Montauk & The Harvester

I have driven by this home many times and never stopped to look in. Montauk was owned by Iowa's 12th Governor. Back in the day when we named our mansions. Today the modest home would not be called much of a mansion, but I'm certain back in 1874, this was something special. It is currently a working farm. In fact the day I was there, they were picking some vegetables. Some of the last of the season. It also has a few short trails. There are also 4 statues of Union Generals on the property. I assume these were added later and the Governor didn't have those amongst the crops. Despite all of the reading that I have done I can't seem to find out why the Union Generals also have statues here. I was really drawn to these statues mostly because of a good friend. He happens to be from Mississippi and as I was dating my wife I used to make quite a few driving trips into the south. There are many constant reminders of the Civil War throughout the south. There are Battlefields, the flag which causes much controversy and monuments to those days gone past. There are also the memories of the people and still even years later much bitterness. I'm still a yankee to many of the places of business that I go to, I can't escape that.

Through many discussions with Bubba, I found the correct way to say richt-yonder and over-yonder and the difference between the two. (Who knew!) I will admit to making a very odd sounding Reich-yonder like I was from France on one of these dialect coaching classes. when I came across these statues. I had to take photos. I wasn't even aware that Iowa sent any soldiers to the Civil War, I was informed differently here.

I worked on details in this series of photos. I have never been accused of being great and covering them, but in this case, I think I did OK. As each of my readers know I like grand vistas, but most of the time, life truly is captured in the small details. I hope you see that in what I collected.

The last series of pictures is from The Harvester. Some will note that I did these blogs out of order when I talked about this course in an earlier blog. I know each of my faithful readers you hate when I blog out of order, but indeed in this case it was necessary.

The Harvester was a wonderful place to play and highly recommended it. Just North and slightly west of Des Moines, in Rhodes it has hole names like Big Hog, Serendipity and Holy Cow. Bales of hay are alongside many of the holes. Unlike Erin Hills you see what the trouble is in front of you and you can plan. I foolishly played aggressivly on hole 9 and got a double bogey for my efforts. On 18 which is laid out almost L-shaped around a lake I found myself in perfect position and carried a 3-wood all the way to the front edge of the green. Needing Birdie to break 80 I was in a perfect spot. A poor chip later and an indifferent putt I meekly took bogey. Nothing is more exciting though than having the chance to break 80 and having nothing but open water in front as you rip a 3-wood to the final green.

I ate in the resteraunt after my meal on the veranda looking over that same 18th hole. Good food. As I left I thought I should have had a cigar and watched the sun set. Alot of fun either way.

As always you can see the whole collection in slideshow format here.

You can also go through the gallery at your own pace here.

Comment either here or on the website.

Golf & Heaven

There was a time when the above statement would have rang as true as a cathedral bell. I'm certain that I even found world peace on a course at times. There still isn't much better than an early morning, first on the tee, dew on the ground and a club in my hand. I don't get to do it much anymore. Time, life pressures and so forth keep me away from 4+ hours on the golf course. I still love the game, but can't seem to make the time happen to play it. Except for one morning in September.

It's fitting that I put these two galleries together. Some may disagree with Golf being a religious experience, but indeed it is. I will forgo the old joke about all of the epitaphs to Christ and God that are uttered at certain times on the course. Today for your review is Erin Hills Golf Club. Built just north and west of Milwaukee and an hour plus drive from my homestead, they say they didn't move much dirt to make this course and it shows. Caddies can be found here and my suggstion is to get one, spend the money and let them suggest where to hit the ball because you will need him/her. I didn't and I paid the price on more than one hole. I happen to be getting ahead of myself a little, let me discuss my impressions.

Erin Hills is quite a place. They were just awarded the 2011 US Amateur so it's well regarded and in some ways justifiably so. When I arrived they had just gotten done hosting the US Woman's Public Links. Some of the conditioning aspects of the course could have come from having so many players in such a short period of time of such a high caliber play the course. Either way the course was in good condition, but not great. The Harvester which I played the week earlier was in better and I might add was 1/3 the cost. More on that later.

The drive in is gorgous, great care is obviously taken at each step along the way as you drive in and around the course. The staff is very friendly, you drop your clubs off at a barn and go to check in at a wooden house. From the name of the course you can see that you are suppose to disappear into Ireland and that is quite easy. The clubhouse has a beautiful wood interior and though I have never been to Ireland I have a sneaky feeling that I may have had the experiance. You can see from many of the pictures the little touches and the care that has been taken in building the course, clubhouse and amenities. Gratefully there aren't any houses. Today there seems to be much emphasis that for me it spoils the pristine nature of so many courses. Even the flags themselves are made of wood and aren't going to be moved much when the wind blows, the flags as well aren't Nylon, but cotton. Everything very professionally done and very well done, it all works.

After getting some direction off the first hole and how to play it, which was well needed I was off. The course was in good but not great condition. The greens though were like a table top. The second hole has a green about the size of my desk and a notice of this would have been very helpful. If I had just had that caddy. That thought will be a comment theme. You can see from another picture in the group how the bunkering was handled. I was chasing the green's crew all morning so maybe some of the conditioning issues I had were taken care of after they got off the course. The most friendly green's crew I have played around. One person eve came over to help me on a par 3 where I couldn't find the hole. Seriously it was on the other side of a hill in a valley and was completely not seen from the tee. Did I mention a caddy? On another hole that was 460 yards and a par 4 I thought I could let it swing, I mean it's 460 I have to hit driver right? Nope over the ridge there was a sharp dogleg and though the ball started staight down the middle and then was lost. The card didn't show that large of a dogleg and now is another good time to mention that caddy.

The best part was the Blarney hole. Strange place for one after hole #9, but there it was a part 3 that you have to play before you tee off on hole 10. I didn't need a caddy on that hole. However on the 10th whole I again couldn't see which way the fairway was and hit a perfect shot in the deep rough.

After my round was over I was in the clubhouse discussing with the pro. He let me know that there wasn't any dirt moved currently to make the golf course, that's a rarity nowadays. He also let me know that the 2nd hole was going to change, they were going to enlargen the green and move it so you could see it from the fairway another good move. All of these changes were going to be before the Amateur in 2011. All good changes.

I enjoyed Erin Hills, I can't say it was worth the money though. Especially for a course that demands you to have a caddy to play it effectively. The layout was challenging enough without having most of the trouble hidden from the tee or the fairway. I loved the staff though. Friendly helpful and cooperative. I'm glad to have played the course and I played pretty well. If I were to play it again and that is unlikely, I would have a caddy. The Harvester and 1/3 of the cost and some 6 hours to west was not as intimidating and didn't need a caddy.

From the course I could see the Basilica of Holy Hill. Truly a great place for a cathedral. Having completed my round I decided to take a look at the cathedral. They were in the midst of a refurbishment of the two tours. Truly a remarkable place and quite large. There was two sanctuaries, the main and the cloisters below. Amazing place and a place that you can see for miles around as it sits on the only hill for quite a few miles. My suggestion is to block a couple of hours and spend it here looking around the cathedral and the grounds.

You can see the gallery here.

A Slideshow of the images can be viewed here.