Winged Foot
Played Winged Foot in 2017. The above is from 18 and played with cousin Mark, brother Joe, and Donnie. Winged Foot is consistently rated in the top 10 to 20 courses in the world. I also rank it in the top 20-ish because it has the majors pedigree, conditioning, exclusivity, history, a Tillinghast design brand, great green complexes, but more of an awe factor than a wow factor. The topography is meh and the one hole I truly remember is nine and that’s because of the view beyond the green to the clubhouse coming down the fairway.
For architecture geeks I get it. It’s a classic design. It is renowned as being the best design on the most ordinary land ever. That’s the point for me, though. You can’t grade great courses on a curve saying the topography sucks but he made the most out of it so “All Hail Tillie.” Part of being the very top of the top courses is memorability factor, and while Winged Foot is absolutely extraordinary in all other facets and very high on my ranking of courses played, it doesn’t mingle with the top ten as it lacks the WOW punch. This is especially hard for any parkland-style course to do, mind you, since you don’t have an ocean to drool over, a mountain to look down from or up to, or a desert to gawk at. So Winged Foot is the best it can be for the land it is on.
I do love playing courses that hosted memorable events and Winged Foot is certainly one of those. Here’s the funny thing, though. What I remember most of all about the majors at Winged Foot is not anything about the one just played but the Mickelson meltdown on 18 in 2006. I couldn’t even who tell you who won the 2020 Open here just three months ago (it was Bryson DeChambeau but I just looked it up), but I remember Mickelson’s slice almost into the hospitality tent, his next shot off the tree, and the long slow trudge up the 18th to face his new-found defeat. He did take it like a man though.
I’m not sure if remembering the negative over the positive is a Philly thing (they call us Negadelphians for a reason) or if it’s a bogey golfer thing (we think, “hey we double-bogeyed 18 so we love it when the pros do it, too). Or maybe it’s just human nature. To note, pick the first memorable moment that comes to mind of any British Open (okay Open Championship, whatever). Is it Carnoustie? 1999? Jean van de Velde dunking a ball into the Barry Burn on 18? Do you know who won? I don’t but I shit sure remember that. I’m going to Carnoustie in 2022 and you can bet I’m rolling up the pant legs and going into the Barry Burn to get a JVDV photo.
Masters memory? Ok the Tiger chip in on 16 sticks out. So does Bubba’s bender around the trees on 18. But for me, Norman’s snapper into the pond on 16 and subsequent double bogey is right up there. And that was nearly 25 years ago. I do remember Nick Faldo winning that one. PGA Championship? DJ grounding his club at Whistling Straits and the penalty costing him the Wanamaker trophy. Of course I also remember DJ’s wife, Paulina Gretzky, in the white dress at the Oakmont US Open, too, but I digress.
Back to Winged Foot, so we got to play here as part of a tournament – a shotgun and unfortunately we teed off on seven (I do like playing a great course the way it was designed to be played not starting on a par three). A vendor had previously sponsored what is now the Korn Ferry tour and had a course concierge through the rep firm that could get access to private tour courses.
Now a great way to play some top courses is to look at charity events being held there and pony up a contribution. The feel-good of giving to a charity takes the sting out of a super pricey $500+ round. Here, though, it was assumed by the rep firm that the vendor would pony up for clients and I would never allow a vendor to spring for a round of golf at anything close to the cost of entry to play here. So we played it, paid way more Franklins than I would usually pay, and the rep firm is the only one who benefitted. So the price tag with no charity benefit probably also affects my thoughts on Winged Foot. My thinking is for the dollars I spent here I expect the Shadow Creek or Cascata treatment.
All of that though, brought up a good discussion. The concierge told me he could pretty much get access to any course…at a cost. Naturally we asked about Augusta, he said not sure but could work Shinnecock for $5,000 a man. That was a “hell no” times at least five. I don’t think I’d pay $1,000 to play Shinnecock, but I would pay it to play Augusta. So the discussion we had/have is would you pay $5,000 per man to play Augusta? For me, that’s tough. Would have to be the right group and only if it was found money (surprise work bonus, hitting a trifecta or prop bet, et al). Any other course? Cypress? St. Andrews? For anything beyond Augusta, my top end would be in the $1,000 range and I’m talking top ten to twenty for that.
If you do play Winged Foot, we stopped at Ballyowen in NJ on the way up for a teaser round. We stayed in Rye and grabbed Frankie & Johnnie’s in Rye for dinner. Great Steakhouse. The old one in the theater district was my favorite but it dropped a peg or two when they moved around the corner. The one in midtown is good and the one in Rye is great too. Get the steak sauce. They have their own and it’s great.
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