News
Outdoors
ENLARGE
ASPEN — My first shot of the 2011 golf season was an abysmal start to a terrible round.
I pulled my three-wood out of the back of the cart parked next to the tee at Aspen Golf Club's No. 10, having received permission from the club pro to start on the back nine. There were too many people lining up to play the front nine and I didn't want to embarrass myself or injure anyone.
It had been about nine months since I last picked up a golf club. Trust me: When “The Doctor” comes out of hibernation, you don't want anyone within shanking distance. I doubt the cars passing through the roundabout were safe.
I promptly duffed the first shot, sending a worm-burner about 20 yards to the left into a grove of cottonwoods guarding the 10th fairway from the Truscott Place apartments.
Thank goodness the guy I was golfing with had agreed to two mulligans per nine holes. I then sliced my second tee shot to the right toward Highway 82, somewhere near the running path, but still within play by my standards, about 160 yards from the box.
Problem is, when I got to the spot where my ball should have been, it wasn't there. I looked a few yards away and saw some sort of furry creature scurrying into a hole.
No, this was not some sort of “Caddyshack” flashback. The gopher or prairie dog (or whatever the varmint was) made off with my ball, I believe.
I didn't tell my playing partner, sports editor Jon “The Hammer” Maletz, about the incident. I don't think he would have believed me. He might have thought I was smoking the bentgrass-bluegrass hybrid that the putting surfaces are made of.
It was my first round of golf in nearly a year, and I was already off to an inauspicious start. Still, I managed to muddle through the round, managing a few decent shots and generally keeping the ball within play. I counted one par and four bogeys on the par 71 course; the rest was forgettable.
The moral of the story: Ditch the 25-year-old irons. Learn to enjoy the game again. Don't get frustrated. Bring Band-Aids to the course to cover the blisters. Practice more and play more.
That's what the folks who run the Aspen Golf Club are hoping will happen this summer — that people will practice more and play more. And they've put the pieces into place that will allow for it.
Director of Golf Steve Aitken, who has been working for the municipal course since 1993 when he was hired as its superintendent, is quick to point out all the positive things happening there.
He noted that this year marks the beginning of an association with the Carl Rabito Golf Academy, a prestigious school with satellite locations across the country. Instructor David DeMay, from Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club near Orlando, Fla., has already arrived in Aspen to represent Rabito for the next five months. In true Aspen fashion, he will be commuting to work via bus or bicycle, Aitken said.
Rabito emphasizes a swing method that's more in tune with how an individual's body naturally works. All of the instructors at Aspen Golf Club will be giving lessons using the Rabito philosophy. It is hoped that the golfing school will help to lure more visitors to Aspen, benefiting the course and the community at large, Aitken said.
“Rabito gives us the potential to market Aspen Golf Club as more of a golfing destination,” he said.
The city of Aspen's golf director mentions a lot of other things — too many to fit into these pages — but I will try to hit a few highlights:
• Two weeks ago, Golfweek magazine rated Aspen Golf Club as the top municipal course in Colorado. It also is ranked the 33rd best municipal course in the nation. “It's the community's golf course,” Aitken said. “It's an affordable golf club that many local residents call home.”
• The course has been a certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program since 1999, a designation belonging to 816 courses across the United States. It meets criteria in six categories of environmental stewardship. “That was a huge feather in our cap,” Aitken said.
• Some of the top youth golfers in the United States will be in town June 6-9 for the American Junior Golf Association tournament. “These are kids who go on to get college scholarships; some of them will even make the PGA Tour,” Aitken said. “The community can come out and watch them play for free.”
• PGA Tour professionals Chris DiMarco and Stewart Cink will be on hand for the annual Aspen Junior Golf Foundation fundraiser on July 11, which raises money for the local junior golf program. The nonprofit exposes the sport to more than 175 kids who would otherwise not be able to afford instruction.
• The annual Challenge Aspen Fundraiser, featuring appearances by musical artists Vince Gill and Amy Grant, will be held Aug. 1-2. The event features a pro-am tournament with PGA touring pros and auctions, raising money for disabled veterans.
• Each year, the club closes on a Sunday to accommodate a community picnic. This year, the event is scheduled for Sept. 11.
• Two ponds on the course are stocked with trout and people holding a state fishing license are free to fish them.
Aitken mentioned many other interesting tidbits about Aspen Golf Club, such as its history. It was first built in the mid-1960s as a nine-hole facility. In 1978 it was completely redesigned and rebuilt under the direction of architect Frank Hummel.
A computerized, state-of-the-art irrigation system was installed six years ago. That's the main reason why the rough is so thick — it's getting more water than it used to, Aitken said.
The course is well-known for its fast putting greens in the summer. “The greens are very slick and very sloping,” he said. “Golfers should try to stay below the hole.”
Aitken lists holes No. 9, 11, 15 and 18 as being the most challenging or interesting. (See the accompanying feature with hole-by-hole descriptions.) He also notes that the course accommodates golfers of all different skill levels.
“At most golf courses, there's not a lot of difference playing from the gold tees to the blue (average player) tees,” he said. “In Aspen there is a difference of 657 yards.”
A big yardage difference is evident when taking into account the red tees (ladies) and white tees (seniors and juniors). From the reds, the course measures 5,222 yards; from the golds (advanced), it measures 7,156 yards.
“There's four different golf courses, so to speak,” Aitken said.
asalvail@aspentimes.com
I pulled my three-wood out of the back of the cart parked next to the tee at Aspen Golf Club's No. 10, having received permission from the club pro to start on the back nine. There were too many people lining up to play the front nine and I didn't want to embarrass myself or injure anyone.
It had been about nine months since I last picked up a golf club. Trust me: When “The Doctor” comes out of hibernation, you don't want anyone within shanking distance. I doubt the cars passing through the roundabout were safe.
I promptly duffed the first shot, sending a worm-burner about 20 yards to the left into a grove of cottonwoods guarding the 10th fairway from the Truscott Place apartments.
Thank goodness the guy I was golfing with had agreed to two mulligans per nine holes. I then sliced my second tee shot to the right toward Highway 82, somewhere near the running path, but still within play by my standards, about 160 yards from the box.
Problem is, when I got to the spot where my ball should have been, it wasn't there. I looked a few yards away and saw some sort of furry creature scurrying into a hole.
No, this was not some sort of “Caddyshack” flashback. The gopher or prairie dog (or whatever the varmint was) made off with my ball, I believe.
I didn't tell my playing partner, sports editor Jon “The Hammer” Maletz, about the incident. I don't think he would have believed me. He might have thought I was smoking the bentgrass-bluegrass hybrid that the putting surfaces are made of.
It was my first round of golf in nearly a year, and I was already off to an inauspicious start. Still, I managed to muddle through the round, managing a few decent shots and generally keeping the ball within play. I counted one par and four bogeys on the par 71 course; the rest was forgettable.
The moral of the story: Ditch the 25-year-old irons. Learn to enjoy the game again. Don't get frustrated. Bring Band-Aids to the course to cover the blisters. Practice more and play more.
That's what the folks who run the Aspen Golf Club are hoping will happen this summer — that people will practice more and play more. And they've put the pieces into place that will allow for it.
Director of Golf Steve Aitken, who has been working for the municipal course since 1993 when he was hired as its superintendent, is quick to point out all the positive things happening there.
He noted that this year marks the beginning of an association with the Carl Rabito Golf Academy, a prestigious school with satellite locations across the country. Instructor David DeMay, from Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club near Orlando, Fla., has already arrived in Aspen to represent Rabito for the next five months. In true Aspen fashion, he will be commuting to work via bus or bicycle, Aitken said.
Rabito emphasizes a swing method that's more in tune with how an individual's body naturally works. All of the instructors at Aspen Golf Club will be giving lessons using the Rabito philosophy. It is hoped that the golfing school will help to lure more visitors to Aspen, benefiting the course and the community at large, Aitken said.
“Rabito gives us the potential to market Aspen Golf Club as more of a golfing destination,” he said.
The city of Aspen's golf director mentions a lot of other things — too many to fit into these pages — but I will try to hit a few highlights:
• Two weeks ago, Golfweek magazine rated Aspen Golf Club as the top municipal course in Colorado. It also is ranked the 33rd best municipal course in the nation. “It's the community's golf course,” Aitken said. “It's an affordable golf club that many local residents call home.”
• The course has been a certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program since 1999, a designation belonging to 816 courses across the United States. It meets criteria in six categories of environmental stewardship. “That was a huge feather in our cap,” Aitken said.
• Some of the top youth golfers in the United States will be in town June 6-9 for the American Junior Golf Association tournament. “These are kids who go on to get college scholarships; some of them will even make the PGA Tour,” Aitken said. “The community can come out and watch them play for free.”
• PGA Tour professionals Chris DiMarco and Stewart Cink will be on hand for the annual Aspen Junior Golf Foundation fundraiser on July 11, which raises money for the local junior golf program. The nonprofit exposes the sport to more than 175 kids who would otherwise not be able to afford instruction.
• The annual Challenge Aspen Fundraiser, featuring appearances by musical artists Vince Gill and Amy Grant, will be held Aug. 1-2. The event features a pro-am tournament with PGA touring pros and auctions, raising money for disabled veterans.
• Each year, the club closes on a Sunday to accommodate a community picnic. This year, the event is scheduled for Sept. 11.
• Two ponds on the course are stocked with trout and people holding a state fishing license are free to fish them.
Aitken mentioned many other interesting tidbits about Aspen Golf Club, such as its history. It was first built in the mid-1960s as a nine-hole facility. In 1978 it was completely redesigned and rebuilt under the direction of architect Frank Hummel.
A computerized, state-of-the-art irrigation system was installed six years ago. That's the main reason why the rough is so thick — it's getting more water than it used to, Aitken said.
The course is well-known for its fast putting greens in the summer. “The greens are very slick and very sloping,” he said. “Golfers should try to stay below the hole.”
Aitken lists holes No. 9, 11, 15 and 18 as being the most challenging or interesting. (See the accompanying feature with hole-by-hole descriptions.) He also notes that the course accommodates golfers of all different skill levels.
“At most golf courses, there's not a lot of difference playing from the gold tees to the blue (average player) tees,” he said. “In Aspen there is a difference of 657 yards.”
A big yardage difference is evident when taking into account the red tees (ladies) and white tees (seniors and juniors). From the reds, the course measures 5,222 yards; from the golds (advanced), it measures 7,156 yards.
“There's four different golf courses, so to speak,” Aitken said.
asalvail@aspentimes.com
'The Hammer' gets humbled
The Aspen Golf Club seems straightforward enough. There are no drastic elevation changes. The fairways appear wide, the greens large and the hazards few and far between. I entered last week's round with high hopes. I left with an even higher score and a new-found appreciation for one of the nation's preeminent public courses.
Maybe I was distracted by the postcard-like, sweeping views of the Maroon Creek Valley or the unseasonably warm weather. More likely, I'm just a terrible golfer with the touch of a baby elephant.
The course was in great shape. My game, well, was a much different story. I was accurate off the tee for much of the day, but I was spraying the ball like an untethered fire engine hose with my iron.
I nailed tree limbs and had to dig myself out of cavernous sand traps. I hit the water on the scenic par 3 14th, then proceeded to drill my ensuing shot some 20 yards over the green; my ball hit the cart path and came to rest mere steps from the 15th fairway.
My drive on No. 14 skidded across the ladies' tee, drilled a large boulder, then shot straight up into the sky like an erupting geyser. (Thankfully, my playing partner gave me two mulligans per nine holes.)
I four-putted No. 18. In my defense, the pin was tucked in the back left, and that green has more swells than Hawaii's Pipeline.
It's a good thing I have a sense of humor. I needed it at No. 2 (our 11th hole), when my swing — and my round — came unhinged.
I bent my left elbow and lost my balance on the backswing and wound up shanking my tee shot to the left. Things did not improve — from the second shot that clipped thick brush to a third that made a splash landing in a water hazard I didn't even know existed. Before I knew it, I was three-putting for a quadruple bogey.
A snowman on a 70-degree day. Imagine that.
I “held it together” and carded a 96. Talk about a humbling experience.
I can't wait to get back out there.
– Jon “The Hammer” Maletz
Taking it hole-by-hole at the Aspen Golf Club
NOTE: The following information takes you through each hole at the Aspen Golf Club. The first comment is supplied by the golf-course operators and will appear soon in a guide that will be attached to each motorized golf cart at the course and sold in the pro shop. The second comment is an off-the-cuff remark supplied by Aspen Times reporter Andre Salvail (aka “The Doctor”) as he was playing the course last week. Distances are measured from the blue tees.
No. 1, par 4, 395 yards GUIDE COMMENT: It's important to keep your tee shot to the right of the fairway bunker for the best angle into this elevated green. The practice facility is out of bounds. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: I find No. 1 very forgiving, like every starting hole should be. You can go right of the fairway and still have a decent shot to the green. You'd have to be an idiot to pull the tee shot into the driving range. Nothing too fancy here. Don't pull your second shot into the large tree left of the green. No. 2, par 4, 383 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A well-executed tee shot will land near the target pin leaving a challenging second shot into the elevated and severe two-tiered green. Longer hitters can challenge the corner on this dogleg right, but beware of the tall trees and pond you must carry. Out of bounds borders the entire left side of this hole. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Let's just forget this hole ever happened. I don't know why it played so hard but it did. Yes, I found the water on the right. Twice. No. 3, par 3, 169 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A challenging par 3 where club selection is important. Avoid the water short and right. Be aware of going over this severely sloped green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: The wheels are coming off. I've got “the yips,” whatever that is. I really could use a cold barley-pop. No. 4, par 4, 360 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A well-executed tee shot will land near the target pin. The second shot is a 150-yard approach to one of the flattest greens at Aspen Golf Club. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: I really should play golf more than twice a year. It's obvious nothing is working right. I'm considering abandoning everything I know about swinging a club and experimenting with a Happy Gilmore-style drive. No. 5, par 4, 399 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A well-placed tee shot avoids the lake to the left and the fairway bunker on the right. Longer hitters can challenge the fairway bunker leaving you a short iron into this two-tiered green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: When your game goes south, it really gets there in a hurry. Why me, Lord? I have lost all confidence in myself and maybe in life as well. No. 6, par 4, 388 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A great driving hole. The preferred drive is a slight draw to the left of the fairway bunker. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: I'm just going to hit five-irons on every shot until I get some semblance of my game back. Three-putting for another 7. The blister on my right hand is not making matters easier. No. 7, par 5, 512 yards GUIDE COMMENT: The best strategy on the first par 5 would be to leave your tee shot even with or short of the right-side fairway bunker. A long iron or fairway metal is a dependable club selection off the tee. Longer hitters may challenge the pond, but be aware of the sharp dogleg left. An unsuccessful tee shot may go through the fairway into the hazards on the side of the fairway. Left of the fairway is out of bounds. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: OK, I am making decent contact again. Don't hit your drive into the tall mounds on the right with the thick native grass. It's hard to get out of there. The fairway has a few rough patches with no grass, but time will take care of that. Overall, this is a fun hole. No. 8, par 3, 173 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A great par 3, with a severe sloping green from back to front. You will face a challenging up and down if you miss the green. The No. 9 tee is to the left of this green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: The guide is correct. Don't miss the green. This is a tough hole even for good chippers. No. 9, par 4, 437 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A very long uphill par 4 awaits you on the last hole on the front nine. The optimal tee shot is to the left of the fairway bunker; avoid being long on your approach shot. Your tee shot should be placed left of the fairway bunker. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: This is a wide-open tee shot to an uphill-sloping fairway. Even the best tee shots will leave you with an extremely long second shot, as my cohort in the passenger seat found out. I would nickname this hole “The Bear.” No. 10, par 4, 347 yards GUIDE COMMENT: Club selection is important on No. 10. Your tee shot must land near the fairway target pin to set up for the approach. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: An 8 on one of the easiest holes makes for a rough start on the back nine. Hit an iron off the tee; no need for the lumber. If you slice toward Highway 82 and go looking for your ball, don't be surprised if you don't find it — there's a gopher or some sort of critter lurking about. No. 11, par 4, 417 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A wonderful dogleg-right par 4 with a water feature on the right and a creek to the left. Longer hitters may challenge the water on the right which will reward you with a short iron into the back-to-front sloping green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Here you will find one of the few elevated tees on the course. The tee shot appears wide open and the water on the right doesn't come into play for a short hitter like me. The green is deceptively tricky; my three-putt feels like an accomplishment. No. 12, par 4, 420 yards GUIDE COMMENT: Open the throttle on this straight par 4. Avoid the fairway bunkers to the right and a grouping of trees to the left. A slanting back-to-front green awaits a mid- to short-iron. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: This is not necessarily a tough hole but the sandtrap in front of the green made it difficult for me. On to the par 5. No. 13, par 5, 517 yards GUIDE COMMENT: Reaching this par 5 in 2 is possible with an accurate tee shot. Avoid the fairway bunkers to the left and right. Be aware of the out-of-bounds area on the right. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Reaching the par 5 in 2? You must be joking. I played it conservatively and earned my only par for the day. It's nice to know you can screw up your drive and still par the hole with a decent short game. No. 14, par 3, 122 yards GUIDE COMMENT: Avoid the bunker short of this very severe, back-to-front, right-to-left sloping green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: A short par 3 with sand in the front and a pond to carry? No problem. The difficulty is simply psychological. Choose the right short iron. Just don't overshoot the green by 30 yards like my playing partner did or you could have a tough time saving bogey. No. 15, par 5, 517 yards GUIDE COMMENT: If you hit it long and straight off the tee, it's decision time! The big rock in front of the green designates the left edge of the pond. A lay-up allows for a very short third shot. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Sure, if you can get off the tee, you have all sorts of options. Muff your drive like I did and you will be punching out from under a tree with a Texas wedge and fighting your way down the fairway only to earn a double-bogey. No. 16, par 4, 402 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A challenging par 4 dogleg left. The best approach into this extremely sloping green is from the right side of the fairway. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Good putting can save the day. Actually, I found this to be a relaxing hole with a scenic view of Buttermilk upon approaching the green. No. 17, par 3, 176 yards GUIDE COMMENT: A longer downhill par 3. Avoid the greenside bunker and sloping bank that leads to the lake on the right. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: Finally, a green in regulation! Feeling good about my three-putt for bogey from 50 feet away. No. 18, par 4, 365 yards GUIDE COMMENT: The 18th reveals a great view of Pyramid Peak. An accurate tee shot is short of the fairway bunkers leaving a mid-iron into the two-tiered green. Be aware of the water features short, left and long of this green. THE DOCTOR'S REMARK: I would nickname this hole “Truscott Place” because that's the view you get while rounding the dogleg after teeing off. Everyone makes this short hole out to be so tough. Maybe it is for the long hitters. The fairway bunkers and water around the green are hidden opportunities for disaster. I played the hole conservatively and pulled out a bogey with a nearly perfect wedge from 70 yards to get on the upper tier of the green in three and two putt for the bogey. This is my favorite hole — target golf at its best. |
