January 21, 2008

PERU, IN — The 2008 Carl Spackler Open Championship will be played at Rock Hollow Golf Club in Peru, IN. There are lots of opinions out there. Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club, decided to provide several opinions about the national rated golf course.

"There are just three of us with Rock Hollow experience," says Long. "That does come with opinions from two particular rounds, which is not diverse." Tom Fowble, Rob Harvey, and Greg Long are the participants with Rock Hollow experience.

"There are lots of other opinions and comments about the facility," added Long. "There are several anonymous comments collected over the past 2 1/2 years, which help represent the overall experience. These comments backup the thought pattern surrounding the original investigation of Rock Hollow as potential venue.

It was quite amazing to read about the course before playing it. Nobody dislikes the course, which is extremely rare for a golf course. Some golfers exhibit frustration by the difficulty, but even those golfers are complimentary about the design, service, pace, and conditions."

December 14, 2007 - "What a beautiful layout in an old rock quarry. Out of bounds and hazards are everywhere but the scenery is amazing. Wildlife is both seen and heard while playing considering almost every round I have played here I never am being held up by another group. I would recommend this course to anyone."

October 16, 2007 - "Here's a course you don't want to miss. When I played it, Golf Digest had rated it 5 stars!! I've played here twice and each time was a thrill. When in the area, don't pass this one up. Great conditions await you, along with some testy holes. You won't regret your round here!"

August 12, 2007 - "The course was near immaculate. The fairways are as nice as any bent I have seen in a long time. The greens are very soft, smooth, and a pleasure to putt. The bunkers, of which I found a few, are nice, natural, and good to hit out of. The layout is a great experience. Several holes that are 'excellent' and not one hole less than very good indeed. I am from Kentucky and have now played four Tim Liddy courses, and I think I rate it even higher than Sultan's Run. So far, my favorite Indiana course!"

September 5, 2007 - "Somehow Tim Liddy was able to take a course with water in play on a dozen holes and make it feel like the average player could get around without losing a ball. Mostly this was accomplished by providing large hole corridors and keeping the water to the side of play.  Three large waste areas are also in play but otherwise the bunkers are largely an afterthought, unless one finds them. The elevation changes are mostly the star at Rock Hollow and they do provide some wonderful holes.  The climb up the sixth, the downhill tee shot on the third and the blind nature of the sixteenth create some wonderful thrill moments around the course. The wide hole corridors are also critical to the holes as Liddy uses angles of approach very well on several holes. Instead of the typical bunker on the side that is preferred he just provides a flatter piece of terrain. It is a very understated approach to the design of a course that provides some extremely beautiful holes. With all of the elevation changes, Liddy tried not to overdo it on the green ends of the holes.  Most of the green surfaces are mild in design, while a couple are almost flat. But there is some variety, as the eighth and fourteenth greens are evidence. The fourth is even home to a solid impersonation of a Biarritz style green. Liddy appears to have learned that one should never steal the show from the main attraction, especially in Peru. The routing of the course seems to make great use of the terrain and provides a start to the course that just builds momentum until the end.  Also, Liddy utilized several vistas to provide multiple hole views across the property.  All of this while keeping the course extremely walkable.  When all is said and done, I think Rock Hollow challenges for the top spot in the state for public courses, at least in my book."

September 5, 2007 - "Liddy is a smart man. There are no extra bunkers laying around that course."

September 5, 2007 - "This course is very close to my personal ideal in terms of difficulty and appropriate risk/reward for my game because it presents significant challenge and yet allows for scoring with well played and thought out shots. There are very few areas that would be overwhelming for the higher handicapper and yet it creates a challenge when it hosts the best players in the state for various events. Highly recommended!"

July 13, 2007 - "A must play course if you are in the area. A jewel in a small town. Our group was up for the challange of the back tees and we were glad we did. The par 3"s will make you go back to the bag a couple times for more club. A beautiful golf course that our group will drive 90 minutes to play time and time again. In fact, we have played it a couple times this year and plan on playing again. It's typical Hoosier hospitality and a great value for the buck. A must play course!"

May 2, 2007 - "Rock Hollow is a sick course... from the back tees it is brutal... I'd say it is second best course in the state."

October 5, 2006 - "I couldnt believe my eyes, one of the most plush courses I've ever played. From the tee box, large, flat and thick grass--to the carpet like fairway to the fastest and best rolling greens I've ever seen. My cap is off to the maintance crew there. It is a must play. I live in Knoxville and almost 6 hours away and its worth the trip just to play again."

July 20, 2005 - "We played at Rock Hollow on a Saturday afternoon. For a course that's so highly touted, I was amazed at how completely empty it was. We paid about $55 to ride. For me, coming from suburban Chicago, that's a steal for a course of this quality. The family-run course was in very good shape. I played like garbage, but that was more from being rusty than anything else."

Open tournament registration for the Carl Spackler Open continues until December 28. There is an optional practice round scheduled for June 4. The cost with cart will be $40.00 and will begin around 1:00PM EST.