WAM Golf

Dutchess Golf & Country Club Review

If you have driven along Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, New York, you may have passed right by Dutchess Golf & Country Club without even noticing. When I was going there to play I managed to drive right passed it. On a road full bright lights, restaurants and shopping, Dutchess Golf & Country Club made me feel miles away from everything while being so close to it all.

(The 8th hole, a 159 yard par 3, is thesiganture hole.)

 The moment I stepped on to the property I was greeted by my host Theresa (@TeeStark) who escorted me to the driving range where I learned more about this historic club. Founded in 1897 as a 9-hole club, it expanded to 18 holes in 1924 which were designed by the members with consulting done by the famed golf course architect Devereux Emmit. It would be 80 years before the next major renovation and in 2004 Dutchess Golf & Country Club welcomed a brand new clubhouse to the family. 

The Golf Course

One of the criticisms I heard prior to my arrival was it wasn't a long golf course. Playing only 6,475 from the tips, what Dutchess Golf & Country Club lacks in length, it makes up for in character and layout. Tree lined fairways and deep rough around the greens make the course far more challenging than it looks on the scorecard. There are a few blind shots off the tee (second hole comes to mind) where knowledge of the golf course comes in handy. If you have great hosts like I did, they will guide you the entire way. 

(The beautiful view of the Hudson Valley from the 17th tee box.)

My Three Favorite Holes

 3. The 13th Hole (92 yard, par 3): A 90 yard hole is one of my favorites? This unique hole comes with a great story. It's been said when the club moved to expand to 18 holes they designed the course and saw they had only 17. They found a small piece of land and created this hole to make 18. I'll offer you the same advice they gave to me on the tee box, don't miss the green or be above the pin, it's a guaranteed bogey. Exactly what I needed to hear before I teed off... and made bogey.

2. The 18th hole (319 yard par 4): I love a good risk and reward finishing hole. Hitting iron or a fairway wood is the right play but I decided to test out driver. A good drive leaves you a short approach or a chip shot to a small green guarded by bunkers on both sides and short. A great finishing hole especially in tournament play.

1. The 6th hole (194 yard par 3): The advice given to me was don't miss left. After promptly hitting my shot left (along with one of my playing partners) I learned why. Left of the 6th green is nicknamed Hell's Kitchen and deservedly so. A natural rock wall makes it nearly impossible to get on the green from there. I was lucky enough to hit the green where I met "Pete's Belly", the most noticeable undulation of any green on the golf course. This beautiful hole can quickly become a beast where par is an excellent score.

(A view of the 6th green from "Hell's Kitchen", the picture doesn't do it justice.)

Overall

Located less than two hours from New York City, this historic club has stood the test of time and is one I recommend playing. What the course lacks in distance (it has two par 5's over 550 yards) it makes up for in character. A traditional course with small greens guarded by bunkers and deep rough, it requires you to hit almost every shot in your bag if you want to have a good round. 

It's difficult to pinpoint the one thing that made me enjoy my experience here. The location, the golf course, the people and this history (they have a historian on staff!) make this private club one I recommend adding to your list for those of us in the New York City area. 

McGladrey Classic Preview & Groups To Watch

The PGA TOUR Fall Series rolls into Sea Island, Georgia for the McGladrey Classic. Although Tiger Woods is not in the field, plenty of big name players are in the event including Heath Slocum, the 2010 McGladrey Classic winner. 

(Heath Slocum will look to defend his 2010 title this week. Photo: GeoffShackelford.com)

While Slocum holds the 2010 McGladrey title, Bryce Molder and Rickie Fowler enter the week as champions just a few days ago. Fowler captured his first professional title last week in South Korea while Molder earned his first career PGA TOUR victory by defeating Briny Baird in a six round playoff. Fowler will now look to win on American soil for the first time in his career.

Fowler and Molder are looking for back to back wins but 12 other players in the field have PGA TOUR victories this season including Webb Simpson, David Toms and Mark Wilson. Simpson was the hottest player on TOUR just a few weeks ago and missed out on the FedEx Cup and $10 million by just a few points. He and Mark Wilson are the only players in the field with multiple victories this season, they each have two. 

Three Groups To Watch at The McGladrey Classic

 3. David Toms, Paul Casey & Rickie Fowler: Fowler is fresh off a win in Korea and seems hungrier than ever to win. Perhaps he notices an opening in the golf world for the next great one and wants to be the one to fill it. Paul Casey has had a rough year but showed signs of life last week with his first top 10 finish of 2011.  Toms seems to be reborn this year with a win to go with six top 10 finishes. Seeing him paired with Fowler is good enough reason for me to watch. 

2. Lucas Glover, Jim Furyk & Graeme McDowell: I'll take some heat for passing up the Zach Johnson group but I've got a gut feeling from on this one. Glover won for the first time since his U.S. Open title. It hasn't been a banner year but it's a start. Furyk & McDowell may have been two of the biggest disappointments in golf this year but I like them this week. Some time off may have helped and last fall McDowell was superb. I like to see him get started this week. 

1. Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Robert Allenby: In my opinion, this is the group to watch. Simpson has had a great year and missed winning the FedEx Cup by a few points. He's one of two players in the field with two wins in 2011 and my pick to win this week. Kuchar is in danger of being winless for the first time since 2008. He finished in second place this year and a win here could boost confidence going into the Presidents Cup. Allenby was a Presidents Cup captains pick for the international team. He's looking for his first win since the 2001 season. 

WAMGolf.com Pick to Win: Webb Simpson

999Places Pick to Win: Zach Johnson

 

Bryce Molder Wins Frys.com Open In A Playoff

It took six playoff holes but Bryce Molder can now call himself a PGA TOUR champion. Molder and Briny Baird finished the Frys.com Open tied at 17-under and needed extra holes to determine a winner. It wasn't until Molder made birdie on the sixth playoff hole and Baird made par that he was crowned champion.

  (Bryce Molder earned his first career PGA TOUR win at the Frys.com Open)

 What made the back and forth playoff more interesting was the fact neither player had ever won on the PGA TOUR. For Molder, this was his 132nd career start. For Baird it was his 348th, his quest will for victory will have to wait. Molder's victory earns him $900,000 but more importantly, exemption through the 2013 season.

How did Molder finally break through to earn his first championship? His last two rounds he made 13 birdies and only one bogey. He averaged 26.8 putts per round throughout the tournament, the best of anyone in the field. 

Notables

All the talk heading into the Frys.com Open was about Tiger Woods and how he would play in his return back to the PGA TOUR. It looked like more disappoint for Woods after being named to the Presidents Cup team when he opened on Thursday with a 73 and found himself outside the cut-line heading into Friday. Fortunately, Tiger managed to turn it around and put together three consecutive rounds of 68 to finish in a tie for 30th. 

Ernie Els looked to be in good form playing all four rounds in the 60's. Els had a share of the lead at one point but couldn't hold on through the final round. He finished tied for 4th place and earned his first top 10 of the 2011 season. 

Bud Cauley created a buzz heading into the weekend. Cauley is on a quest to be the first player to qualify for the TOUR without going to Q-School since Ryan Moore did it in 2005. Cauley needs to finish in the top 125 on the PGA TOUR earnings list when the Fall Series ends in order to qualify and his 3rd place finish this week earned him $331,000 along with an exemption to play in next weeks TOUR event. Cauley is currently in 114th place. 

MasterCard Legends of Golf Experience with Curtis Strange

If it's too good to be true, it probably is. I've heard that saying my entire life so when I signed up for the MasterCard Legends of Golf Experience I was ready to be disappointed. For just $200 I would be able to play The Stanwich Club, meet 2-time U.S. Open Champion Curtis Strange, watch him give a clinic on the range, play a hole with him and receive an autographed picture with him. That's a lot of promise for $200.

(L to R: Curtis Strange, Former NY Yankee Lee Mazzilli and me) 

The Best $200 I've Ever Spent on Golf

I want this to be clear, this is the best $200 I have spent on golf. For all the times I have over paid for a round of golf or complained how expensive golf was, this makes up for it. The price is not only fair, it's a steal for everything we received. Here is what we actually got for our money:

• A round at a very exclusive golf course: The Stanwich Club.
• Lunch, Dinner, drinks and caddy were all included.
• A 30 minute session in the range with Curtis Strange.
• Played a par 3 with Curtis Strange (see picture above).
• A welcome pack with Callaway Golf Balls, Callaway Towel, Tees, and a hat from the club we played.
• A $25 voucher to proshop.
• A framed and autographed picture with Curtis Strange given to us on site.
• Prizes for first, second, third, closest to the pin and long drive prizes. The prizes included Callaway Drivers, Wedges and Putters.

What's The Catch?

I would hate to call it a catch because it seems obvious but in order to register for this you have to pay with your MasterCard. If you don't have one and you're a golfer, it might be worth signing up just to have access to these events. The other catch was the proshop only accepted cash or MasterCard that day. To me, this is hardly a catch but it's worth noting since I didn't bring my card that day. 

Overall

For all the complaining golfers do about cost, this is a bounce in our favor. We were fortunate to have Curtis Strange as our legend. He was great to play a hole with (we both made par from a greenside bunker) and after the round he answered questions hosted by Dan Hicks, a broadcaster for NBC Sports. 

As someone who writes reviews for a living I'm often looking for the negative to share with people so they know what watch for. In this case, MasterCard nailed it. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, I was impressed with the quality of the event. If you're a golfer and have the opportunity to play in a MasterCard Legends of Golf event, I highly recommend it. 

Three Ways Steve Jobs and The iPhone Have Impacted Golf

When we look back on the life of Steve Jobs it's unlikely we will see much regarding his impact on the game of golf. Steve Jobs was a visionary who had an impact on the world far greater than I could even imagine. Now, Apple is virtually everywhere and that includes the golf course.

(The iPing Cradle. One example of how Apple has impacted golf)

 To say he was successful at changing the world, in my opinion, an understatement. While Mr. Jobs had a vision to change the world and how people communicate, my guess is he wasn't focused on golf. Since this is a golf website, I would like to point out a few ways Steve Jobs impacted the golf industry.

Three Ways Steve Jobs Impacted The Golf Industry

If I took the time to think about it, I'm sure there are more than three. In fact, I'm sure there are some revolving around other Apple products. When I think of golf and Apple, I think of the iPhone. In my opinion, this one device brought how the game is played and shared to a new level. 

1. The Camera: Yes, camera phones were around before the iPhone but rarely with such quality. In most cases, I don't need to bring my camera to capture a golf course, my iPhone can do it. The quality of the camera on the iPhone has made it possible for golfers around the world to take pictures and share them with other golfers. We can all see the quality of the course and the beauty of the game without being expert photographers.

2. A Training Aid: Does anyone read golf books any more? Actually, I do probably more than most but the iPhone has created a new way for us to improve at the game we care so much about. Take a look at the iPing Cradle. This iPhone app can analyze your putting stroke so you can self correct it. The fact your phone can be used as a training aid to me is mind boggling and something all golfers can benefit from. 

3. All About The Apps: The second point touched on apps but it goes beyond training. Don't have a caddy? No problem. You can use your iPhone as a GPS to help you navigate around a golf course you have never played. Can't watch the golf tournament this weekend because you're at a wedding? Download an app and follow the leaderboard so you don't miss a beat. The iPhone has allowed us to take golf with us everywhere we go whether it's a video game or the latest news.

 The world will mourn the loss of a great man for a variety of reasons and the golf industry is no different. His inventions have made it easier for golfers to enjoy the game we love and share it all over the world. It's exciting to think about what the future holds and as technology continues to improve our game, we will be able to look back and thank Steve Jobs for paving the way.