The brilliant and gorgeous 17th at Dedham.
Dedham Country & Polo Club has the type of golf course I would love to play at any age. Measuring only 6138 yards from the back tees, it nonetheless provides a stiff challenge to the low-handicapper while maintaining its playability for youngsters, women, and senior golfers alike. Dedham packs more heroic and dangerous shots into its 6138 yards than most courses a thousand yards lengthier. You never tire of watching your drive on the 1st hole barely make it over the crossing creek, your second on the 4th hole barely scale the massive hill, your drive at the 6th hole barely carry the right bunkers - the list goes on. Trouble lies everywhere, especially when you get overly aggressive trying to shorten already short holes. I've found Dedham can't be overpowered - even on a great driving day, the resulting dozen wedges into greens doesn't guarantee a good score. The greens are small and mostly elevated from their surrounds, and the putting surfaces have tricky undulations that even seasoned members misread frequently. Because the greens are built up from their surrounds (as many Seth Raynor greens are), the adjoining deep slashes of bunkers require high and soft sand shots to escape. Dedham is only getting better with age, as it is currently working through a master plan to restore a number of Raynor features that have been lost over time. Radical architectural changes such as reviving alternate fairway strategies on the 6th and 16th holes, in combination with the restoration of all bunkers to the classic linear Raynor style, make Dedham a fun and historic place to play eighteen holes.
Dedham's 1st tee is located fifty feet above its fairway, and steps behind the 18th green. In fact, the 18th green and 1st tee are connected only by a shallow swale of short grass - talk about a blatant invitation to play an extra couple holes at dusk after the first eighteen! The 1st drive of the day is, unusually, one of the most important of the round - a creek slits the fairway diagonally right about where an average length player's drive would take its first hop. Thus options abound: do you lay up short of the water, making certain a long approach up the steep hill? Or do you try to carry the creek near the right edge of the fairway, risking a penalty stroke on the first swing of the day but possibly earning a short iron into the green? These types of decisions are made all day long at Dedham. The 347-yard 2nd hole is the weakest hole on the course, in my opinion. Long bombers can attempt to carry water and reach the upslope to the elevated green, but the rest of us are (highly) encouraged by a creek/pond combination to lay up before lofting a pinpoint iron to the target.
Google Earth's view of #3: an unconventional, but incredible "Redan".
The 3rd hole at Dedham lies over unremarkable ground: 200 yards of gradual downslope tilting slightly to the left. Actually playing the hole is remarkable, however. A field of fescue and bunkers inhabit the first three-quarters of the hole, concealing the 50 yards of slanted fairway ramp leading to the obscured green. The green, canted to the back left like a true Redan, happily accepts a running draw bouncing in from the right but also a high fade that carries almost onto the putting surface. Though not bunkered front left like a prototypical Raynor Redan, two fierce bunkers await pulled shots or golf balls running too hot through the green. Dedham's 4th hole is 441-yards, but denoted on the scorecard as a par five - probably to achieve a total par of 70 for the course. Though the idea of par shouldn't matter when playing a hole, calling the 4th a par five certainly makes scoring a "4" feel that much better! The drive crosses the same creek in play on the first two holes, and the second shot is an awesome one: to a green located high on a giant hill, where all you can see is the flag against the trees and sky. After the par three 5th, a short iron to a small and wrinkly green, a second short par five awaits across the road at the 6th. Called "Prize Dogleg", the strategy revolves around two fairway bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway 250 yards off the tee. Because the hole turns suddenly to the right just beyond them, either hugging them close or successfully carrying them opens up the option to reach the wild green in two strokes. Bailing out to the left half of the fairway makes the 6th a true three-shotter. The 7th hole is an interesting short par four of 361 yards; after a drive to a humped fairway protected by a new fairway bunker edging in on the left, the green appears in the distance like a small volcano rising a dozen feet above the flatlands around it. Needless to say, a sloppy wedge shot missed to any side of the green complex will bound well down and away from the putting surface! The 8th hole is an interesting par four capped off by a fascinating green complex. Called a "Maiden" green, I have only seen one other one remotely like it - at the municipal Durand Eastman golf course in Rochester, NY. A "Maiden" green contains two high plateaus at its back left and right quadrants, separated by a deep swale. Putting from front to back, or especially side to side at Dedham's 8th green is really challenging - and fun.
An attractive... tee shot at the (partially flooded!) 8th hole.
One of my favorite holes at Dedham is the 334-yard 9th. A swerving fairway ends abruptly 50 yards short of the green, which is located in a dell beyond a rough and bunker covered hillside. You should have glanced at the 9th green while walking up the 8th hole to have an idea where the pin is located over the hill, and thus where your target should be. I've usually played the hole conservatively, with a long iron followed by a short iron - though big hitters could conceivably turn the hole into a drive and pitch by avoiding the hazards fronting the green complex.
No flag in sight for the approach to Dedham's 9th green.
I think the back nine at Dedham is a bit harder than the front nine - it begins with the last par five on the course, a 549-yard roller coaster of a hole. With a large hill intruding into play up the left side for the tee shot, a drainage ditch paralleling the entire right side, a creek meandering across the fairway, and a two-tiered elevated green, I struggle to par this hole every time. The 11th hole is an attractive sharp dogleg - the tee shot is over a rocky hill to a fairway jutting 45 degrees left, leading to a large green located on a knob.
The 11th green's area has been recaptured forward to the crest of the hill.
Dedham's 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th holes epitomize the variety of targets that make playing the course so enjoyable. The downhill 180-yard 12th's green is convex in nature, repelling shots both long, short, left, and right, making chipping a high priority. The short par four 13th's green is of the punchbowl kind, funneling any ball clearing the fronting bunker toward the middle left of the putting surface. The 202-yard 14th hole is named "Biarritz", though it lacks the normal large swale through its middle section. Its green is built up from the land around it, rises wildly in its back third, and four deep bunkers protect its right and left sides. The 15th hole wraps up with Dedham's craziest green. Modeled after the Road Hole green at St. Andrews, Raynor built up a huge false front deterring weak shots but sloped the rest of the green away from the fairway, sending many approach shots bounding over the putting surface into a well-placed bunker behind. Even with a sand wedge in hand, the shot demands perfect precision.
Dedham sprawls across the land, its holes pointing in all compass directions.
The 16th, 17th, and 18th holes play back across the road on the clubhouse side. The 16th is a 371-yard par four, its fairway rumpling downhill and canted to the left. A grove of trees paralleling the right side inhabits the area where a long-forgotten alternate upper fairway existed; the prospect of returning this option as Dedham's master plan continues will make this solid hole a unique one! My favorite hole at Dedham is the 17th. Named "Reverse Redan", it is a long par three to a green angled from front left to back right. The slope of the green follows this angle, so tee shots can run onto the front edge and safely swerve toward the heavily protected back right quadrant. It is a scenic shot over a pond, full of challenge and strategy. Dedham's eighteen concludes with a very hard 405-yard hole. The unbunkered fairway jogs to the left, leading up an abrupt hill past rock outcroppings to a beautiful greensite. Two excellent shots are needed to find the green; a par four at number 18 is hard-earned indeed.
Dedham embraces its Seth Raynor design.
Dedham is rightfully proud to know their course is a Seth Raynor original design. His familiar set of par threes and creative use of the land on the long holes makes for a distinctive golfing experience. I'd suggest reading the website of the course superintendent, Michael Stachowicz, who clearly embraces both the colorful history and bright future of Dedham's golf course; his site is http://newenglandgreenkeeper.com/. In addition to keeping the course playing wonderfully firm, he has taken out trees across much of the course, elongating the long views of the sprawling landscape. Any golfer should jump at the invitation to play a round at Dedham - the immense scale of many holes masks the diminutive overall length, and the green complexes are first-rate. I love playing old classic designs, and Dedham's rumpling fairways and tiered greens are a wonderful step back in golfing time.
Course Rating: 7 stars
I learned to play golf at DCPC in the 1963 as a caddy. Nick was the Caddymaster. Paul Falls was the Pro. Up to 50 Boys from Dedham,Norwood, & Westwood would show up from April to October to carry doubles for $2.50/bag, plus tip.Tournaments paid $5. By the time I stopped and was drafted into the Army in 1968, we were averaging $8.00 for doubles. Many of the caddies, including myself had been polio victims in the 1950's. The Doctors told us the resistance of the golf bags and walking would help our developing bodies. The second hole had a blind green that was changed in 1968. I believe the 6th was lengthened. I have a photo taken of about 20 caddies during the 1967 Crane Bowl, which was 100 degree heat. Homer Overly and Guest won that June. I cant get over how thin we all are. Today you look at a similar aged kids and half are overweight. I heard they dont have caddies anymore. That's not right. How can a boy learn to save money and learn golf. beautifil course
ReplyDeleteWould love to have you come out again and see all the changes we made last year! 7MM restoration project has really restored the course!
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