Utah’s Hidden Valley CC Votes Down Rees Jones Redesign, Ups Reward to $10,000 for Vandalism Information
Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, October 17th, 2013
Categories: Boneheads • Golf Courses
Tags: Golf Courses • Golf Utah
Categories: Boneheads • Golf Courses
Tags: Golf Courses • Golf Utah
Hidden Valley Country Club – Mountain Nine – 3rd Hole
Last week I posted an article about one of my favorite Utah golf courses, Hidden Valley Country Club. HVCC is one I’ve played 1000’s of times and I absolutely love the course.
Redesign NOT
The club has been considering a course redesign by Rees Jones and the membership voted last week. 60% of the votes were in favor of NOT doing the redesign.
I’d have to say this is once more a case of “sometimes the best decision is to do nothing.” I don’t feel the course needs a major overhaul. It could use some tweaking, sure. Fixes in drainage and irrigation and a few other maintenance things would be appropriate. Perhaps a few new strategically placed tee boxes. Not $5+ million worth of work and certainly not work which would close down ⅓ of the course for three consecutive years.
Some of the membership seems to think the course will lose its playability and stature as time goes on. “We have a great club at the present time, but we have to look to the future and make sure we can say this ten years from now.” I’m not sure where this line of thinking comes from. Members make a great club first, then the course. 10 years from now the course will still be a gem and a joy to play and its only about 1300 years younger than the Old Course at St. Andrews. Do the members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club worry so much about upgrading the course so that it would still be great 10 years down the road?
Hidden Valley Country Club – Poisoned Tree – Mountain Course 8th Hole – click to zoom
Vandalism Reward Bumped Up To $10,000
In the same article last week I mentioned that the club had offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the vandal (or vandals) who poisoned the trees on the Mountain nine, holes #6 and #8. Those were two of the three most strategic and crucial trees on the 27-hole course.
Add a 3rd tree now, and bump up the reward to $10,000.
The Valley Course hole #5 tree, a classic tree in the middle of the fairway which eats drives and forces players to execute great shots to either side, is now dying.
For someone to stoop so low as to poison trees on their golf course is beyond my comprehension. The golf gods will certainly curse these assholes with a lifetime case of the yips. This person (or persons) deserves some maffia style justice, the kind which involves a pair of pliers and a 9-iron. For good measure, add a Joe Pesci skull vice procedure like in the movie Casino.
First Look: Tattoo Golf Clubhouse Collection Golf Polo – Skull Included
Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Site News
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Site News
Being a rock & roll musician and metal head, I love it when golf can be classy, but still have a rock & roll attitude. Nobody does that better than my good friends at Tattoo Golf, as is evident by their new Clubhouse Collection golf polo.
Tattoo Golf Clubhouse Collection Golf Polo
Enjoy this first look at the Tattoo Golf Clubhouse Collection polo and stay tuned for my review soon, after I’ve put it into play at the country club…
Kentwool Graduate Compression Sock Review
Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Apparel • review
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Apparel • review
Kentwool makes the best golf socks in the world. I can say that without hesitation. There’s simply no competition. I have a drawer full of cotton socks from major manufacturers which I can’t bring myself to wear because I keep going with my Kentwools. I should just chuck all those other brands.
Kentwool Graduate Compression Socks
Recently I’ve been evaluating Kentwool Graduate Compression socks. If you’ve never tried compression socks or other compression apparel items, they’re fantastic. By compression they mean the item is very tight, in a therapeutic way. The compression helps to increase blood flow as well as reduce muscle and tendon soreness which can occur during athletic activities.
The Graduate Socks are large. They go above my knee, which is great.
The socks are made of 18.5 micron super-fine Merino wool, which makes them very soft. The wool has “thermoregulatory” properties which help cool the body in the summer and heat it in the winter. The fabric also naturally wicks moisture away, keeping the wearer dry.
Sizes/Colors
There are two colors available for the Graduate, Black (pictured) and Natural.
Sizes available are medium, large and extra-large.
On And Off The Course
Increased blood flow is great for athletic activities but also very good for times of inactivity, like sitting at the office or on a plane. In my case the Graduates have helped me weather the arctic cold of the west stands at Rice Eccles Stadium when I’m watching a Pac-12 Football game in the wee hours of the evening. The last two Utah Utes home games have been very cold, but with the help of my Graduates, my legs have been very warm. Not only that, I haven’t experienced any stiffness or soreness from sitting still in cold temperatures for 4-5 hours.
Fall is here and the temperatures are dropping. We are now experiencing frost in the mornings. I have yet to put the Graduates into play on the course, but I’m looking forward to the benefits of the increased blood flow as well as staying a little warmer.
Conclusion
Once again Kentwool has produced a fantastic product. At $40 for a pair of socks, you get what you pay for. In fact, I’d say $40 is a great deal when considering the comfort and benefits.
Inside The Mystery Box – Nike Hyperadapt Storm-FIT Jacket
Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Site News
Tags: Golf Apparel • Nike Golf
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear • Site News
Tags: Golf Apparel • Nike Golf
A very elaborate mystery box came to the doorstep yesterday. The magnetically sealed box had a fabric top which a Nike logo sort of embossed through it.
Mystery Box from Nike Golf
The fabric was a sample of materials used in the new Nike Golf Hyperadapt Storm-FIT jacket pictured below. Oh to have Nike’s marketing budget!
Nike Hyperadapt Storm-FIT Jacket
The Storm Fit jacket first appeared on the scene at the British Open Championship. It is a 100% waterproof piece which also blocks wind, yet stays comfortable and breathable without hampering the golf swing.
I’m not a big fan of cold, wet and wind on the golf course, but I might just be hoping for a little of that so I can put this baby on through the rigorous Hooked On Golf Blog test battery!
Stay tuned for my Nike Hyperadapt Storm-FIT jacket review soon.
Utah’s Hidden Valley Country Club Sabotaged While Considering Course Redesign
Hidden Valley Country Club
I’ve been lucky to have played one Utah’s best golf courses with my dad many 100’s, of not 1000’s of times over the last few decades. Hidden Valley Country Club in Sandy, Utah is without a doubt my favorite course in northern Utah. HVCC is a fantastic mountainside 27 hole facility with tree-lined holes, great elevation changes and many fantastic views of the valley below and mountains above. Somehow they manage to produce the softest, yet smoothest and fastest greens around. My personal best score was a satisfying 68 (-4) there last year. I love HVCC and know practically every square inch.
Hidden Valley Country Club – Mountain Nine – 3rd Hole
Redesign?
A few years ago the club considered a course redesign by Matt Dye and wisely opted not to do it. During a redesign presentation one of the lady members pointed out to Dye and those considering the project that the course was wonderful as it was, saying, “why would anyone want to change this?”
Rees Jones Proposed Redesign – click to zoom
Good question.
The members at HVCC, which I am not, are once again considering a redesign. This time by Rees Jones. The focus would be the greens and tees, with some modifications to bunkers and trees. Some of the reasons behind the redesign: The course was built a long time ago. Two architects contributed to the current greens design. The course is too short. The putting surfaces are not consistent. The drainage systems need to be updated.
Much effort is put into stressing that the goal is not to make the course more difficult.
While I (sort of ) understand these reasons, I once again question redesigning such a great course. I just mentioned how great the greens are, yet some think they need to be redone? Perhaps I don’t know that much about golf architecture, but I’m trying to think of which greens are so out of place on the course. I suppose I’ve always thought of them as they are, and not how they could or should be. Maybe the members should go play some of the muni courses in town with bad greens to remind themselves how great their greens really are. I don’t find the surfaces to be inconsistent. I find them to be consistently good and the speeds perfect.
I do understand the need for drainage work. The course can often be very soggy and spongy in places, yet very dry in others. Some of the tee boxes can be way too soft.
I can definitely imagine some tee box redesign and repositioning. Some good variation could be added to the course by putting boxes in different locations, providing different angles off the tee as well as different elevations. Right now some of the tee boxes can be a bit boring, with all the tee sets in the same strip, just a few yards apart.
Having grown up playing “mountain golf” I do love the way these types of courses frame up when lined with large mature pines like Hidden Valley is. That being said, I’m also as big a fan of links style golf as anyone. There aren’t any “tree lined” holes on the Old Course in St. Andrews. While part of me wants to see the trees and hole shapes stay, I’d be curious to see what a more modern design might bring in the way of playability and aesthetics. If I had any input at all, I would have suggested the club talk with Gil Hanse, Tom Doak or Baxter Spann about the redesign. I’d recommend getting a 2nd, 3rd or 4th opinion/bid on something as big and important as what the club calls their “biggest asset,” their course. I know if I was looking at spending over $5 million on a project, I’d want want to be sure I was making the right choice.
Hidden Valley Country Club – Poisoned Tree – Mountain Course 8th Hole – click to zoom
Sabotage
Recently the club was the victim of some bad vandalism. Gloves and poison were found in a garbage can on the course. Shortly after those items were found, two large trees on the 6th and 8th holes of the Mountain nine started to die (pictured right). These trees play a very strong role in the strategy of the holes. Without them, the holes become much easier and less challenging, as well as less attractive aesthetically.
Seeing these great trees dying makes me ill. I’m very saddened that someone would stoop that low. Certainly doing something like this is not in the spirit of golf and the golf gods will make these vandals pay.
Some theorize that the “flat bellies” of the club may be the source of the sabotage. If those trees weren’t there, the young and long hitters would be able to drive the short par-4 6th or reach the par-5 8th in two shots easily.
I suspect it is also possible the vandalism may have been performed by a disgruntled member or former member. Perhaps someone has an axe to grind and this is their way of getting back at the club?
A third theory I have is one I really hope isn’t the case. I do find it interesting timing that the course is considering a redesign at the same time this sabotage takes place. If I read the design notes correctly, these two trees would be eliminated in the new design. Coincidence? Was the vandalism done by someone who really wants the redesign to happen or worse yet, has a financial interest in the redesign taking place? As I said, I certainly hope this theory is not the case.
A reward is now offered by the club. $2,500 cash to whoever provides the club information leading to the positive identification of the person responsible for the damage.
Related Links
Hooked On Golf Blog Hidden Valley Country Club Photos
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