Heritage Resort
We stayed at Le Telfair Golf and Wellness Resort, part of Heritage Resorts. Colonial in its appearance, Le Telfair has around 150 rooms with the adjacent hotel, Heritage Awali, also having around 150 rooms. Both hotels are 5*
Dining options include the something for everybody Annabella’s buffet restaurant, where we dined one evening and had breakfast in too.
Gin’ja was a special evening for valentines night for us, but judging by the wonderful food, this is a special restaurant for a special night any time – made with love, just for you.
Lunch at the Infinity Blue in the Awali Hotel overlooking to ocean is a lovely spot to relax and enjoy some lovely food whilst taking a break from the sunshine.
Experience the 4X4 safari drive and a refreshing waterfall swim with Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, as part of Heritage Resorts, you can book this easily at reception.
Golf currently offers one 18 hole course, Le Chateau (see separate video for the full review) but there is also a lovely little par 3 nine holes too. Great to hone your skills or just have a go with its relaxed approach. There will be more golf on offer at Heritage resorts later this year – watch this space.
For those wishing to up their game or iron out some niggles, the newly opened David Leadbetter academy is definitely worth a visit too – easy and simply to adopt instructions can make all the difference to your game and the enjoyment of your time on the course.
Finish off with a spa visit, great on your departure day, but be mindful the head massage whilst does leave you relaxed, the resulting hair ‘do’ might raise some eyebrows on the plane back home!
The ocean side resort in the South West of Mauritius is a wonderful place to stay and enjoy the relaxed family friendly atmosphere.
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This You Tube video and the related social media information has been produced as our honest and unbiased opinion on the day. Golf Guru Group trading as Travel Lifestyle Golf (TLG) did not receive payment for this review, but were hosted to some degree by the venue. TLG can take no responsibility should your experience differ to ours in any way.
Le Chateau Golf Course, Heritage, Mauritius
Constance Belle Mare Plage – Legends Course
Located on the East side of Mauritius, Constance Belle Mare Plage has two courses to offer. A European Tour Destination, today we are playing and reviewing Legends course.
At around 30 years old, Legends is a nicely established course with large trees, plenty of water and a bedded in design that would works for most handicappers.
We particularly liked hole 17, a par three over the ocean with mangroves hugging the shore line. Quite a different hole from the back to the front tees, but all tees had the over the water challenge. At handicap 18, its one to hold your nerve playing 112 to 152 meters.
From the forward tees, depending on the pin position, you might need to be mindful of the rocky outcrop in front of the green
We also liked hole 4, with its seemingly narrow fairway, edged by splashes of water on both sides to a well bunker guarded green. This par 5 played 426/506 meters and carried a 5 handicap. Thread you way around this hole and you could score well.
Whilst we did see people walking, we feel it was a cart course for the heat and for the sometimes longer walks green to tee.
We played the back nine first, hence the reverse comments and YT Video views!!
In Summary, you can see it is a resort course, but you can also see it has stood up well to the heavy golfing traffic and heavy rains of late. We’d definitely like to go back and play it again and have given it a score of:
|
Sarah |
Steve |
Average/given score |
|
|
Welcome/Friendliness |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
|
Course condition |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Course design/layout |
4.25 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
|
Enjoyment/fun |
4.5 |
4.25 |
4.5 |
|
Overall |
4.25 |
4.25 |
4.25 |
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Azuri – the nine
For a course that’s less than 3 months old, the condition was surprisingly really good to play.
Designed by IMG, the opening and closing holes were the most interesting. The longest hole , no. 6 played from 135 to 190 meters, depending on your chosen tees.
We loved the huge dual flag greens to enable 18 holes of play.
Whilst we really did enjoy ourselves, we think the course needs to settle in and grow into its natural and manufactured habitat. The sight of the works around the course where houses will be built, was a bit of a scar on the overall appearance – A little more time would heal this.
If we had to chose one, the most fun hole was 9, over the water to a TPC Sawgrass esque green, but we also enjoyed the bunkers with their consistently gritty nice easy to play sand too.
The clubhouse comfort and menu choice was really good with great tasting quality food too. Again, great staff in the bar and restaurant area, with a lovely view overlooking the course whilst you dine or enjoy a cocktail.
We’ve scored an overall of 4 and a quarter out 5, we would definitely like to play it again once the houses have been built around the course.
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break whilst on holiday.
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Bowood Hotel Spa & Golf Resort, Wiltshire, UK
An imposing wall looms as the car (and driver) expertly thread their way through the apparent decreasing gap. A little breath in does little to help the width of the car, but does make me feel better with the walls closing in as we transcend into the grounds of Bowood.
On the other side, in tardis fashion the grounds open up and that split second of claustrophobia is quickly cleared as the drive through trees and past the golf course brings a smile to my face.
Drama over, we’d arrived at Bowood in Wiltshire for 18 holes of golf and an overnight stay. The covered floodlit driving range and a cute little 3 hole course which swept up and down the hills, offering in itself a quirky challenge with decent sized greens.
Pro shop staff were expecting us, the welcome was as warm as the small plate of food and drinks before we set off for our game of golf in the late autumn sunshine.
This Dave Thomas design was completed in 1991 as the official PGA course and Academy in South West England. Every hole was covered by bunkers for the approach with hole 3, a par 5 488/568 yards SI1/3 having a double crescent in front of the green. Being a par 5, you could always lay up and go for the fly over this double tier of bunkers, unless you like sand, then you can hop from one to the other before popping onto the green feeling slightly frustrated and a bit grittier than when you stood on the tee!
Bunkers were in play, but on hole 4 it was bunkers left and water right, narrowing the approach for this back to back par 5 460/573 yard SI7. Accuracy is your friend on this hole.
A shared green greets you on hole 5. With the green looming large, the bunker left shouldn’t really come into play if you favour the right hand bank, which gently slopes to the left on the approach. That said be mindful of the green sloping back to front and the pace of the greens. Luckily for us, the greens had been tined so laying up short was another way to score well on this high SI15 hole.
The other side of the shared green is hole 14, a par 4 SI14/12 308/412 yards.
Playing up 9 with the hotel and golf buildings to greet you in the far distance is always a pleasing sight, couple this with a comprehensive half way house, made a good end for the front nine which I can sum up with dog legs, water, sand, a bit more sand, the odd path crossing over and good fairways and decent greens.
Hole 11 with its little meandering brook to the right and slightly across the fairway to the almost dog leg right. Out of bounds to the right, which wasn’t really in play unless you decided to take on the corner, which in itself would be a risk and reward shot as the angle of the dog leg isn’t as acute as 90 degrees!
The short par 3 12th is an uphill shot, an extra club is needed to reach this two tier back to front sloping green, the short fairway is dissected by a brook, which, if you don’t have a range finder, can be misleading as it appears to shorten the holes length.
I did enjoy hole 15, from its elevated tee position. Not too dissimilar to 11, but instead playing 497/542 yards this par 5 SI2/6 was almost a 90 degree dog leg right. Hitting to the middle of the dog leg is optimum, but upon reaching the corner the course sweeps round right and a large tree is in the middle of the fairway. That said I loved these elevation changes and trying to keep the ball right, ie to the left of the tree, through what seemed to be the narrowest part for the shot to the green, was a good test of accuracy.
Hole 16 saw a big advantage for the forward tees, which played 355 yards as opposed to the back black tees at 449 yards. A tricky hole in so far as the forward tees took away any uphill shot or dog legs, however the back tees had it all in play for a blind shot to a sloping right to left fairway.
Homeward bound on hole 18, the end is within sight, the fairway quite wide and the water left as the fairway slightly shifts course to the right. A number of splodge bunkers and no time to rest on your laurels, even if the bar is within touching distance!
In summary, the course played well, the condition, even for that time of the year, was very good and the bunkers were plentiful! The tee boxes could do with some tlc in places, and as the greens had just been tined, were in the process of recovery, although they still kept their line. The elevation changes make this course more interesting and I’m sure it plays totally different in the height of summer.
Dinner bed and breakfast in the hotel that night was comfortable. The only negative I might throw out there was the cost of the drinks in the bar was quite high. The dinner was covered in the package, and whilst you could afford a starter, main and dessert, it was all the lower valued dishes. That said the food was plentiful and very tasty
Just before heading home the next day, we visited the onsite Performance Centre. Our group of 4 were given the opportunity to play some games against each other, which created a fun atmosphere. There were named courses to select and play too. Harry was our coach, he cajoled and laughed along with us – which was great to have him involved. Going on the body balance told its story, so armed with the information I need to transfer to my left foot more, there is no stopping me the next time I play golf!
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Youngstown Country Club
Home from home
A club with history, Youngstown was designed in 1911 by Walter Travis and redesigned in 1924 by Donald Ross. Walking into Youngstown I felt immediately comfortable.
No welcome committee, no open clubhouse, but just a sense of belonging. It would have been great to see the clubhouse with the heating on, in full swing to soak up the warmth and atmosphere that I could only imagine.
With the exception of cart paths mapped out like grey capillaries around the course, the course itself was akin to many English courses. Not that this was a problem – in fact it was quite nice to see the broad selection of golf courses available in Trumbull County and along the Penn Ohio Golf Trail.
Although there were slight elevation changes and carts were in use, I did think Youngstown would make a good walking course.
Hole 1 is a strong opening hole. An elevate tee box to a narrowing green between humps to a reachable in regulation par 4 hole of 390/375 yards. Once through the humps, the clubhouse blends into the background never to be see again until the 9th.
As many courses of that era, the course played nine out, nine in.
The sun was shining but not offering a lot of warmth that day. With the mottled skies whose cloud ranged from white to grey to blue were an artistic backdrop to the varied tall trees often lining the fairways.
Structural stone walls shape the 7th tee, giving a slight rise and of course the sense of being able to hit long and down the middle of this 312/512 par 5 SI 1/7 hole. A little water to the left of the tee came into play on hole nine.
Whilst not obsessed with bunkers, they were plentiful as shallow grainy patches in ball capturing landing positions, usually on the approach!
On reaching hole nine you understand the enormity of the water dissecting the tee box to the green. At only 94/145 yards the water was in play for most of the distance, offering a little bale out between the tee and the water. With such a big target green going for it was the way forward. However, hit too long meant a challenging putt back – downhill towards the water. Shallow bunkers right and left meant accuracy was also key. Once you’ve played this hole, don’t forget to look back towards the tee, and note the planting, spelling out the initials for Youngstown Country Club on the bank below the tee.
Youngstown was shaping up to be a really nice course.
The back of the 12th green, another par 3 was a large sculpture depicting the CYC logo – clearly thought had been put into the placement of such artwork to maximise the playing experience yet reminding you where you were.
Hole 13, whilst fairly nondescript off the tee came into its own the closer to the green you got. A narrowing as they fairway swayed first left then right before being met with a necklace of bunkers protecting the green. Offset by the changing colours of the trees made this a good visual hole to enjoy.
The 4th par 3 of the course came at hole 16. I’m choosing to mention this hole as it was a bit silly with its big green that sloped back to front and the hill being difficult to stop your ball on made putting a bit of a joke. I walked away with a 5 after going back and forth up and down the hill with one ball rolling back to my feet.
Everyone seems to remember the closing hole, and the 18th at Youngstown was no different. A par 4 of 279/455 yards, this SI4/8 hole was a good steady hole to finish. Tree lined and another large green with a protective bank behind. The clubhouse, of mock Tudor style eves stood on the hillock behind the green’s rear to welcome the golfers in – sadly we were whisked off and not given the opportunity to enjoy the clubhouse.
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The Grand Resort, Avalon Lakes, Squaw Creek, Ohio, USA
A lovey hotel and two great golf courses – nothing new about that – so bear with me whilst I try to explain why THIS particular golf resort is worth considering?
Playing part of the Penn Ohio Golf Trail, we were given the chance to stay at The Grand Resort in Warren, Ohio – given a rather grand name we are interested to see whether it lived up to its name.
White, sprawling and imposing – yep – Grand by title and Grand in statue. The opulence continued into the reception area, through the cigar bar and out the back to the pool side restaurant with the golf course beyond, before continuing the circle back through reception with a restaurant off to the left. A comprehensive wine cellar, tennis and a fitness centre is also available at The Grand.
The Golf
A clue in its name, Avalon Lakes golf course has, well, lots of water. But not too much that it became a slog, more an eye-pleasing vista which the water helped shape. Dating back to 1967, the course was redesigned and renovated by Pete Dye in 2001. With Dye’s intervention the course changes were drastic, moving 300,000 yards of earth and changing a flat course into one with more interest with gradients and undulations.
The day we played it was wet underfoot, the ball didn’t roll well giving relief or extra yardage off the tee and the atmosphere was damp. However, wet as it was, the greens held their own. They were pure with gentle, in places unsubtle sways were there to conquer. I guess the only niggle for me was the pin positions, with some being on top or part way up rises. Not at all easy to stop on the top before it came rolling back down the other side, or worse still came rolling back towards you. The greens were quite large though and getting to them was probably just as problematic that the actual putting. With the Pete Dye earth movement came mounds. Singularly or sometimes feeding into each other like upturned ice cream domes melting into one. Some mounds were a barrier for the approach to the green shot. Clever in its design, the mounds undulations and slight twists all rolled this up into a good thinking course.
Whilst there were many good holes, I would like to highlight a couple.
Hole 8, a par 3 of 129/244 yards SI 2/4, looked so innocuous off the tee. The green looked like a nice big target, but water left encroached into the fairway for the approach, narrowing its entrance. Going for the green was the only thing to do – hoping not to pull it left into the water.
I liked hole 11. A par 5 with its tee positions taking on the stretch of water. Standing on the tee, hitting it straight over the water along its shortest route is probably the most sensible thing to do, before dotting along the fairway and carefully plopping the ball on the green. But once crossed over, the strip of water laid along the fairways length on the right, it was just so inviting to try and close that watery angle and land further up the fairway. A good risk and reward shot with so many connotations.
Strong closing holes in 17 in 18. My notes of the par 4 17th; water right to a hidden green below, behind some bumps. The ball rolls towards the water once on the green too – pretty much sums it up. I thought this was a great hole, despite being blind for it approach.
On hole 18, a par 4 measuring 295/502 yards, a gutsy tee shot is required through the narrowing of trees on both sides, before the fairway opens up. The bunkers, water and the ever welcome clubhouse taunting you as crowds descend onto the green watching your near perfect approach shot land a foot from the pin – then you realise its just your golfing buddies watching and waiting to throw friendly banter. Interestingly, 18 is my first mention of bunkers – and what a hole to mention them on – as they were plentiful along the right hand side. Despite there being a few to navigate or avoid, none of them were that big!
Back to the hotel. We had a large suite to sprawl out in. Decorated in punchy browns with a back lit shimmer and accented with white woodwork to add contrast, made for a relaxing space.
Squaw Creek is the second course at The Grand Resort, only second in number though. We were shuttled the short distance to the course. With Avalon Lakes having the water, Squaw Creek has – you guessed it – creeks, like veins pulsing through the course. That said, even creeks end somewhere – and here was no exception as they filter into the odd lake which comes into play on a couple of the holes. The course opened in 1922 and is the oldest championship calibre course in the Mid West. Designed by Stanley Thompson, this parkland course is a great compliment to the Grand offerings.
The ground was very wet underfoot and cart path play was in force. An established true lined course has its disadvantages in the wet though. With the ground being so soft, it wasn’t unusual to lose a plugged ball in the ground. Large trees were a dominating feature of Squaw Creek, in fact so much so that on hole 7, a par 4 312/425 yards there was a large tree in the way of the optimum route of play from the forward tee, I noticed this on a couple of holes.
The greens were in great condition and rolled really well with nice subtle breaks. Again, as per Avalon Lakes, they too were not small.
In my opinion, the opening few holes were some of the best. Elevated tees, dog legs and creeks dissecting the undulating fairways. In contrast, whilst memorable, the 18th, a par 3 over water was, outside of the challenge of taking on the water, quite bland in appearance. The green sloped towards the water, so the skill here was to get over the water but land it short of the pin for an uphill putt.
On any other day, with it being so wet underfoot, I think this course would rank much higher than the day we played.
One thing to note, the green keepers had done a great job in clearly challenging conditions and their attention to detail was noted by their desire to make things look nice as well as play well. Careful considered planting was in place around the course which gave its overall appearance a softer appeal.
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Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland – may be best known as the medical capital of the world? Well maybe, maybe not. But no injuries were sustained in the writing of this article or filming for our You Tube channel – so we honestly couldn’t tell you whether that is right or not!
Cleveland is in the North East of Ohio and sits on southern shores of Lake Erie. Canada is just the other side of the lake – not that close really, as Lake Erie is huge!!
Driving to Cleveland, near Akron is the beautiful unspoilt Cuyahoga Valley National Park. A welcome break on the short journey to Cleveland to refresh and align in nature. Being on the Cuyahoga River, peace is personified as the water passes in and around the park being interrupted only by the train noisily chugging into various stations for visitors to disembark and explore the park.
Naturally there are historical places to visit, Hale Farm & Village is one such place where buildings have been preserved dating back to pioneers days. A vague familiarity ensued with visions you see on television. Clapboard structures, and large porches wrapping around the house embracing its warmth in one big hug. Being a living museum there were people spinning wool and guides dressed in period costume offering tales of the buildings, the living conditions and the families themselves. Happily this wasn’t done to excess, just enough to give you a feel and appreciation.
In stark contrast we have Stan Hywet Hall and Garden, a clear display of wealth and good fortune. Amusingly to us, parts of this brick built house was modelled on a house we used to visit with our children with a picnic on our bikes sitting in the ground of Ockwells Manor. A predetermined route takes you on a journey around Stan Hywet making sure you see pretty much everything. Another source of amusement was, on hearing our accents the discussion soon turned to … wait for it… Harry Potter!
The gardens were a delight though clearly taking inspiration from Italy, England and of course adding their own personality too.
Arriving into Cleveland we checked into the Kimpton Schofield Hotel. On the surface of it, this could have been any business mans hotel, with Betts bar and restaurant to the side. Despite its small reception area, the rooms were comfortable and a good size and surprisingly not that noisy even though we were in the thick of things in Cleveland city! We loved the bathroom with it dual access centred around a shower in the middle. Two basins, one either side of the shower was good way to use up a long space. But maybe not so great when you share a toothpaste giving two options – splash through the residual water from the shower, or go around through the bedroom to the other door to retrieve it. Good fun though.
It seemed every type of museum is in Cleveland, making it a place to satisfy all family members. Our first stop was to the Baseball Heritage Museum. A quick interesting tour then out on to the field at League Park- not as big as it looks on television, but just as impressive in other ways.
Little Italy springs up in many towns and Cleveland is no exception. Lunch was at Maxi’s Restaurant and to be honest some of the tastiest Italian food Ive ever eaten. Like a veneer ending carousel the food kept appearing through those kitchen doors, one tasty dish after another, until we were ready to walk it all back off again!
Then onto the Cleveland Museum of Art. A big imposing white building and a wonderful way to pay homage to the variety and diversity of art – we didn’t really have enough time to take a good look around, but it seemed every category, age and type of art was available for the curious.
The Cleveland History Centre was next and again a bit of a whistle stop tour. First appearance is of the life-size carousel in the window. Notably the lower floor was home to a large display of cars little boys and girls dream about. From Morgan to DeLorean – all polished up, ready to go.
Next up the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A building over multiple levels going through the history of rock and roll. Themed music aiding the transportation from one era to the next as you were dazzled along its route. Cleveland is a rock and roll place in many ways, there are even large guitars dotted around the city, all telling a story.
That evening was one to remember as Steve’s first baseball game and it was a biggie with the Cleveland Guardians playing against the Kansas Royals to reaffirm their place in the play-off’s. The atmosphere was electric as one interval followed the next and concessions of every variety was on offer. During one interval instructions were given to stand and stretch out- funny, but on reflection, quite sensible as you’re sat on hard seats in the cold for a time! Even though we may not know the rules or intricacies of baseball, the atmosphere alone carried us along for an enjoyable evening as the sun set in a spectacular fashion over the stadium.
As the sun set in the distance you could make out the former Ohio Bell, now AT&T, building. It is rumoured to be the inspiration of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who grew up in Cleveland as the iconic Daily Planet skyscraper in the famous Superman stories.
A great end to a long but enlightening day. Being country folk, Cleveland was growing on us.
After a good nights sleep, day two yield a breakfast selection in Betts, the cafe/restaurant in the lobby of the Kimpton Schofield Hotel. A quick walk across the road to the Heinen building was an easy start. We could see this building from our room and it spiked interest with its imposing stone structure and domed roof. The inside of the dome with its coloured glass and a balcony circumnavigating it came alive with the bright sunshine outside. Off the circular balcony, like an octopuses tentacles reaching, out was a wine selection from all around the world. Downstairs were up-market shopping stalls skilfully displaying all manor of treats and more.
A quick scout around the West Side market and city farm – enough time to buy some jerky and embrace the sights and sounds of this bustling indoor market, before a hearty lunch at Lakes Brewery, a modern gastro pub style restaurant with really nice food.
Sadly the Metropark sailing experience was abandoned due to the high winds, so no scheduled walk and no getting into the boats on Lake Erie. Instead we were given a lecture about the history of the art deco building and the organisation, which in that cold building did seem to go on a bit – but was interesting – in small doses.
By now we were getting quite cold, so a quick and sensible change of plan took us to West Bank Golf Club, and indoor centre for some golf on the simulators. As we were golfers, this suited us all very well, that and the accompanying doughnuts gave us some rest time to reflect on Cleveland.
Our final dinner was at Mabel’s BBQ. Famed for its BBQ sauces, we relished the hosting and cocktails served alongside a hearty BBQ selection. Such a great final night in a large, almost industrial, restaurant built to entertain with its shared trestle tables.
We took a divert to enjoy a weekend in Cleveland, but if you’re going for golf, there are around 60 in the area, and of course more on the end Ohio Golf Trail
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Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio, USA
Firestone Country Club
Akron, Ohio
As we were in the area playing the Penn Ohio Golf Trail, we took an overnight diversion to Firestone.
Firestone is in Akron County and is very easy to factor in when playing the trail, although not part of it. Arriving we were shown to our room – when I say room, it was one a few in a separate building – there were a number of these building dotted around the estate and each housed good quality, large rooms all within a short walk of the main clubhouse.
Our room overlook the North Golf Courses. There are three 18 hole golf courses on site with building already underway to create a multi storey, Big Shots indoor fun driving range experience for all. Arrival day was our main drone filming day. Just as we finished filming the heavens opened – not just a gentle sprinkle but a torrent by the bucket load the water fell from the sky in a tropical rainstorm fashion.
Firestone golf as founded by Harvey Firestone of Firestone Tyres fame when he commissioned the park for employees. The South Course was complete in the same year. The Original Bert Way design was given a facelift by Robert Trent Jones in 1960 in readiness for the PGA Championship. RTJ added a further 50 bunkers and 2 lakes and extended the course yardage to 7,400 yard, just as it is today.
We only played the South Course.
The iconic water tower, which itself resembles a golf ball on a tee, poked its head above the prolific trees as an omnipresent icon for all in the area. In 1959 this 125 foot structure was completed – after the clubhouse was destroyed by fire. Holding 50,000 gallons of water, the tower was drained in the 1990’s – however, the structure remains to this day as an iconic landmark and a nice reminder for Firestones groundbreaking history when bring golf alive on television.
It was an early start which exaggerated the cool morning dew as the sun reluctantly rose and eventually broke through the haze clinging to the ground, hanging over from the previous days rain.
Despite this atmospheric mist biting at our ankles, nothing else could dampen our spirits as we set off down the 10th hole. It’s always a bit disconcerting when you start on the 10th, but fortunately, we had been able to do some filing the day before, so we’d got a good feel for the course layout.
Looking at the back of the score card, the course does look a bit ‘uppy downy’, but in reality when playing it, you really didn’t get that sense at all as the course guided you along its routing. Slight dog legs left or right came into play but otherwise the course was reasonably straight – of course that didn’t mean we played it straight!
As the sky blued up and the sun started to lend some heat the course came alive. Enhanced by the slight change in colour for the trees, this was fast becoming a course I could understand why it has such positive accolades.
Despite the wet ground underfoot, the greens rolled exceptionally well – and quick with just subtle, hard to read movements, they were in great condition.
This course had the type of bunkers others would aspire to – nice soft sand of such good, easy to play quality. An analogy that was shared by the fore caddy when questioned about the sand condition, he said, ‘the sand is less table salt and more Himalayan crystal salt’ Whichever way you look at it, the sand played consistently nicely.
The infamous16th hole, Firestones signature hole. With the equally iconic Arnold Palmer bridge which crossed over the dark water to the green. This par 5 measured 465/667 yards with a 12 handicap. With the approach shot having the stretch of water in play, there was no option than to just go for it, so we did – with mixed results. Steve stuck his approach next to the pin, I stuck mine in the water! Understanding now how this hole has been nicknamed ‘The Monster’ by Palmer himself and three time winner in 1957, 1962 and 1967.
As we reached our half way point, the water tower came back into sight, signifying an end, or in our case, half way round the game.
Playing 18, a small plaque reminds us of Tiger Woods ‘Shot in the Dark’ 167 yard 8 iron at 825pm… That superb shot straight at the pin and an easy tap in, brings him the win, 11 ahead of the rest of the field at the NEC Invitational.
The wide fairway theme continued into our second nine, wide fairways with trees embracing varying stages of autumn – large but not dense woodlands, the trees framed the fairways as if marking a landing strip.
The enthusiasm and knowledge of our fore caddy made the day special, he expertly divided his time between us, yet seemed to be on hand for each of us, despite the scatter gun approach of our differing playing abilities. A quality player in every way.
Hole three, a relatively easy par 4 of 323/442 yards carried a 15 handicap. With it came more water upon which slight ripples were starting to form. But over the water you must go to reach the green and this time I triumphed over Steve. An arch bridge traversed the expenses of water as the white fluffy clouds fringed with grey went shooting by. Even stood onto 4th tee, a glance backward give its own rewards for golfers to treasure with the reflective water, the bridge, the lush green course and trees and the blue and dotted white sky.
As if entering a fire station, the big bold numbers framed in red stood by each tee, simple – yet elegant. In contrast the almost black in colour of the wet tree trunks stood out against the vivid blue and greens of the course. A kaleidoscope of colour to tackle your senses.
Little history making stories bring Firestone alive, but more than that, it appeals to all golfers, old and new.
Firestone still lights the fire for many golfers and is set to continue to do so for many more years to come.
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