The 340-yard par 4 with the elevated tee and a ravine with water makes the tee shot to the fairway of the 13th hole a challenge for some.Concord International Course Faces Changes
If the incentive deal with the state is approved, and all signs are that it will be, the International Golf Course at the Concord will face a number of changes.
Golf course officials at the International gave indications last week that new plans being drawn up for the proposed new $1 billion resort will place the new harness track in the close vicinity of the present first hole of the 18-hole International Golf Course which would probably result in a new design for at least the first hole and possibly the second hole.
Another change would be the development of homes and home sites around the golf course.
The course features 6,619 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. The course rating is 71.4 and has a slope rating of 123.
Designed by Alfred H. Tull, ASGCA, the International golf course opened for play in 1951.
Jimmy Demaret was one of the first golf professionals at this course and many recognized tour pros such as Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen frequented the course and spend time here.
Todd Barker is the director of Golf at the International and last week we introduced Mike Stoltz as the golf professional at this course and outlined the first nine holes.
This week we take you on a tour of the back nine holes 10-18. The back nine plays a total of 3,407 yards and is a par 36.
Hole No. 10 is a 380-yard par 4 with a dogleg to the right. The fairway from the tee runs downhill and a properly placed tee shot right center produces a better chance for your par.
Hole No. 11 is a 418-yard par 4 with the fairway starting off slightly uphill.Take it down the center to a green with traps left and right.
Hole No. 12 is a 375-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg to the right and a fairway trap on the right. The green has a trap left front and right side.
Hole No. 13 is a 340-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg left uphill on your second shot. Off the tee this hole brings chills to some golfers as you must take your tee shot from an elevated tee over a ravine with water. This is a pretty golf hole that with a good tee shot left center and a solid second shot properly placed on this elevated green can produce a birdie. Traps are left and right on this green.
Hole No. 14 is a real cute 123-yard par 3 with the fairway running uphill and a green trap on the left side. Proper club selection here is the key to your birdie or par.
Hole No. 15 is a 340-yard par 4 with a dogleg left. Take your tee shot left center. The green has traps left and right side.
Hole No. 16 is a 575-yard par 5 with a dogleg left and fairway running downhill. Watch for the small creek running across the fairway approximately 220 yards from the tee.
Hole No. 17 is a 385-yard par 4 and its best to take your tee shot left center of the fairway. There is a fairway bunker on the right. Trap on the right side of the green.
Hole No. 18 is a 176-yard par 3 with the fairway running uphill and four traps surrounding the green. The key to better scoring on this hole is proper club selection off the tee.
Though is doesn't have the aura of the famed Concord Monster Golf Course, we found the International to be a very well designed and challenging course.
Chris Hummel, the course superintendent, has this facility in nice playing condition.
The Monster Golf Course is presently closed and indications are that golf will not resume there until a couple of years when the new resort facilities are built and opened. Plans for that course also include the development of home sites and construction of homes around this course.
Golf at the International is daily from 7 a.m. to dark.
The International course plays host to the Thursday Traveling league and special senior rates are available Monday-Thursday and golfers are asked to call 845-794-4000 for special rates and tee times.
The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
We all want to hit our tee shots with power and distance. Unfortunately, most golfers set up to the ball in a manner that promotes anything but powerful tee shots.
These golfers assume their set up positions in two common ways which reduce their shoulder turn and width of their swing.
Either they have their hands out ahead of the ball, creating an unnecessary and unwelcome angle between the left arm and the shaft of the club or they set up in the dreaded reverse weight shift position where the right shoulder is too high, the right arm too straight, the shoulders are aligned to the left and all the weight is on the left side.
To assume a more solid, powerful address position, set up with your left arm in a virtually straight vertical line from your left shoulder of the ball. With your arms hanging freely and naturally, the butt of club will be closer to your body---roughly six-to-eight inches from your belt buckle. Your right shoulder will be lower than your left and your right arm will be relaxed and bent slightly at the elbow.
You will be in a position to execute a proper one-piece back swing without getting two handsy, make a wide shoulder turn and create width to your swing and properly shift your weight from your right side to your left through impact.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. Her is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by phone at 292-0323 or via e-mail at menges@hughes.net
Ed's Outlook
In conversations with many area golf pros we continue to hear how some of Sullivan County's golf facilities are suffering from lack of golfers and now that high gas prices come into play that most likely has added to the decline of golfers coming here.
Now golf is not a cheap sport to play but locally we honestly feel that some golf course pricing is too high.....especially if there is any attempt to attract local folks to the links.
We travel yearly to South Carolina and golf in the spring golf packages offered by Swamp Fox Golf out of Florence and we pay a daily rate of between $70 and $75 for 18-holes of golf with a cart, our motel room (2 in a room) and breakfast with some packages in that area also throwing in supper.
We just don't believe that this would not work locally, we have some outstanding Sullivan County courses, many with eating facilities already in place and there are enough motel rooms throughout the county that this would bring needed relief for an industry that could use a booster shot.
It would mean some give and take for all concerned but golf professionals on those South Carolina courses tell us yearly that if it wasn't for the golf packages a lot of them would be shutting down. We'd also like to see better pricing and more golf and breakfast or lunch packages in the county.
This column is written by Ed Townsend, who is a consultant to the amateur sport of golf and professional golf facilities. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, please call Ed at 439-8177 or send an e-mail to bowlgolfect1@yahoo.com
For a much more expanded version of this golf column please visit the Web site, http://www.bght.blogspot.com/
If the incentive deal with the state is approved, and all signs are that it will be, the International Golf Course at the Concord will face a number of changes.
Golf course officials at the International gave indications last week that new plans being drawn up for the proposed new $1 billion resort will place the new harness track in the close vicinity of the present first hole of the 18-hole International Golf Course which would probably result in a new design for at least the first hole and possibly the second hole.
Another change would be the development of homes and home sites around the golf course.
The course features 6,619 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. The course rating is 71.4 and has a slope rating of 123.
Designed by Alfred H. Tull, ASGCA, the International golf course opened for play in 1951.
Jimmy Demaret was one of the first golf professionals at this course and many recognized tour pros such as Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen frequented the course and spend time here.
Todd Barker is the director of Golf at the International and last week we introduced Mike Stoltz as the golf professional at this course and outlined the first nine holes.
This week we take you on a tour of the back nine holes 10-18. The back nine plays a total of 3,407 yards and is a par 36.
Hole No. 10 is a 380-yard par 4 with a dogleg to the right. The fairway from the tee runs downhill and a properly placed tee shot right center produces a better chance for your par.
Hole No. 11 is a 418-yard par 4 with the fairway starting off slightly uphill.Take it down the center to a green with traps left and right.
Hole No. 12 is a 375-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg to the right and a fairway trap on the right. The green has a trap left front and right side.
Hole No. 13 is a 340-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg left uphill on your second shot. Off the tee this hole brings chills to some golfers as you must take your tee shot from an elevated tee over a ravine with water. This is a pretty golf hole that with a good tee shot left center and a solid second shot properly placed on this elevated green can produce a birdie. Traps are left and right on this green.
Hole No. 14 is a real cute 123-yard par 3 with the fairway running uphill and a green trap on the left side. Proper club selection here is the key to your birdie or par.
Hole No. 15 is a 340-yard par 4 with a dogleg left. Take your tee shot left center. The green has traps left and right side.
Hole No. 16 is a 575-yard par 5 with a dogleg left and fairway running downhill. Watch for the small creek running across the fairway approximately 220 yards from the tee.
Hole No. 17 is a 385-yard par 4 and its best to take your tee shot left center of the fairway. There is a fairway bunker on the right. Trap on the right side of the green.
Hole No. 18 is a 176-yard par 3 with the fairway running uphill and four traps surrounding the green. The key to better scoring on this hole is proper club selection off the tee.
Though is doesn't have the aura of the famed Concord Monster Golf Course, we found the International to be a very well designed and challenging course.
Chris Hummel, the course superintendent, has this facility in nice playing condition.
The Monster Golf Course is presently closed and indications are that golf will not resume there until a couple of years when the new resort facilities are built and opened. Plans for that course also include the development of home sites and construction of homes around this course.
Golf at the International is daily from 7 a.m. to dark.
The International course plays host to the Thursday Traveling league and special senior rates are available Monday-Thursday and golfers are asked to call 845-794-4000 for special rates and tee times.
The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
We all want to hit our tee shots with power and distance. Unfortunately, most golfers set up to the ball in a manner that promotes anything but powerful tee shots.
These golfers assume their set up positions in two common ways which reduce their shoulder turn and width of their swing.
Either they have their hands out ahead of the ball, creating an unnecessary and unwelcome angle between the left arm and the shaft of the club or they set up in the dreaded reverse weight shift position where the right shoulder is too high, the right arm too straight, the shoulders are aligned to the left and all the weight is on the left side.
To assume a more solid, powerful address position, set up with your left arm in a virtually straight vertical line from your left shoulder of the ball. With your arms hanging freely and naturally, the butt of club will be closer to your body---roughly six-to-eight inches from your belt buckle. Your right shoulder will be lower than your left and your right arm will be relaxed and bent slightly at the elbow.
You will be in a position to execute a proper one-piece back swing without getting two handsy, make a wide shoulder turn and create width to your swing and properly shift your weight from your right side to your left through impact.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. Her is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by phone at 292-0323 or via e-mail at menges@hughes.net
Ed's Outlook
In conversations with many area golf pros we continue to hear how some of Sullivan County's golf facilities are suffering from lack of golfers and now that high gas prices come into play that most likely has added to the decline of golfers coming here.
Now golf is not a cheap sport to play but locally we honestly feel that some golf course pricing is too high.....especially if there is any attempt to attract local folks to the links.
We travel yearly to South Carolina and golf in the spring golf packages offered by Swamp Fox Golf out of Florence and we pay a daily rate of between $70 and $75 for 18-holes of golf with a cart, our motel room (2 in a room) and breakfast with some packages in that area also throwing in supper.
We just don't believe that this would not work locally, we have some outstanding Sullivan County courses, many with eating facilities already in place and there are enough motel rooms throughout the county that this would bring needed relief for an industry that could use a booster shot.
It would mean some give and take for all concerned but golf professionals on those South Carolina courses tell us yearly that if it wasn't for the golf packages a lot of them would be shutting down. We'd also like to see better pricing and more golf and breakfast or lunch packages in the county.
This column is written by Ed Townsend, who is a consultant to the amateur sport of golf and professional golf facilities. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, please call Ed at 439-8177 or send an e-mail to bowlgolfect1@yahoo.com
For a much more expanded version of this golf column please visit the Web site, http://www.bght.blogspot.com/
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