Okay -- eventually I will get caught up writing blog posts about the different courses. It's been a busy year. My wife and I welcomed twin girls on April 9, so my free time to golf (and blog about golfing) has been quite limited. But, I have a great trip lined up at the end of this month and want to make sure that I am caught up before I go play 6 top 100 clubs in a week.
Essex County Club dates back to 1893 and originally was a 9 hole layout. Donald Ross became the head pro in 1910 and began to redesign the course and expand it to 18 holes. A few fun facts about the course:
Essex was the 6th club to join the USGA after the five original founding members
The driving range at Essex is quite limited. For the most part, the max you can hit a ball on the range is 150 yards. Only during the morning before other players tee off can you hit clubs further -- in which case they will find the 9th fairway.
Essex hosted two US Womens Amateur tournaments -- one in 1897 and one in 1912. It also hosted the Curtis Cup in 2010
The course opens with a relatively straightforward par 4 with a nice wide fairway (which I actually managed to hit).
It is followed by another relatively short par 4, but then you hit holes 3 and 4. For a course that tips out at around 6600 yards, you are not expecting many ultra-long holes, but the par 5 third measures 623 yards and the par 3 fourth measures 233 yards.
On the third, it took me 3-wood, hybrid, 6-iron just to get to the green in regulation (I was leaving driver in the bag today after a rough warm up with it). I managed to hit the GIR and two putt for par. On the long par 3 I also managed to hit a gorgeous 3 wood to the center of the green and two put for par.
The remainder of the front 9 is solid, but the back 9 is really what made me love Essex. It is perhaps my favorite 9 hole stretch in golf so far.
Hole 10 is a 363 yard par 4 that is a thing of beauty. You absolutely cannot miss left, but there is plenty of fairway hiding behind a large hill. A good tee shot here sets you up for a relatively straightforward approach to the green. I hit 3-wood into the fairway and a 9-iron on the approach shot to hit the GIR. Two putted for par -- and thoroughly enjoyed the hole.
Hole #11 is another fantastic golf hole -- and one I unfortunately played less well. A 178 yard par 3 up hill, and the only thing the caddie said is "don't miss left." So -- I decided to miss left. As you can see from the photo below, missing left leaves you a challenging up and down over a trap. I took my medicine, chipped safely on the green and two putted for bogey. Not ideal, but it would do.
The back 9 consists of many fantastic holes. While I do not have a picture, one of the most interesting is the par 4 17th, which measures in at 363 yards but is steeply up hill (perhaps one of the steepest holes I've ever played). A good tee shot here gets things started, but the second shot is no picnic, either -- it plays blind to a relatively small green.
The 18th is an absolutely spectacular finishing hole. Measuring in at 418 yards, this downhill par 4 is a beauty from the tee.
Overall, Essex was a fantastic experience, and I hope to play it again in the future. I found it slightly more playable for a mediocre golfer like myself than Myopia, but both were true treats.