GOLF ON CAPE COD COURSE REVIEW

The Ridge Club, Sandwich Hollows & Holly Ridge Golf Course

Photographs by George Peet

THE RIDGE CLUB- PRIVATE

A match for the ages
By mickey herron – PGA professional

A short trip from the Meetinghouse in Sandwich, off Farmersville Rd., sits a small building with off-white shingles in the center of two roads – an entrance and an exit.

Inside this little building, there is a gate guard who politely asks each driver to stop and chat before entering. For residents of this community, this is a daily ritual. For those of us who usually only drive by and cast a glance at the mechanical arm that lifts as cars enter, like us Golf on Cape Cod magazine folk, a chance to pass through into this hidden universe only comes with special permission. That day, as golf course reviewers, we had special permission to pass through and play one of Cape Cod golf’s gems: The Ridge Club.

“Have a nice day,” the guard said as our entourage headed toward the clubhouse.

That wouldn’t be difficult. The 11 a.m. sun began to warm up the pavement, and the sprinklers on the newly redesigned 5th hole plunged back into the earth. Over the past few years, The Ridge Club had done a number of renovations. The fairway on the par-4 5th hole used to be hidden by large undulating mounds. Those mounds are now a thing of the past, replaced by a widened fairway, some delicately laid shrubbery and a greenside pond with a fountain in the center spraying water toward the sky. The new hole is a delight to look at, but however beautiful water is to look at on a golf course, water, too, has a kind of disconcerting effect on any golfer – for that water could soon be swallowing our golf balls and increasing our scores.

Across the street from the clubhouse is a spectacular practice facility. The all-grass tee area stands roughly 10 feet above the cart path, giving the 300 yards of landing area with various practice pins appropriately placed throughout, a majestic, elevated (pun intended) appeal – as if this were the kind of practice facility where champions are bred. Practicing in this type of environment has a calming effect on the swing—no quick, jerky swings on this practice tee, only wide rhythmic, steady swings. Hopefully this rhythm carries onto the course, where it counts.

On the first tee, a conversation started about The Ridge Club’s reputation as a difficult test for the amateur golfer. At 6,657 yards from the championship tees (par 71), it’s not the length that makes the course tough. The Ridge’s challenge is all about the course layout and the features of the landscape. The name aptly and ominously implies a course lined with ridges. Most of the holes are, in fact, bordered with large mounds, and it is a rare fairway that isn’t bumped and moguled, leaving even the most dead center of the fairway drives susceptible to a difficult approach shot, where occasionally the ball can be below or above the stance.

The head pro at The Ridge Club for the last 15 years, John Boniface, recognizes the Ridge’s reputation as an unforgiving golf course, but he also suggested that the recent changes made to many of the holes were designed specifically to alleviate some of the pressures, especially on the high-handicappers: “When the course was built, the holes were framed with mounding, and they still are to an extent, but the mounding has been widened out. The fairways were always wider than they appeared off the tee. I think in the past, originally, you felt like you had to steer it a little bit. And now, with the fairways a little wider, the tee invites the golfer to swing away.”

Certainly this holds true on the first hole, a tricky 325-yard par 4 with some unsuspecting features. From the tee box, the landing area looks bumpy, and the mounds that border the fairway create a kind of compact feel like Boniface talked about, but that didn’t stop us. Everyone in our foursome, three low-to-mid handicappers and one high handicapper, went for the gusto with a driver.

It’s not until 280 yards down the fairway, though, that the hole shows its true character. At the 280-yard-mark, the fairway comes to a crest and quickly begins plummeting 75 yards down toward a small water hazard tucked neatly on the left side of the green, which sits postage stamp-sized and demanding an accurate approach shot. There is a large hill behind the green that acts as a wall for any shots hit over, ricocheting the long ball toward the green, or worse, into the water.

The first hole sets the tone for the rest of the course, as if warning the on-coming golfer: this course is not always what it seems, there will be more surprises – stay on your toes!

The following par-3 2nd hole requires a stiff wedge to the medium-sized green 125 yards away and acts as a good warm-up for the tight, par-5 3rd, the number 1 handicap hole.

The left side of the 3rd fairway is a wooded, swampy lateral hazard. The right side of the fairway is mounded, effectively hiding the fenced yards of the five or six houses that look down upon passing golfers. The fairway is broken into two sections separated by an enormous ridge and a sharp dogleg right, eliminating the possibility of reaching the 472-yard hole in two and placing the burden of par on smart iron play.

The architect of The Ridge Club, Robert Von Hagge, said in an interview with Golf on Cape Cod magazine that these types of mounds, the ones that act as visual barriers for both golfers and homeowners, are very much part of his design philosophy: “I don’t just build golf courses. I build golf communities. Therefore, I must consider both the perspective of the golfer as well as the perspective of the homeowner. A good rule of thumb that I implement in my designs is to hide the front or back lawns in residential areas with moundings. This, in effect, makes the golfer feel more like he is on the golf course, as opposed to in a neighborhood.”

Three par-4’s follow, none of which are longer than 401 yards, and safe drives on the 4th and 6th are the name of the game on these oppositely doglegged holes. The bright and sunny 5th hole instantly enlivened the conversation.

“Tremendous,” our foursome agreed. “What a fantastic difference. And none of those pestering moguls.”

Like the practice facility, the 5th hole entices the golfer to step up play – on such a beautiful hole, an ugly swing simply won’t do. Our foursome met in the center of the fairway, all confidently peering 130 yards toward the green surrounded by bunkers on the left and the pond spitting water on the right. With luck on our side, we all avoided the hazards and carried putters to the green…safe for now, but we knew there was more of the “wet stuff” to come.

The final three holes on the front side are demanding. The 7th is a bunker-laden par-3 where the headwind makes all of the 196 yards seem even longer. The 8th and 9th holes are nice driving holes, a pleasure to play, even when walking across the 20 yards of sand trap that needs to be traversed in order to putt on the 9th green.

Boniface commented that “the front nine is actually
a great nine holes; it’s just that it may be overshadowed by some of the splendor of the back nine.” If that were true, we were in for a great finishing half.

By this time, the hottest part of the day was over and the sun began its trip back toward the horizon. The trees were spreading their shadows across the fairways, and the temperature began to cool.

Von Hagge made mention that part of his idea for the “ridges” (fairway moguls and mounding) was to create a different visual for golfers playing the course at different times of the day. “It is a kaleidoscope effect,” he said. Golfers who play in the morning see the shadows of the mounds cast from east to west and evening players, conversely, see shadows from west to east.

“Essentially, the visual of the golf hole changes hourly,” Von Hagge continued, “We are trying to create a new experience for the golfer each time [he/she] plays the course. And, oftentimes, how golfers view the course visually can dramatically change the golf experience.”

Von Hagge’s point was well taken. However troublesome the moguls made playing the ball from the fairway, they did have a kind of elegant visual appeal. And visual appeal is really where The Ridge Club sets itself apart from other Cape Cod golf courses, particularly on the backside, where nearly every hole has postcard possibilities. That’s not to say there aren’t many beautiful, memorable golf holes on the Cape that don’t take advantage of spectacular seaside settings. But The Ridge Club has no seaside to rely upon; it has only the architect’s layout. Furthermore, every hole at the Ridge Club has a special way of presenting itself. It isn’t until the 16th and 17th holes that the golfer is aware of other holes on the course – another visual advantage of the mounding. Boniface concurred. “When you are standing on the tee on any particular hole, that’s the only hole you see. Really, you never see another hole on the course besides the one you’re playing.”

The 10th through the 15th passed quickly, mainly because our foursome was able to avoid any real trouble like the fescues on 10, and the water, short and to the right, on the par-3 11th. The 12th hole is a long par 5 at 574 yards, but manageable with three well-placed shots. The 13th and 14th, a par 3 followed by a par 4, again, play moderately quickly because of their relatively straight-forward presentation. The 15th hole, a reachable par 5, has beautiful picture potential and acts as a precursor to the next three holes that Boniface considers “the finest finishing holes on Cape Cod.”

Von Hagge compared the designing of the last holes at The Ridge to a three-act play, “It is 6, 6, and 6, right? What you want to do is finish with something strong, something memorable. In the last half of the last act, you really want to wallop them so they keep coming back for more. Send them home smiling.” Indeed, Mr. Von Hagge. Indeed.

From the 16th tee, water is visible but not in play about 300 yards away. An iron off the tee is a wise choice due to the small landing area. There is out-of-bounds on both sides of the fairway until the hole doglegs 45 degrees to the right, where the water hazard then becomes the entire left hand side of the hole. There, the green first comes into sight, dangerously surrounded by bunkers except for a small apron entrance front and right. Fifteen yards over the green or 10 yards to the left is big trouble – pinpoint accuracy is essential, even the slightest err of the swing is penalized.

Then came the monumental 17th, a short par 3 at 150 yards that would otherwise be an easy iron shot and two putts, if it weren’t for the water that surrounds the green like a moat protecting a castle. It is one of the few island greens on Cape Cod and easily one of the greatest par 3’s within 100 miles. The green is large enough to allow some freedom in a swing that will inevitably be stiffened because of the water, but aiming for the pin, at least in our foursome, is entirely out of the question. “Get it on the green” is the mantra here. Get it on the green.

The final hole, a 559-yard par 5, acts as a kind of encore performance after 16 and 17. The elevated tee provides a complete view of the hole. A water hazard lies 350 yards out on the right, eventually creating the near border of the green. A combination of fairway bunkers and mounding deters the left side from play, but the tee invites a good opportunity to swing the driver. Therein, however, good strategy is essential. The moguls on the far left of the fairway force a tough decision for the second shot: hit it on the fairway to the left where it’s bumpy, or flirt with the water on the right where it’s flat?

Our foursome chose to deal with the bumps, and we were forced to play our third shots with uphill and downhill lies, a potentially tragic situation that on this particular occasion resulted with four golf balls on the green. We made our putts and that was it—a lovely day within a hidden universe.

If you can get special permission to pass through the entrance to the right of the small building with off-white shingles, past the mechanical arm, and onto the first tee of The Ridge Club…take it. Oh, and don’t forget to say hi to the gate guard. He’s sure to begin a truly great golf experience with a friendly, “Have a nice day.”

SANDWICH HOLLOWS GOLF COURSE - PUBLIC

The road leading to the Sandwich Hollows Golf Club winds through the center of Sandwich across from the Mid-Cape Highway. A twist there and a turn here, and suddenly the Hollows clubhouse shows itself tall and rectangular on the top of the hill overlooking the 1st, 10th, and 18th holes respectively.

No drivable road can prepare a golfer for the twists and turns, the dips and rises, crevasses and ridges that lie in wait to challenge the oncoming Hollows golfer. No sir. No road indeed. In fact, there aren’t too many golf courses that could prepare a golfer for the Hollows, particularly the golfer that opts out of the golf cart luxury. With well-placed drives (length is only important on a couple of key holes) and a strong low iron game, the Hollows can be tamed. Offer yourself up to the rigors of the layout, though, and the Hollows becomes an impenetrable beast.

The Sandwich Hollows is a trip into the back woods of the town of Sandwich, which occasionally feels like a trip north into the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire because of the hilly terrain. Along with that terrain come golf holes with character and identity. Each hole at the Hollows has a memorable feel, due in part to the fact that nearly all holes are separated by thick woods, creating the enjoyable illusion that each hole is carved out of its own forest without any other holes around.

Formerly known as Round Hill and built back in the mid-1970’s, the Town of Sandwich gained control of the course in 1999, making many improvements, most notably a well-designed 12-acre, all-grass practice facility, the removal of many trees across the entire course, and seven newly constructed tee boxes. At 6,307 yards from the blue tees, par 71, with a 70.4 course rating and a slope of 122, the Hollows is on the shorter side of 18-hole courses on Cape Cod, despite the hills.

It wouldn’t be out of the question to leave the driver in the bag for the majority of the holes at the Hollows, except on the par 5 sixth hole that measures in at a monstrous 592 yards and requires every bit of a long drive off the tee. Tiger and Daly-like hitters need not worry; you’ll most likely be hitting driver, 4-iron, or some other ludicrous two-swing combination to the green. For those of us “human” golfers, expect to hit driver and two long irons.

The first three holes, a consecutive par-5, par-4, and par-3, are a flat, moderately easy introduction to what lies ahead. The following two par-4’s are unassuming and provide the golfer with a clear view of all the obstacles. The fifth hole is a simple rendition with picture possibilities, straight-away with a slightly elevated green 366 yards from the tee box. The tree-lines on both sides of the wide fairway make the driver seem like a wise choice, but the slightest err of the swing will bring the trees a little too close for comfort. Then comes the sixth hole – did you eat your Wheaties for breakfast?

The last three holes on the front side, a par-3 followed by two par-4’s, have their own style. The 7th is a lengthy three that plays uphill and can be difficult given a headwind. The par-4 eighth hole has a green that sits well below the fairway 357 yards from the tee, a rather unique feature. About halfway down the fairway, before the trek downhill to the green, sits a small stone chapel, big enough to fit maybe 10 people, complete with a bell in the top of the steeple, a three-tiered stone staircase leading up to a beautifully engraved what-looks-to-be brass door, and a story that’s found its way into the history of Sandwich folklore. What was that again? A chapel? That’s right – a mini chapel.

As the story goes, the land that the Hollows was built upon was formerly owned by a Sandwich family whose name will be left out to protect the innocent. Evidently, the purchase of the land to construct the golf course included a stipulation that left standing a small chapel the family wanted to be buried beneath - a tomb of sorts. The rest of the story, as well as that story’s legitimacy, will have to be left to inquiring minds. Ask any of the members of the Hollows about the mini chapel and many different versions of that story, like any good folkloric tradition, will inevitably arise. The chapel’s inside is rumored to have gold-laced paint and heat during the cold season.

The par 4 ninth ends the front nine with the No. 1 handicap hole, uphill the whole way to a green that sits roughly 50 feet above the fairway. Ending strong here is important, because the back side doesn’t leave much time for relaxation – on the scorecard at least.

The first three holes on the back side, two par-4’s then a par-3, begin the walks deep into the valleys of Sandwich and high onto the peaks from which Cape Cod Bay is occasionally visible.

The par-4 13th reveals Sandwich’s rocky terrain. The slight dogleg right, with an elevated tee playing down to a medium sized green, must be played in the fairway. Only feet from the fairway lay pebble and rock, ready to make a hardpan shot to the green difficult. And watch out for the gigantic boulder that sits to the left of the green.

The next four holes wrap around each other like puzzle pieces that could be placed no other way. The 14th and 17th holes are separated by a row of tall evergreens that provide a somewhat mountain-like ambiance. The 15th and 16th, a par-3 and a par-4, require accurate irons, or else deal with the rocky woods and the hills that will swallow any erratic shots.

The 18th hole is a nice finish back to the clubhouse on top of the hill. At 408 yards, the water hazard down and to the right is barely noticeable from the tee. What is noticeable, however, are the two big trees that will wreak havoc on any approach that doesn’t acknowledge their presence. Once on the green, a couple of putts will, hopefully, be accompanied by the pleasant feeling of a well-managed round.

A not-so-well-managed round, particularly if the iron game led you into some precarious places on the back nine, will evoke a sigh of relief and the determination to face again the challenges of the Hollows.

:: Return to Top ::

HOLLY RIDGE GOLF CLUB- PUBLIC

What exactly does a golfer expect out of a par-3 golf course? Well, usually a good mix of holes – long and short, appropriately challenging, maybe some water holes, some well-placed bunkers, well-groomed tee boxes, attractive fairways, elevated greens and elevated tees; a spectacular driving range, including practice bunker and practice green with plenty of room for chipping; maybe a restaurant with a wooden bar and swivel stools along with an outdoor patio for summertime eating and drinking; a nationally lauded golf instruction professional with her own self-named teaching school on location; and a central location on the Upper Cape in South Sandwich...

OK, OK, let’s not get carried away. This description pertains, of course, to the Holly Ridge Golf Club. And regardless of what golfers expect out of a par-54, they are going to get all the above-mentioned features at Holly Ridge, whether they like it or not (but something tells me they will like it).

The 2,952-yard Holly Ridge was designed by the famed New England golf architect, Geoffrey Cornish, and built in 1966. Widely regarded as “the grand old man of New England golf course architecture,” Cornish either himself built or had a hand in building many of the courses on Cape Cod and the Islands, including Blue Rock (another par-54), Farm Neck, Olde Barnstable, Quashnet Valley, Bayberry Hills, The Captains, Ocean Edge, and Cranberry Valley – not to mention the many other courses that Cornish designed throughout New England.

Holly Ridge is a unique little public course. This par-54 provides an opportunity for the advanced golfer to practice the iron game and the putter, and also offers beginning golfers the chance to sharpen their developing skills. The course is well maintained and well groomed. Fairways are clean and manicured. Greens provide a nice roll, and due to their almost 40 years of existence, they also check the ball quite nicely. On most par-54 courses, the tee boxes suffer the most, but the Holly Ridge maintenance crew must have developed an effective tee box rejuvenation method because the majority of the tee boxes are lush with green grass.

Holly Ridge is deservedly known as a challenging par-3 layout. According to one of the teaching professionals at Holly Ridge, Delayne Pascal, “It took 10 years for a single golfer to shoot even par.” Of course, it would be difficult to verify that 10-year mark, but one trip around the 18 holes of Holly Ridge renders that challenge all the more real.

Oftentimes par-3 courses get the reputation for being easy because of their relative shortness and subsequent attractiveness to novice players.

Regardless of 18 tries at a hole-in-one, three swings of the club on
18 consecutive holes is no easy task. And as every experienced golfer knows, the key to successful golf rests not in driving the ball. The short game, folks, is what makes the good golfer. And the short game is precisely the challenge at Holly Ridge.

The front nine is the longer of the two (by a mere 14 yards) and the trickier. The 1st hole opens with a water hazard short and to the right before a big, well-bunkered green reveals itself. The second water hole presents as the entire mid-section of the 187-yard 7th hole. Hit it in the water on the 7th and the bullfrogs might swallow your golf ball. Six out of the nine holes on the front are over 150 yards and therefore require full swings of the mid-irons. The 6th and 7th are both over 180 yards and the 9th, the number 1 handicap hole of 202 yards, might find many golfers reaching for the big sticks.

The back nine has four holes under 160 yards that require accurate wedge play. The bunkering on the backside is also more prominent – like those on the 12th and 13th holes. The 14th, 15th and 16th holes are 189, 188, and 211 yards, providing a three-hole challenge that easily can stifle any dynamic play up to that point. The 17th hole is a short 138 yards before the bunker-laden 155-yard 18th hole.

Before stepping up to the first tee at Holly Ridge, be sure to spend some time on its driving range. The range is recognized as one of the top 100 practice centers in America by the Golf Range Association of America. If you’re in need of some lessons, golf instruction at Holly Ridge is ably managed by Jane Frost, LPGA Teacher of the Year in 1994, New England PGA Teacher of the Year in 1996 and among the top 100 instructors in the United States according to Golf Magazine (for more information on instruction, be sure to check www.janefrostgolfschools.com). Further, Holly Ridge offers different league play for men, women, and juniors every weekday afternoon during the summer season, with an open tee time policy on the weekends.

Holly Ridge is every golfer’s golf course. Be sure to check it out.

:: Return to Top ::