Plainfield Country Club

The PGA Tour cranks up a gear with the beginning of the playoffs that will lead to the Tour Championship and the crowning of a new FedEx Cup champion. The business end of the season kicks off with the Barclays Championship, an event that rotates around the greater New York metropolitan area, with the formidable Bethpage Black recently announced as the host for the 2012 tournament.

This year’s venue is Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, originally founded in 1890 with tennis as its primary sport, and benefiting since 1921 from a superb golf course designed by noted Scottish architect Donald Ross. In keeping with a recent trend of restoring the great designs of the past that have lost their unique character during the past decade, Gil Hanse has used some of Ross’ own diagrams to help reinvigorate Plainfield and restore the Scotsman’s original vision. This process has seen the removal of more than 1200 trees, the uncovering of bunkers that had been lost over time, and the expansion of 16 greens. Additionally, 12 holes have been lengthened to keep pace with modern times and equipment.

Ranked comfortably inside the top 75 of America’s best courses, Plainfield’s classic layout has never previously hosted a US PGA Tour event. This 6350m par 71 parkland gem has a landscape of mature woodland that frames the fairways meandering over gently flowing hills. Ross’ design philosophy is evident right from the start where the opening 395m par 4 calls for a drive down the left side to be in position to attack the pin. The approach is complicated by the lack of depth perception, and the trademark undulating green slopes from back to front. Every hole requires concentration and application as there will almost always be an uphill, downhill or sidehill lie in the fairways - with severe or subtle slopes and false fronts or sides on the greens complexes. The driveable 260m par 4 18th is the ultimate risk and reward finishing hole. The beautifully contoured and elevated green with a false front and severe bunkering will provoke a lot of thought depending on whether the player is in passive or aggressive mode.

Plainfield is a superb and challenging golf course that will provide a rigid examination of both skill and character for the players looking to advance to the later stages of the playoffs.

Golfweather Editorial