THE GORGEOUS FIRST AT MID OCEAN

In this last video of a three part series, Norman Furtado, the superintendent of Mid Ocean, discusses the challenges and rewards of maintaining a world class course in Bermuda. Mid Ocean is short by today’s standards, but is still plenty challenging, especially when the wind is up as it normally is in Bermuda. The PGA Grand Slam was played here in 2007 and 2008, with the wining score over two rounds being -4 both time. (video after jump)

The course has a great rhythm as it starts along the coast and then ducks through a development. The fifth lives up to its reputation, with its great cape tee shot and heaving green. The holes in the middle of the round are all solid holes that require shot making and good putting to score well. The course finishes back along the coast with a spectacular redan 17th and a good finisher.

Like all great courses, the course has a well developed sense of place. The incandescent water along the coast, the large manor houses with their distinctive Bermudan architecture, and tropical lagoons make this a wonderful environment to play the game. The C.B. Macdonald course compliments the surroundings and Norman does a superlative job of maintaining the course and the greens.

N.B. The PGA has  video flyovers on its site of each hole on Mid Ocean. They are a great way to see the course, but you might want to hit mute on your computer to avoid the schmaltzy Jim Nantz narration. These videos also confirmed what I thought: that the eighteenth was played as a par five from the second tee, creating a dramatic tee shot over the rocky coastline.

For parts one and two of the interview with Norman Furtado, click here and here.

THE BIARRITZ AT MID OCEAN

In the second part of my interview with Norman Furtado, he discusses the course’s push-up greens. They switched the greens over to Tifeagle a few years ago under the advice of Patrick O’Brien of the USGA. I was somewhat surprised that Mr. O’Brien did not suggest the replacing of the greens with USGA greens. (Video after the jump).

As Norman explains, the amount of surface drainage on Mid Ocean’s greens sheds water before the greens can become soggy, causing problems. Building greens in this manner would obviously be cheaper and lead to more interesting contours, but the trade off is that if they are maintained at too high a speed, they become unplayable. Superintendents on courses with steep, contoured greens are constantly balancing on a high-wire trying to please players and members who want high green speeds but also want to finish their rounds.

The greens at Mid Ocean are an absolute pleasure to play. Greens like the fifth are contoured to effect strategy going all the way back to the tee. Accurate and decisive play is rewarded with easier putts, while indifferent play is met with putts that challenge a players imagination and skill. It would be hard to ask for anything more.

MID OCEAN"S FAMOUS FIFTH

I traveled to Bermuda at the end of October right after the PGA Grand Slam. I had long wanted to see this course because of its C.B. Macdonald design heritage. The fifth hole makes just about every list of the eighteen best holes in the world. After strolling the course and playing a round, I was duly impressed.

(video after the jump)

For me, Macdonald courses are like coming home. His use of template holes create a continuity to his designs, but each course is distinct. Macdonald used templates as a jumping off point for his holes, letting the site and the terrain dictate the end result. Eighty years later his courses are still fun and playable, yet challenging. His greens are bold, but not in the artificial way found on modern courses.

I had the opportunity to interview Norman Furtado, the course’s long time superintendent, on the fourth green. In this first of three videos he discusses the courses design history and their recent switch to tifeagle bermuda, which resulted in some alterations to the putting surfaces. This work was conducted by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf.