DelRay Beach Golf Club
Ross course number 56!
Contributed By Dr. Andrew Jay
On a recent trip to Florida, I was able to get out for a round on Delray Beach Golf Club. The weather was a delightful, sunny 75 degrees and my spirits could not have been higher for taking on another piece of Donald Ross handiwork.
Delray Beach Golf Club was built in 1923 and most of the Ross remains in the routing and layout of the holes. At one time it was a rather prestigious private club and Tommy Armour was the resident pro for several years. It is now a municipal course, but the upkeep and speed of play were both acceptable. At 6400 from the men's tees and 6900 from the gold's the par 72 layout is not overwhelming from a length perspective. But there are some meaty holes including the fourth hole. This par four is a healthy 418 from the blues and 451 from the golds.
The layout has a nice mix of holes with four par 3s and four par fives dispersed among par fours of varying lengths. At no time did I have the feeling of intra-round deja-vue as each hole had a unique tee presentation and strategy for play. The healthy sea breeze also forced one to keep focused. Water comes into play on only six holes. This is a modest amount for a Florida course and the falling water tables lower the ponds' footprints in two places. (I still managed to wet my ball twice!)
I enjoyed this course but there was one nagging problem that irked me continuously- Rounding. This is the phenomenon in which the green mower tends to want to cut in a circular fashion. If not carefully monitored, greens will tend to become more circular in shape over time. This has two adverse effects. First, the green becomes smaller as the circle is based on the narrowest dimension of the green. And second, many interesting contours and pin placements are lost. It becomes harder to nestle the pin in behind a trip or near the edge of the inverted saucer.
The Delray Beach course is getting a $2 million makeover this summer. I always hold my breath when hearing this, as there are few architects who can resist making modest “improvements” that are out of character.
Speaking of renovations, the Peninsula Golf Club in San Mateo CA has just been restored. (See feature article on this web site) I hope to make it number 58!
Hit 'em straight!
-- Andy