Golfadelphia

6,449 yards, 127 Slope from the Golds

The stroll through public courses continues and now we’re in greater Hartford. Late Summer, I was growing pensive as my swing was very much adrift. Adrift in the truest sense of the word. Not stuck, not plummeting, not “light is at the end of the tunnel” and not time to look into tennis. Adrift, where each round was a new adventure and try as I might to hold on to this thought or that feeling, I just kept floating about and come what may. It was frustrating at times but I was very much accepting of it; this is something that needed to happen. I’ve only understood my swing and its faults in vague terms before and was able to play some decent golf with it. I would remember to “stay balanced” or “fully turn” as concepts that I was aware were part of a good swing but had no idea how those concepts related to me and my swing. I’d simply do them and if the ball was hit well, would keep repeating and emphasizing it. I knew that would only take me so far and kind of realized that is exactly what was happening. I was topping out. It was time to unhitch from the moor and set out to sea once again, for better land. There would be storms and we would take on some water and damage but at the end of it, we hoped to arrive at greener pastures of the promised land. I understood that process and yes, was resigned to it. Each swing was indeed an adventure of its own.

Keney Park the golf course is part of a larger park complex set on land provided by Henry Keney. The park system was designed with input from the famed Olmstead firm. Devereaux Emmet designed nine holes here in 1927 and then Hartford engineer Robert Ross extended to eighteen holes in 1931. The course underwent the most significant changes in the 1980’s by hand of Geoffrey Cornish, who altered the routing a bit and imparted some shaping modifications as well. After some decline throughout the decades, the City of Hartford took control and in 2016, Matthew Dusenberry led comprehensive efforts at revitalizing the course. Brad Klein was a historical consultant and their research revealed aerials from 1934. Those aerials, for whatever reason, showed exactly a single bunker on the entire course. This was odd since an entire portion of the course lays upon a sand-based ridge. The research led the design mission into more of a renovation inspired by Emmet design themes instead of attempting to restore what might have been in place on his nine holes. This work was done while protecting the routing and while respecting the tree regulations, which limited the amount they could clear. A lot of the fairway shaping and mounding was restored and/or preserved while the greens, tees and bunkering comprised most of the renovation. The overarching question for any feature was always, is this something that Emmet would have done. Ultimately, however, the project is Dusenberry’s design. He took inspiration and cues from the existing course, historical research, Emmet designed courses in the Northeast as well as other Golden Age tenets and endeavored to craft a course emphasizing interest and variety. The project was likewise purposeful in respecting the sophistication of the municipal golfer instead of dumbing things down. Instead, it is to challenge, maintain interest and spark passion for the game, just as any other noteworthy private or higher end public might aim to do. Logistical improvements to irrigation and draining were also performed. The project’s commitment to Emmet design concepts is unique in its overarching mission of conjuring the most interesting golf possible. If that meant restoring or renovating and changing completely, then so be it. Emmet character was either preserved or created and the result is a decidedly adventurous course based on his design tenets. On rolling land interspersed with sharp ridges and gulleys, the current course takes advantage of such terrain in thrilling fashion. The structure of play is fun yet challenging at the same time and does very well avoiding overly penal elements. Each hole is distinct, relying on the unique land features as well as mounding and mostly below grade bunkering. Architecturally interesting, engaging for any skill of golfer and a nice walk. An excellent course that enhances the golfer’s design IQ simply by playing it is the kind of public golf there should be more of. The golfer is able to stay engaged each time he goes around here and it’s the kind of place that motivates the golfer to explore more of the endlessly intriguing gamut of course architecture.

A few hours in the car on a lazy Sunday got me here early enough to check in on the old swing at the driving range before the round. It ended up being a tale of two nines as the front was with three others and the back was on my own. The laziness of that Sunday carried on to the pace of play and I ended up with a lot of time on my hands from shot to shot. I’d look back on that warm late afternoon/evening as time well spent at some point. Besides, there are worse places to end up for a spell. My swing was cooperating nicely yet would wander at moment’s notice but as I teed up at the last which is a par 3, the ball sailed uphill to the green and rested a few feet away. The shot earned some cheers and claps from the group ahead whom happened to see the shot. Adrift yes, but small promises of salvation confirmed I was charted on the right path and would get there, some day.

The First is a 332 yard par 4 (from the Golds). “Valley.” The fairway runs up the middle of the course. The front nine is to the left and the back nine to the right. The bend to the right effectively takes driver out of play and the golfer must vie for the left side for a clear approach. The fairway is brilliantly rumpled up to the green, ensuring a degree of randomness for each shot. The green is equally brilliant with its upper right rear tier with everything falling and dipping from that high point. It’s a tremendously superb opener, allowing the golfer an array of options off the tee and then into the green.

The Second is a 509 yard par 5. “Cross-Country.” Splendid routing takes full advantage of the terrain. The tee shot moves towards a creek to the right that sits in a depression and it is incumbent on the golfer to situate his ball some where either to the left above or within the lower parts for the second shot. That second shot goes back uphill and off to the left, where the green sits. The left side before the green has a sandy waste bunker with the right and rear of the green are well bunkered. An ultra precise second shot could reach the green while most other want to use the second to set up a preferable approach into the green that runs away from the surrounding woods.

The Third is a 160 yard par 3. “Pit.” There is indeed a pit between tee and green, the severity of which is tough to discern until one is much closer to the green. An expansive bunker sits below to the right while the slope from the front of the green to the pit has just the right amount of steepness to fool the golfer into thinking there’s a possibility it may stop at some point. The green moves from right to left in general as well.

The Fourth is a 383 yard par 4. “Klondyke.” The remainder of the front is comprised of holes that are relatively straight yet retain rich variety with shaping and taking advantage of the natural undulations. Here, the fairway follows a ridge that moves across diagonally. The left side falls towards the left tree line while the right side imparts a more advantageous bounce and roll towards the green. The green falls off on both sides but mostly on the right, bunkerless.

The Fifth is a 428 yard par 4. “Long.” A slight dog leg right where the first fairway ends in the middle of the bend. A crinkled valley lies below and between fairway and green which the golfer must carry on approach or otherwise face its random lies and bounces for the recovery. The green is at the top, its front half moving towards the valley.

The Sixth is a 152 yard par 3. “Short.” It’s more of a modified Redan than a Short, the green moving right to left with defined tiers by a large swale, an upper right and lower left. Bunkers line the lower left side of the green, positioned well below. Left pin positions are tough to get close to while those in the right could benefit some what from a punchbowl effect. A great little par 3.

The Seventh is a 455 yard par 4. “Biarritz.” Straight as all get out, the tee shot needs to be rather precise between the tree lines on each side. It’s a longer hole as well, so there’s little room to hedge; one of the few times the course demands the golfer to step up. The biarritz cuts through the green diagonally and sits a bit below the green.

The Eighth is a 407 yard par 4. “Hogs Back.” The Seventh through Ninth switch back and feel a bit cramped next to each other. The Seventh could use more width while this hole has an opening in the trees off to the left that gives it slightly more width. The bunkering on the right of the green is the more notable feature and with the grass allowed to grow long in between, bears some similarity to the piano key bunkers at Oakmont. These spice up the hole and should go without saying that avoiding that side on approach should be at the forefront. Just as the tee shot on the hole prior tightens the vice, so it is with the approach shot here.

The Ninth is a 457 yard par 4. “Road.” The hole bends to the left from tee to green, which makes it almost a reverse Road hole from the original. The tee shot should favor the right for the most advantageous approach but those managing a tougher left side tee shot can take advantage with an approach staying left of the bunker. Unlike the Old, there is a lot of room short of the green to play with and the green is much larger, all of which helps soften it while maintaining its strategic interest.

The front nine starts off and finishes strong with just a couple holes feeling the effects of the tree regulations in place and existing routing. I would rank them 2, 1, 9, 6, 5, 3, 8, 4, 7.

The back nine starts with the 533 yard par 5 Tenth. “Sheep Meadow.” Yes, the hole used to be an actual sheep meadow and if one looks off to the right in the opening of the trees, there is a Cricket field. All kinds of things going on as we make our way down the fairway. The tee shot plays with the golfer’s depth perception and he tries to figure out just how far the trees and features are out in that meadow. The fairway begins to climb up to the green where the sandy waste area is off to the left. The second shot should focus on getting to the other side of the waste area, which leaves a shorter shot uphill to the green. There is only a little bit of play off to the sides but neither is all that appealing. The tee shot ends up being a much more important shot than the golfer may realize at first.

The Eleventh is a 237 yard par 3. “Dell.” A longer par 3 yet it plays enough downhill to shorten up a bit. The left side has all the trouble while the right side is as inviting as it gets. Those really going after a score will need or want to get closer to the pin, at which point the hole becomes a lot more tougher with its green size and contours.

The Twelfth is a 323 yard par 4. “Soldiers Field.” There are three elevated tees in a row on the back; the Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth. Here, the hole is below and while possibly not immediately apparent, there is a wall that lines the right side. North Woods Cemetery lies on the other side, the resting place of nearly 5,000 soldiers that fought in conflicts ranging from the Philippine Insurrection to Vietnam. It was dedicated in 1928, a year after the Emmet designed his nine holes. The golfer has more than enough room to stay to the left of the wall and doesn’t necessarily need driver. It is more important to get in the fairway. Those who get it out long enough will be rewarded with a slope that will send the ball forward and to the left, leaving a wedge into the green. This yields a shorter approach, sorely needed into this devious green. Its front slope is prominent and continues on in earnest fortifying the left side at its highest. A very cool short par 4.

The Thirteenth is a 188 yard par 3. “Peninsula.” A handsome hole if there ever was one, the green rises up from the flat terrain. Wide yet shallow enough to give the golfer pause and a good amount of right to left movement. The golfer must decide on his plan of attack. The short right side is of course available but needs to carry the three bunkers on that side while the widest landing area is the right side of the green. This means long putts to let pin positions. Some may want to go for the pin on the left and come what may. A bunker shot out of the short left cold be appealing for some. Off the rear is no good for anyone and should be avoided, as the ball will plummet down to the Eleventh and recovery back to the green will be very unfavorable. This is a grand par 3 that cemented by adoration of the course in general.

The Fourteenth is a 513 yard par 5. “Sentinels.” The final par 5 starts with a clouded tee shot in the sense that the golfer can’t make out what space might be out there for him. It appears one needs to avoid the right but a lone standing tree on the left complicates lines favoring that side. Something to the right of the left tree should do fine. The fairway bends to the right after that tree and gently descends to the green. The curvy nature of the hole could confuse the golfer where his second shot should be directed but he’ll realize it should be decidedly on the left side once he gets to the green and turns around. The green and its surrounds are full of delightful contours and the front to back movement is a refreshing change.

The Fifteenth is a 409 yard par 4. “Camels Back.” Fairway shaping and elevation changes are enough to keep the next two holes interesting even though they are straight and switch back. Here, it takes approximately 270 yards to reach the lower ground before the creek. The camel back fairway is before that, which falls off to the right so that any shot on it faces the risk of staying on it, which would leave a terrible lie, or moving to the lower right. Some may prefer to stay on the higher left side and should adjust their tee shot accordingly. The green is on a hill top on the other side of the creek with a general left to right movement. No bunker to speak of here and none are needed.

The Sixteenth is a 397 yard par 4. “Meadow Brook.” The namesake of the hole is silent menace of a creek we have come across every now and then, which we encounter once more at the tee shot. On the same ridge as the Fifteenth green, we must now carry Meadow Brook and reach the green, which is below and adjacent to the Fifteenth tee. A large tee on the right complicates that mission, so by all means go over or around it. Meadow Brook runs alongside the left side of the hole even if it politely stays out of view and the right side is much more preferable despite the tree or two. The green is at the base of the hill with short and left the play if one really feels a miss coming on. It is all about the tee shot, however.

The Seventeenth is a 369 yard par 4. “Principal’s Nose.” Like the front, a strong finish and it starts with what could be the best par 4 of the course. A dog leg left with an uphill tee shot, the golfer knows his shot needs to move right to left to avoid the tree lines and take advantage of the fairway movement. One of the better approaches awaits. A palatial green is spread out while the Principal’s Nose bunker is at the center while the prevalent movement is to left to right. The golfer must regard the Principal while using the inevitable green movement to get the approach close. Approach and pin position, the contours and the Principal at the center of it all make this shot wildly different each time the golfer finds himself looking at the green.

The Eighteenth is a 197 yard par 3. “Punch Bowl.” The Principal’s Nose is the last bunker we see on the course, a fitting adieu to the sand. The last is an uphill par 3, semi blind yet rest assured the punch bowl green will do its best to cradle the shot close to the pin. Note there is more left to right than the other way around. A fun close to the round and brought a spring to my step as I managed one close. The golf gods surely letting me know that while there is strife on this journey, there is also reward. The key is to enjoy it all, whether high atop inspiration or lost at sea or anything in between.

The back nine is on more undulating terrain, which it uses quite well. The par 3’s stand out while the par 4’s are solid. I would rank them 17, 13, 12, 18, 15, 10, 11, 14, 16.

Generally, Keney Park is an aspirational municipal golf course for a lot of reasons. Its current design is complex, fun and memorable. It is the type of design that provides the golfer with a meaningful round while inspiring and educating just how influential course architecture can be. The well traveled course enthusiast as well as the novice will all find an interesting, adventurous round here. The renovation project should be instructive. Historical sensitivity is always a paramount consideration but within the realms of reason and possibility. The most interesting golf possible is the utmost consideration and here, took precedent while respecting the design pedigree that originated from Emmet’s nine holes. There should be more public courses like Keney Park. For its character, for its variety and for its opportunity to influence the public, showing just how lively our game is.

Clubhouse/Pro Shop: A nice brick structure with a grill, back patio and pro shop overlooking the First tee.

Practice area: A driving range and small chipping area is walking distance from the opening tee while a putting green is off the back patio.