Colorado WRX 2023

[ASak10]

Played at CG today and holy cow was the course dead!  I was shocked for an 80 degree day in April.  Buddy and I walked 18 in 4 hours as a twosome.  Greens were great, not aerated or anything. I need more rounds like that in my life 🙂 I also shot a 76.  Good start to the year.  

[CDM]

Metropolitan Golf Club:

So it finally happened the weather caught us.  Constant Rain...!  *It finally stopped around hole 17.  The rain there is interesting as it is not a major hit,  but more constant and semi light but you get soaked fast as it is dense if that makes sense.  Lucky though there is not a lot of wind associated when it rains.

 

Another great course. Starting to realize how good the golf in this area is compared to what we play. Public or private.

 

Metro has been around a long time and has some the best bunkering layout on course tee to green I have seen. Well positioned and provides risk-reward on tee shots and approaches.  A pretty flat piece of property. The flatest we played on the trip.

 

Metro is know for its conditioning.  Fairways were excellent and you could get some excellent contact/spin on the ball on short chip shots. Hop and stop on little 40 yard chips, even less distance actually.  Putting was pure but I would not say the greens were the best we putted on during out trip. Royal Auckland or PK greens were the best.

 

Don was an awesome host and was one the first member I spoke with about the tirp and was super helpful in helping plan some the tirp aspects.   

 

Overall Metro is a great course and very fun to play.  The core of Metro GC is golf and hanging with your "mates".  You could see it at the club there are groups of 12+ that get together and play and hang out after each round/comp.  I would say of all the courses we played Metro has more of a group of friends feel to a club then any other.  It is about playing and enjoying your time with the people you like to play with.  Great Vibe. 

 

Scoring wise 3 out the 4 of use all shot the same score in the rain. 84.  I would say Metro when not raining would be a really fun course that you could score on.  Helps  when you are not standing over a shot and having water running down the brim of your hat and down your neck  😃 .  *Thank god for Goretex rain grear / hats...! Side note I did forget my umbrealla like an idiot so was happy I picked one up at Barnbougle..!

 

*I did not get a lot of picture of Metro based on the on - off again rain.  

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by CDM

[CDM]

KINSTON HEATH:

Final Round..... 

 

There is a lot of debate of what is the best course in Australia.  Royal Melbourne or Kinston Heath.   I can see why this debate exist.  Royal Melbourne list higher but talk about splitting hairs. 

 

Luke was our host, fantastic guy..!!! 8 HDCP but plays way better. He has 3 young daughters (7 and down) so as of now he only gets out 2, maybe 3 times a month to play.  *Bummer as being a member at KH would make you want to get out all the time. 

 

The course is an amazing layout / routing of long and short holes.  A lot of risk / reward.  False fronts, etc. 

 

We played a lot of fantastic courses on this trip but this might be my favorite of the trip.  Barny Dunes, Royal Melbourne and Kinston Heath are all amazing courses and it is a coin toss.  Dunes and KH are just sooo much fun to play so tough to pick. Royal Melbourne is amazing but a course that demands 100% focus and all aspects of the game all the time.  RM is hands down the pureist test of golf you might ever play but also can be very penial when you are just smidge off.  

 

Kinston Heath had features of false fronts like RM but more gentle in nature which we did not see much on the trip.  Barny Dunes did have false fronts but that was based on topography more so then design.   The par 3's at KH IMHO was the best combination of any course we played.  Great short/mid and long par 3's.   

 

One thing is you do not need driver or woods off the tee. You can hit 5 Iron / hybrid on a number of holes to get yourself a mid iron appraoch. That said you can take on the risk/reward and go with a wood/driver and leave yourself with a 50-60 yard chip but the risk is there if you miss and will cost you a double minimum.   

 

Greens were pure as expected and had some very subtle movement that would catch you by surprise at times.   

 

KH is not short by any means so do not be fooled by hitting 5 Iron off some tees.  That was just to avoid the risk. If you are deadly accurate with driver or 3 wood then it works but miss and you are in trouble.  Long hitters love this course for the options. 

 

Tiger played KH in 2009 in the AUS Masters and shot 66 opening day and then 68 twice and 72 to win.  So not an easy course by any means just a great test of what your willing to "bite off".   

 

Kinston Heath is up for thg Presidents Cup in 2028 and now playing here I hope they get it..! The layout, routing along with the risk reward aspects will make for an aweosme match play course..!  

 

This is a course I would hands down say if you in the area you must play if you can.  It is worth its ranking.  

 

When we walked off the 18th all us agreed that KH is a course you could play every day and be happy to do so.  

 

I should note they also added a wicked looking short game course that was not open yet but shold be soon.   

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by CDM

[Joelness]

20 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

 

E-mail was sent this morning.

 

 

https://view.contact-client.com/Addons.mvc/Addons/ViewInBrowser?v=Yakntv7JwE9GQEzws%2bFWGO5MI%2bs9D2Iws3OVoTxMHUR0lLpfC%2bwFJ0j5P7atNW3vkRPXaDw2Pds%3d

 

Wow. Sunday night over Memorial Day weekend is $349, but I'm sure tee sheet is already full for Memorial Day.

 

I'm going to be at the Broadmoor all week for Space Symposium. I won't be staying at the hotel but it doesn't mean I can't jump on as a single.

[Dancin]

5 minutes ago, Joelness said:

 

I'm going to be at the Broadmoor all week for Space Symposium. I won't be staying at the hotel but it doesn't mean I can't jump on as a single.

Good luck with that. 😀   If it was still winter I think you might actually be able to get away with it depending upon who is working in the pro shop. Once out of many times when I was staying there in winter I didn't bother calling from the room and walked in and asked if I could get out walking and since they don't charge anything in winter for golf unless you get a cart, they didn't bother asking who I was and just said go ahead. Usually they ask for your name and look it up in the system though.

[dubbelbogey]

Just played Riverdale Dunes.

 

In all the many years I've played this course (and it's one of my favorites), I've never seen it in this sort of rough condition. 

 

It doesn't look beyond repair, but it's going to take some time and work, I would guess.

 

Anybody know what's going on here?

[ASak10]

I think most courses, at least from what I’ve seen so far, are going to be in rough shape as they get over the winter we had. I played Fossil Trace yesterday and while it wasn’t in bad shape, it certainly wasn’t good. Greens were aerated April 3 and were still recovering, fairways had some really rough patches, and they were replacing parts of some greens completely. Murphy Creek recently shut the front 9 down for a few weeks to help the greens recover I think.  So hopefully courses recover quickly! 

[Dancin]

Riverdale Dunes was torn up a little for some pipe work last year. The ground needs to warm up before the grass can grow. By mid May everywhere should be good.

 

Biggest issue is courses have been packed before the grass can grow this year which is tearing them up. I live down the street from Legacy Ridge and the parking lot has been overflowing all day if the temperature is over 60. They were parking on neighborhood side streets across the street from the parking lot yesterday since the lot was full. I've never seen that on a weekday where there isn't a tournament.

[Joelness]

1 hour ago, dubbelbogey said:

Just played Riverdale Dunes.

 

In all the many years I've played this course (and it's one of my favorites), I've never seen it in this sort of rough condition. 

 

It doesn't look beyond repair, but it's going to take some time and work, I would guess.

 

Anybody know what's going on here?

 

I saw it in pretty bad shape 2-3 years ago coming out of winter. I was amazed how quickly they recovered. We had a really rough winter this year, with our grounds crew at Fox shoveling greens off to prevent winter kill some days. Riverdale has a CO golf hall of fame superintendent with Dee-Anne. Don't worry, you'll likely be shocked as I was how fast it recovers once the soil temps come up enough to get the grass growing full time.

 

Luckily out at Fox Hill they did a great job with the greens and we don't have any winter kill, which is rare considering all the shade we get on some of our greens. I have noticed a lot of snow mold in the fairways though (pinkish dead grass patches.)

 

45 minutes ago, Dancin said:

Riverdale Dunes was torn up a little for some pipe work last year. The ground needs to warm up before the grass can grow. By mid May everywhere should be good.

 

Biggest issue is courses have been packed before the grass can grow this year which is tearing them up. I live down the street from Legacy Ridge and the parking lot has been overflowing all day if the temperature is over 60. They were parking on neighborhood side streets across the street from the parking lot yesterday since the lot was full. I've never seen that on a weekday where there isn't a tournament.

 

Great observation on this one. With the rough winter everyone is so antsy to get out and play that the courses are getting too much usage before the soil temps come up enough for recovery. We won't see full growth in the grass until soil temps come up into the 50's. While spring has finally arrived our daily lows are still in the 30's most days. Soil temps track much closer to our night time lows so don't expect to see too much recovery until our regular lows are in the mid-40's minimum.

 

This all comes from picking the brain of my best buddy, the new superintendent at Broken Tee Jeremiah Stumpff. I always have a million questions when we play together and he's an awesome source of knowledge.

[Joelness]

Speaking of, Jeremiah is even storing my new golf cart at the shop because he was the closest to the guy I bought it from that had a trailer. I paid his mechanic (mostly in beer) to get an automatic water fill system in and up the maximum speed from the stupendously slow 12 mph to now 19.7 mph.

 

The wife an I have been looking for a cheap second cart for a few months now so we don't have to coordinate everything when we want to play with friends and not each other. It took a while but I finally found an awesome deal on craigslist for a 2013 club car in perfect shape with batteries that only had 15 rounds on them. That Jeremiah is the best and on less than 12h notice met me there to check it out, tell me I wouldn't find a better deal, and take it away on a trailer for me back to Broken Tee.

 

Only $4k!!!! Came with all the attachments (cooler, club cleaner, locking compartments and even a cart cover.) The only other thing I need is a heat gun to take off the BYU logos....

[Dancin]

Ha. You will be the first person I know with two personal golf carts. You need some kids to cut into your golf time.

[pseudoswede]

I hit some balls at Lone Tree yesterday (still on mats...blah). From my view from the range, as well as being able to see 2, 4, 5, and 6 driving on Lone Tree Parkway--the course in general looks to be in pretty shaggy shape. Both practice putting greens are in pristine shape.

[TheKrushh]

8 minutes ago, pseudoswede said:

I hit some balls at Lone Tree yesterday (still on mats...blah). From my view from the range, as well as being able to see 2, 4, 5, and 6 driving on Lone Tree Parkway--the course in general looks to be in pretty shaggy shape. Both practice putting greens are in pristine shape.

HR is in pretty decent shape, some fairway burn but overall really good. They have been rolling their greens (almost every morning from what I can see from my window) and when I played last week, they are FAST for this time of year.

[Joelness]

10 hours ago, Dancin said:

Ha. You will be the first person I know with two personal golf carts. You need some kids to cut into your golf time.

 

Do I?!? I beg to differ

 

Side note: Spend more time at Fox hill and you'll meet a lot more than just us with two carts

Edited April 14, 2023 by Joelness

[thaar]

Been traveling lately and busy when I'm home so golf has been minimal at best. I leave town this week where it's golf weather, only to return to cold and a potential of snow. To add insult, this week I was in Miami where it pretty much rained the entire time I was there. I can't win lol.

 

Thankfully I wasn't slightly further north in Ft Lauderdale. In a 24hr period, they received nearly 26" of rain!

[Joelness]

1 hour ago, thaar said:

Been traveling lately and busy when I'm home so golf has been minimal at best. I leave town this week where it's golf weather, only to return to cold and a potential of snow. To add insult, this week I was in Miami where it pretty much rained the entire time I was there. I can't win lol.

 

Thankfully I wasn't slightly further north in Ft Lauderdale. In a 24hr period, they received nearly 26" of rain!

 

Same here big guy! I've been in New Smyrna Beach since last Friday. Finally heading home tomorrow.

[RobotDoctor]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:52 PM, Joelness said:

 

Same here big guy! I've been in New Smyrna Beach since last Friday. Finally heading home tomorrow.

@Joelness, sorry I missed you on this trip.  My back has recovered now but I traveled to Joplin, MO today for a week of work.  Maybe next trip we can get together and play a round.  I am also going to have to take a pass playing the Collindale Invitational this year as I will be returning home from a 2 week project in Texas on Saturday.  Hopefully this will project will come to an end as well.  I'll give Courtney a call and ask her to keep me on the email list for 2024.  I am definitely planning on returning to the Arctic Tundra to play in the Invitational.  😉

 

Safe travels back to Colorado.

Edited April 16, 2023 by RobotDoctor

[ztull]

Does anyone know what time the 90 day advance tee times at CommonGround come online? I need to book a block for a work outing, I want to be one of the first people on there (I called the shop, the dude didn't know).

[ztull]

I just joined Meridian (based on some advice I got in this forum!!) and wrote a blog about it.

https://straightgross.com/2023/04/15/folding-it-up/

DM if you want to get out this summer, I'd like to meet more of you...

[golf4pj]

On 4/3/2023 at 10:03 AM, pseudoswede said:

Jeebus those courses look amazing. Shame you had to miss out on seeing the Australian GP--will probably end up being the craziest race of the season.

 

I'm probably booking City Park next Monday for my birthday PTO, and I just noticed that Kennedy switched up the 18 to Babe Lind and West nines. Interesting.

 

I play Kennedy a few times a month, the Pro Shop told me the Babe-Lind to West was a winter set-up, as West is more open and the snow melts faster there.  So I expect they'll switch it back to the Babe-Lind to Creek after the aeration this week.

I played there yesterday (Friday), went off at 8:30am, finished about 15 minutes before the snow started at Noon.  It was definitely chilly and there was some intermittent misty type rain, but not enough to pull out the umbrella or rain cover.  Waking up this morning and seeing snow on the grass, glad I got a round in.  Looks today will be a simulator day of golf for me.  Hmmm, maybe I'll fire up Harbour Town.  Haven't "played" that one in years.

 

[smoova]

13 hours ago, ztull said:

I just joined Meridian (based on some advice I got in this forum!!) and wrote a blog about it.

https://straightgross.com/2023/04/15/folding-it-up/

DM if you want to get out this summer, I'd like to meet more of you...

I'm considering joining this year (I think Tim said the wait list will likely clear by May 15).  Will definitely ping you if I get signed up since it looks like we have some common interests.  

[golf4pj]

3 hours ago, golf4pj said:

I play Kennedy a few times a month, the Pro Shop told me the Babe-Lind to West was a winter set-up, as West is more open and the snow melts faster there.  So I expect they'll switch it back to the Babe-Lind to Creek after the aeration this week.

I played there yesterday (Friday), went off at 8:30am, finished about 15 minutes before the snow started at Noon.  It was definitely chilly and there was some intermittent misty type rain, but not enough to pull out the umbrella or rain cover.  Waking up this morning and seeing snow on the grass, glad I got a round in.  Looks today will be a simulator day of golf for me.  Hmmm, maybe I'll fire up Harbour Town.  Haven't "played" that one in years.

 

Hah, shows what I know.  South Suburban is open and I just snagged an 11:30am tee time.  Off to the course soon...

[ztull]

1 hour ago, whitemb said:

I'm considering joining this year (I think Tim said the wait list will likely clear by May 15).  Will definitely ping you if I get signed up since it looks like we have some common interests.  

Yeah let’s play!!

 

I’m 11 on the waitlist, Tim told me May 1 - June 1.

[golf4pj]

I snagged an 8:10am tee time on Sunday at Aurora Hills.  I got it for 2, and my buddy just bailed on me.

Anyone interested?

[Joelness]

On 4/14/2023 at 7:33 PM, RobotDoctor said:

@Joelness, sorry I missed you on this trip.  My back has recovered now but I traveled to Joplin, MO today for a week of work.  Maybe next trip we can get together and play a round.  I am also going to have to take a pass playing the Collindale Invitational this year as I will be returning home from a 2 week project in Texas on Saturday.  Hopefully this will project will come to an end as well.  I'll give Courtney a call and ask her to keep me on the email list for 2024.  I am definitely planning on returning to the Arctic Tundra to play in the Invitational.  😉

 

Safe travels back to Colorado.

 

No worries man, maybe I will catch you again in the fall.

 

Fun story, on Saturday before heading back I meant to book a time at Cypress Head (go play it) and for some reason booked The Preserve at Turnbull bay. Wow, was that the worst mistake I've made in a while. Turnbull bay was the worst goat track I've played conditions-wise (at least haystack knew they were haystack.) Don't ever go there, ever. Several years ago I got robbed on a dunk hole in one there when it ended up landing on the inside edge of the cup liner and bouncing off the green. This time my wife lips out a hole in one on the same hole.

 

Played Fox Hill today and those greens are prime compared to anything we played in FL. They were a smooth 11 today with a little firmness. We do have two greens that got hurt a bit ice-wise so they will be needle tined this spring.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Joelness

[RobotDoctor]

5 hours ago, Joelness said:

 

No worries man, maybe I will catch you again in the fall.

 

Fun story, on Saturday before heading back I meant to book a time at Cypress Head (go play it) and for some reason booked The Preserve at Turnbull bay. Wow, was that the worst mistake I've made in a while. Turnbull bay was the worst goat track I've played conditions-wise (at least haystack knew they were haystack.) Don't ever go there, ever. Several years ago I got robbed on a dunk hole in one there when it ended up landing on the inside edge of the cup liner and bouncing off the green. This time my wife lips out a hole in one on the same hole.

 

Played Fox Hill today and those greens are prime compared to anything we played in FL. They were a smooth 11 today with a little firmness. We do have two greens that got hurt a bit ice-wise so they will be needle tined this spring.

I played a course in Kissimmee on the Sunday before the Masters called Falcon’s Fire.  We were a 2:00 tee time ($40) and all tee times before was $120.   The course was busy up until our time.  This course was the worst I’ve played in Florida, let alone in many years anywhere.  Charging $40 was robbery but $120 was absolutely highway robbery.  If I’d have paid the higher rate I would have walked off after the second or third hole and demanded my money back.  A buddy of mine returned the cart and was asked how the course was by a the pro there.  My buddy told him maybe they might think of watering the tee boxes (almost all dirt) and using the entire green for hole locations instead of reusing the same areas.  He also mentioned the many crabgrass sprouts on the greens.   All the pro could come back with is that “water is a commodity.”   No kidding !!!!!!  
 

I’m just shocked that a goat track like this can exist in Florida when all they have to do is dig a well to tap into the aquifer, as Florida has many especially in the middle of the state.  Glad to hear Fox Hill is looking good.  April is a great month for golf in Colorado.  Courses will be turning into great condition in the next 3-4 weeks.  By mid-May courses will be stellar!!!!

[Hardrain]

On 4/14/2023 at 8:29 PM, ztull said:

I just joined Meridian (based on some advice I got in this forum!!) and wrote a blog about it.

https://straightgross.com/2023/04/15/folding-it-up/

DM if you want to get out this summer, I'd like to meet more of you...

Thanks for sharing this blog, I really enjoyed it. I was in the same boat a couple years ago and ultimately decided to join a club to better enable my kids to learn and enjoy the game. We did First Tee and Op36 type programs but at the end of the day it simply became impossible to play actual golf with a young kid on a public course. I couldn't even book a 615 pm twilight tee time without the course being packed and getting paired up with other folks who weren't thrilled to share the tee time with a 7 year old. One late afternoon I booked a 530 pm tee time for 9 holes for my family of 4 (with carts - kids too young/slow to walk then). It cost well over $100 and we were rushed by the marshalls the whole time (despite the fact that I never see the same marshalls rush slow adult groups). It was a tough experience and led to pulling the trigger on a club.

 

It is sad that it is so difficult to get out with kids. I wish public courses would set aside tee times for only groups with kids but that's probably a pipedream (or those times will be Tuesdays at 2 pm - people work!)

[ztull]

18 hours ago, Joelness said:

 

No worries man, maybe I will catch you again in the fall.

 

Fun story, on Saturday before heading back I meant to book a time at Cypress Head (go play it) and for some reason booked The Preserve at Turnbull bay. Wow, was that the worst mistake I've made in a while. Turnbull bay was the worst goat track I've played conditions-wise (at least haystack knew they were haystack.) Don't ever go there, ever. Several years ago I got robbed on a dunk hole in one there when it ended up landing on the inside edge of the cup liner and bouncing off the green. This time my wife lips out a hole in one on the same hole.

 

Played Fox Hill today and those greens are prime compared to anything we played in FL. They were a smooth 11 today with a little firmness. We do have two greens that got hurt a bit ice-wise so they will be needle tined this spring.

RIP Hatstack 😢

[ztull]

2 hours ago, Hardrain said:

Thanks for sharing this blog, I really enjoyed it. I was in the same boat a couple years ago and ultimately decided to join a club to better enable my kids to learn and enjoy the game. We did First Tee and Op36 type programs but at the end of the day it simply became impossible to play actual golf with a young kid on a public course. I couldn't even book a 615 pm twilight tee time without the course being packed and getting paired up with other folks who weren't thrilled to share the tee time with a 7 year old. One late afternoon I booked a 530 pm tee time for 9 holes for my family of 4 (with carts - kids too young/slow to walk then). It cost well over $100 and we were rushed by the marshalls the whole time (despite the fact that I never see the same marshalls rush slow adult groups). It was a tough experience and led to pulling the trigger on a club.

 

It is sad that it is so difficult to get out with kids. I wish public courses would set aside tee times for only groups with kids but that's probably a pipedream (or those times will be Tuesdays at 2 pm - people work!)

Thank you for this!! What club did you end up at? 

[TheKrushh]

Golf is in a weird spot with how busy it is. I know on the grand scheme with generational turnover and all that stuff how things work but it is amazing the people that have been attracted to the game the last few years. 

 

I've been mostly playing out of Highlands ranch the last 12 or so years and the changeover from who you would think of as the traditional golfer to the modern, expansive, inclusive group that's playing these days is very distinct. 

The most interesting thing is the lack of respect and the entitlement that has come in to the game. I have many, many examples that I could share but it's really fascinating to me that as golf has changed so has the "rules" we play by. I'm not saying it's more or worse than it used to be but it's very different now.

Edited April 18, 2023 by TheKrushh