08/22/08

GOLF REVIEW - HERON GLEN HAS GROWN INTO A NICE SURPRISE

HUNTERDON COUNTY - I had the pleasure of playing Heron Glen the day that it opened with the course architect and it was truly a treat to be instructed where to go and more importantly where not to go. With this being a county course the local freeholder board was anxious to get it open and may have done so prematurely as to conditions in a desire to start putting doubloons in the war chest.

That was six years ago and I have to admit that while I enjoyed it, for some reason I didn't give it the play it deserved. Last week, a return after three years provided a great golf experience. For the amount of transient play the course gets the course is in wonderful shape. The trees, which were once mere saplings, have now grown in to give the course character and the greens have taken to their soil and are being cut to roll faster and truer.  

One of the unique things about Heron Glen is that they don't stick you with a cart. For a reduced rate you can still walk, a novelty at many of the modern courses. If you are out to get exercise let us recommend the front nine. The walk on the back from 17-18 when the bag is getting heavy can take you the better part of ten minutes. The front however is a nice rolling walk with moderate ups and downs and one thing we love there is enough water on the course should you need a sip or two, why this isn't the norm everywhere is anyone's guess.

One of the semi shortcoming's of the course are the facilities. In 07' The Freeholder Board approved a few million dollars for a clubhouse but as soon as 08' began the newly elected board wiped it out, deciding instead to put a band aid on the roof and interior of the clubhouse which is a trailer. This is not a course where you sit down for a few after the round is over and that's a shame as there are not many places nearby either and the club could have become a nice destination/wedding facility had the local government pulled the trigger like Somerset did with Neshanick. There are no locker rooms to change so don't expect it. They have the basic hot dog/sandwich at the turn and during the week we did not take not of a beverage cart on the course.

The staff, as we have always found it, was very nice. The young men came to the car, put the clubs on the cart and took it around front toward the first tee. At the end of the round they accompanied us to the car, unloaded the clubs, cleaned the clubs and took the cart back to the barn for us, which is a nice touch that you don't see everywhere.

The Heron Glen Website is  http://www.heronglen.com/layout9.asp?id=120&page=1490  It is recently redone and allows you to book tee times online, provides you with green fees and alerts you to tournaments etc…   For local residents there is a Hunterdon County golf association which throws a bevy of tourney's including the county championship.

Another nice aspect of this course is the reasonable fees they charge you to host a tourney here. You can find this info here - http://www.heronglen.com/layout9.asp?id=120&page=1494   and they offer a bevy of different food/drink options for your day.

Overall this is a fine golf experience that can be enjoyed by anyone. I took a young lady who has played three times. She gushed after the round at how playable she thought the course was and what a nice and relaxing day she had, and she felt that there were no holes that she felt were impossible. The second person in the four was a 26 Handicap who was playing his first round of the year. He stated almost the identical thing, very playable, enjoyable, not too long, adequate rough but not something that will get you angry all day long.

Let's take a look at the course. 

ARTICLE

 Par 4/ 435 Yards

  A nice starting hole, you have to place your tee shot between a large gap in the trees and then it is a downhill second to a pretty flat green that slopes back to front. A tee shot right is dead in the environmental hazard area. Stay out of the green side bunker right , especially if the pin is tucked over there. In the mid right off the picture are two sticks that define the areas you can and cannot go into. There are a lot of env sensitive areas throughout, especially is you slice right handed.

  Par 5/614 Yards

Straight straight straight. You will have a hard time seeing the flag from the tee but trust me, its three shots right down the middle. If you have to err off the tee go left, the traps on the right are certainly in play and if you land in one you will be tempted to go out with a long iron but beware of those lips, they come into play. A fade over the left fairway bunkers puts you in A one position for your third. There is a good deal of undulation on the green, your best bet is to bounce one in on the left side, avoiding the trap on the front right.

  Par 4/462 Yards

Take an extra second and gather your self on teh Tee Box. THIS HOLE PLAYS LONG, often into the wind and the slope of the hill makes it seem shorter off the tee than it really is. Right off the tee put you on the fourth tee box. Left is the better bailout.

If you hit a good drive you will be over the hill. There are bunkers front right and mid left, taking an extra club and going to the back of the green is not a bad idea to avoid the trouble.

  Par 4/390 Yards

With a nice silo view to your left take the drive and grip it and rip it. The only trouble here is to the left and you have to pull it to get it there. There are fairway traps on both sides but have no fear of them, they are close to the hole. I got up and down out of the right fairway bunker with little effort. The green again is back to front but go at it aggressively. This is one of the easier holes and you should be thinking birdie on the tee box.  

   Par 3/196 Yards

From the tips its a long way up there, but have no fear, there is no trouble in front, take an easy swing and put it in the fringe and you will have a good chip to anywhere on the green. If you go long you could have a real tough chip depending on pin placement. Think 3 and walk away smiling. 

  Par 4/390 Yards

One of the toughest things to do in golf is lay up, folks think that just because they are not swinging out of their shoes with a driver that the ball will go where they want, ohh not true. This is a great hole. You must play a three wood or long iron at the traps you see on the left with a slight fade to be in perfect position. Hit a slice and you are gone. Hit it short right and you are swallowed by a large bunker. Focus, Focus, Focus. 

a good tee ball puts you right here with about 120 yards downhill to the pin. It's an easy shot but visual distractions are everywhere, from a hanging tree on the left to the waste area right in front of you. Play a shot to the left of the green and it will work its way back down to the middle. A good drive makes this a birdie possibility.  

  Par 3/166 Yards

It seems easy, it seems obvious, but you better pick the right club as I've watched many an adventure start from this box. For any shot the bush far right over the green is a good target.

  Par 5/542 Yards

The trees on both sides give your tee ball definition. Past the trees on the right is wide open, left puts you in jeopardy. If you hit a good drive you will be tempted to go at it in two, if you do its better to stay a smidge right as the green is protected left by a bunker in front. This is a two tiered green sloping right to left so heed that on your approach. Playing conservative gives you a great chance at par. 

  Par 4/409 Yards

This is another grip it and rip it hole. The 18th Fairway protects the left side so you need not worry and the 8th fairway runs along the right side. Hit is hard.

This is the beautiful Hunterdon County View from the front of the green and if the bunker on the right intimidates your second you will probably be chipping from here.

  From the same spot this is the view across 18 Green at the pond that must be getting full of Titleists.