Lonnie Poole Golf Course opens: sort of

It’s not a record that will last. It probably didn’t last the day. I know it didn't last the weekend. And, it wasn’t anything official. It was a very weak 89, shot on a make-shift nine hole course played twice Saturday, June 27, 2009 at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State University.

The significance of the score and the round is minimal at best but it did mark the lowest score of the first completed round of the new golf course built on the University’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh. A dream for nearly half a decade and under construction for a couple of years, the opening of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course was reality that day when four of us teed off on the first hole at 8:03 a.m. The facility was open only to the Charter Partners, those who made financial donations to build the public course.

The full 18-hole layout is expected to open July 11, again only for donors for two days, and then to the public. Arnold Palmer, whose company designed the course, is expected July 31 for the official opening ceremony, open to donors only by invitation only! But, the tee shot I hit was tremendously satisfying because the course was open, at last!

The honors on the first hole were mine for one reason: I was playing from the Black tees while the others chose the White. There are six sets of tees at Lonnie Poole, the longest of which are the Competition tees measuring 7,358 yards on the par 71 layout. The Black course is 6,901 yards; White 6,326 yards; Gray 5,605; and, Red 4,976. For first day, only nine holes were open: 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, and 17 which included four par four holes, and three par fives and two par threes. The Black distance for those nine: 3,584 yards which meant I was playing—and walking with a push cart—a hilly 18-hole course of 7,168 yards playing to a par 74.

Standing over the ball, it took a moment to realize the significance, if any, of what I was doing, and then all I wanted to do was avoid things: a cold-top, one that could go about 30 yards before thick fescue rough would have stopped it; the sandy bunker along the right side of the fairway and easily within my teeing length; a snap hook into the 10th fairway; a strong fad to knee high grassy rough, possibly un-findable.

My swing was unusually slow and nearly perfect; the air-born ball split the fairway between the left side of the sand bunker and the hole’s left side rough and came to rest in the fairway about 270 yards from the green on this wonderful opening 542-yard up-hill, down-hill slight dogleg right par five. “Let it be noted that Jim Pomeranz hit the first tee shot hit on the course and it was in the fairway,” said Gopack.com managing editor Tim Peeler, a member of the foursome.

I was thrilled, so much so that—while thinking birdie—two topped-shots later combined with the drive, two more hits and two putts, I walked off the green with a disappointing double bogey 7. I refuse to bore you with the details of my play for the remainder of the round; but before you hear about the nine holes we played, I admit to one other shot of significance.

It was my tee ball on the 11th hole, a 631-yard par five that runs west to east parallel to Interstate 40. (For those who know the area, the course is very near the State Farmers Market.) The fairway is easily wide enough to avoid trouble, but I believe the extremely strong left hand gripe with a wide-open club face, an open stance and a swing that screamed of the ball going right resulted in a enormously hard right fade that started right, flew across a special practice tee for the NC State men’s golf team, the immediate rough, a fence, more high grass and trees and towards the highway where I’m somewhat confidence it landed. “Let it noted that Jim Pomeranz hit the first shot onto Interstate 40,” announced Peeler who was Twittering the entire round accounting for the nearly five and a half hours of play.

The course sits at a very high point in Wake County. It actually overlooks downtown Raleigh and its impressive skyline. There are views of the Dorthea Dix campus nearby. From the 11th tee, you can see the top third of the NC State Memorial Bell Tower located about 2.5 miles away as the crow flies. The top of the campus smokestack can be seen as well as other familiar landmarks. Just looking away from the course can make one forget the tough mission of moving around the layout.

Lonnie Poole Golf Course offers many different challenges but will eventually be a very fair venue with enough toughness for the best of golfers. The nine holes we played required many different shots. However, and this is usually not the case with all golf courses, I was able to hit full driver from each par four and par five without much worry. Even at 57 years of age, I was hitting tee shots from 270 to over 300 yards, giving lots of credit to the well mowed and hard fairways that gave way to lots of roll most of the time. From the White tees, my four metal would have seen much more action.

That sand bunker on the first hole can be cleared with a solid hit, and it sets up a second shot from a much flatter lie than from where my tee ball stopped further left. With a very good poke, one can reach the first green in two, but the shot would be a blind hit that would have to head just left of the green and get a good roll. The better shot is a lay-up six iron to about 100 yards out.

From the first hole, we went to the 169-yard eighth hole, an uphill par three. Only the front edge of the green is visible from any tee box. Two sand bunkers guard the green, but don’t be fooled; there is little or no green over the bunker on the right. Miss to the left and you’re either in high rough or on the 9th tee box. It's a good seven or an easy six iron shot depending on the wind, at least during this time of year.

The ninth—if it were the 18th—would be an excellent finishing hole for two good reasons. It has good length and is challenging to play; and, the green sits down in a half bowl allowing for spectators to watch from above the green. From the Black tees, the par four measures 439, uphill from the tee with a sand bunker about 280-yards out on the right, projecting about a third of the way across the fairway. Left of the fairway is trouble, and there’s no other way to call it. The hole actually appears to bend slightly to the left, but that more of an illusion due to the bunkering along the left near and at the green. For the longer hitters, the tee ball must be middle to left.

The 10th is short—369 yards, par 4—and a full driver is okay, keeping short of the bunker on the right that starts about 80 yards in front of the green and continues to the putting surface. My first tee shot on 10 was on the right side of the fairway, and from there, just a 56-degree wedge was required but I could not see the surface of the green. Second time through, I hit down the left side and the same distance but from that spot, nearly the entire putting surface came into view, making the shot easier.

The 631-yard par five 11th hole looks tough but if played as a par five about the only problem will be making sure your approach shot clears the bunkering the guards the green for about 100 yards in front of and to the left of the green. It’s listed as the 2nd handicap hole, but a good tee shot and an easy lay-up will give you a challenging but not too tough third attempt.

The par four 12th defies physics. It’s a dogleg left with bunkering within reach of the tee shot to the left side of the fairway, but the fairway has a crest in the middle and the right side slopes way right. It’s sort of a damned if you do and damned if you don’t tee ball. The hole measures 424 yards but it’s down hill. Maybe it was the hardness of the fairway or maybe just the downhill slope, but I was gaining yardage from the tee and standing over second shots with short wedge shots. A four-wood from the tee may be the best giving a little, but not much, longer second shot, maybe a 9-iron instead of a wedge.

Of the nine holes we played, the 15th is the only one with water that actually comes into play. It’s pretty much a straight 504-yard par five that makes you think it’s a double dogleg. There’s a 300-yard long pond on the left to avoid from the tee and there’s a pond on the right that starts where the other pond stops and runs all the way up to the green. Hit it right off the tee and left towards the green towards a series of bunkers. Layup second shots may be the order of the day but hitting the green in two is possible for longer hitters.

No. 16 is the optical illusion hole with three small pot bunkers in the middle of the fairway on this 379 yard hole. From the tee, the three look side by side, but that’s not the case. The middle bunker is 20 yards closer to the tee than the others. Drive right or left of the middle bunker and you should be okay for a short approach shot to the only elevated green of the make-shift nine hole round, maybe of all the holes on the course.

Our final hole was number 17, a very short par 3. From the Black tees, it’s just 127 to the middle. It’s only 118 from the White. And it’s down hill. Matter of fact, the shorter the tee shot, the more down hill it is. One bunker guards the front and another is placed to the left, sort of out of play unless the cup is cut on that part of the green.

Speaking of greens: Wonderful! Smooth. No ball marks. (We were the first off, ever.) Not too fast but the putts rolled out. Very much feel putting. Faster than they looked but even down hill attempts with the right touch kept a good line and stopped near the hole. Easy to read. Some contours that required creative attempts such as on 17 having to putt nearly perpendicular to the hole to a point, hoping the ball would nearly come to a stop before casually rolling right toward the hole and stopping just an inch to the left. No Donald Ross-type edges where the ball not only rolls off but way off. Pretty much flat around the edges then a cut fringe and rough the height of a ball or so.

It was hot Saturday: 97 degrees. As noted, I walked. And I enjoyed it. The 89 strokes were disappointing for someone with an 8 handicap but then it was a par 74. I hit eight of 14 fairways but only four greens in regulation and had 30 putts. Lots of bad approach shots and one penalty for hitting onto I-40. No news of broken windshields or wrecks in that area Saturday

I enjoyed it so much that I returned Sunday for another 18, this time by myself (except for the last three holes when someone in a cart caught up with me) in the middle of the 94-degree afternoon. Just under three hours. Shot 82 with 33 putts, five hit fairways and eight greens in regulation. Much better. Missed a six foot birdie putt on the 11th hole. Played several holes smarter than during the opening round. Hey, just 8-over par for the day on a course that’s partially open. And, unless someone tells me otherwise, a new course record from the Black tees. Hah! Hah!

It’ll not be an everyday visit for me to Lonnie Poole, but with a very nice practice range, large putting green and easy access to the course, it’s definitely on my short list of places to visit regularly. The other nine holes will be equally as interesting, so maybe I’ll let you know what they’re like after July 11. Thanks for reading.

For more information, including the location and rates, about the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State University go to www.lonniepoolegolfcourse.com.

Carolina Country Club is definitely a gem!

If you're looking for a throw-back of a golf course, one that takes you back to a style before railroad timbers, target fairways and greens, seaside marshes, and residences that border fairways, one that takes you back to the inner city where land area is tight yet the results are huge, you need to play the Carolina Country Club in Raleigh NC. Unfortunately for the golfing public, it's private, very private.

Located just a few miles west from the heart of North Carolina's Capital City and inside the proverbial (as well as the actual) highway belt line surrounding Raleigh, the Carolina Country Club (golf course), a prestigious old-Raleigh facility, was built in 1910 but today should win the hearts of golfers of all abilities. It sits next to busy Glenwood Avenue which for years was the primary East-West travel route through Raleigh and is surrounded on three sides by Country Club Hills, primarily developed in the 1950s. (It's somewhat of an exclusive neighborhood but not gated. Former US Senator John Edwards lived there until he decided to build a new home outside of Carrboro/Chapel Hill NC.)

There's not a lot of public information on Carolina Country Club, and that's the way the membership wants it, or so it seems. Even the website offers only a few photos of the elegant and stately clubhouse. More information can be found on other golf sites, but not a lot of details. One of the unique things about Carolina Country Club is that no one seems to know the name of the original golf course architect. Many years ago, two fires on two different occasions took out two clubhouses and lots of the course records, including original drawings of the neat, hilly layout. A most recent renovation was handled by John LaFoy.

It's just a guess, but after playing the course and after studying a course layout, the initial nine was constructed first by itself with the second nine coming a few years later. This theory is supported with the front nine located in the center of the property and close to the clubhouse and with the second nine wrapping itself around the first nine and primarily along the outer property line. And, every hole, with the exception of a couple of par 3s, have changes in elevation from tee to green.

A study of the card and one playing round will easily tell you why Carolina Country Club is known as the "toughest short course you'll ever play." There are three sets of men's tees on the par 71 course. (The ladies have one set and play it as a par 72.) The longest course is from the Black tee markers and is only 6,304 yards long. So, based on total yardage, one might think of Carolina Country Club as short and easy. But, it doesn't take long to realize it's 70.8 rating and 133 slope is a bit tougher than it seems.

There are five par 5 holes, starting with the first hole, the only par 5 under 500 yards long. The 475-yard opening hole is downhill and bends very slightly to the left with a creek running across the fairway less than 100 yards from the green. A good drive gives the long hitter a chance to make it home in two, but the green is elevated with a small opening to the green between a sand bunker in front and to the right of the green. The average player will hit short of the creek. The other par fives are lengths of 542 yards (6th hole), 515 yards (10th hole), 506 yards (12th hole) and 516 yards (18th hole). Maybe on a dry, hot summer day when the Bermuda fairways are giving plenty of roll, longer hitters could get home in two on the downhill No. 10, or on the others with two big shots, but approaches to these par 5s also are well-guarded with sand bunkers around elevated and multi-tiered greens. Every green on the course is that way: multi-tiered with lots of sand bunkers. Because of the length of the par fives, a good tee shot is required. There's ample room in the landing areas, but I was erratic from the tee on the par 5s and was three over par on those five holes totaling 2,554 yards of the course's 6,304 yards.

There are the six par 3s with lengths of 192 yards (2nd hole), 228 yards (4th hole), 182 yards (8th hole), 158 yards (11th hole), 196 yards (13th hole) and 190 yards (17th hole). Standing on the tee of each par 3 gives you a false sense of length. They seem shorter in some ways but play awfully long. With considerable length, I hit a strong 5-iron on the 2nd hole, a solid and well struck 4-wood on the 4th, a good 7-iron on the downhill 8th, an 8-iron on the 11th (considered the signature hole with its island green), a 5-iron on the 13th, and a 6-iron on the 17th. In each case, with the exception of the 13th where I nearly shanked the tee shot, I was pin high or slightly past the pin, but poor putting placed me three-over par on the par 3s which total 1,146 yards in length.

There are seven par 4s and only two of those are over 400 yards: the 414-yard, 9th hole which is uphill and plays more as if it is 430 yards long, and the 450-yard, 16th hole, the No. 2 handicap hole on the course. (The 228-yard, par 3, 4th hole is considered the toughest.) The remaining par 4s--308 yards, 334 yards, 360 yards, 382 yards, and 356 yards--need little more than a 4-wood off from the tee, but a driver can be used with accuracy. Each has well placed sand bunkers in the fairway. I was five over on the par 4s and 11 over for the day. 82.

A neat characteristic of this throw-back style course is where various tees and green come together. For instance, the 2nd green, 3rd tee, 17th green and 18th tee are within a few yards of each other. The 3rd hole and the 18th hole actually share a teeing area. The same type of complex brings together the 3rd, 5th and 15th greens with the 4th and 6th teeing areas. The designer of the course also placed tees somewhat behind previous greens. For instance, after putting out on the 15th green, the Black tee players find the 16th tee even with a spot about 40 back down the 15th fairway. There's no chance of a ball hit from the 16th tee finding the 15th green. This happens several times throughout the course.

Time of year has a lot to do with opinion of a course. This time of year, the standard Bermuda fairways and tees are over seeded with rye grass, but the excellent maintenance crew keeps it tightly cropped. The bent gress greens are soft and very receptive to approach shots. The four-wood I hit on the 228 yard par 3, 4th hole, hit pin high and stopped about 10 feet past the hole. I didn't mind the course condition whatsoever though I would enjoy playing it in the summer when the Bermuda is dominant and the greens are probably a bit firmer. By the way, the sign in the golf shop said the greens were at 9 on the Stimp meter, but just as Carolina Country Club is known as the "toughest short course you'll ever play," those 9s were running about 11 or 12, or so it seemed. Very smooth and very fast, just as greens should be.

While the architect is unknown, there are a lot of Donald Ross characteristics as the course uses the natural terrain but similarities stop with the multi-tiered greens. Most have a front shelf which is lower than the back of the green with a sudden elevation change in between, and some greens have three tiers with the middle tier actually lower than the front and back. However, unlike typical Ross greens, there are no false fronts, and putts rolling from the higher level to lower level will remain on the putting surface.

On the North Carolina Golf Panel's list of Top 100 Courses, Carolina Country Club does not show up. It's only because very few, if any, of the Panel's members, until this week, have played the course. My guess is it will make the 2007 list and debut very high. I know I'll give it a good rating. It's a gem of a course, one I definitely would play every day.