A Golfer's Travel

It's everything you have heard!

This will be the greatest blog of 4 guys travling to play one of the most sought after courses in the world

Getting to play Fisher's Island is hands down my greatest Golf Experience of my young career.  Growing up and working in the Metropolitan Area, I have been treated to the best Golf Clubs in what is known as "Golf Alley".  I have been so fortunate to play great courses all across Westchester, Long Island, and Connecticut.  Fisher's Island has been on my bucket list for over 10 years, and the dream came true!

Traveling to the Island

Getting to the Golf Club is part of the alure that goes along with playing the famous course.  No commercial Airlines can land on the infamous 1 mile wide by 7 miles long island, so you must iether take a private small plane, or the ferry to the island. Private water taxis can drop you and your friends off at the 17th green dock, or you can take the more tradtional route like nmy friends and I took. The Fisher's Island Ferry.  45 minutes on the High Seas and you land on Fisher's Island Dock.

We're here!

Now that we have arrived, and the excitmement is beyond control, we must take the 3.5 mile drive to the other side of the island to the Club itself.

The Staff greeted us before we even got out of the car.  They go above and beyond their normal duty, and take care of everything for you.  Where to park, where to go, what to bring with you.  They make the transition from long car ride, ferry ride, and overall excitement of being at the famous club, very comfortable and almost settled me down so I didnt have the first tee jitters as much as my buddies.

1st hole

The first hole is set up perfectly for the "unwarmed up Golfer".  a very easy and forgiving short par 4 allows the golfer to hit an easy drive with a pretty wide open fairway. at 396 yards long from the tips, even my boy andrew can hit his little 230 yard drive and by the time his ball stops after it rolls out on the awesome firm fairyways, hell still only have a mid iron in so a huge green.  Long drivers like Ryan can hit the drive and have a flick of a sandwedge in.  I myself had an easy 102 yards in, but didnt respect the wind or the FIRM greens and it hit the middle of the green and kept rolling and fell off the turtle backed green.  I was able to get up and down for par, but this is a definite birdie hole to start the round.

#2 - Redan - 172 yards

The second hole is a medium length par 3 that requires a very acurate shot.  Yes it is a redan which means the hole runs from the right side of the green all the way to the left, but you still need to be acurate with the length of your shot.  Short and left and you are reloading, and long and right and youre in trouble too.  Hit the middle of the green and two putt and get out of there with your par.  I hit the green and was short, but hit the two-putt, so did ryan.  The other boys had problems.  Careful of the wind coming off the ocean coming in from Montauk, it will throw your ball down and you could be short.  Take an extra club to be safe.

#3 - Plateau -335 Yards

Now that your warmed up, the third hole is a short risk/reward par 4.  You need to hit the ball 200 yards to carry the crap and land safley on the fairway, you then have an easy wedge in to a very difficult green.  Ryan and myself tried to drive the green with the hard fairways, which requires a extremley straight shot that lands 280 yards and rolls about 40-50 yards onto the green.  If you miss by just a fraction, like ryan did, he was pin high to the left, it required a difficult chip up over the hill and had to stop the ball on the green.  I left my drive short and right leaving only a 33 yard chip to the pin.  However, the chip was hit just the way I wanted but it rolled up nice on the green, but the false front made the ball roll allllll the way back down leaving a 20 yard chip which i then sculled accross the green causing me to struggle just for an up and down bogey yikes! Hit easy 210 club and then hit your sand 58 degree wedge on the green and go for ther birdie on what should be an easy hole if you play it conservativley.  If you play it like an asshole, you could end up with a five like I did.

#4 - Punch Bowl - 397 Yards

One of the most beautiful views on the East Coast comes with the Number 1 Handicap on the golf course.  The driver must be straight off this tee to make sure the ball stays on the undulating fairway.  Then when you get to your ball you have a blind shot into Seth Raynor's greatest example of The Punch Bowl Green. I myself had 120 yards in (which is a guess becuasse you cant see where you are landing you ball, becuase youre hitting over a hill.  I asked the wind to take my ball another 20 yards than the club had in it, and when i climbed the hill, my ball was safely pin high in the middle of the bowl.  If you miss this massive punch bowl green, you might as well pick up :) I missed my birdie attempt but was able to convert the par. Par is a good score here, only becuase the approach is a blind shot.

5Th Hole - Biarritz - 229 Yards

Extremely difficult par 3 requiring a poerfect shot usually down wind.  We had the pin at about 230 yards on the radar gun, but the wind picked up and I decided to play a utility club about 210 yards and hope it would ride the wind enough to roll up after clearing the famous false front which is a world renowed Biarritz style hole.  You can see from the photo above the dramtic incline and decline of the contours of the ground up by the green.  Of course my plan hit the shits and the ball was short and i was right at the bottom of the huge hole in the front right portion of the green.  I used a putter and knocked it about 40 feet and left it about 3 feet for par.  It was definitley an ARSE twitcher as Andrew would say, but i drained the little down hill tester.  Nobody else even came close to this green showing how difficult the tee shot is.  I believe Andrew is still in the bunker from the photos above. :) 

#6 Olinda... "Oh My Ryan"

Ryan pummles drive 340 yards with no help from the wind

Birdie put on 6 for Blair

#6 Olinda - 555 Yards

This drive into Seth's first par 5 of the course is Blind as a Bat.  I ducked hooked my drive and it got a hank bounce so I was lucky.  However, Blair clobbered his 3 wood nearly 280 yards, and ryan smashed his driuve 340 yards with the firm and fast fairways.  A simple lay up 7 iron I had from the left side of the trees got me back into the fairway with 202 yard approach into the large green.  I kept it straight getting myself back into the hole leaving myself a 40 footer for birdie.  I three - putted for a 6 which felt like punch in the gut after recovering the bad duck hook drive and getting on the long hole in regulation. Only Blair had a good hole recording the only par of the bunch (See Video Above). The number 3 Handicap on the course, so even with a bomb drive its not an easy hole becuase left/right and long are all trouble up by the green with bunkers guarding.  An uneven fairway will result in no clean straight lies which could hurt the players trying to reach this green in 2 with an un even lie.

#7 - Latimer - 363 Yards

The 7th hole is another shorter par 4, and being mostly downhill makes it look "getable" at the Tee Box.  The view now looking back towards the Fisher's Island Sound and Connecticut Coast line can easily distract you. There is a hazard off the tee on the right that will be in play for even the shorter hitter, so just stay away from the right side and you wont need to worry about it. All you need is 260 yard tee shot down the left side of the fairway. This will set up a nice angle into a difficult green that is serevely turtlebacked with bunkers left and right, and if youre long, youre wet.  I had an easy 90 yard shot in, but the wind took it too long and it just rolled off.  If the pin is located in the middle or back of the green, it could bee considered a birdie hole, however, if the pin is up front, your wedge is going to have to be dead on balls acurate to avoid the false front and major dip in the green that will send the ball all the way to the middle or back of the green.

#8 - Road Hole - 465 Yards

Don't let  the easiest Handicaped hole on the course fool you.  This very short par 5 that is going to be usually directly into the wind.  Raynor's design is absolutley awesome knowinfg the wind is in your face and creating a short 5 intiscing longer hitters to go for the green even in a windy condition.  However, your tee shot must be very accurate as there is water and trouble to your left, and shit to your right. Then if youre good enough to keep the ball on the fairway, youre going to try to go for it in 2 and there is alot of trouble up by the green.  It narrows with a bunker on the left.  Stay right and try for your birdie.

Blair Tees off 9

Andrew's 3rd shot :)

Blair's long attempt at Par

Check out the awesome contours of this 9th green

#9 - Double Plateau - 364 Yards

A fun hole to finish up your front 9.  Grip it and rip it over the large hill infront of you. Yes it is a blind drive, but keep it straight and youll have a nice wedge into a gorgeous green.  The wind blows slightly left to right so be aware of that.  This happened to me and i was just about 6 inches off fairway into the rifght rough,. setting me up with a 92 yard wedge into the green.  You can see that I was able to keep my ball on the correct side of the green from the photo above, and I was able to hit my lone birdie of the day. The 15-footer stayed straight the whole way and dropped in the cup making my Roast Turkey Sandwhich with a great pesto tomato mayo taste even better at the turn.  You can also see andrew's approach, and Blair's long par attempt for the back of the green in the videos above.

Lunch

We were told to bring our own lunch, because there is nothing available on the island for food service especially this time of year. Before we got on the ferry, we grabbed sandwiches from a local deli, and brought them and ate them at the turn. To our surprise, there was a cart girl all day, and she had all types of drinks and snacks on board.

#10 - Knoll - 401 Yards

After you've finished your Peanut butter, jelly, and bacon sandwhich (It's their thing🤪), you're ready for the back nine. This drive wasnt too difficult, as your approach will be.  I only had 132 yards in, but knew I had to play it with at least 20 yards extra becuase the wind off of the Atlantic and Block Island Siund was right in our face.  My 150 club wasnt enoiugh as it rolled all the way down this enroumous false front/hill, requiring another awkward 20 yard chip just to get it back up on the plateau style green.  When we got up there we could feel how strong the wind was.  Ryan was able to get out of there with a par, but the rest of us were bogey city.

Andrew teeing off 11

#11 - Eden - 164 Yards

The closest thing to #7 at Pebble beach that I have ever played😋.  Wind is directly in your face on this shorter par 3.  Don't let the beauty of this hole fool you.  It is probably the grestest example of an Eden in the country.  The green slopes from back to front, and is very well protected with deep greenside bunkers.  Becuase of what happened to my approach on the previoius hole, I decided to play this 164 yards with my 200 club, and i actually stuck it pin high on the gree with about a 15 footer for birdie. I left the tricky putt short as it was a down high left ro right leaker, but tapped in for par.  My boys struggled here showing this is no easy hole with the wind.

#12- Winthrop- 389 Yards

The 12th hole looks easy from the tee box and you have the wind with you, after you just played three holes with the wind in your face. You can see the fairway sloping from left to right, so I hit the big dog up the left side, but it was too far left and too far in general as the firm conditions and the wind turned me into a 360 driver and I was left up in the hill and buried in shit with only an easy 30 yard chip but I missed it and ended up in the left green side bunker.  By the time I blasted out and caught the severe false front, the ball rolled off the green and into the right side bunker,by the time I got out of there and in the hole I had to write in my only double of the day. I was in so much trouble that I couldn't even see what the boys were doing. Blair was the only one able to get out of this very difficult hole with a par🤣. The green slopes severely from the middle to the back, but the front is a false front so good luck with that one. Again walking off this green you say to yourself how awesome Seth Raynor did with these greens.

#13 - Waterloo - 400 Yards

Now going back into the wind, the longer player can still bombs away as the hazard wont be in your landing zone (If there is no wind, becareful).  I hit a sweetspot and still had 147 in.  I hadto play a 175 club due to the wind and I kept it straight and low through the wind and it worked out great landing on the front of the green, while there was serious trouble with ponds on the left and right infront of the green creating a very difficult hazard and approach shot. I two putted for Par.

#16 - Short - 146 Yards

The most beautiful hole on the Golf Course and I will put it up againast Sleepy Hollow's famous 16th short par 3 over looking the hudson river.  They are too close to call. You are looking at the direction of Montauk if your eyes veer off towards the water at around 11 O'clock  .We had only 128 yards in as we were directly into the wind that is coming off the Block Island Sound. I played the shot 145 and it was still way short in the bunker.  I was able to blast out and leave myseklf a 10 footer for par, but missed and had to walk away with a dissapointing bogey on such a spectular hole. Ryan  was able to hit the green and par it.

#17 - Coast Guard

You're almost done, and you can feel that this magical day is coming to a close and you dont want it to.  Grip it and rip down this very wide fairway.  It is a longer par 4, with wind slight left to right.  Blair, Ryan, and myself all crushed BOMBS down the fairway.  I only had 102 in to the pin, and Ryan was 30 yards ahead of me.  I completly blocked my shot out to the right and with the wind puishing that way it was short right creating a 60 footer.  It was my best lag put of the day leaving it to about a foot and a half and I tapped in for par.  As I ewalked up to the hole I didnt realize how much contours and swails were in this green.  Again, Raynor at his best.  Ryan hit his lone birdie of the day knocking in a 15 footer that was sneakily downhill.

Andrew's final drive

Ryan Smashes his final drive

Andrew's dramtic finish on 18

#18 - Home - 452 Yards

The last hole of the day is a great one.  It is into the wind, but a very short par 5 (From the blues), from the Black's it is a Par 4, making it a very difficult finishing hole.  If your playing it as a 5, it is a 3 shot hole for the shorter hitters, but for the medium to long hitters, it can be reached in two shots making it a possible birdie hole, and a great way to finish up a match play event, or to squeeze out a birdie to finish your round.  Hit your drive straight, and go for it intwo with the front ofd the green wide open to run up your shot.  The green has a major swail in it on the left side so beware.  I hit a shitty drive and ended up still have 223 in.  I smashed my 3 hybrid and got on the right side of the green and left myselkf 30 feet for birdie, I ended up 3 putting for par, yuck. However, the story of the day belong to Andrew as you can see from the video above...(watch this one). The day is over and you cant even begin tio contemplate what you just expereinced.  Now you need to open your wallet and purchase souveniers and other golf stuff from the Pro Shop.

Going Home - "You don't want to"

Comprending what you just played is trying to run through your mind, and you are now several hundread dollars lighter as well from all the stuff you just bought.  The staff were even good enough to provide a hot cup of coffee for your short ride to the ferry.  We took the last boat home and arrived back in New London at 8:00pm.  The hard part now is trying to fdind a place for a nice dinner to cap off your perfect day before all the kicthens close in the area.  We had 4 ribeyes at a local restaurant called "sellfish". It was exactly what we were looking for and we couldnt find any traditional steakhouses open  late on a Tuesday night off season anyways.

Overall- It was the most sceneic Golf Course I have ever played, and was so appreactive to knock it off my bucket list.