Hey Everyone,

What a week! I spent Wednesday at the U.S. Senior Open at the Newport CC and Thursday at The International in Bolton, Mass. Coore & Crenshaw is in the process of “reimagining” The Pines course, a Geoffrey Cornish design. It’s slated to open in late summer.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the new Pines barely resembles the old version. I’ll have a bunch of photos and videos to highlight the work. They were also kind enough to let me play The Oaks, which is their other 18-hole course. It’s going to be a strong duo of courses.

In today’s newsletter, I’ll share some general thoughts from Wednesday in Newport and Thursday in Bolton.

News and Notes:

• On Thursday, James Imai (Brookline, Mass.) reached the Final 16 of the North & South Amateur. Molly Smith (Westford, Mass.) did the same in the Women’s North & South. The events are running concurrently at Pinehurst No. 2. Pretty cool. Women’s live scoring and Men’s live scoring.

• Carys Fennessy of New Hampshire won the New England Amateur at Samoset Resort in Maine in a playoff. Lillian Guleserian (Westwood, Mass.) was low Bay Stater in third place. Tara Joy-Connelly won the Senior Division… Full results

• U.S. Senior Open opening round scores: Jeff Martin, the Head Pro at Wollaston GC shot 70. Mark Brown (Milton, Mass.) and Jason Carron (S. Yarmouth, Mass.) both shot 72. One fun story worth following is Rhode Island native Billy Andrade shot 64 and is one shot off the lead after the first round.

• Latest Bay State Pod: I dig into Buffalo Ridge… my least favorite course at Big Cedar Lodge. BUT it was the favorite for many people including two folks on our trip, and I’m still friends with them… listen on Apple Pods or Spotify.

12 Thoughts on U.S. Senior Open and The Pines

1. I was surprised at the lack of juice at the U.S. Senior Open when I arrived on Wednesday. It wasn’t well attended. Only a smattering of fans were on the grounds.

2. One thing I found frustrating was the lack of any identifying features for any of the players. Caddies were not wearing bibs, so if a player wasn’t recognizable, there was no way to know who they were aside from peaking at their bag. No standard-bearers, either. Of course, everyone knows the big names, but it felt like a member-guest as guys played the course.

3. I had been to Newport CC once before but never ventured out to the front nine (which is the back nine this week). The holes across the road are very good. The par-3 13 could be a real ass-kicker this week. It was playing 241 into the wind on Wednesday, and guys were hitting driver!

4. Padraig Harrington’s press conference was, as expected, full of incredible nuggets. He spoke about luck. It could absolutely be applied to the rest of life.

”It’s never a load to carry a bit of luck.” What a quote.

5. I always like watching practice rounds because it always highlights how much attention players put into their work around the greens and understanding how to attack different holes and places to avoid. These few minutes with Rocco Mediate is one example (although he talks… A LOT…)

Ok, let’s talk about The Pines

6. I had played the “Old” Pines course a handful of times and always felt claustrophobic. Tree limbs overhang tees and fairways and the corridors were incredibly tight. Driving around the new course, it felt far more open and playable.

7. I didn’t know how much the course would be changed, but it’s pretty stunning how many new holes they found on the property. There are remnants of older holes, but they also blew out heavily wooded areas and dug up an old quarry. Once it's all grown in, it will look like it’s been there for years.

8. I’ve obviously played a ton of Donald Ross courses. Last fall, I played Old Sandwich, my first C&C, and then played my second, Ozarks National, in May. Seeing The Pines started to crystalize a lot of what C&C are all about. They have a philosophy that they stick to, but not in a stubborn way. One thing I loved about the greens was that 7 of them slope from front to back. That’s unheard of in Massachusetts. “Stay below the pin” is the generic advice for anyone playing a Ross course or many courses in this region. Not at The Pines.

9. The closing stretch from 15-18 had me most excited. The back nine, in general, seems awesome. 15 returns to the clubhouse, you could sit up near the clubhouse and see nearly every shot hit from the approach on 15 to the last putt on 18. (the 17th green and 18th tee might be the exception.). You can see eight holes from the clubhouse, which is different than the previous Pines.

10. Bill Coore was out on the property last week. He’ll walk the course three or four times and then hop in a shaper and work on a green.

11. The Pines will be cart path only for the first year or so. The cart paths weave through the trees and only cross two fairways. It creates a lovely aesthetic, and riding the paths feels like you’re on a trail. Cart path only will likely create a walking culture, and they’re getting a caddie program started (so kids or adults, if you wanna get the chance to play… this might be one way…)

12. The two pictures below are from roughly the same place on the golf course. Sheesh.

    

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When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

• Go read Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane.

• Circled back to Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Love this book.

I’m listening to…

• I thought this interview with Brad Stevens on the Ryen Russillo Podcast was excellent. Particularly loved Stevens saying the NBA Finals didn’t impact how he felt about Tatum and Brown. He knew they were special and the title didn’t change that.

• The 1975 has been in my rotation this week. Just an upbeat, fun band.

I’m drinking…

• Gin and Tonics. Full stop.

I’m eating…

• Sweet Italian Sausage with peppers and onions

• Cheez-it Grooves were a big help on my road trips this week. White cheddar or ranch. Both excellent.

I’m watching…

• Presumed Innocent on Apple TV is very good.

New here? Reached the bottom?

Hell Yeah.

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