March 22, 2004

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Most of the golfing world is partial to Tanglewood Park and its Championship Course. First of all, Robert Trent Jones is the designer and big fan. His sensibilities please the average golfer, both in terms of playability and course aesthetics.

There is a second reason why everyone is partial to Tanglewood. It has been a favorite golf destination for most everyone. It?s like visiting a very old friend. Where else can you be asked to bring a cooler of beer.  Fortunately, it is a friend that is also held in very high esteem by many other, more objective visitors.

Located just outside of Winston-Salem in the town of Clemmons, Tanglewood Park was formerly the estate of William Reynolds, the brother of R. J. Reynolds. The 1,100-acre estate was bequeathed to the county as a recreational and resort center in 1951. Since then it has functioned as a county park, event center and minor resort, of sorts. Though certainly not a resort destination on the scale of a Pinehurst, Homestead or The Greenbrier, fine lodging is available in the Manor House, the Lodge and in various cottages. The real benefits include reduced greens fees and "bring your own beer".

Tanglewood Park is a lovely and charming place. But aside from that, it is home to two fine, Robert Trent Jones golf courses. The Reynolds Course (the sister course) is a first-rate golf course that will challenge any low-handicapper. The Championship Course can do even more than that. It will humble the field of players. The Championship Course has been home to the Senior Tour?s Vantage Championship (now called the RJR Championship) for many years. In 1986, it hosted the U.S. Public Links Championship won by Billy Mayfair.  It was also the home to the 1974 PGA Championship ? the one where Lee Trevino held on to nip Jack Nicklaus by one stroke on the 72nd hole. The history of these events gives a sense of rich golf tradition to Tanglewood Park. It?s always enjoyable imagining that Nicklaus, Trevino and all of the others have faced the same lies in the same locations that repeatedly face each visiting player.

Anyone scoring well at Tanglewood will have to play pretty much like a famous pro. The Championship Course is tough. It is 6,618 yards long with a slope rating of 131. The telling detail about the Championship Course is its course rating of 73.8 from the mens tees. That?s for a par-70 course. Scratch golfers can expect to shoot nearly five strokes over their average. We lesser types can expect to tack far more strokes than that to our card no matter how familiar we have become with the course. From the middle and front tees, the course plays easier, but not by a whole bunch. The slope never gets below 130 from any tees. Of course, not everyone will find it difficult. Hale Irwin has maintained an average score at Tanglewood of 67.1. He's only gone over 70 twice in twenty-four rounds.

Those who handle sand poorly should play somewhere else altogether or get some lessons. Well over 100 traps inhabit the Championship Course, and unlike those on many modern resort courses, these traps are placed so that they generate a lot of activity. Try to play it safe and you?ll probably end up dusty. Many greens have their best approach lines completely screened by traps. This makes bump and run play all but impossible on many holes. If a player can?t stick a green, he will be in trouble all day long. The length of this course will tempt you to play a good distance ball. Don?t do it. Stick to one that can grab and bite. This course is one of Robert Trent Jones?s most severe ?target golf? courses.

Shotmaking skills are required throughout the entire Championship loop. There are elevation changes, slanted fairways and tricky doglegs. Approach shots are rarely simple affairs. Tee shots need to be worked both ways. Many holes are demanding at Tanglewood, but hookers are going to particularly hate Number 14. It?s the toughest of the lot. With water short and all the way up the left side, a long fade is the tee shot of preference, but heavy-duty traps guard the right side of the canted fairway. Drives must be accurate with little or no right to left movement. The elevated green has water to the left, as well. Big numbers are commonplace. Number 15 will give right-to-left hitters little respite after they leave the green. A large cluster of fairway traps hangs out on the left side of the fairway. The three, fine finishing holes are also very demanding. They are worthy of a good TV-tournament course such as this one.

This is not a classic course in the sense of a Pinehurst #2. Instead, it has the feel of a traditional, 60?s style, tournament venue. The course has an open-forested, park-like feel. It is a lovely, pleasing course that has a graceful flow to it typical of Robert Trent Jones. If the Championship Course has any real weaknesses, I am not aware of them. The original layout may have had weak spots, but whatever they were, RTJ fixed them when he remodeled his own layout in preparation for the 1974 PGA Championship. The course is essentially a municipal golf course. As such, it stands as one of America?s finest public venues. Considering the price, it may be the best deal available anywhere. For a munie, conditions are outstanding. Even by resort standards, conditions are generally quite fine. Greens normally play hard and fast.

The Championship Course is generally considered to be not only the top public course in North Carolina, but one of the best public courses in the entire Mid-Atlantic region, as well.  The Senior PGA Tour's RJR Championship is played during the second week of September.  The Carl Spackler Open Championship is played during the second week of June.  This year's field of 48 players are scheduled for a 54-hole tournament.