the best round of golf I've ever played. The weather was great, the views were great, I didn't have to do too much waiting around, and the golf was very good. I've gone lower than 78, and since this was a par 70, I've definitely had several rounds where I was better off in relation to par, but this was real golf, and a real golf course. It was tough, and I had to earn that 78. I'm not usually very good around the greens, to put it mildly, but I was all over it out there. I didn't miss a single chip. Is it expensive? Yes, it really is. It was $99 after 3:10 PM, and if you start in the morning, you would pay almost double that. I won't say the course is worth that much, because I don't think it is. But I felt like I got my money's worth, and that really is saying something. I probably wouldn't go back in the summer months, but I would definitely play here again if I'm ever in the area.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Review: Atlantic City Country Club (Part 1)
This is it. This is the big one. When I drew up a list of golf courses in the Cape May area that I wanted to play, this was the only non-negotiable. I had to play Atlantic City Country Club, no matter how expensive it would be. It's an old course, dating back to the 19th century, and unlike other old courses I've played, it has real history. This is the birthplace of the birdie we're talking about, a golf course that's hosted national championships, including a U.S. Amateur and three U.S. Women's Opens. Until 2014, this was a very private place, but now, it's public, and I have played there.
As you can see, this course is right on the water. Well, more of a salt marsh on a bay, but there's water out there, and across the bay is the Atlantic City skyline. The front nine is mostly inland, but the back nine plays much closer to the bay, and the salt marsh comes into play on several holes. There was a stiff ocean breeze, and it made a big difference. On a hole playing downwind, it was a struggle to hit a drive 250 yards, but downwind, drives sailed over 300 yards, which is how golf was meant to played. Their website uses the words "seaside links" which is a stretch at best, since I'm not convinced the soil there was sand, and the course certainly wasn't playing firm and fast. But it felt linksy, and at several points, it even looked linksy.
The course is only 6,600 yards from the back tees (which I played), but because of the wind and the par of 70, it often played much longer, and it gave an added challenge that made the 78 I shot probably the best round I've ever played. Something about the course inspired me to play my best golf. I was certainly helped by the fact that I got to play by myself. Sometimes, playing with someone is a good thing. Sometimes, extra people would spoil the mood. This was one of those latter cases.
The round starts off on a fairly stern note, with a 450 yard par 4. This was mitigated somewhat by the fact that the hole was playing downwind. For instance, I hit a very conservative drive well left (I wanted nothing to do with that OB on the right), but I was able to use a pitching wedge on my second from 165 yards. The green is pretty clearly better approached from the right side of the fairway, but with a wedge in hand and the greens soft, tee shot placement was less important, and I had about 25 feet for birdie. The greens here are generally more undulating than most golf courses, but not usually in an extreme way. The greens at P.B. Dye were definitely more severe.
The next hole is a shortish par 4, running along the same OB line as the 1st. It's definitely a birdie opportunity, as a good drive down the left side of the hole, over the fairway bunkers, leaves you with a fairly simple pitch. That's not what I did, but still, the strategy is there. I only have this one picture because a foursome let me play through, and I like to move things along when that happens.
The third hole is where things start to get interesting. It's about as long as the second hole, but it plays much differently. The second is more of a "use driver to get as close to the green as possible" hole. This hole has a much higher premium on accuracy. There's OB and trees right, and a lot of bunkers left. And these are real hazards too, go in one, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to reach the green. It's also one of the two holes that I really noticed played with a crosswind, rather than straight into or with the wind. Best strategy? Use a 3 wood or long iron to get onto the fairway, you won't have more than a wedge into the green.
The fourth hole is a short par 3 playing along the water. You've seen it already, in the lead picture. It's not a tremendously thought-provoking hole, and it's probably the easiest hole on the course, but when you've got that view of the Atlantic City skyline, sometimes it's best for the golf to sort of step out of the way.
The fifth hole is a long par 4 heading back inland. I really like how the golfer gets a taste of the ocean on the front nine, rather than reserving everything for the back. It serves as a nice tease, and it ties the two nines together. The course feels fluid rather than disjointed. Anyway, this is the other hole that plays across the prevailing wind, which comes from the right here. It's another tough drive, as you have to avoid the same bunkers we saw on the third, but the second shot is easier. It's too long to call a birdie hole, but it isn't easy, and it helps brace you for the very difficult sixth.
The sixth hole is a backbreaker of a par 5. Nearly 600 yards, and it played straight into the wind. One poor shot, and there's a very real chance you won't be able to get to the green in 3. I speak from experience on this one. The one shot you don't want to hit into a strong breeze is a high slice, but that's exactly what I did off the tee, and my drive ended up behind the one tree on that side of the hole, because of course it would. My punch shot was good, but I still had more than 250 yards left on the third, and that was just too much. If you do hit a good drive, the left side of the fairway is clearly preferable for the layup, as the green is open on that side. If you do it right, you won't even have to hit over the greenside bunkers at all, as the green will funnel shots down if it gets over a central ridge. That's depending on the hole location of course, which for me was shoved in the front right corner, just over a bunker. You definitely didn't want to go in that, so I played safe, and I accepted bogey as a decent option. Could have been worse.
As a side note, this was the first hole where I really noticed how wide the fairways are, and how nice it was to play a golf course with actual fairways, rather than thin little strips of short grass. I mean, I can miss any fairway, but in general, there was a lot of width to play with on this golf course, and I appreciate that.
The seventh hole is another long par 4 (there's 4 on the front nine over 440 yards), but it's a fairly undistinguished hole otherwise. This is probably the weakest hole on the course, but the green is pretty tough, and if you're looking for places to miss, don't go right.
The eighth hole is a par 3, and at nearly 200 yards into the wind, the longest of the five par 3s on the course, and all things considered, probably the toughest. There's a lot of sand around that green, and hitting the clearly preferable fade into the wind requires using one or two extra clubs. Definitely not a birdie hole here.
The ninth hole is probably the most difficult hole on the course, and caps off what has been a tough five hole stretch. It's a long par 4, but unlike 1, 5, and 7, which either play downwind or across the wind, 9 plays into the wind. And that makes a huge difference. Remember how on 1 I only needed a pitching wedge even after a relatively middling drive? Well, I hit a better drive on this hole, which is almost exactly the same length as the first hole, but I still had just over 200 yards to go. I needed a 4 iron just to get into the left-hand greenside bunker. Any amount of dogleg you can cut off goes a long way towards making this hole easier, but clearly, don't miss if you try that. This is one of those holes where a bogey is alright.
For my review of the back nine, click here.
As you can see, this course is right on the water. Well, more of a salt marsh on a bay, but there's water out there, and across the bay is the Atlantic City skyline. The front nine is mostly inland, but the back nine plays much closer to the bay, and the salt marsh comes into play on several holes. There was a stiff ocean breeze, and it made a big difference. On a hole playing downwind, it was a struggle to hit a drive 250 yards, but downwind, drives sailed over 300 yards, which is how golf was meant to played. Their website uses the words "seaside links" which is a stretch at best, since I'm not convinced the soil there was sand, and the course certainly wasn't playing firm and fast. But it felt linksy, and at several points, it even looked linksy.
The course is only 6,600 yards from the back tees (which I played), but because of the wind and the par of 70, it often played much longer, and it gave an added challenge that made the 78 I shot probably the best round I've ever played. Something about the course inspired me to play my best golf. I was certainly helped by the fact that I got to play by myself. Sometimes, playing with someone is a good thing. Sometimes, extra people would spoil the mood. This was one of those latter cases.
The round starts off on a fairly stern note, with a 450 yard par 4. This was mitigated somewhat by the fact that the hole was playing downwind. For instance, I hit a very conservative drive well left (I wanted nothing to do with that OB on the right), but I was able to use a pitching wedge on my second from 165 yards. The green is pretty clearly better approached from the right side of the fairway, but with a wedge in hand and the greens soft, tee shot placement was less important, and I had about 25 feet for birdie. The greens here are generally more undulating than most golf courses, but not usually in an extreme way. The greens at P.B. Dye were definitely more severe.
The next hole is a shortish par 4, running along the same OB line as the 1st. It's definitely a birdie opportunity, as a good drive down the left side of the hole, over the fairway bunkers, leaves you with a fairly simple pitch. That's not what I did, but still, the strategy is there. I only have this one picture because a foursome let me play through, and I like to move things along when that happens.
The third hole is where things start to get interesting. It's about as long as the second hole, but it plays much differently. The second is more of a "use driver to get as close to the green as possible" hole. This hole has a much higher premium on accuracy. There's OB and trees right, and a lot of bunkers left. And these are real hazards too, go in one, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to reach the green. It's also one of the two holes that I really noticed played with a crosswind, rather than straight into or with the wind. Best strategy? Use a 3 wood or long iron to get onto the fairway, you won't have more than a wedge into the green.
The fourth hole is a short par 3 playing along the water. You've seen it already, in the lead picture. It's not a tremendously thought-provoking hole, and it's probably the easiest hole on the course, but when you've got that view of the Atlantic City skyline, sometimes it's best for the golf to sort of step out of the way.
The fifth hole is a long par 4 heading back inland. I really like how the golfer gets a taste of the ocean on the front nine, rather than reserving everything for the back. It serves as a nice tease, and it ties the two nines together. The course feels fluid rather than disjointed. Anyway, this is the other hole that plays across the prevailing wind, which comes from the right here. It's another tough drive, as you have to avoid the same bunkers we saw on the third, but the second shot is easier. It's too long to call a birdie hole, but it isn't easy, and it helps brace you for the very difficult sixth.
The sixth hole is a backbreaker of a par 5. Nearly 600 yards, and it played straight into the wind. One poor shot, and there's a very real chance you won't be able to get to the green in 3. I speak from experience on this one. The one shot you don't want to hit into a strong breeze is a high slice, but that's exactly what I did off the tee, and my drive ended up behind the one tree on that side of the hole, because of course it would. My punch shot was good, but I still had more than 250 yards left on the third, and that was just too much. If you do hit a good drive, the left side of the fairway is clearly preferable for the layup, as the green is open on that side. If you do it right, you won't even have to hit over the greenside bunkers at all, as the green will funnel shots down if it gets over a central ridge. That's depending on the hole location of course, which for me was shoved in the front right corner, just over a bunker. You definitely didn't want to go in that, so I played safe, and I accepted bogey as a decent option. Could have been worse.
As a side note, this was the first hole where I really noticed how wide the fairways are, and how nice it was to play a golf course with actual fairways, rather than thin little strips of short grass. I mean, I can miss any fairway, but in general, there was a lot of width to play with on this golf course, and I appreciate that.
The seventh hole is another long par 4 (there's 4 on the front nine over 440 yards), but it's a fairly undistinguished hole otherwise. This is probably the weakest hole on the course, but the green is pretty tough, and if you're looking for places to miss, don't go right.
The eighth hole is a par 3, and at nearly 200 yards into the wind, the longest of the five par 3s on the course, and all things considered, probably the toughest. There's a lot of sand around that green, and hitting the clearly preferable fade into the wind requires using one or two extra clubs. Definitely not a birdie hole here.
The ninth hole is probably the most difficult hole on the course, and caps off what has been a tough five hole stretch. It's a long par 4, but unlike 1, 5, and 7, which either play downwind or across the wind, 9 plays into the wind. And that makes a huge difference. Remember how on 1 I only needed a pitching wedge even after a relatively middling drive? Well, I hit a better drive on this hole, which is almost exactly the same length as the first hole, but I still had just over 200 yards to go. I needed a 4 iron just to get into the left-hand greenside bunker. Any amount of dogleg you can cut off goes a long way towards making this hole easier, but clearly, don't miss if you try that. This is one of those holes where a bogey is alright.
For my review of the back nine, click here.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Ice Planets Moving Within Their Star's Habitable Zone Will Skip Habitability
It's bad news for Arthur C. Clarke today. Computer models now suggest that moons or planets composed mainly of ice that warm up as their star becomes more luminous with age will not become nice places to live.
It made a lot of sense, really. Oh, warm up the giant ice cube, then you've got a bunch of water. Unfortunately, it takes more energy to melt a planet covered in ice than what the Earth receives, and by the time the ice does melt, the combo of reduced surface albedo (how reflective the surface is), increased solar radiation, and water vapor's status as a potent greenhouse gas would lead to a very quick runaway greenhouse effect. You'd go from Europa to Venus in no time at all.
So for any monoliths hanging around, don't go transforming Jupiter into a star to help out that native Europan life. Turns out, they're better off as they are.
In completely unrelated news, my review for Atlantic City Country Club is coming along nicely, and it'll be done before the end of the month. Here's a little teaser of the sort of course we're dealing with.
Even if I hadn't been playing from the back tees, I would have on that hole.
Anyway, I'm going to make a commitment to doing a golf course review once a month from now on. I enjoy playing new golf courses, I enjoy taking pictures of golf courses, and I enjoy writing about them. Maintaining that schedule might get dicey over the winter, so hopefully I can build up a backlog so I don't have to go roaming for warm weather on the last weekend in January.
It made a lot of sense, really. Oh, warm up the giant ice cube, then you've got a bunch of water. Unfortunately, it takes more energy to melt a planet covered in ice than what the Earth receives, and by the time the ice does melt, the combo of reduced surface albedo (how reflective the surface is), increased solar radiation, and water vapor's status as a potent greenhouse gas would lead to a very quick runaway greenhouse effect. You'd go from Europa to Venus in no time at all.
So for any monoliths hanging around, don't go transforming Jupiter into a star to help out that native Europan life. Turns out, they're better off as they are.
In completely unrelated news, my review for Atlantic City Country Club is coming along nicely, and it'll be done before the end of the month. Here's a little teaser of the sort of course we're dealing with.
Even if I hadn't been playing from the back tees, I would have on that hole.
Anyway, I'm going to make a commitment to doing a golf course review once a month from now on. I enjoy playing new golf courses, I enjoy taking pictures of golf courses, and I enjoy writing about them. Maintaining that schedule might get dicey over the winter, so hopefully I can build up a backlog so I don't have to go roaming for warm weather on the last weekend in January.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Review: McCullough's Emerald Golf Links
I recently spent a week on vacation in Cape May, New Jersey. I had a wedding to go to, and I thought, hey, why not take some time off while I'm at it? I was planning on playing more golf then the two rounds I did get in, but friends started showing up who wanted to go to the beach, and to be honest, the weather could have been better. But they were two good rounds at least.
We'll start off with the first round I played, at a replica course south of Atlantic City. Now, if you don't know what that means, a replica course is a golf course that takes famous golf holes from around the world, and throws them all together. Normally, these types of courses are filled with kitschy replicas of the old standards: the 12th at Augusta, the 18th at Pebble Beach, the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, that sort of thing. They're gimmicky, and almost never capture the spirit of the original. But hey, this is Atlantic City we're talking about, and for $47, it was much cheaper than then the other course I played. You'd be hard pressed to find a cheaper round at 10:30 in southern New Jersey.
If you couldn't tell by the name, this particular course sought to replicate holes from the British Isles. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the course wasn't duplicating the obvious choices for the most part. To be honest, they could have made the course exactly the same, but leave the tribute out, and I don't think anyone would catch on. Maybe a very discerning eye with extensive experience playing British courses, but me? No. I certainly recognized course names, but I have no idea what the third hole at Nairn or the second at Southport & Ainsdale look like. I guess it's a way to get away with slightly controversial design features, after all, most golfers wouldn't accept some of the more quirky aspects of the course unless they were conspicuously playing tribute to something else. Anyway, let's get to the golf course.
The first hole is a rendition of the first hole at Royal Portrush. It's a longish par 4 with a small fairway bunker, and a second small bunker left of the green. There is a grass bunker short of the green, but it really doesn't come into play. The greens here are generally fairly interesting, if a bit less extreme then their British counterparts, but unfortunately, the ground was very, very wet the day I played. This is a course you could play the ground game at, but the turf was so soggy it was irrelevant. Drives weren't bouncing, and approach shots certainly weren't either.
The second hole is supposedly an homage to the Biarritz. If you don't know your standard replica holes or are unfamiliar with the work of C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, the Biarritz was a par 3 in France that played over a small cove in an oceanside cliff to a very long green with a deep swale perpendicular to the line of play and flanked by two long bunkers. It's a hole that's been duplicated successfully many times. This was not one of those times. Would I have known this was supposed to be a Biarritz had the scorecard not said it was? I honestly don't think I would have. It is that unrecognizable. The flanking bunkers were replaced by two small bunkers left of the green. The flag was in the front, and I honestly don't remember seeing any signature Biarritz swale. So, swing and a miss there, McCullough's.
The third hole is based on the 18th hole at Gleneagles Kings. It's a par 5 with a dramatic downhill tee shot, but the rest of the hole plays uphill. The tee shot has to contend with several bunkers, which are really only an issue when the hole plays into the wind. Guess what the wind was doing the day I played. I didn't go into a bunker, but I was pretty close to the far bunker on the left side. A 490 yard hole, and I'm 40 yards short with a driver and a 4 iron. I can also tell you that if you lay up, you definitely want to do that on the right side. Those two bunkers short left of the green are nasty, and the green will funnel shots in towards the hole. There's a bunker guarding the right side of the fairway in prime lay-up position 50 yards short, so be wary of that. This is a good hole, especially into the wind.
The fourth hole is the aforementioned homage to the third hole at Nairn. It's a short par 4, and the first thing you see on the tee are many bunkers. It's not a long hole, and since it was playing downwind, the temptation is to pull out the driver and get as close to the green as possible. But I think that's not a great idea. There's a bunker in the middle of the fairway, right where a good drive would end up. I used a 3 wood, got myself to a hundred yards, hit the green, and two putted. Nice and simple, and probably how the hole is supposed to be played.
The fifth hole is based on the 16th hole at Carnoustie, a long, nasty par 3 that always plays very tough during the British Open. I suspect this version is not as difficult. It's not an easy hole, of course, no long par 3 is, but I was able to miss wide left (not a bad place to miss), and easily got up and down for par.
The sixth hole is the extremely obscure second at Southport and Ainsdale, and I have to confess, I may have known at one point about this golf course, but I didn't remember it when I played it. There's a ditch that cuts the hole about 240 yards from the green, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, that nice bunker in the middle of the fairway about 300 yards from the tee is pointless. I laid up short of the ditch, maybe under ideal conditions I could clear it, but conditions were not ideal. On the other hand, it makes the second shot a lot more interesting. It gives you a lot more bunkers to think about, and you have to really think about where you want to lay up, or if you want to pull out the 3 wood and go for it. I did not do that. I laid up again, hit a 60 yard wedge to 15 feet, and left the birdie putt 3 inches short. Oh well.
The seventh hole is McCullough's calling card, a version of Alistair Mackenzie's prize winning par 4 he drew for the 1914 Country Life magazine golf design contest. It involves an alternate fairway, and a huge waste bunker. And you know what? The lighting decided to be terrible, so I'll be honest, the pictures aren't great. But it's a good hole, just as long as you play from the appropriate set of tees. Too short, and the hole becomes a joke. From the back, it was a tough tee shot onto the island fairway, and a mid iron to the green. I almost birdied the hole, I played just a little too much break on my birdie putt. Would have been nice.
The eighth hole is based on the old 10th hole at Turnberry. The one by the lighthouse. This is a par 4, with a pond instead of an ocean, and trees right. I'll tell you, I have such a pathological hatred of trees, I saw them and immediately thought "Nope, don't want to go in those!" So, I hooked it into the water instead. Good job. Anyway, without the majesty of Ailsa Craig and the other things that make Turnberry Turnberry, this is just a hole with a pond on it. Not one of the better offerings here. Also, it was at this point the weather turned Scottish on me and it started to rain, something it did off and on for the rest of the round.
We'll start off with the first round I played, at a replica course south of Atlantic City. Now, if you don't know what that means, a replica course is a golf course that takes famous golf holes from around the world, and throws them all together. Normally, these types of courses are filled with kitschy replicas of the old standards: the 12th at Augusta, the 18th at Pebble Beach, the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, that sort of thing. They're gimmicky, and almost never capture the spirit of the original. But hey, this is Atlantic City we're talking about, and for $47, it was much cheaper than then the other course I played. You'd be hard pressed to find a cheaper round at 10:30 in southern New Jersey.
If you couldn't tell by the name, this particular course sought to replicate holes from the British Isles. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the course wasn't duplicating the obvious choices for the most part. To be honest, they could have made the course exactly the same, but leave the tribute out, and I don't think anyone would catch on. Maybe a very discerning eye with extensive experience playing British courses, but me? No. I certainly recognized course names, but I have no idea what the third hole at Nairn or the second at Southport & Ainsdale look like. I guess it's a way to get away with slightly controversial design features, after all, most golfers wouldn't accept some of the more quirky aspects of the course unless they were conspicuously playing tribute to something else. Anyway, let's get to the golf course.
The first hole is a rendition of the first hole at Royal Portrush. It's a longish par 4 with a small fairway bunker, and a second small bunker left of the green. There is a grass bunker short of the green, but it really doesn't come into play. The greens here are generally fairly interesting, if a bit less extreme then their British counterparts, but unfortunately, the ground was very, very wet the day I played. This is a course you could play the ground game at, but the turf was so soggy it was irrelevant. Drives weren't bouncing, and approach shots certainly weren't either.
The second hole is supposedly an homage to the Biarritz. If you don't know your standard replica holes or are unfamiliar with the work of C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, the Biarritz was a par 3 in France that played over a small cove in an oceanside cliff to a very long green with a deep swale perpendicular to the line of play and flanked by two long bunkers. It's a hole that's been duplicated successfully many times. This was not one of those times. Would I have known this was supposed to be a Biarritz had the scorecard not said it was? I honestly don't think I would have. It is that unrecognizable. The flanking bunkers were replaced by two small bunkers left of the green. The flag was in the front, and I honestly don't remember seeing any signature Biarritz swale. So, swing and a miss there, McCullough's.
 |
| I guess, if you look closely, there is a little swale. |
The fourth hole is the aforementioned homage to the third hole at Nairn. It's a short par 4, and the first thing you see on the tee are many bunkers. It's not a long hole, and since it was playing downwind, the temptation is to pull out the driver and get as close to the green as possible. But I think that's not a great idea. There's a bunker in the middle of the fairway, right where a good drive would end up. I used a 3 wood, got myself to a hundred yards, hit the green, and two putted. Nice and simple, and probably how the hole is supposed to be played.
The fifth hole is based on the 16th hole at Carnoustie, a long, nasty par 3 that always plays very tough during the British Open. I suspect this version is not as difficult. It's not an easy hole, of course, no long par 3 is, but I was able to miss wide left (not a bad place to miss), and easily got up and down for par.
The sixth hole is the extremely obscure second at Southport and Ainsdale, and I have to confess, I may have known at one point about this golf course, but I didn't remember it when I played it. There's a ditch that cuts the hole about 240 yards from the green, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, that nice bunker in the middle of the fairway about 300 yards from the tee is pointless. I laid up short of the ditch, maybe under ideal conditions I could clear it, but conditions were not ideal. On the other hand, it makes the second shot a lot more interesting. It gives you a lot more bunkers to think about, and you have to really think about where you want to lay up, or if you want to pull out the 3 wood and go for it. I did not do that. I laid up again, hit a 60 yard wedge to 15 feet, and left the birdie putt 3 inches short. Oh well.
The seventh hole is McCullough's calling card, a version of Alistair Mackenzie's prize winning par 4 he drew for the 1914 Country Life magazine golf design contest. It involves an alternate fairway, and a huge waste bunker. And you know what? The lighting decided to be terrible, so I'll be honest, the pictures aren't great. But it's a good hole, just as long as you play from the appropriate set of tees. Too short, and the hole becomes a joke. From the back, it was a tough tee shot onto the island fairway, and a mid iron to the green. I almost birdied the hole, I played just a little too much break on my birdie putt. Would have been nice.
The eighth hole is based on the old 10th hole at Turnberry. The one by the lighthouse. This is a par 4, with a pond instead of an ocean, and trees right. I'll tell you, I have such a pathological hatred of trees, I saw them and immediately thought "Nope, don't want to go in those!" So, I hooked it into the water instead. Good job. Anyway, without the majesty of Ailsa Craig and the other things that make Turnberry Turnberry, this is just a hole with a pond on it. Not one of the better offerings here. Also, it was at this point the weather turned Scottish on me and it started to rain, something it did off and on for the rest of the round.
The ninth hole is a par 3 based on the 10th at Royal Dornoch, and I didn't get any pictures of this one. It plays downhill to a green sharply sloped from back to front, and fronted by several deep bunkers.
The tenth hole is based on the 14th at Royal Dornoch, otherwise known as Foxy. I feel bad that I only got one picture of this hole, it's a really good one. No bunkers, the challenge comes from the undulations and the semi-blind nature of the second. I spent my entire time hacking around on the right side, and was lucky to make double. I was 5 over on 8, 9, and 10, it was by far the worst stretch of the round, considering I was only 5 over for the other 15 holes.
The eleventh hole is based on the 12th hole at Gleneagles Kings, and I enjoyed this hole a lot. I really like blind tee shots aimed at unique features. Giving an aiming flag? Eh. Giving an aiming tower? Now we're talking. And this is a steep hill the drive has to ascend. And hey, I even birdied this hole. Nice way to stop the bleeding.
The twelfth hole is based on the 3rd at Royal County Down, and reading from the description on the McCullough's website, the "tee shot at Royal County Down encourages one to come down the left side of the fairway". And boy did I listen. Actually, I was right next to the 11th tee. But it was fairly open down there, and I was able to get on the green and make par.
The thirteenth hole is based on the 5th at Gleneagles Queens. This was definitely my favorite green on the course. There's this big giant swale taking up a quarter of the front of the green, with a high portion horseshoeing around it. If you're not on the correct side of the green and have to putt around the dip, it's honestly impossible to make the putt. The closer you aim to the hole, the more it breaks, and trust me, you don't want the ball to roll down to the lower level. I was in that exact situation, I hit an excellent shot, but I was on the wrong side of the green, and I was very happy to get my first putt to two feet above the hole. It's not something I would enjoy playing on every course, and it might get annoying if I played the course a lot, but for a one-time thing, it was fun.
The fourteenth hole is based on the 14th at St. Andrews, and surprisingly, that's the only hole from St. Andrews this course features. The course with the most representation is actually Royal Dornoch, with 3 holes, though Gleneagles combines for 3 as well. Anyway, this is the Long hole, and while features have been softened, like the formidable Hell bunker, the hole plays in a similar fashion. Don't go right, avoid the big fairway bunker on the second, pitch on, 2 putt. This is a par 5, but it's not exactly a birdie opportunity, especially in soft conditions.
The fifteenth hole is one of two holes routed through trees, and is inspired by the the 5th at Royal Dornoch. It's a short par 4 that doglegs sharply to the right, and features many bunkers near the green. It's driveable, but there are so many bunkers surrounding the green, it's not the greatest idea in the world. I tried to split the difference, I didn't lay up, but I didn't exactly aim at the green, and was rewarded by nearly going in a small pond. There isn't normally a pond there, but there was on that day. Thanks rain! It's got a tricky green too, if you don't use it right. Very undulating, but if you do use it well, you can probably work shots in towards the hole.
The sixteenth hole is based on the 8th at Royal Troon. Yes, the Postage Stamp makes an appearance. Gotta have a few staples, anyway. There's not much to say, it's a short par 3 surrounded by bunkers. I went in one of them, and was faced with the absolute worst lie I've ever had. The ball was three quarters buried, it was all I could do to move the ball. So, I got a double on this hole. Reason #15793 for why the Postage Stamp is so famous.
The seventeenth hole is based on the 11th at Waterville. Another obscure choice, though at least I've heard of Waterville. It's a par 5 with a couple of fescued mounds in the middle of the fairway at the top of a crest. The tee shot is blind, and the second shot plays slightly downhill. Again, I didn't get any pictures. Hit a bad drive, and made a bogey after pulling my long third shot way left of the green.
The eighteenth hole is based on the 4th at Prestwick. What is a creek and out of bounds there becomes a pond here. I learned my lesson after the 8th, my drive was way, way left. It was just left of the fairway bunker on the left side of the fairway. It made the second kind of tough, having to go straight over the greenside bunkers, but because the hole is so short, it wasn't that bad. I only had a sand wedge in hand.
So, what did I think of the course? Well, I think I would enjoy playing the originals a lot more than a bunch of imitations in an unsuiting climate and soil. But it wasn't a bad course, and I enjoyed it. It was at its best when it wasn't trying to accommodate the average golfer. I wanted more thrown at me, I wanted it to embrace its goofier nature. And like I said, for $47 at 10:30 on a Tuesday, it was pretty good value for money. If I ever go back to the Atlantic City area, I probably wouldn't play it again, there are courses that I didn't get to that I would probably like more, but it wasn't bad at all.
The thirteenth hole is based on the 5th at Gleneagles Queens. This was definitely my favorite green on the course. There's this big giant swale taking up a quarter of the front of the green, with a high portion horseshoeing around it. If you're not on the correct side of the green and have to putt around the dip, it's honestly impossible to make the putt. The closer you aim to the hole, the more it breaks, and trust me, you don't want the ball to roll down to the lower level. I was in that exact situation, I hit an excellent shot, but I was on the wrong side of the green, and I was very happy to get my first putt to two feet above the hole. It's not something I would enjoy playing on every course, and it might get annoying if I played the course a lot, but for a one-time thing, it was fun.
The fourteenth hole is based on the 14th at St. Andrews, and surprisingly, that's the only hole from St. Andrews this course features. The course with the most representation is actually Royal Dornoch, with 3 holes, though Gleneagles combines for 3 as well. Anyway, this is the Long hole, and while features have been softened, like the formidable Hell bunker, the hole plays in a similar fashion. Don't go right, avoid the big fairway bunker on the second, pitch on, 2 putt. This is a par 5, but it's not exactly a birdie opportunity, especially in soft conditions.
The fifteenth hole is one of two holes routed through trees, and is inspired by the the 5th at Royal Dornoch. It's a short par 4 that doglegs sharply to the right, and features many bunkers near the green. It's driveable, but there are so many bunkers surrounding the green, it's not the greatest idea in the world. I tried to split the difference, I didn't lay up, but I didn't exactly aim at the green, and was rewarded by nearly going in a small pond. There isn't normally a pond there, but there was on that day. Thanks rain! It's got a tricky green too, if you don't use it right. Very undulating, but if you do use it well, you can probably work shots in towards the hole.
The sixteenth hole is based on the 8th at Royal Troon. Yes, the Postage Stamp makes an appearance. Gotta have a few staples, anyway. There's not much to say, it's a short par 3 surrounded by bunkers. I went in one of them, and was faced with the absolute worst lie I've ever had. The ball was three quarters buried, it was all I could do to move the ball. So, I got a double on this hole. Reason #15793 for why the Postage Stamp is so famous.
The seventeenth hole is based on the 11th at Waterville. Another obscure choice, though at least I've heard of Waterville. It's a par 5 with a couple of fescued mounds in the middle of the fairway at the top of a crest. The tee shot is blind, and the second shot plays slightly downhill. Again, I didn't get any pictures. Hit a bad drive, and made a bogey after pulling my long third shot way left of the green.
The eighteenth hole is based on the 4th at Prestwick. What is a creek and out of bounds there becomes a pond here. I learned my lesson after the 8th, my drive was way, way left. It was just left of the fairway bunker on the left side of the fairway. It made the second kind of tough, having to go straight over the greenside bunkers, but because the hole is so short, it wasn't that bad. I only had a sand wedge in hand.
So, what did I think of the course? Well, I think I would enjoy playing the originals a lot more than a bunch of imitations in an unsuiting climate and soil. But it wasn't a bad course, and I enjoyed it. It was at its best when it wasn't trying to accommodate the average golfer. I wanted more thrown at me, I wanted it to embrace its goofier nature. And like I said, for $47 at 10:30 on a Tuesday, it was pretty good value for money. If I ever go back to the Atlantic City area, I probably wouldn't play it again, there are courses that I didn't get to that I would probably like more, but it wasn't bad at all.
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