Davenport Country Club (Pleasant Valley, IA)

#70 GOLFWEEK TOP 100 CLASSIC COURSES 

Davenport has risen from golf obscurity to architecture darling over the past few years. Tom Doak’s decision to include it in his Confidential Guide as the gourmet choice for Hugh Alison has brought out all the aficionados to see the course for themselves. It sits on an incredible piece of property and the “retro build” that Ron Forse and Jim Nagle did in 2014 has 

reestablished it’s spectacular setting. Props must be given to Bob Lohmann who redesigned the eighteenth and made it into arguably the best hole on the course.

(The 545/518 yard par five second plays from one tilted rolling fairway over a creek to another tilted rolling fairway. The ability to hit off an uneven lie is the key to position oneself for a short iron third and decent shot at birdie.) 

Davenport is less than a mile from the Mississippi River and has some cool landforms that are surprising to folks not from the area. A limestone canyon cuts through the property within view of the clubhouse and three of the best holes on the course use it in grand style. The par three tenth is the focal point as players smash long irons, woods, and even drivers to the green that sits on the other side of the ridge. A long trestle bridge connects the two ala California’s Bel-Air  and it’s at that moment you realize this isn’t going to be your typical round of golf. 

(The 392 yard par four third turns gently to the right. Notice how the left side of the fairway offers a flat lie while the right side dips into the rough. The line of charm naturally drags one’s eye to the inside line but gravity conspires to allow a good lie from that angle.)

This is my first C.H. Alison course, and the biggest thing I noticed about his architecture is he prevents the ball from progressing forward. He does this by incorporating the landforms that act as ramparts or bumpers. At the third, most of the right half of the fairway slopes towards a depression. If your ball hits in this area, it instantly heads to the rough line. At the fourth, trench like ripples catch your drive and prevents it from moving forward, resulting in a longer approach from an uneven lie. The approach on seven must carry the hogback feature short of the green otherwise it gets kicked away. This feature shows again at the tenth where a short shot gets kicked to the rough. Its the exact opposite of speed slots and kick plates. There are many drives that are angled to a sloping fairway and if you don’t hit the correct shot shape or more importantly the right line, then the ball gets buffered and sent to a disadvantaged spot. It’s a different kind of architecture and these features have an accumulative effect that don’t add full shots but rather partial shots dependent on one’s skill level. 

(The 426 yard par four seventh is regarded as an all world hole. The right fairway is 30’ lower than the left, so the player drives his ball into the valley knowing his approach will likely be from an uneven lie to a semi blind green…
…a hogback short of the green will kick the ball into the rough or possibly keep it in the fairway and have it roll down the hill. A lower shot can use that same feature and carom onto the putting surface. It’s a most unusual hole!) 

(The 523/498 yard par five ninth plays alongside Spencer Creek the entire length of the hole. A hillside full of trees deters bailing to the left…
…the built up green is hard to hit in two shots and even challenging with a wedge from an awkward angle from the left. Note the trestle bridge in the background. There’s also metal steps that climb up to ten tee.) 

(The 210/185 yard par three ten plays across the valley to an uphill green on the far right side. I love how the fairway is forty yards long so the weaker player can play it like a par four. The trestle stretching across with the valley below makes this a complete blast. It’s my favorite hole on the course!) 

(The 169/152 yard par three fifteenth has a beautiful bunker that makes the hole visually pop. The green slopes to the front left and it feels like a fade would be the shot of choice. Many times the ball is above the cup and making a smooth downhill stroke is key.) 

Davenport has three good stretches. (1-3,7-10, 14-18) The final five holes get the most attention because most matches are won or lost here. Interestingly both fifteen and seventeen are par threes. The landforms are well suited for a finale and you’ll see plenty of fireworks as players navigate their way around the hazards. The sixteenth is annually voted as one of the best in Iowa. 

(The 426 yard par four sixteenth demands a perfect drive between the limestone wall on the right and Spencer Creek to the left. It was here that Sam Snead lost the 1951 Western Open when he hooked it into the water.) 

(The 181/171 yard par three seventeenth plays back across Spencer Creek to a green graded into the saddle of the hill. It plays longer than it’s listed yardage with several pin locations demanding great shots to get close.) 

(The eighteenth used to dogleg awkwardly to the right and play uphill to what is now the practice putting green. Bob Lohmann thought it would be best to take it left of the bunker and have it play along the creek and the limestone wall…
…the green was pushed up and is front by water with a lone bunker guarding the right. Not only does the limestone wall make for a spectacular setting but the trestle bridge in the background ties it to the ninth and tenth…
…at 424 yards there is plenty of opportunities to find oneself scrambling to secure a four. Several people in our outing loved it and said it was their favorite hole.) 

It’s great to see a place like Davenport start to receive the love it deserves. Tom Doak went out of his way to say it is one of the most overlooked courses in the United Stated and that it has a better piece of property than both Country Club of Detroit and Milwaukee Country Club, two Alison courses where he’s consulting. The only negative I’ll comment on is the bunkering. There’s several holes where Forse and Nagle didn’t redo them and they’re quite bland. (These holes are mainly on the front) Regardless, Davenport is fantastic! I give it an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit). 

(Another view of the par three tenth.) 

[Davenport hosted the 1936 and 1951 Western Open, a tournament many considered to be a major back then. In 1936 Ralph Guldahl won by three shots at -10, then in 1951 Marty Furgol won by a single stroke also at -10. While it is too short for today’s men’s tour, it is the the perfect length for the ladies.]

Cedar Rapids Country Club (Cedar Rapids, IA)

#67 GOLFWEEK TOP 100 CLASSIC COURSES 

Cedar Rapids rise in the national ratings is the result of an intelligent restoration and prolific tree clearing. Architect Ron Pritchard worked with an in house crew to recapture lost putting surfaces, incorporate new tees and bunkers, and execute a tree management program. They took out over 1000 trees (a tornado took out another 800) and widened the fairways to nearly double than what they were. The results are stunning and the long views introduced are simply spectacular! 

(This panoramic view from the first tee show the 1st, 3rd, and 4th holes.) 

Cedar Rapids history goes back all the way to 1904 when Tom Bendelow designed a nine hole course for the members. His routing essentially played around the large hill the clubhouse sits on before climbing up to finish in front of the patio. Donald Ross expanded it to eighteen holes in 1915, keeping the first and ninth holes (today’s 1 & 18) and Bendelow’s incredible “burial mound” green which is used at the fourteenth. 

(This is the view from the first green! It’s a terrific opening hole played from a high tee to low fairway to high green. You can tell from this picture that the putting surface is steeply pitched. In our group, the long hitters were spinning the ball off with their short irons. One player hit his approach twenty feet past the pin and misjudged the speed of his first putt. It went by the hole and off the green. Instant double bogey! #1 365/344 yards par 4) 

(The up and over 430/394 yard par four second has two choices. One can layup to the flat atop the hill and hit a longer club or turn it over and chase it down as far as it will go. The green is nearly surrounded by sand but there’s enough of an opening to bounce it in.) 

(The 414/384 yard par four third is the only dogleg on the front. It plays out before turning right to a green below the clubhouse. It’s a relatively simple hole with a back to front slope being the primary defense. For long hitters who have taken it over the fairway traps, a solitary trap guards the direct line to the putting surface.)

The front nine at Cedar Rapids is surely one of the best you’ll play. It tacks between two hills, changing elevation and engaging the golfer with an array of lines and strategies. Often times the golfer is above the fairway and has the option to use the shoulder of the hill to propel his ball to the ideal location. Greens are beautifully placed in high spots, and numerous flags are visible as you wait to putt out. It’s full of life! The joy of observing your fellow golfer attack the very pin you struggled against or looking ahead and predetermining a plan. This is the perfect example what parkland golf should look like! 

(The 158/148 yard par three fifth angles to the left with pin locations all along the bunker’s edge. A high point on the right can be used to feed the ball back to the pin. The landform just seen on the right is the next box where you can view the group behind play this par three, but even better nearly two thirds of the flags can be seen from its high location.) 

(The 431/398 yard par four seventh climbs up the hill with water left and sand right protecting the fairway. The approach will be semi blind to a green that creases in the middle. It will be very difficult accessing specific hole locations so best strategy is play to the center and try to two putt from there. Par is a good score.) 

(The 200/177 yard eighth is a long drop shot par three. The top shot bunker short adds depth to the hole but it looks easy enough with all the grass surrounding it…
…sharing time and space with nature is one of the great pleasures of golf.) 

(The 585/543 yard par five ninth plays from the valley floor all the way to the top of the hill short of the clubhouse. It mercilessly climbs at least 100 feet uphill!!…
…it’s beauty is revealed after it crests the summit with a feeder slope into a punch bowl green…
…everything funnels from back left to front right. There’s a multitude of pin positions that can be accessed with bump n runs, skip n bites, or high spinners. Even if you can’t reach it in two, being at the top increases your chances at making a four. It’s a beast of a par five.) 

The back nine begins and ends atop the hill with the rest of the holes playing in the valley floor. Indian Creek is the primary hazard as it defends a third of the holes. Bendelow’s burial mound green is the defining architectural feature. Ross’ routing attacks the green from a different angle, making it play high left to lower right with the back sloping away. Another terrific view is gleamed from its high position. Overall, the back nine is solid but it unfortunately doesn’t match the variety and grandeur of the front. If it did then we’d be talking about a Top 50 course in America. 

(The 397/374 yard par four tenth plays straight down the hill and is driveable for the long hitter. A couple bunkers guard the high right side but once you clear the second one, nothing stops the ball from galloping all the way to the bottom. It’s a cool hole and a definite birdie opportunity!) 

(The 281/222 yard par three twelth is one of the most talked about on the course. Not one bunker protects it as a five foot rise elevates it above the fairway. From the tips, it is a par four for the average golfer. From the Ross tees it’s a manageable 185 yards. The old architects never had an issue with making a par three that requires a pitch n putt to save par.) 

(The 459/412 yard par four thirteenth doglegs left around one of the ponds that dots the property. A central bunker fronts the green thirty yards away. There’s plenty of room to clear it but should you not, you’ll be struggling to salvage a bogey.) 

(The burial mound green is quite the sight! It’s actually viewable all way from the clubhouse. The 376/338 yard par four is just a short iron approach but this green gets wind burnt and firm so you must strike your shot crisply. A runoff in the back sees a lot of action. Take heed not to be too aggressive. A shot to the middle is probably the best play. When the pin rotates to the edges, this can be a very difficult hole.) 

(The 366/347 yard par four eighteenth plays up the same hill the tenth came down. Even though the yardage is short, it’s a bruiser of a hole that plays much longer. The green is very difficult pitching from high left to low right. Any shot that finds its way above the hole will likely result in a three putt. It should be noted that both Bendelow and Ross had this as their finishing hole.) 

Cedar Rapids is my favorite round of the year so far.  After playing it, I saw what it looked like before the renovation and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I never knew how much a tree removal project could alter the playing characteristics and beauty of a golf course. It was an enlightening education and one that opened my mind to what could be, and even should be, a parkland course. The USGA liked it so much they awarded Cedar Rapids with the 2019 US Women’s Senior Amateur. (Lara Tennant won 3&2 over Sue Wooster)

For those who love Donald Ross and want to see what a smart renovation looks like, a trip to Iowa is a must. I give it a very strong 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit). 

(How can you not love a tiki bar at the turn?!!)

[I joined The Walking Golfers Society and I was able to participate in their outing. I played in a threesome with a friend of mine and a gentleman who was a member at Diamond Springs, a course I had just blogged about a few weeks ago. It was 94 degrees that day, but I played solidly and had one of the craziest back nines of my life carding three birdies, five bogeys, and one par.]

Pleasant Valley Golf Club (Connellsville, PA)

Often times I chase golf courses simply by the architect of record expecting to find something unique. This approach has lead to some cool experiences but it doesn’t always work out that way. Pleasant Valley was one of those times. Designed in 1922 by Emil Loeffler and John McGlynn, Pleasant Valley has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts as the present day owner has made some drastic changes. 

Pleasant Valley sits in a hollow intersected by two roads. (Golfers cross them a total of five times during the round.) Seven holes occupy the property behind the clubhouse (1-6 & 18) with the other eleven across the street. The first six are from the original routing and are untouched. Unfortunately, the terrain is so severe that the holes come across as amateurish and not very good. The par four fifth is the worst offender with a crescent shaped dogleg finishing at a green at the end of hill. Golfers find themselves scratching their heads trying to figure out how to stop the ball from bounding over. 

(The 339 yard par four fifth drops down to the this small green that accepts ball stubbornly.)

Most of the work done by management is on the holes across the street. Wanting more pizzazz, they cut out a new green for the seventeenth, and made it an island green while making the fourteenth a peninsula green. All the earth movement and waterworks has elevated its status in its local community and made it something folks are proud to play. In the process, they lost what looks to be a terrific long par five that drops down from the hillside to the road. 

(The 480 yard par five eleventh plays alongside this babbling creek. Note the dyke like earth movement that helps keep the creek from overflowing.) 

(The tee box of the 166 yard par three twelth is next to a hill of rocks which gives the hole a cool vibe…
…the shot is across the water to a pitched forward green. The wind is the main factor regarding club selection.) 

Of particular note is the restaurant that serves golfers and the local community. It’s a large space that has room to handle a lot of people. It’s the type of business model that should see success for its new owner. Located just south of Erie, Venango has a similar philosophy and it is doing very well. It also brings more business to the golf course. 

(The peninsula green has water that eats significantly around the front. A very precise shot is needed to hold the putting surface.) 

(The fifteenth green has a pronounced left to right slope.) 

(This is the view back from sixteen fairway. Look how far uphill the tee shot is. The tee seen in the foreground is for the ladies. The men’s is forty yards back and requires a strong drive to get to the top. The back of the ladies tee is in play if one hits it too low.) 

(The old seventeenth was a gorgeous par five that played all the way to the road. Now it’s a par three. The back tee is by the cart path on the left…
…it’s a 200+ yard par three downhill to an island green. Pray the wind is not blowing in your face. It’s an eye popping hole!) 

Hopefully Pleasant Valley can solve the riddle of how to handle the holes behind the clubhouse. They are the weak part of the course. If the new owner really wanted to be a rebel, he could just make it a 12 hole course (a concept that has been bantered by folks for years) The ending hole plays to the back of clubhouse and is well done. I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). It has potential to bump up one. 

(The 320 yard par four eighteenth plays to the back of the clubhouse. The green was originally two practice putting greens that they combined into one. The back right is more narrower.)  

(Note the seventeenth says 118 yards. The new tee not only makes the hole harder but pushes the overall yardage over 6000 yards.) 

(A very common scene in western Pennsylvania are the creeks.) 

 

Eagle Eye Golf Club (Bath,MI)

Eagle Eye was designed by Pete Dye Protégé Chris Lutzke. It is jaw dropping how much dirt was moved to create the giant hillocks that isolated each hole. The resulting lakes are used in appropriate Dye-like fashion with water laden par threes and risk/reward finishing holes on both nines. However, the hole that everyone looks forward to, anticipates, and talks about is the island green seventeenth which is an exact replica of the one at Sawgrass. 

If you’re familiar with Dye than you’ll recognize many of the concepts used to defend par here. Angles and visual intimidation are just a couple, but Lutzke also goads players into challenging the line of charm as opposed to the wide fairways. There’s also Dye’s favorite hole, the switchback, where one is asked to work the ball one way off the tee and another way into the green. Railroad ties are everywhere! Visually, Eagle Eye is as difficult looking as any course I’ve seen. Thankfully there is plenty of fairway although a few centerline bunkers will make you choose between an aggressive vs conservative route. It all adds up to a course that can matchup against any caliber of player. 

(The 422/408 yard par four opening hole allows the golfer to cut over the corner of rough to shorten the approach. The width and depth of Eagle Eye instantly announces it’s superiority.) 

(The 171/143 yard par three second has an intriguing green angled in a way that demands the ball work right to left. Today’s rear pin looks like it’s on a small table.)

(The 351/297 yard par four third has a driveable green just to the right of the fortress bunker hill. The hill is completely random with all sorts of lies and stances making it a must avoid spot. Bailing out left leaves a blind shot over the hill with a poor angle…
…a couple ridges guard against players who laid up left from the water. Note the hazard right of the green. Most will be short on the approach and have to navigate the ridges on the chip n putt too.) 

(The 210/189 yard par three fifth has little room to bailout. Three bunkers in the front right choke any ounce of comfortability on the tee shot. It’s an absolute beast in the wind. Note how the water eats into the land just past the tee shot, making the green look even tinier.) 

Eagle Eye is part of a huge golf complex just outside of Lansing. It dominates golf around the state capital and is rated in Golfweek’s top 100 public courses at #85. Golfweek also has it as the the fifth best public course in Michigan. This is high praise indeed considering the depth of great courses found in the Great Lakes State. 

(The 364/320 yard par four sixth has a centerline bunker that forces the golfer to choose which line he’s attacking. The right side will leave a straight on shot while those who went left have this delicate shot over the bunker.) 

(The 598/494 yard par five ninth is a wonderful risk reward classic finish. The gambling golfer who hugs the water has shorten the hole and take a chance to reach it in two…
…it’s not a shot for the feint hearted. Note the fairway and how it drops down into the green. The short hitter will be playing to the upper half…
…looking back you can see the centerline bunker and the decisions the golfer makes to get to the green. It’s a fantastic hole that can produce a lot of drama.) 

(The 237/185 yard par three twelth has a giant four club green that changes dramatically as the pin rotates between back and front. Note the three pot bunkers and the putting surface above them. Par is a great score.) 

There’s a lot of great architecture here and some original takes on Dye’s philosophy. Lutzke captured his style perfectly. How ironic though that the one hole everyone is chomping at the bit to see is a complete replica of the island green at Sawgrass? Lutzke hid it in a pit where you don’t see it until you’re finally coming off the sixteenth green. For me, it was a powerful moment. It’s arguably the most famous hole in golf, and here in Lansing Michigan, you can play it almost in the same kind of conditions you’d find in Florida. For many people, it’s the reason why they sought Eagle Eye out. Enjoy the moment!!

(The 487/453 yard par four thirteenth plays across the water and alongside it all the way to the green. Into the wind, it can play longer than the par fives at nine and eighteen. A bogey is not a bad score.) 

(The 394/360 yard par four fifteenth has a volcano green that has a falloff at every point. From the tee it looks benign but should you be brave and shoot at the pin then you better be exact. Any mishit will plunge all the way to the bottom of the hill…
…this view shows how abrupt the slopes can be. A few tucked pins can induce fear of putting off these same slopes.) 

(The 458/403 yard par four sixteenth doglegs left off the tee and back right on the approach. Like the second hole, the green bananas around a hazard. Note the golfers above the green on the left. The island green is on the other side of that hill.) 

This is the view from above after walking off sixteen. What many don’t realize until they play it is the amount of slope the green has especially for front pins (like today) and back right pins. Note the sign next to each tee marker. Eagle Eye has the exact yardage to the pin from each spot. (This feature is on each par three btw) This was a first for me. My son-in-law and I had been talking bout this hole all day and decided we would take a video of each other hitting to the green. It will probably go down as my greatest shot (I told my daughter she can play it on a loop at my funeral). I holed it out for an ace!!! 

I’ve played many of Pete Dye’s best courses and Eagle Eye fits in perfectly with many of them. However, this course is completely manufactured. There was so much earthmoving to dig out the lakes and create all the mounding and hills. It goes to show how heavy equipment and modern technology can transform a flat field into a rugged beautiful landscape. As amazing as this is, I’ve always felt the very best courses take advantage of their natural settings. That’s not the case here, but it’s still a terrific golf course. I give Eagle Eye a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play).

(The 589/525 yard par five eighteenth plays alongside the water all the way to the green. My only gripe was how much the hillside pushed into the landing area of the layup. Downwind, it can be reached in two. Note the filled in grass area next to the water…

…this is the side view with the ninth hole in the background. Both holes were designed to be played downwind. High drama for sure! Birdies and eagles are all possible here!) 

Note the yardage and the slope and course rating from the tips! 

[I played the course with my son-in-law who has the golf bug and hits the ball a mile! We played the blue tees at 6412 which is a tad bit more than I’m used to playing. The wind was a consistent 10-15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. It was a difficult day to golf, and with all the trouble one can find here, anything in the 70s would’ve been a great score. I was so jacked up on my hole in one that I made a careless bogey on eighteen to shoot 80. It didn’t matter because I was on cloud nine for over a week!]