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|
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
432 |
4 |
9 |
| Plainfield |
421 |
4 |
9 |
| Ross |
421 |
4 |
9 |
| Hillside |
410 |
4 |
9 |
| Calkins |
404 |
5 |
9 |
| Club |
345 |
5 |
9 |
What a terrific opening hole and a great introduction to the course! Ross wanted the ball to move along the ground but this is a good example of a fairway that had become too narrow, so we widened it on the left side, which is the best side for approach to the green. We also expanded the collar to the right of the green. Before we did that, if you missed the green to the right you were dead. We also put in chipping areas, which give you the options of putting, chipping, pitching or hitting a high flop shot as opposed to just gouging the ball out of the rough. We also removed the trees behind the green, which is something we did on several of the holes. They were not part of the original Ross design and they provided depth perception that ran counter to Ross's philosophy.
They eliminated an element of strategy because it reduced a player's sense of doubt, which is what good architects try to instill. Removing trees is always controversial but it is an important part of renovating a Ross course.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
443 |
4 |
3 |
| Plainfield |
437 |
4 |
3 |
| Ross |
425 |
4 |
3 |
| Hillside |
425 |
4 |
3 |
| Calkins |
425 |
5 |
7 |
| Club |
350 |
5 |
7 |
This is a strong hole that plays downhill off the ridge top, and the ground falls away to the left. Fairway bunkers are in play on the left side 270-295 yards off the tee. We really wanted to allow for a wider dispersion of tee shots. During the Barclays, a lot of the guys went with 3-woods off the tee. The green is turtle-backed with a false front. It has beautiful bunkering on both the left and right sides of the green, with pot bunkers on the left and larger bunkers on the right.This is a hole where we restored the original Ross complex of bunkers, which were much more intricate and thoughtful than the evolved configuration that we inherited. There's a chipping area to the left of the putting surface that will see a lot of play. This is another hole where we removed the trees behind the green, taking away the artificial backdrop and opening up views to the beautiful third hole.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
196 |
3 |
15 |
| Plainfield |
164 |
3 |
15 |
| Ross |
164 |
3 |
15 |
| Hillside |
150 |
3 |
15 |
| Calkins |
118 |
3 |
17 |
| Club |
91 |
3 |
17 |
This is a beautiful par 3 over water. We simplified the tee complex by re-arranging the tees to give players a better view of the water. The hole is all about the green. Shots that land short or right of the green will roll back into the water because the grass is closely mown, while any shot that is long will leave a player with a difficult recovery or a nasty putt because the green slopes from back to front. It is crucial that your tee shot finds the right location on the putting surface.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
326 |
4 |
13 |
| Plainfield |
295 |
4 |
13 |
| Ross |
268 |
4 |
13 |
| Hillside |
268 |
4 |
13 |
| Calkins |
262 |
4 |
5 |
| Club |
190 |
4 |
5 |
This is really a great hole but it was the first hole we made some big changes on, and if they had been viewed as a failure, it may have been the end of our project. We removed trees down the left side of the hole and restored some pot bunkers in the top of the ridge that had been removed due to the introduction of the trees. The green is most accessible from the left side of the landing area, so the aggressive line down the left that flirts with the out of bounds, opens up the best angle. We added a back tee to make the hole more interesting given the modern technology of today's players. This is a great example of the multi-dimensional nature of a Ross design. The strategic possibilities are almost endless, based on the decision the player makes on the tee.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
527 |
5 |
5 |
| Plainfield |
509 |
5 |
5 |
| Ross |
509 |
5 |
5 |
| Hillside |
490 |
5 |
5 |
| Calkins |
434 |
5 |
1 |
| Club |
349 |
5 |
1 |
No. 5 is an eagle-birdie hole and it was interesting to see how aggressive the guys were during The Barclays. The tee shot is mostly blind and plays slightly uphill and then continues the climb uphill through some interesting terrain, to the green for approach. The fairway slopes from left to right but a line of cross bunkers about 50 yards from the green will force long hitters to think twice before electing to try and reach the putting surface in two. If you decide to lay up with your second shot, the best angle for your third shot is from the left, close to the out of bounds. The green slopes from back to right and there is a closely mown pitching area to the right of the green. We took out some trees on the left to bring the out of bounds into play, and open up the best angle of approach. The original Ross green was a punchbowl design but because of drainage problems, the club brought in Geoffrey Cornish to rebuild the green and today's players will play to that green. The other change we made to this hole was to lower the tees and move them back to add 8-10 yards to the hole.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
164 |
3 |
17 |
| Plainfield |
141 |
3 |
17 |
| Ross |
141 |
3 |
17 |
| Hillside |
120 |
3 |
17 |
| Calkins |
105 |
3 |
15 |
| Club |
105 |
3 |
15 |
As a shortish par 3, this is a neat hole and it was another litmus test for our renovation. There had been two little bunkers that weren't really in play and had been removed. But Ross had put them to serve as a visual trick to add a little doubt and confusion for the players. That the club let us restore them said a lot about their commitment to what we were trying to do, so they deserve a lot of credit. The green is beautifully bunkered and if you miss it, recovering can be difficult. The green slopes from the front right towards the center, which makes front or right hole locations difficult to attack.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
471 |
4 |
1 |
| Plainfield |
457 |
4 |
1 |
| Ross |
390 |
4 |
1 |
| Hillside |
390 |
4 |
1 |
| Calkins |
327 |
4 |
13 |
| Club |
327 |
4 |
13 |
We lengthened this hole by 5-to-10 yards and restored a cross bunker located just short of the fairway. A tee shot that carries at least 265 yards rewards players with extra roll and a view of the green but many of the pros hit long irons or hybrids here to keep it in the fairway. The fairway bunkers along the ridge on the left side of the hole had devolved into a series of not very appealing bunkers in among a set of oak trees. We restored them into the wonderful complex of 7-8 bunkers, which Donald Ross had originally built on the course. The green sits in a bowl and runs away towards the back left. There's bunkering 15-20 yards short and right of the green, which presents a visual challenge for players. We expanded a chipping area to the right side of the green which should see a lot of play. It will be interesting to see if the players try to carry their approaches into the green or bring them in lower and let them roll into back hole placements.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
519 |
5 |
7 |
| Plainfield |
495 |
5 |
7 |
| Ross |
456 |
5 |
7 |
| Hillside |
456 |
5 |
7 |
| Calkins |
372 |
5 |
3 |
| Club |
372 |
5 |
3 |
This hole plays as a par 5 for the members but it played as a par 4 for The Barclays. The tee shot is uphill over the ridge, which gives an edge to longer hitters, particularly as a par 4. Bunkers guard both sides of the landing area but an interesting aspect of the hole is a pin oak on the right side past the landing area which will force players coming into the green from that side of the fairway to fashion a shot around it. The fairway kicks to the right into a "half-pipe" green-a green with a small ridge that runs from front to back. It is like a snowboarding "half-pipe" and it will kick balls back into the center of the green. However, it is another of the wonderful varied green sites that Ross utilized on this property. The green nestles in a valley and we added some chipping and pitching areas to the sides and rear of the green to help accentuate this movement of shots.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
368 |
4 |
11 |
| Plainfield |
356 |
4 |
11 |
| Ross |
356 |
4 |
11 |
| Hillside |
310 |
4 |
11 |
| Calkins |
310 |
4 |
11 |
| Club |
310 |
4 |
11 |
This mid-length par 4, sits in a beautiful setting with the clubhouse as a backdrop behind the green. Many players hit 3-woods or hybrids from the tee so they can avoid the dramatic and deep fairway bunkers we restored to the left side of the landing area which was the key renovation to the hole. The green has two tiers so a precise approach is crucial. The other important change we made to this hole was expanding chipping areas around the green, which again is very much a Ross design feature.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
411 |
4 |
16 |
| Plainfield |
353 |
4 |
16 |
| Ross |
353 |
4 |
16 |
| Hillside |
339 |
4 |
16 |
| Calkins |
274 |
4 |
12 |
| Club |
274 |
4 |
12 |
We lengthened the tee alongside the clubhouse so it is very much like the first tee at Merion, where you walk out of the clubhouse and you're on the tee. As they used to say about Merion, the biggest difficulty on the first hole was overcoming the roar of silverware clinking on the china. Most players will hit a 3-wood or hybrid for this blind tee shot over the hill. The best play from the tee is down the left side, as it opens up the best angle into this small angled green. The biggest change we made here was to restore a creek on the right side of the landing area about 310 yards from the tee. It had been made into a pond in the 1960's-70's but blind ponds are totally alien to a Ross design so we restored it to its original form. We also expanded the fairway on the right side towards the creek. The green is exceptionally well-bunkered and the main design characteristic of the putting surface is an upslope towards the rear of the green which can act as a backstop.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
148 |
3 |
18 |
| Plainfield |
136 |
3 |
18 |
| Ross |
136 |
3 |
18 |
| Hillside |
110 |
3 |
18 |
| Calkins |
108 |
3 |
16 |
| Club |
103 |
3 |
16 |
One of the trademarks of a Ross course is the variety of par 3s. This is the shortest hole at Plainfield and one of the most beautiful. We expanded the tee slightly and placed it so it melded into the collar on No. 10, which is an old-style design feature that I really like but which you rarely see today. The green slopes dramatically from front to back and tee shots that are long or miss to the left will leave a very difficult recovery. The green has a dramatic false front and balls that fail to carry deeply enough onto the putting surface run the risk of rolling back into a penal bunker that guards the front of the green. The green demands a well-controlled shot from the tee and it is the type of hole that players don't face very often on TOUR.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
588 |
5 |
6 |
| Plainfield |
555 |
5 |
6 |
| Ross |
555 |
5 |
6 |
| Hillside |
512 |
5 |
6 |
| Calkins |
512 |
5 |
2 |
| Club |
415 |
5 |
2 |
This is widely considered to be one of Ross's finest holes and it has changed dramatically over the years. It was originally a long par 4 and a par 3 before the two holes were combined into the par 5 it is today. The hole is a textbook example of the strategic challenges Ross presents players. There is a downslope in the landing area and if players catch it, they can add a fair amount of distance to their drives. A seasonal creek runs through the fairway and forces players to decide whether to lay up either left or right of the creek or to try and carry the hazard. The creek adds so much to the thinking that goes into the second shot, in part because the amount of water in the creek will play a large part in a player's decision. If it is dry, they can afford to take a risk but if it is wet, they must avoid it. But how do they know from day to day? It's that unpredictability that makes the hole so interesting and challenging. Any time there's doubt in a player's mind, a shot becomes much more difficult. A spine separates the back left and back right portions of the green, which again puts an emphasis on a well conceived and executed approach.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
482 |
4 |
2 |
| Plainfield |
411 |
4 |
2 |
| Ross |
380 |
4 |
2 |
| Hillside |
380 |
4 |
2 |
| Calkins |
313 |
4 |
14 |
| Club |
269 |
4 |
14 |
This begins a three-hole stretch known as the "Tunnel." It is good to have a long par 4 of this length since it forces players to hit a mid-to-long iron into the green. An approach from the right side of the fairway will be influenced by trees and there is a bunker on the left side of the landing area. The pond guarding the front of the green adds both beauty and risk to the hole. This is the flattest green on the course but it can be deceptive because it is also the most subtle. Greens that appear to leave relatively flat putts can be difficult because players always search for a break-- no matter how small. The green is guarded by two bunkers and there are chipping areas in the back right and left.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
228 |
3 |
12 |
| Plainfield |
186 |
3 |
12 |
| Ross |
163 |
3 |
12 |
| Hillside |
163 |
3 |
12 |
| Calkins |
130 |
3 |
18 |
| Club |
130 |
3 |
18 |
There is nothing subtle about the green on this long par 3 that requires a full carry over a pond that guards the front-right of the putting surface. The large humps in the green are out of character for a Ross design but they make this hole particularly challenging, especially since players will be hitting long irons, hybrids or even fairway woods from the tee. There are mounds to the left of the green as well as a chipping area behind the putting surface.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
372 |
4 |
14 |
| Plainfield |
357 |
4 |
14 |
| Ross |
357 |
4 |
14 |
| Hillside |
323 |
4 |
14 |
| Calkins |
323 |
4 |
6 |
| Club |
263 |
4 |
6 |
This hole brings you out of the "Tunnel". Players face a semi-blind tee shot and a carry of some 240 yards is required to clear the cross bunker complex in the right side of the fairway. There is also a lot of mounding on the left side of the landing area which, to some, this might look artificial but it is very effective and was an original part of these re-configured holes. The green slopes significantly from back to front and is guarded by five bunkers in front and a chipping area to the right. The green appears to be subtle like No. 13's but it is actually more challenging and could leave a lot of players scratching their heads as they head for the next hole.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
582 |
5 |
8 |
| Plainfield |
554 |
5 |
8 |
| Ross |
517 |
5 |
8 |
| Hillside |
517 |
5 |
8 |
| Calkins |
490 |
5 |
8 |
| Club |
382 |
5 |
8 |
This is one of the favorite holes but it is also a hole where we made some of our most significant changes. We restored a cross bunkering complex that players must cope with on their second shots, particularly if they drive into the rough and must decide whether or not to lay up short of the bunkers, play out to the left, or risk a carry. Also, the second shot is blind which adds just the necessarily element of doubt. The green--which is severely sloped from front to back and has upper and lower tiers--probably ranks Nos. 1 and 11 as the most severe on the course and two-putting can be challenging--all of which makes the second shot so interesting.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
427 |
4 |
4 |
| Plainfield |
409 |
4 |
4 |
| Ross |
409 |
4 |
4 |
| Hillside |
394 |
4 |
4 |
| Calkins |
313 |
4 |
10 |
| Club |
313 |
4 |
10 |
Along with No. 18, this hole probably suffered the most from advances in technology over the years. The hole is a dogleg right that plays blindly uphill, and in Ross's day the cluster of bunkers and trees on the right side of the hole provided a great challenge for the tee shot. However, in today's game the players will not think about these hazards, instead their attention will be focused on the out of bounds down the right side of the hole, and the rough on the left. The second shot is challenging because you can't see the entire putting surface of this elevated green. It is one of the most beautiful settings because it is set along a ridge and is beautifully bunkered. The green offers plenty of challenges as it possesses many of the trademark Ross slopes and rolls.
| Tees |
Yardage |
Par |
H/C |
| Championship |
407 |
4 |
10 |
| Plainfield |
380 |
4 |
10 |
| Ross |
356 |
4 |
10 |
| Hillside |
339 |
4 |
10 |
| Calkins |
339 |
4 |
4 |
| Club |
241 |
4 |
4 |
This was originally the 16th hole and the recently restored hole is one that allows a player to be as passive or aggressive as they choose to be, so in that sense it is a model of strategic design. It is a dogleg left, with the second half of the hole climbing up to the wonderfully perched green complex. The tee shot now provides a multitude of options, since the trees have been cleared out of the corner of the dogleg. Players can take an aggressive line over the hillside bunkering, or play more safely out to the right and face a longer approach shot. With the addition of a new up tee, the TOUR had the option to set up the hole as a driveable par 4. Until recently, this hole was viewed as an awkward finishing hole to a great course. However, one thing was never disputed and that was the quality of the green and it has always been accepted as a great finishing green. The beautifully contoured green is guarded by a false front and there are bunkers left and short right. It is one of the best greens on the course and very interesting and thought-provoking. By restoring the original design concept of the Ross hole, Plainfield now has a great finishing hole that is a fitting conclusion to this thought-provoking masterpiece.
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