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"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
online golf column
by
Chris Dortch
June 29, 2011
When golf
course architect Bill Bergin began the process of restoring
Chattanooga Golf and Country Club in 2004, he knew he had a
limited amount of property at his disposal. Given his goal of
returning the historic course to a championship level, he had to
get creative.
So instead
of lengthening some shorter par-4 holes, he lengthened the ones
that were already fairly stout in an effort to give the course
some punch.
“Because we
have five to six big holes strewn throughout the golf course,
players are challenged and the golf course presents a nice rhythm
or flow,” Bergin said. “With four par fours over 450 yards long
and one long, difficult par three, the golf course has some
defense.”
That much
has been proven many times since the course reopened in 2005, and
it will no doubt be proven again when the Chattanooga Men’s Metro
is played there July 8-10.
“The great
thing about CGCC is that it gives you a chance to use all the
clubs in your bag,” said Mike Jenkins, a long-time member and
director of the Chattanooga District Golf Association. “I think as
a result, that helps you identify the best player in the field.”
Tennessee
Golf Hall of Famer Tim Jackson echoed Jenkins’ comments. “Since
the renovation, CGCC is a more than worthy tournament venue.
Opening up the golf course with the removal of trees has done a
lot for the playability and also the visual. I enjoy playing the
course because it tests most of the clubs in your bag.”
The reason
Jackson has been able to play the club so often is that it has
become a favorite venue for Tennessee Golf Association
tournaments. Since the renovation, the course has played host to
the 2006 Tennessee Mid-Amateur, the 2007 Senior Amateur and the
2010 Match Play and Senior Match Play.
CGCC will
also host the 2013 State Amateur. TGA executive director Matt
Vanderpool has long been a fan of the course.
“I think
what makes Chattanooga G&CC still a great championship venue is
its classic design elements like the bunkers, which have really
become more prominent since the recent restoration work,”
Vanderpool said. “The routing of the golf course is pretty tight
considering today's standards—there are not many holes where you
can hit a shot off line and still be in play.
“The course
features a nice variety of hole lengths, which lends itself to
some risk-reward scenarios. The par-5 holes are reachable, but you
have a very long par-3 hole in 18, some short and long par-4
holes. There is a nice mix that requires the player to use most,
if not all, of the clubs in their bag. Very few courses require
you to be proficient with all 14 clubs in your bag.”
That, says
Bergin, was by design.
“The great
thing about a course like Chattanooga Golf & Country Club is that
you must pay attention on every shot on every hole or it will trip
you up,” Bergin said. “I feel that each time you play the course
some new challenge or obstacle reveals itself.”
The course
also has two other things going for it that are unmatched in
Tennessee. One is the par-3 18th, which makes for as
interesting a finishing hole as can be found in the state, if for
no other reason than it offers a different challenge.
“I haven’t
seen a lot of tournaments won there,” Jenkins said. “But I have
seen several lost.”
And then
there’s the course’s history. Chattanooga Golf & Country Club was
the original home of the Southern Golf Association and the
dogfight, and numerous champions, amateur and professional, have
played there.
“I think the
club's rich heritage with the TGA and the Southern Golf
Association ... knowing the likes of Bobby Jones and Lew Oehmig
walked those fairways is pretty special to the golf enthusiast,”
Vanderpool said.
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