BENVENUE COUNTRY CLUB

Benvenue Country Club, in Rocky Mount, NC, is just a few miles off of I-95 and I was lucky enough to be able to play there on my way down to the South Carolina low country last fall. This old Donald Ross course is quite simple and quite good. While it is short on bells and whistles, it does require the golfer to think and to execute. What more could one ask? (Video after the jump)

The course plays over moderately rolling topography and there are a fair amount of bunkers, but nothing severe or overdone. The strength of the course lies in the small greens that are tough to hit and to read. I believe the greens were bent until they were recently converted to bermuda in a nod to the areas warm, summer climate. When I played, they were quick and true. Bunkers are cut close to the putting surfaces and there are lots of tightly-mowed areas around the greens, providing for a variety of recovery shots.

The fairays are often tree lined and, one has to shape the ball off the tee. That being said the course does feature decent width with clear benefits to a particular side of the fairway. All in all, Benvenue is a great place for a game. It will not be confused for a world class course, but it is an exccellent example of golf presented on simple, yet elegant terms. It is worth a visit both to play and to study how good golf can be created with straightforward features over modest topography.