New Rogell Golf Course
Detroit, Michigan

It feels strange to do a review of a course just a few weeks before it closes forever, but I feel compelled to record my thoughts for posterity. As of May 31, New Rogell is slated to be sold as a cemetery. Perhaps this is less review than Requiem.

New Rogell née Rogell née Redford Golf and Country Club née Phoenix Country Club is a Donald Ross design from Detroit’s glory days. It opened in 1914 as a nine hole course designed by Tom Bendelow. The course’s original intent was as a Jewish golf club, under the leadership of Max Fisher. Phoenix Golf Club was sold to the city of Redford in 1921, which hired Donald Ross to redo the original nine and finish the layout.

The Redford Golf and Country Club lasted until 1945, when it was sold to the City of Detroit. In 1979, the course was renamed the Rogell, after former Tigers ballplayer and city councilor Bill Rogell. Rogell, a shortstop, had led the Tigers to a 1935 World Series victory over the Chicago Cubs. It was by all accounts not a happy period for the course, as it suffered greatly from neglect. In 2007, it was purchased by Greater Grace Temple, which renamed the course New Rogell. The church has now given up on the property and apparently sold it to be used as a cemetery.

It’s a shame to see such an historic property go under.

An observant and knowledgeable player at New Rogell should have no problem imagining the course as it was in its heyday.  Rogell is compact, with many parallel fairways, and tees that closely follow greens. It is mostly open, with the exception of those holes on the perimeter and along the creek, which winds through a part of the property. The creeks are tributaries of the Rouge River, which passes through the back nine.

Greens at New Rogell are small—as you might expect—but there is a curious absence of bunkering. By my count, there are just eight.  My suspicion is that over the years most of the bunkers were grassed over rather than maintained.

In laying out the course, Ross took advantage of elevation changes created by the creeks as much as possible. It is actually pretty impressive for what might otherwise be a “flat” city course. By my count,  seventeen of the eighteen holes involved an elevation change.  Most of those were at least a club difference.

As you might expect from a course that literally has one foot in the grave, conditions were not great. Still, New Rogell was in better shape than I feared, and far better than a few I’ve played that are pressing forward among the living. The grass was neatly mown; fairways mostly filled in; greens and tee boxes were in good shape.

New Rogell is not particularly short, measuring 6,075 from the back tees and playing to a 70.1/127. From the middle tees, it measures 5,838 yards and plays to a 68.7/123.

As I was walking the course, I couldn’t help but think that it would not take a huge investment to restore the course. The jewel is there, if only someone would see fit to restore its luster.

The biggest problem to overcome, though, is the one that can’t be solved: location. New Rogell is in what some might call a “seedy” neighborhood. That is a characterization that is somewhat unfair, however. There are some very nice homes surrounding the course, and it did not feel at all unsafe. Signs in the parking lot warning of break-ins, however, tell the tale of a community in decline.

The course has been a part of the community for a very long time. A retired friend of mine tells stories of how he used to play the Rogell for fifty cents—or even sneak onto the property at the far end to play for free.

If you’re in the Detroit area take time before May 31, 2013 to play New Rogell. There aren’t that many Donald Ross courses open to the public, and certainly not many at this price.

More photos below:

Garmin Approach S1 GPS Watch

Garmin’s approach S1 watch is on sale at GolfSmith for $149, down from the original $249.

Sport.Woot has a good deal on Women’s Golf Gear. They’ve Cobra and TaylorMade clubs, stand bags and balls.

3UP Golf Balls
Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: As good as any ball I’ve played. They’re in my go-bag.

It occurs to me that it must be incredibly difficult to break into the golf ball business. Creating a ball requires expertise in aerodynamics, physics, materials sciences, manufacturing and probably more than a few things I can’t imagine.  Then there’s patent law. The big ball manufacturers have vast patent portfolios and the new guy on the block must either figure out a way to avoid them, or sign licensing agreements.

Those hurdles did not, however, prevent 3UP from entering the market with a high quality, three piece ball.

The 3UP 3F12 is a three piece, cast urethane ball with 318 dimples and a 90 compression. In this, the 3F12 is comparable to other “name” manufacturer’s three piece balls. Below is some data provided by 3UP:

3UP distinguishes itself by what it says is a softer feel and significantly higher short iron spin rate than on similar balls. The difference is apparently in the cast urethane cover. It has the peculiar property of being both soft and somewhat tacky.

The published spin rate for the 9 iron is 9,032, while the initial spin rate off the driver is 3341.
In practice, I’ve found the 3UP 3F12 to be a high-performing ball. As the literature suggests, I’m especially pleased with its play around the green. Playing with the 3F12, I’ve had some remarkable rounds recently with wedges, pitching and chipping.

Off the tee, and with irons, it also performs well for me. With my swing speed, I still think I get more distance from the Wilson Duo,but the 3F12 may make up for that with better performance around the green.

My only concern is with the price. A dozen of the 3F12 balls are priced at $39.99. While that is cheaper than the Pro V1 and Bridgestone B330, it is still more expensive than other name brand three piece balls. Th 3F12 is a great ball, but my thought is that if given a choice between a name and an upstart, people will go for the name unless there is a significant price difference.

To be fair, however, 3UP does donate $3 from every dozen to golf related charities. In addition, once you’ve made an initial purchase, you are offered monthly deals which can offset that cost. Finally, shipping is a flat $3.12 regardless of quantity.

Still, if you are a fan of the Pro V1 or other “premium” balls, I suggest that you try the 3Up 3F12. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Lyon Oaks eighth

Some of Michigan’s finest municipal courses have banded together under the leadership of the Michigan Recreation and Park Association to form the Michigan Municipal Golf Trail. The state currently has 83 municipal courses, and many of them rival the state’s best resort and private clubs. Lyon Oaks and Binder Park, for example, are two at the top of my list.

Registering on the site nets you a trail card which should bring some player benefits.

Today, May 15, is the last day to register for the 2013 Michigan Open.

If only my game was good enough to compete ...

Press release and information follows:

Continued...

Raisin Valley Golf Club
Tecumseh, Michigan

Grade: B-
Teacher’s Comments: A fun, friendly, family-run course.

I had a lot of fun on my trip to the Raisin Valley Golf Club. It’s a friendly, family-run course with no apparent aspirations other than to provide fun golf at a good price.

The course was built in 1967, and typical of older courses, the holes are often parallel and tight. In fact, on the seventeenth hole, you could just as easily play your second shot from the sixth or sixteenth.

Much of the course is open and relatively flat. Holes ten through sixteen, however, take you up and down the River Raisin valley, where the golfer is challenged with tight, tree lined fairways and significant elevation changes. Water comes into play on eight holes.

Raisin Valley is short, coming in at just 5,556 from the back of the two tees. From there, it plays to a 67.5/112 (par 71).  From the forward tees, it measures 4,625 and plays to a 67.5/112. Given the distances and the mostly open design, the bogey golfer can expect to score well.

Score well, that is, if you can negotiate the sometimes deceptive greens. And if you can make it through the back nine without losing a ball in the trees.

Conditions on the day I played were mostly good. A majority of the holes were in terrific shape, while a few others had dead patches. There were a couple of low wet areas. Greens were universally good, though.

Prices are very good at Raisin River. On the weekends, you can play for $20 walking and $36 with a cart. Kids under 17 play for free with an adult after 4 p.m. You can get a season walking membership for $600.

If I lived a little closer, I’d make Raisin Valley a regular stop. It’s fun, and I think would be a good place to hone your game.

More photos below: