Grin and "Bear" It

by Bill Sterling

As seen in the Eastern Shore News–07-09-2005

Cape Charles- The new Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at Bay Creek has many of the same features found on the Arnold Palmer course that opened to accolades in 2001. Both showcase breathtaking views of the Chesapeake Bay and provide scenic views of Old Plantation Creek. Both are in superb condition where shots that find the fairway provide perfect lies, and well-manicured greens allow true rolls of well-struck putts. But there also are some notables differences in the two courses designed by the two giants of golf.

If you have played the Palmer course, as I have about a dozen times since it opened, the first thing you will notice about the Nicklaus layout are the smallish greens. I doubt the largest green on the Nicklaus course is as big as the smallest green on the Palmer course. The other notable feature of the Nicklaus course are the acres of natural dunes and large waste bunkers found on what will be a 7,216-yard layout when it is complete -- only the front nine of the course has opened. The back nine should be ready in September with the official opening of the course sometime next spring when Nicklaus himself will be here to christen the new layout.

The landscaping that draws so many raves on the Palmer layout has yet to be completed on the Nicklaus course. "The landscaping is Dickie's love," said Tom Stevenson, director of golf for Bay Creek, referring to Dickie Foster, who had the vision to plan the course and community when some felt it was folly. Stevenson, who has spent much of his life involved in golf, says working with Foster has been a tremendous opportunity for him. "He will spare no expense to make playing at Bay Creek a truly great experience for a golfer. His attention to detail is just remarkable," said Stevenson.

Natural settings

I had the opportunity to test my barely adequate game Thursday and later had a guided tour of the back nine with Stevenson. My younger brother, Steve, was my playing partner this day. "Jack was here more times than most people realize and sometimes would draw up designs in the sand as he looked out over the course," said Stevenson. "He handpicked trees that were not to be cut, especially on the holes that run along the bay. He likes to incorporate the natural surroundings in his layout."

Nicklaus expands on that theme on the Bay Creek web site when he says, "I avoid disrupting the natural setting as much as possible. I believe it is important to preserve the natural features of the land and not go against what Mother Nature has created. Therefore, I let the surroundings shape the holes I created. The golf holes should fit the terrain -- I never try to force an idea into a piece of land." I liked the fact that all sprinkler heads on the Nicklaus layout had yardages marked to the middle and the front and back of the green -- even a sprinkler head pin high to the side of the green.

The first hole is a 371-yard par 4 that I found to be a good opening hole. For that first tee shot, it has a generous fairway that I managed to find. My trusty 9-wood gave me a birdie putt on the first hole -- albeit a 35-footer. I managed a two putt for an opening par. Steve found the sand trap on the right side of the fairway with a long drive, then landed short of the green with a short iron but managed to chip and one put for a par. "Does that count as a sand save and an up-and-down?" asked Steve. "I don't know, but we can tell Jack we both parred the first hole of his course the first time we played it," I replied. Overconfidence in golf is a scary thing to behold.

The second hole, a 407-yard par four, has a large water hazard on the left, which I narrowly avoided on my drive. The lake extends all the way to a sharply sloped green, and I made the mistake of pulling my approach shot slightly, which bounced off the slope and fell back in the water. That led to a double bogey. Steve avoided the water but made bogey with a missed green. He three-putted the 501-yard, par five third hole for a bogey while I had a decent drive land under the lip of a trap and then experienced a debacle in a trap around the green for a triple bogey. I could now tell Jack I was four over after three.

But my mood brightened on the fourth hole, where we began a stretch of three holes facing or along the Chesapeake Bay. Steve and I both parred the 133-yard par three fourth, which we played from the blue tees at 145 yards because we didn't see the white tees in a different location until after our tee shots. Steve followed up with a par on the 417-yard par four fifth, when he hit a good drive and found the extremely narrow front of the green with a short iron. Here, I got the first of two bad breaks when I hit a 200-yard 3-wood within 25 feet of the pin and found myself in a dune area that borders the right side of the hole. "I can't hit that club any better and I'm mired in knee length grass," I told Steve. I did hack out and two putted for a bogey.

A favorite

The sixth hole, a 152-yard par three, was probably my favorite hole and was where I got another bad break. From the tee you see only the front half of long narrow green that bends to the right behind a high dune. With the pin back in the right corner, we had a blind tee shot. I hit just the shot I wanted -- a high 9-wood that dropped beyond the dune to what seemed to be right on the pin. And, indeed, I was 18 feet from the hole by my measurements -- lodged against a small tree not more than five feet off the green. It was part of the natural scenery and probably one of the those trees Jack did not want cut.

I had no choice but to poke the ball out sideways, then chipped on and two putted for a double bogey when I was overly aggressive trying to make up a stroke. Steve, meanwhile, hit one of his poorest tee shots of the day short and left, then came up short of the green before chipping up and holing a 10 footer for bogey. Sometimes there is no justice in golf. I still think that tee shot was one of my best shots of the day. And despite my misfortune, I like the hole and the tree.

The seventh hole will have a long, deep lake that borders the right side of the hole. I say "will" and "deep" because now it is dry and cavernous. I had heard the lake on the eighth hole of the Palmer course is 70 feet deep. I now believe it. I must have been distracted because my scorecard says I took a triple bogey on this 409-yard par four. Steve, meanwhile, hit two excellent shots with a long drive and a mid-iron that appeared on the pin just over a slope in the green. The shot trickled just off the green, however, and he couldn't managed an up and down for a bogey five on the number 5 handicap hole on the course.

Every course should have a hole like the 303-yard par four eighth hole. A really big hitter -- not me -- can think of trying to reach the green on this dogleg that bends to the right slightly. I hit a 3-wood and only had a pitching wedge to the green, which I hit and three-putted from 30 feet. I was grazing the cup on my second putts, but the speed of my putts wouldn't allow them to fall. On the par five 523-yard finishing hole, I hit another good 3 wood, reaching the green from 200 yards. Alas, it was my third shot after a poor drive and a poorer second shot. I three putted for a bogey while Steve found sand trap troubles in the fairway and around the green for a double bogey. The pros who have to play from the back tees will face a long carry over water to reach the landing area, but for most the water to the right does not come into play.

Without the sand trap blues on the third hole and a few three putts, I could have shot a 44. But I have never played a round that I couldn't say something similar, and I deserved my 49, which befits my 24 handicap. And Steve, a 12 handicapper, was on the mark with a 42 despite a double bogey on the ninth. On this day our second nine was the Palmer back nine -- the front nine will be used on a rotating basis. On the par three 12th I had a six foot downhill putt that would give me three straight pars. Though I barely touched it on the lightening quick greens, it went six feet pass the hole. I missed it coming back and took a double bogey on a hole where I expected par after my tee shot. That set the tone for the rest of the round, where I struck it well but putted poorly.

I ended up with a 47 on the back to give me a 96 for the round. Steve faltered a bit and also shot a 47 to shoot 89.

Back nine preview

Steve and I were both very impressed with the layout of the Nicklaus back nine, which winds its way to Plantation Creek and boasts two par threes with tee shots that require carries over water. The 15th hole, in particular, is a beaut. And there is the 18th hole, which finishes only a wedge shot from the Palmer 18th. This hole is surrounded by water from tee to green, making it essentially not an island green but an island hole.

Stevenson said the grass was planted later on the back nine and needs more time to establish. Workers were busy Thursday working on the yet uncompleted bunkers and other areas under the watchful eye of Chuck Lange, Greens Superintendent and Maintenance Supervisor at Bay Creek. Lange also provided introductions for Chase and Jane, two SPCA mixed breeds who have been trained to keep geese off the fairways and greens.

While it is easy to be enamored with the new face arriving on the scene, I would say the Nicklaus course has an edge on memorable holes compared to the Palmer layout, but, in my opinion, the third hole of the Palmer 18 -- the signature hole of his layout -- is still the most spectacular and memorable hole at Bay Creek.

Finishing up

Here's a tip I can pass on that most golfers probably already know but eluded me until recently: Do not hesitate to seek out a golf professional if some part of your golf game is taking all the fun out of the experience. When you are sick long enough, you go to a doctor. Conversely, when your swing produces sick shots, take a lesson from a pro. Even though this spring I had some success in advanced best ball formats, where I did my share in helping my teams to three top three finishes in tournaments, I could not hit my short irons.

From 120 to 130 yards I was hitting a shot that I rather not mention. I will say it starts with a "s" and rhymes with "bank" but there is nothing rich about it. It is just plain ugly. One lesson with Tom Delaney of the Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club gave me a mental picture of the swing I needed to use to hit my short irons. My tempo was way too quick, especially in the take away, producing those shots that veer right upon impact. Carrying the thoughts he gave me and gaining confidence with each shot, I hit greens consistently with my short irons on Thursday and not once did I hit the unmentionable shot.

What convinced me to take a lesson was winning $25 in the community college tournament to be used in the clubhouse. I told Tom if I bought golf balls with my winnings I would only hit them in the water whenever I held a 9 iron in my hand. So I put it to a $30 lesson, which already has paid huge dividends in my game.

Now, if I could only putt.