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By
1925, Donald Ross had established himself as one of
the preeminent designers in the game of golf. Coming
off his noted, timeless work at Pinehurst, and just
before an accomplishment of equal merit at Seminole in
North Palm Beach, Florida, his credentials, and the
hints of emerging genius, earned him the designer job
at the Belleview Biltmore, a well-established luxury
resort looking to add a new sphere of leisure to its
portfolio. The match was ideal, because to understand
the Ross lineage is to understand what made the
addition of his golf course to the Belleview Biltmore
so special.
Only
30 years old at the time, the resort had already begun
to mint its storied legacy. Likewise, Ross’ legend
was growing with each completed project, and the
sophistication of the resort and the designer’s work
met beautifully on the property. Ross created a golf
course that mirrored his other great courses, which
included grass-faced bunkers, strategically placed
throughout and angled so that the better player would
be forced to place their shots to particular sides of
a fairway, or a segment of the green, in order to
negotiate Ross’ subtle hazards. In its first 75
years, Father Time wore many of these challenges down
from being punitive to benign, so the 2000
restoration, much like the improvements made to
Seminole recently, has made the bunkers a challenge
yet again. Steep grass faces were rebuilt into them,
higher and more penal than the originals, to toughen
the layout, and the greens for which Ross has gained
great notoriety have maintained their maddening
nuances. Contours and peculiar breaks will bedevil
first-time golfers at the Belleview Biltmore, some of
which seem to defy both gravity and the naked eye.
The
collection of great holes that make up the course are
a testament to the Ross’ shrewd routing, which packs
a number of great holes in a relatively tight parcel
of land. The third hole is a par three, running
parallel to one of the borders of the property, which
measures 199 yards from the back tees. The hole has
three staggered bunkers guarding the left side of the
green, the first of which is some 40 yards shy of the
green, but deceptively appears to creep up to the
green’s edge, forcing the golfer to think they must
carry the ball all the way to the putting surface. As
forced carries are rare at the Belleview Biltmore, the
hole serves as both a great early test, and a prelude
to the mischievous nature of the design.
The
sixth hole is another deceptive hole that measures a
mere 338 yards from the back tees, but true to Ross’
style of short par fours, the hole is certainly not a
pushover and demands more from the golfer as they get
closer to the green. The relatively large green is
best approached from the left side of the fairway, so
aimlessly pulling the driver to try and get close is
an unwise play. Setting up from the left, the perilous
greenside bunkers frame the approach line, rather than
lie before and beyond it, making the short iron in
significantly easier.
The
eighth hole is another trick in visual deception, with
a water hazard apparently separating the tee from the
green. Although in reality, the carry is only a modest
portion of the 180-yard shot that the hole demands.
However, greenside bunkers do provide the necessary
protection and give this “little” par three a
potential for a big score.
As
the golfer reaches the back nine, they are required to
reach back for a little more, as the second nine is
both longer and more difficult. Aside from the obvious
increase in length, the pushed-up greens reminiscent
of Ross’ work at Pinehurst deflect a few more
less-than-perfect shots and demand that the golfer have rid themselves of
the rust from early in the round.
The golfer’s respite on the back nine is the short and
pretty 12th hole, a par three that measures
150 yards in length. Playing over a pond, to a green
with bunkers flanking both sides, the hole requires an
accurate short iron shot, which should leave an easy
par. However, similar to the approaches throughout the
round, the golfer cannot afford to play lazily, or an
easy bogey or worse lingers in wait.
The round draws to a close with back-to-back par fours, which
are among the two hardest holes on the course. The 17th
is a 380-yard par four with water down the left side
and bunkers guarding the green on both sides. The
prudent drive is played away from the water, to afford
the best angle into the green. However, this approach
lengthens the hole considerably than a drive favouring
the left side. The closing hole boasts water as well,
and its placement, hugging the right side of the
green, is largely the reason this is ranked the
hardest hole on the course. The drama of the approach
cannot be overstated, with the large stately clubhouse
looming behind the green and the bunkers pinching in
from the left and the water looming right. The reward
of hitting an approach close to finish the round is
one that creates a lasting memory on this tough
finisher.
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