I was a little disappointed Whirlpool didn’t touch the rim of the gorge or even have a view across it. Instead, it played in a park full of deciduous trees and formidable white pines. Stanley Thompson designed the course in 1951 for the Niagara Park Commission. It has an unusual combination of five par threes, five par fives, and eight par fours. The main feature is a hill on the eastern half where one can find the fifth and eleventh greens and the sixth, twelth, and sixteenth tees. Both nine and eighteen have elevated greens too.
(The 212 (blue tee) yard par three third has a left leaning swale short of the putting surface. With the two bunkers guarding short left and right, reaching the green in one blow will be the challenge.)
Whirlpool’s reputation rests on its very long and very difficult group of par threes. Four of the five play over 200 yards. The third is by far the best of the group. I would say fourteen is the most picturesque. The other three all play over flat terrain. They look similar and play much the same too. I thought these three holes (6,12,17) ate up the mediocre terrain and allowed Thompson to build more compelling ones later on. It’s no surprise that the key five hole stretch of 7-11 is comprised of par four holes only and bookended by two of the aforementioned par threes.
(The 210 (blue tee) yard par three sixth plays from an elevated tee to a green defended by sand. The Niagara Falls skyline is the perfect aiming point.)
The biggest surprise to me were the greens. They had subtle contours in them opposed to what I thought was Stanley Thompson’s style. I wonder if knowing that Whirlpool was a municipal course open to the public encouraged him to build more manageable putting surfaces. I thought they were well done and there were some Sunday pin positions should the course hold a significant tournament.
(The 513 (blue tee) yard par five fifth is a beautiful hole with the green atop the hill. I love the bunkering and the backdrop of pine trees. It’s a classic hole.)
Whirlpool is a beautiful golf course and flows seamlessly with short walks from green to tee. It’s very popular being so close to the falls. Unfortunately the helicopter pad that takes tourists for an aerial view is close too and the incessant noise they make puts a damper on the experience. Still it’s a nice option for those visiting Niagara Falls with their family. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).
(The only short par three is the 154 (blue tee) yard fourteenth. A small pond fronts the tee and the hole connects well with the setting. An open front makes this a birdie hole regardless of pin position.)
[My son-in-law and I was paired up with a father-son duo from Quebec. They knew enough English to speak golf as we made our way around the course. The two young men played the blue tees at 6701 and Dennis and I played the whites at 6292. The Jykell - Hyde round went to Josh who shot 12 strokes better on the back nine including a two putt birdie on the final hole.
I played the five par threes in -1. That’ll make any scorecard look good.]
No comments:
Post a Comment