Tuesday, Sep. 08, 2009

Panther's Run: A series of peaks a valleys

Obstacles make layout unique challenge

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. -- Though Panther's Run Golf Links doesn't have all of the dramatic elements his later designs feature, it offers a glimpse into the philosophies that have drawn Tim Cate acclaim.

The layout at Ocean Ridge Plantation features rolling terrain, mounding, subtle elevation changes, undulating greens, and a variety of creeks, ponds, waste bunkers and sand traps that add to the challenge presented by a length of 7,089 yards.

"It's a great golf course, a great layout," said Jeff Rash of Surfside Beach, the executive chef at 811 Steak & Pasta who took part in a review of the course in late July. "I definitely enjoyed the golf course. There are plenty of hazards and strong penalties for missing fairways. Some holes set up for a draw, some set up for the fade."

The 15-year-old course is the first solo design by the former lead regional architect for Willard Byrd. Cate's offices are at Ocean Ridge Plantation, and he's since designed a handful of layouts including Ocean Ridge additions Leopard's Chase and Tiger's Eye Golf Links, which was named one of the top 50 public courses in the country by Golf Digest.

Par-4s are the strength of Panther's Run, and length is also demanding from the 6,706-yard blue tees and 6,267-yard white tees. "The tips would be a great golfing test for some guys that really want to come out and play," Rash said. "The length from the tips is obviously formidable and the greens are pretty protected."

Joining me and Rash, an 8-handicap, in the review foursome were Jeff George of Surfside Beach, the head waiter at 811 who carries a handicap of 28, and his father, Ron George of Murrells Inlet, a retired Massachusetts police officer with a 15 handicap.

The course allows some leeway off the tee, though the rough was difficult to escape cleanly on the day we played.

One quirk is the presence of rough in front of some greens and open access to other greens. "I am not too keen on the rough, especially in front of the greens," Ron said. "You get penalized for hitting a shot down the middle."

It was also wet around many greens. "One thing I noticed after moving here from Massachusetts was you can't play bump and run on a lot of these courses," Ron said. "They keep it soft in front of the greens."

A fair amount of mounding frames fairways and greens, and uneven lies are possible in the fairways. "They've got the fairways contoured quite a bit and they bring the rough in to shape the fairway," Ron said.

The course was in good shape when our group played -- particularly fairways -- though a few greens were bare in isolated spots, and G4 bentgrass had been infiltrated by poa annua on all 18 greens, which were generally slow.

"I think the majority of the greens were bent but there were some other grasses in there," Rash said. "I feel they were true but you had to get the ball to the hole."

The greens accepted approach shots fairly well. "I thought they were receptive," Ron said.

Likes

Jeff George appreciated the staff's hospitality from start to finish, and the detail of the $2 yardage book. "I thought the book had a lot more detail than the book at some other courses do," he said. "It let you know what you were dealing with." He also liked the consistency of the sand, which he was in frequently.

Rash appreciated the attractive neighborhoods with homes that didn't impede play. "There were some really nice houses around and they really didn't impose on the golf course," he said. Rash also liked rough that was "long but not too long."

Ron said he thought the yardages from the 5,546-yard senior tees were "more than fair," though he normally likes to play about 5,800 yards.

The group also agreed that the course has good value with year-round greens fees less than $100.

Dislikes

Ron thought the practice area could have been maintained better. "They kind of let the short game practice area grow," he said. He also took exception to rough separating greens from fairways on a few holes, including the 10th, 13th and 14th, which had more than 50 yards of rough in front of the green.

The group thought the greens were a little slow. "I'd like to play it when the greens are cut to make them faster," Ron said.

Rash said he found a few yardage markers were inaccurate, and thought the course was a little wet around greens. "I don't know if that was the result of over-watering or not," he said.

Par-3s

The par-3s measured between 177 and 215 yards from the tips, and between 143 and 171 from the white tees. Three were void of noteworthy hazards.

"I wanted a little more from the par-3s," Rash said. "All of them were relatively short with few hazards. A good shot on these par-3s equals a good score."

The 177-yard second hole is slightly downhill with water right and front right of the green, and the 215-yard sixth requires a drive over a pair of thin wetland areas with bunkers front left and back right of the green.

The 192-yard 11th requires a tee shot over a sprawling waste bunker that stops 17 yards shy of the green, and the 204-yard 17th is downhill with a green that slopes from right to left with water left and right that shouldn't come into play.

Par-4s

The shortest par-4 from the tips is 384 yards and only three are less than 400 yards, though none is over 400 yards from the white tees. "I loved the length of the par-4s," Rash said. "It wasn't just driver and wedge every hole. The length and difficulty of the par-4s was spectacular. There were plenty of scenarios that set up for every different shot type."

The 404-yard first hole is well-protected by bunkers with a pair on the right side of the fairway and a couple around the green. The 431-yard fourth hole has a near 90-degree turn left for a second shot over water to a green protected by bunkers front left and front right.

The 396-yard seventh and 389-yard eighth holes are doglegs right, and the eighth has bunkers on both sides of the fairway at the bend. The 401-yard 10th has a rock-lined creek to carry 50 yards from the green. Cate has used rocks a lot more often and dramatically in his successive designs.

The 412-yard 15th has water along the right side that cuts into the fairway beginning about 100 yards from the green, and the 425-yard 18th has a slightly downhill drive to a water hazard and uphill shot to the green.

"The par-4s had incredible variety," Jeff George said. "They had every distance [from the white tees] including a 396-yard hole where you can cut the corner and a good finishing 380-yarder with water running all the way across the fairway."

Par-5s

Par-5s measure between 525 and 571 yards from the back tees and between 482 and 518 yards from the white, with three less than 495.

The 525-yard fifth is birdieable since the only trouble is a pair of waste bunkers down the right side of the fairway. The 571-yard ninth is a dogleg right featuring water deep down the right side of the landing area off the tee and a severe green sloping from back left to front right.

The 554-yard 13th is a dogleg right that could still be less than a driver for long hitters to a creek crossing the fairway and angling right to left. Players can get within 250 yards of the green short of the creek in the fairway. The slightly dogleg-left 548-yard 16th hole is birdieable, with bunkers and a small pond down the left side.

"The par-5s were good but not great," Rash said. "They could have used some more risk/reward situations."

Favorite Holes

Rash liked the ninth hole because "it was definitely the best par-5 on the course," and the par-4 15th featuring water down the right side because "the length and shot-shaping demand made for a hell of a hole."

Ron enjoyed the par-5 sixth and par-4 18th holes because he said they set up for his accurate style of play.

Jeff George appreciated the par-5 13th, which measured 493 yards from the white tee and featured a creek crossing the fairway. "The hole is set up with challenges along with being reachable in two shots," he said. "But if you mismanage it you can get in trouble."

Least Favorite Holes

Ron's least favorite hole was the par-4 fourth, measuring 348 yards from the gold tee, despite his par on the hole. "The line of sight wasn't clear," he said. "From my tee I couldn't figure out the landing area. I couldn't visualize it."

Rash grouped the par-3s as his least favorite holes. "All of them seemed to be the same distance and seemed to be a little too basic for this caliber of golf course," he said.

Jeff George chose the par-3 17th as a hole he'd change. "It's just too straight-on and not much of a challenge," he said.

Contact ALAN BLONDIN at 843-626-0284.