I did miss it low. Was my first time there. So fun.
Also witnessed some incredible #toursauce. Three HS kids played thru us on 6. Last kid tees off, absolutely smokes it. Without even following his shot, picks up his tee and his bag and starts walking before the ball lands. Kudos were given.
Switch the bag up?
Doing a 1/2 set with my old bag for fun.
Is hole 4 at MP crap? The front left bunker is too far from the green and not at the right angle to have it funnel to the green in a redan like fashion. If it wasn’t called Redan the hole would be better. Has anyone sucessfully hit the green trying to land on the down slope of that bunker?
single digit IQ privilege > single digit handicap privilege IMO
IMO it’s too long. You almost always need to fly it 190-195 to hold the green. I always play the one ups there and one time they had those tees set up on the other side of the creek, so the hole played like 160. That made the hole more enjoyable.
I’d say the length from the tips is fine. Redans are supposed to be mid-long irons. Typically 185-200y. 210 is pushing it but doable from the tips. The problem is the one-ups are still 190-195y and then next tees up are 140. Would be nice to extend the forward tees back and left into the corner between the creek and cart path, ~160y. But that’s really the only place as the creek takes up all the intermediate space.
Only time I’ve ever played MPGC I blocked a 5 iron about 60 yards right into the trees that I believe are only supposed to be in play for the 5th hole. Almost got smoked by the group on the tee ahead of us. I’d be mad, but, ya know, I was 60 yards right. You get what’s coming for you in those situations. Made a very mediocre 5 from those trees. Nothing to see here folks.
FTFY.
In all seriousness, of the 30 or so rounds I’ve played there I’d say 80% of tee shots I’ve seen land in or around the right bunkers. I’ve never seen anyone use the kick plate.
Are you talking about the bunker 50 yards short of the green? I don’t think many redans use the equivalent bunker to feed balls on to the green. Is there another example where that bunker is closer to the green and the back slope helps feed to the green?
I have no idea why that bunker is there, but if I had to guess I’d say it’s inspired by the Redan at NGLA which also forces you to carry a (very different, much more in play) bunker to get to the kick plate.
EDIT: Andy Johnson’s article has a good number of examples of holes that force you to carry a bunker to reach the kick plate. MPGC’s version is very much a “good job, good effort” attempt given that it’s almost completely out of play, and that if you end up in the bunker you were never going to reach the green anyway even on the firmest of days. https://thefriedegg.com/redan-template-hole/
Yeah, the first bunker is pretty much superfluous. I don’t even think it plays much of a role in deceiving depth perception. But only a couple have a kickplate on the backside of the fronting bunker. Even at North Berwick, it looks like the kickplate is well beyond the well short bunkers.
The hole is a little long from the middle tees, but it’s a pretty solid reverse redan.
Yes that’s what I’m talking about. There is no other redan feature besides that kick plate bunker that I can see
Yesterday I hit like 4 shots trying to punch an iron just over it and while yes it was damp, when I finally hit it, it came nowhere close to reaching the green
From TFE’s article:
A Redan typically ranges from 180-215 yards (check) and features a 45 degree right-to-left oriented green protected by a deep bunker along the left side (check). Redan and Reverse Redan greens (same concept with the opposite angle) carry a great deal of slope that typically runs toward the bunker and from the front of the green to the back (check). An easy way to spot a Redan is by the defining shoulder on the right side of the green (check). This mound funnels balls towards the middle and back of the green (check). Traditional Redans also typically feature a bunker short of the green with another behind the sloping shoulder that penalize wayward shots (check but a little half assed w/ the short bunker). Up-and-downs from the back bunker are highly unlikely (triple check).
Edit: Run-ups definitely don’t work there, but that’s not a defining feature of redans, I’d say. Particularly redans in the US. I mean, it is virtually identical to #6 at Fox Chapel as a reverse, raised green, and kicker front left (I played it a bunch growing up, grew up down the street).
I see. The green doesn’t seem that slopey to me, but maybe it is and I never noticed.
Did anyone else see there is a USGA women’s am qualifier at Oak Grove next year? Yeesh.
Have never hit the green there. I snap hook it left or leave it short every-time.
Anyone playing tomorrow? Debating taking the day off to enjoy the “warmer” temps.
Tomorrow or Thursday I’m trying to go play somewhere.
