Golfadelphia

6,696 yards, 138 slope from the Black tees

I catch myself some times. I’ll be in a coffee shop and there’s this perfect looking cappuccino on sharp looking ceramic with the tables overlooking the ocean and all I have to do is pay before sitting down and enjoying it all. I reach in my pocket for my wallet but it isn’t there. Both pockets are full of buttons for whatever reason and then I realize I left my wallet in the car. I tell the barista or whatever to put the cappuccino off to the side, I’ll be right back. I go outside but forgot exactly where the car is and as I keep walking, am getting further and further away from the coffee shop until I can’t even remember where the coffee shop is and then I suddenly remember where my car is parked. Exactly where I left it, in my college lecture hall and as soon as I walk in, I’m told I’m late but can try to finish the bar exam in the remaining 17 minutes. So I open and start reading the first question, which is about the economic loss – – . Cappuccino is still waiting. Wait, what’s with all the buttons anyways?

Then I wake up.

I swear it’s real when it’s all happening, even telling myself I know I think I’m dreaming but this is too real so am not. Then I wake up.

I catch myself some times. When things start unfolding like a dream even when I’m awake but boy does it get eerily similar. As the old man from Inception quips, “The dream has become their reality. Who are you to say otherwise, son?”

So it was on that surreal day at Fenway. The drive up to the course was uneventful in the early morn yet many things unfolded off kilter like they would in a dream. The walk from my car to the clubhouse seemed to take forever, then when I arrived at the driving range, a group seemed to be intensely negotiating strokes and bets for their upcoming round against the peaceful quiet of the rising sun, with all of them suddenly disappearing at the same time. There was a sliver of driving range open for me to warm up, a slight swing change starting to take effect that was resulting in some different impacts and ball flights. My ball would end up in the strangest of places during the round. The greens twisted and moved wildly. The halfway house; it was actually a diner style set up, right? I didn’t dream that up? It seemed much later and empty after the round, I drove home in the same seeming emptiness I did on the way up. I eventually went to bed, trying to decipher what happened during the day. As the old man says. They come here to be woken up. Which is which? The day may have taken on a heavy dose of surreality for whatever reason but the actual reality is the round at Fenway did in fact happen. Those greens were indeed wild. And yes, that halfway house was in fact, diner style. One of the better set ups I’ve come across. The notable design, a full day of golf, a Tillinghast classic finally realized, a set of greens brimming with imminent joy; it was like a dream come . . . . . . .

The club originally went by Fenimore Golf Club, named after James Fenimore Cooper, who had settled in the area a hundred years prior. A.W. Tillinghast designed the course, which opened in 1924. A man named Emmitt Jackson may have been involved in an earlier design of the course yet the club website has Devereaux Emmet involved prior to Tilly, both listed from different sources as involved in some form of design in 1922. It appears Emmet designed an eighteen hole course on the property that closed within a brisk eighteen months. The membership desired a course that bested nearby Winged Foot and Quaker Ridge, so they contacted Tillinghast and provided him additional parcels of land apart from the existing course. Tillinghast was tasked with building the best course he possibly could. So he did and the course enjoyed decades of acclaim. During the Great Depression, the club was forced to re-organize, which resulted in the name change to Fenway Golf Club. Gil Hanse was hired in 1997 to restore many lost features. Hanse ended up restoring approximately 13,000 square feet of greens and twenty bunkers that had disappeared over time. Notably, some tree removal was undertaken but not of the dramatic variety some courses have seen. This is because the course relies on the hardwood for its character and strategy at times, very similar to the neighboring Tillinghast courses. Hanse’s restoration reclaimed the stature the course enjoyed in the past, which remains to this day. It may not ring with the same familiarity as Winged Foot or Quaker Ridge with many, but it does with those that know better.

It starts and ends with the greens. They are among the wildest and best sets one comes across from Tillinghast, likewise varied in their bold distinction. The variety is not just reserved for the greens, as the sequencing does well to keep the round lively and golfer guessing what’s next. The property is hilly and there’s just not a lot of flat terrain, which adds to the liveliness throughout. It bears noting the routing uses the hills well but gets bunched up in spots, mainly within the heart of the interior. As a result, the driving notes here demand a good amount of accuracy, which occasionally means the golfer may search for something other than his driver if it means ending up on the fairway as opposed to elsewhere that takes him out of scoring position. The strategy lies in how one handles the terrain, all of it starting with knowing (or guessing) how the green moves with respect to the pin position. The pin position sets up the ideal approach position, which starts at the tee and so on. What is ideal will vary from golfer to golfer but the overarching aim is to account for the variety of terrain movement, which happens to be wonderful. And did I mention the greens? Where the shaping and boldness all play in sync with the movement and speed, look no further than here. It all plays in a way that makes sense and everything the golfer sees, along with that which he may not see, is relevant in the right way. I loved grabbing my putter, walking to the green and figuring out just exactly how I would coax my ball into the hole. Fenway is ranked within Golfweek’s top 100 classic golf courses, as it should.

After spinning my thimble and satisfied I was indeed awake, I gathered myself and headed to the First tee. After surveying the course a bit, I knew I’d sleep well later that night with visions of those greens dancing about.

The First is a 277 yard par 4 (from the Black tees). The opening hole starts off with the strategic quandary of a drivable par 4. There are bunkers right and left, respectively, leading up to the green, with fairway then running to the pushed up green. Bunkers are also at the green at both sides. Many will opt for cracking driver some where in the vicinity of the green but this shot as an opener has a funny way of affecting swings and the hole runs thin on tolerance for those missing off to the sides. There is plenty of wide open fairway before the bunkers, so the golfer could hit two well measured irons to the green and likely score better but that is the push and pull between wisdom and temptation we face. The path chosen almost sets the tone for the entire round.

The Second is a 445 yard par 4. We switch back and move along the perimeter of the property, the boundary along the left side. Bunkers on either side of the fairway as we move uphill to the green. The fairway moves right to left closer to the green while it feeds into the green in its entirety. The left side of the green is well below, making for a steep recovery for those finding themselves over there, while a thumbprint on the left is all that is needed for the character of the green, which likewise moves right to left.

The Third is a 526 yard par 5. An elevated tee shot presents much more width than we saw with the opening duo. Out of bounds continues along the left while the right consist of rough and trees before the bunkers start. The second shot must contend with the Sahara bunker complex on the right and getting past it means a nice short approach to the uphill green. The green is off set and wide yet shallow with magnificent contours that once again instill a splendid balance of character without overwhelming. The triumvirate of fun, strategy and challenge are situated well here and throughout.

The Fourth is a 143 yard par 3. There are shelves to the green and while the golfer is advised to hit the one on which the pin rests, he can at least get away with hitting to a lower tier and putting uphill. Those needing to hit down to lower tiers? Good luck. Not impossible but the golfer must really impart a brilliant putt to extract the right amount of speed. Mind the rear most left and right bunkers, small and mostly hidden from the tee.

The Fifth is a 480 yard par 5. I don’t know why but I love when a course starts to move between par 3’s and 5’s. The par 4 gap on the front is between the Second and Seventh. Here, we move back toward the clubhouse as the fairway dog legs to the left early on. The left side continues to be out of bounds and there are a couple bunkers on that side in play off the tee. After the dog leg, the fairway narrow a little and climbs up to the green, which has large waves that seem to move towards the clubhouse. The back to front movement is prevalent while right to left should be accounted for as well. Thus far, the par 5’s stand out as terribly good.

The Sixth is a 242 yard par 3. Uphill to boot, this is an all hands on deck long par 3. Similar to the First, clearing the bunker on the right does well to leave a wedge into the green, which may be smarter for many than trying to go for the green outright. A series of bunkers on the left are further up, as is another on the right. Probably not an issue for most of us, but do not go long here.

The Seventh is a 419 yard par 4. The tee shot put us in the heart of the course where most of the holes reside. The fairway is below, bending slightly to the green. Bunkers menace at the sides of the fairway. The green is set on the left and is pushed up with the entry point climbing up to it in full width. The green movement seems to all focus on the lower left greenside bunker so approaches couched more to the right side best handle this.

The Eighth is a 353 yard par 4. The Eighth and Twelfth play parallel to one another. Another way to put it is they play right on top of each other. Either way, the hillside cants left to right and our fairway is narrow. The golfer must account for the inevitable roll his tee shot will have while negotiate the narrowness. A more acceptable charge may be to avoid the trees so that a clear approach is assured, even if in the rough. One of the very few forced carry approaches of the round is here, as a bunker guarding the front of the green must be cleared to land on it. Another hole where finesse and accuracy are much more valuable than the old bomb and gouge.

The Ninth is a 386 yard par 4. The halfway house is situated at the Eighth green/Ninth tee, then again at the Twelfth green/Thirteenth tee. You sit down on a bar stool, place your order and get your food almost instantaneously. A wealth of character, orderly and good food, I really thought I was dreaming. The tee shot moves downhill but mind the creek that runs across the fairway. There’s also water off to the right that comes into play for those slices. The approach will be on the longer side, mainly because the green is significantly uphill and to the left. The hillside pulls everything to the right so one almost cannot aim far enough left. Likewise, putts need to mind the entry point that leads right back down to the fairway as every fiber of the green seems to want to get your ball to it. A very good par 4 all set up with a remarkable green site.

The front nine features two outstanding par 5’s while the 3’s and 4’s are well varied, all with greens that shine with joyous engagement. I would rank them 3, 5, 2, 9, 1, 7, 4, 6, 8.

The back nine starts with the 445 yard par 4 Tenth. Coming back over to the area of the Seventh tee, we head back down the ridge along the outer edge of the property as the fairway dog legs left around the trees. The fairway is of sufficient width moving up to the green, which is refreshingly at grade. The bunkers on the right are well short of the green even if it does not readily appear that way. The green is deep and moves deceptively while bunkers are a tinge below on the sides.

The Eleventh is a 187 yard par 3. An uphill par 3 that takes us to the corner of the property. The fall off on the left side is severe and plenty of short grass to miss short and below the green. Otherwise, the golfer is subject to the whims of the green undulations.

The Twelfth is a 459 yard par 4. We now take on the higher left of the hillside where we previously traversed at the Eighth. Despite using the same hill and their proximity, they play quite differently. Here, the fairway is wider, which allows us to use the tilt much more advantageously. The fairway runs in a downhill fashion to the green and the golfer is able to use the ground as he sees fit into it. The fairway feeds in to the pushed up green, which runs back to front and a few other ways depending on the area. While the Eighth is a much more exacting hole, the Twelfth allows more freedom of play yet the green is more challenging and romping.

The Thirteenth is a 419 yard par 4. Back up the hill towards that corner of the Eleventh. Most of the back nine routing focuses on moving towards and away from that corner, which lays the holes along the hillside at an angle that ensures variety with each pace. Here, the tee shot is well uphill yet wide. The fairway narrows at the bunkers then widens just before the green while the hillside does it work right to left. The green is well-sized and once again invites the entirety of the fairway in. The approach must account for these contours and hillside as the ball will roll off or down depending on where it is on the green if the golfer isn’t paying attention.

The Fourteenth is a 447 yard par 4. Back to the left edge of the property at the top of the hill, we stay relatively level up there throughout. The fairway ultimately ends at a couple bunkers and picks up after them, although bunkers continues on the sides as the second fairway curves around them up to the green. Everything from the start of the second fairway to the green is remarkable, in how it moves and interacts with the green. The golfer is unaware of it all from where he is hitting his approach since the mounds obscure a lot of the visuals, which adds to its interest.

The Fifteenth is a 305 yard par 4. We head back up towards that corner. The only downhill is from green to tee, setting us up for one final climb in that direction. Like the First, a club shorter than driver is probably a better idea, so long as it clears the hill and favors the right side. The green is a sort of intimidating affair, mainly in how it ramps up from the fairway and its smallish size. It’s quite narrow yet deep with bunkers lining the sides. The green is fashioned so that misses with longer clubs will need to more directly confront the narrowness and bunkers at the sides while shorter tee misses have a more ideal angle in and can take advantage of the green’s depth. It’s a fantastic short par 4, coming at the right time of the round.

The Sixteenth is a 427 yard par 4. The golfer likely doesn’t realize he has played five par 4’s in a row because of their variety about the property. This is the last of them, as we now head back down the hill. The fairway dog legs to the right, all downhill. Trees coat the hole, especially at the tee. There’s sufficient room so long as any miss is not a grave one. The fairway splashes right into the green while a few bunkers are smattered around it. The front to back movement should be properly accounted for and some approaches may want to land short of the green for this reason.

The Seventeenth is a 190 par 3. The final par 3 is a forced carry over water. The green is large and moves towards the water, bunkers are well off to the sides.

The Eighteenth is a 546 yard par 5. A short opener contrasted with a long finisher. The tee shot must clear a bisecting creek that should come easy while the second shot starts to climb towards the green. Trees gather closer while allowing enough width to properly play the hole and favoring the right side seems the best way to negotiate the hardwood. The larger green befits its home hole status as the interior contours both delight and wreak havoc upon the golfer. Either way, it leaves an indelible impression upon the golfer that he has experienced greatness in design.

The back nine does well in using the prominent hillside for most of the hills, ensuring a great deal of variety. I would rank them 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 16, 13, 11, 17.

Generally, Fenway is a stronger Tillinghast design with an excellent set of greens that are superb in their movement and variety. The greens set up the rest, which is laid upon the terrain for that variety to flourish, which is enhanced with bunkering, mounding and fairway shaping. The golfer faces a little but of everything, from the short par 4 to the long par 3 and so on. Wide fairways to small greens, small fairways to big greens, wide yet shallow greens, deep yet narrow, and on it goes. The variety goes remarkably well with the balance the course achieves. While some Tillinghast courses are known for their grand challenge and some for their intimate strategy, Fenway stays in that elusive, almost Bermuda Triangle space where fun, strategy and challenge intersect symbiotically. Tillinghast likely achieves this with a little-bit-of-everything approach, which prevents the course from sliding into one peg hole or another. In this way, Fenway is a prime example of how variety in design leads to the best kind of golf.

Clubhouse/Pro Shop: A fine Colonial in the center of the property while the pro shop has anything the golfer should want while the simple badge and color scheme is quite appealing.

Practice area: There’s a driving range that is a little away from the First with a short game area in the same place. The putting green is next to the First tee.