81 REPORT situation. Now any type of player can finish the hole.” “The most significant thing we did was to move the green to a location in front of the creek,” says Swanson. “Then we backed up the tees so we were able to keep the yardage. The creek still protects the right side of the hole, and the long hitter has a heroic opportunity to challenge the green if they want.” The Monster’s greens are unrecognisable to returning golfers. “We added a whole lot of variety,” says Swanson. “We designed them with more contour and movement, and changed them from simple ovals to a real mix of shapes. Every day will provide a different experience for the player.” On that twelfth hole, for example, “the left portion is easier to access, while the front right is harder,” explains Jones. “You have to think about the shot, depending on the pin location and distance required that day. If a guest is there for a week, they’re going to have a different golf course every day. The greens are sizeable enough to rotate the pin positions and change the character of the hole.” The new Monster has six sets of tees, allowing it to be played from 5,250 to 7,325 yards – which is still 325 yards shorter than Finger’s 1960s design. There are moments of familiarity, particularly on the back nine. The corridors of the former seventeenth and eighteenth have been used for the sixteenth and eleventh. And the new closing hole occupies the former ninth, but now the green has been moved onto a rock outcrop. “Golfers are going to be treated to a beautiful but challenging hole which could be considered one of the strongest holes you’ll see in the state of New York” say Jones. This Monster may be kinder, but it still has some bite. “ The greens are sizeable enough to rotate the pin positions and change the character of the hole” The par-five twelfth (right) and par-four thirteenth are located in a valley Photo: Resorts World
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