PB Dye Golf Club May Require Pulmonary Resuscitation
By Jeffrey A.
Rendall, TravelGolf.com Staff Writer
IJAMSVILLE, MD - Howard Blume, PB Dye Golf Club's starter, scared
me.
He was going through the normal pre-round overview of the course--cart
rules and yardage indicators--when he paused briefly to pan over
the beautiful landscape and simply stated "This course is not
for the feint of heart." He immediately looked as if he regretted
the statement, but continued to describe the various difficulties
we'd run into on PB Dye's signature track in Ijamsville, Maryland,
just about 10 miles south of Frederick.
Mr. Blume was also quick to point out the various topographical
features of the surrounding countryside, including a spotlight on
the direction the President's helicopters sometimes come from on
their way to or from nearby Camp David.
He also doled out some advice on how to 'take' the course. Blume
said the layout is as difficult as its 141 slope from the backs
would indicate, and advised us to play to the tees that matched
our abilities. Sound advice for most folks. Maybe we should've heeded
it. When I played the PB Dye designed Virginia Oaks course a few
weeks back, you would've thought I'd have learned.
I should've known PB Dye likes to design tests of golf. The PB
Dye Club is to golf what the SAT is to high school kids--it'll show
you what you know, and unfortunately, what you don't.
The club's head professional, Jeffrey Rosenberg, describes it
as "18 challenging golf holes. Every hole is different. There
are elevation changes on a number of holes. The bunkering differs--some
holes have a lot, some don't have any. There are long par fours
and short par fours. Each par three faces a different direction.
There are a couple reachable par fives, and a couple are definitely
three shotters."
"You'll use every club in the bag to play virtually every shot
in the book." With this statement, he's merely echoing the
wording of the first sign you see when you drive on to the property,
which quickly reads "Be prepared to use every club in your
bag. PB Dye." Actually, I'd say not only do you use every club
you have, you'd probably like to use some that you don't. You also
may end up using every curse word in the book (the course is tough),
but no one wants to talk about that.
It may be redundant, but PB Dye Club is vintage PB Dye. Rosenberg
calls it a "flare for the extravagant." The course is
fairly wide open, and at first glance doesn't look all that intimidating--but
once you're out there, watch out. Dye has a 'flare' for scale in
his work--he likes muscular par threes, visually intimidating bunkering,
railroad ties, tiered and undulating greens and lots of water. Bring
it all together, and it's one heckuva golf round. But the difficulty
is fun.
And as Rosenberg insisted, it's still possible to score well here,
you've just got to play well. That's the designer's intention--reward
solid play.
Dye gives you plenty of chances to start holes off well from the
tee. The club features over 40 acres of fairways--nearly double
what a typical course would have. There's plenty of room to miss
wide on most holes, so those who like to use the driver won't be
disappointed. There are four dogleg right par fours on the back
side--slicer's paradise. There are a couple drives that must clear
hills--some would call 'blind'--but even then, there aren't any
tricks on the other side to capture an unsuspecting golf ball.
It's the iron game where Dye wants more precision. And he'll make
you work around the greens, no doubt. Rosenberg says "There's
a lot of room to be creative around the greens." You'll use
everything from a lob wedge to a pitch and run three iron. You may
even want to try the Tiger Woods' 3 wood putter if you've got the
first cut to contend with.
Once you're on the green, you'll have to duel with large and undulating
surfaces covered with G2 Bent Grass--cut to a 10 on the stimpmeter.
It's the same type of greenery that covers fabled Pinehurst #2's
saucer top putting surfaces. Several holes have tiered greens. The
putting blade never saw so much variation and challenge. You get
the impression throughout the round that somewhere PB Dye's got
a big smile on his face knowing that you're battling his creation.
The round starts off with a couple tune-up holes that will lend themselves
to good scores to build your confidence. The first is a 390 yard dogleg
right that really doesn't call for a driver. A three wood off the
tee is plenty to give you a short iron downhill into the green. The
second hole is a 143 yard aesthetically pleasing par three. Tee off
from terraced tee boxes into an amphitheater green. It's not easy
putting, but par's not hard to find here.
The third hole is a 535 yard dogleg left par five. A good tee
ball will negotiate the trees guarding both sides of the fairway
and get some roll down a hill. From there you can choose to lay
up over a massive bunker dead in the center of the fairway, or go
for the green. The green's protected by another good-sized bunker
in the center front, but provides for runup opportunities on either
side. A good risk/reward decision--but it's probably best to choose
the layup if the pin's on the upper tier of the green.
 Four,
five and six are demanding par fours. On four, tee over a hill and
hopefully get some good roll over the crest. It will leave a short
iron into the green--but make sure you are accurate--because you're
dead if you miss. I was in a greenside bunker that called for about
10 feet of height to reach the putting surface on the sand shot--and
then there was a pond to catch anything too far. Too much for my
bunker skills. Five and six bring length into the equation at 483
and 463 yards respectively. Again, there's plenty of room for tee
shots--just bring your long irons for the approaches.
| Conditions:
B
Layout: A
Service: A-
Practice Fac.: B
Clubhouse/Pro Shop: A
Pace of Play: A-
Resort Hotel: N/A
Value: B+
Overall Rating: A- |
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Nine is a great hole to round out the front. 448 from the back, rip
the driver to a generous fairway. The second shot, again, will require
accuracy. There's a pond on the right side, and a large bunker to
the left. A beautiful waterfall is eye catching to the right--the
ninth shares it with the eighteenth. Rosenberg says Dye likes to have
challenging inward holes, because they often decide the winners of
sporting golf matches. He's got a couple great ones here.
The back nine continues the variation. Thirteen is a great hole.
It's a slight dogleg right. Long hitters can try and smack one over
the large bunker on the right to cut off the leg, and if they make
it, the ball will roll down a hill leaving them a wedge into the
green. Protecting the green for the second on the left side is a
pond, and a big bunker to the right. A well conceived hole all around.
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