Blessings Golf Club

[NWAHog479]

Drove by the Blessings Golf Club recently and it looks like there is a lot of construction going on. Heard a rumor from a friend that they may be adding additional space to try and get a tourney there. Any substance to the rumor?

[Dillar Dog]

I know they are doing a much needed renovation.  Don't know about a tournament though.  Not really sure why they would want one.

[Gohogs600]

-Renovation of all traps, and touching nearly every hole in some way shape or form with the remodel. Includes 4 brand new greens, and some drastic changes to another 4 greens. Some holes completely rebuilt / replaced and others only minor adjustments. Project started in November with estimated completion in summer this year.

It also includes a re-routing of the course to lessen the challenge of walking it. Overall, it looks like a series of very well thought out, high quality changes. It will be interesting as 2 par 5 holes moves to par 4s, one par 3 moved to a 4, and one par 4 moves to a 5. So, while it's still a par 72, the consensus is that it will play anywhere from 2 to 4 strokes harder for the casual / everyday golfer, depending on the tee placement on some of these holes.

I don't get the feel that a pro event is the goal, however a top level collegiate or amateur would be fun to see there.

[HognitiveDissonance]

Unreal, I was about to say the changes were probably to make the course easier, not harder.
It's already been softened up once as I recall.
Known as a very difficult course.

[Gohogs600]

Unreal, I was about to say the changes were probably to make the course easier, not harder.
It's already been softened up once as I recall.
Known as a very difficult course.

Yes. Time will tell whether I'm correct or not, but I don't see a lot of areas that look to play any easier than before the remodel.

I think they are going to be laying turf on the renovated areas and new greens shortly, so I'll have a better idea how the changes impact scores by June or July after it all grows in...

[Dillar Dog]

Is it just me or is there something about the guys that have "gohogs" in their screen name?

[Gohogs600]

Is it just me or is there something about the guys that have "gohogs" in their screen name?

Just you.

[Dillar Dog]

I don't know.  There's something for sure.

[Gohogs600]

I don't know.  There's something for sure.

Thx, again, for your contribution and elevating the discussion...

[Dillar Dog]

You're welcome.

How do you feel about Perry Maxwell, Mr Thinskin?

[Gohogs600]

You're welcome.

How do you feel about Perry Maxwell, Mr Thinskin?

Despite the fact that I've never communicated with you previously, you felt the need to criticize my razorback related username for no reason, and then feel the need to tell me I have thin skin after I didn't support your prior worthless comment about my user name. All this in a thread about a golf course renovation....

Feel free to start your own thread or hijack another one. I'm done wasting my time with you, and this is the last thing I'm going to say to you. Good bye.

[Dillar Dog]

Perhaps if you were around more you'd know what I was talking about and be less sensitive. 

Now back to Perry Maxwell....

[onebadrubi]

The OTHER gohogs (the a loud my one) man crush shot a +3 today.

[zane]

You're welcome.

How do you feel about Perry Maxwell, Mr Thinskin?

I lol'd

[Gohogs600]

Great news for the Men's and Ladies golf teams!

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/arkansas-adds-to-championship-legacy/

[ricepig]

https://twitter.com/RazorbackMGolf/status/854386930318016512

[HognitiveDissonance]

Great news for the Men's and Ladies golf teams!

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/arkansas-adds-to-championship-legacy/

Wow. Impressive.

I observed the 2012 SEC Women's tourney there. Figured it would be my only chance to walk the grounds.

[HognitiveDissonance]

Speaking of, I don't really recall the opinions of SEC coaches/players following that event.
I know it's rare that they will publicly be harsh (even if they felt that way) and will usually offer some plaudits for the course. So sometimes you have to read between the lines.
I remember the opening round for the ladies was very cold, in the 40s, so there was some concern that maybe Fayetteville wasn't the best site for the SEC golf event. But the other two days were nice.
I just don't know if they were happy and impressed with the Blessings, or vice versa.

[ricepig]

https://twitter.com/RazorbackMGolf/status/854410286090137600

[Gohogs600]

Speaking of, I don't really recall the opinions of SEC coaches/players following that event.
I know it's rare that they will publicly be harsh (even if they felt that way) and will usually offer some plaudits for the course. So sometimes you have to read between the lines.
I remember the opening round for the ladies was very cold, in the 40s, so there was some concern that maybe Fayetteville wasn't the best site for the SEC golf event. But the other two days were nice.
I just don't know if they were happy and impressed with the Blessings, or vice versa.

I was there the final day of the men's NCAA regional. Every player and coach  I spoke with was highly complimentary. Its been a few years, but IIRC the coach from Kent State was extremely complimentary, most notably regarding the quality of the greens.

[NWAHog479]

They've had tournaments out there before where the winning team shot like +2

[hogfan98]

The work they're doing to the course right now is almost entirely related to the anticipation of this announcement.  Past feedback has been that it's a great golf course but very hard to walk.  So the construction of new holes, complete overhaul of others, and reordering of the holes is meant to address that.  Work on the renovation started this winter.  And reading between lines of what I could get out of people, I think there was a wink-wink from the NCAA that if they showed they would address the walkability of the course then a bid would be eminent.  So Johnny called the bulldozers in and here we are.

[Gohogs600]

The work they're doing to the course right now is almost entirely related to the anticipation of this announcement.  Past feedback has been that it's a great golf course but very hard to walk.  So the construction of new holes, complete overhaul of others, and reordering of the holes is meant to address that.  Work on the renovation started this winter.  And reading between lines of what I could get out of people, I think there was a wink-wink from the NCAA that if they showed they would address the walkability of the course then a bid would be eminent.  So Johnny called the bulldozers in and here we are.

Pre renovation, it was a hilly 7.5 mile or so walk. For context, pinnacle is about 3.5 miles give or take. The new changes will cut about a mile off the walk and minimize the up and down with the hills. Still a very long walk for 18 holes, but notably improved vs the prior layout.

[HognitiveDissonance]

So I've been out there and can still visualize the layout some...what changes are they making to which holes?

[Gohogs600]

So I've been out there and can still visualize the layout some...what changes are they making to which holes?

Just about every hole is touched in some way shape or form. I know that as late as last week they were still making changes, so no sense in going through all of the changes to date. It'll make sense when it's done.

[Ex-Trumpet]

Pre renovation, it was a hilly 7.5 mile or so walk. For context, pinnacle is about 3.5 miles give or take. The new changes will cut about a mile off the walk and minimize the up and down with the hills. Still a very long walk for 18 holes, but notably improved vs the prior layout.

Didn't realize Pinnacle was that short.  A 7200 yard course (21,600 feet) is a 4-mile hike (5280' in a mile) just from tee to green, not including the hike from green to tee, excursions through the woods looking for lost balls, etc.

I always figured an average round of golf was about a 6 mile hike, all said and done.

[Gohogs600]

Didn't realize Pinnacle was that short.  A 7200 yard course (21,600 feet) is a 4-mile hike (5280' in a mile) just from tee to green, not including the hike from green to tee, excursions through the woods looking for lost balls, etc.

I always figured an average round of golf was about a 6 mile hike, all said and done.

I may be wrong on the 3.5 @ pinnacle, but I remember taking a pedometer a long time ago & remember 3.5 miles. Anecdotally, I've played several thousand rounds at pinnacle over the last few decades. More than half of them walking. 36 in a day walking at pinnacle was no sweat. However, walking 18 at blessings had my legs burning toward the end. Given this, I can say I definitely feel the significant jump in length & hills

[HognitiveDissonance]

I may be wrong on the 3.5 @ pinnacle, but I remember taking a pedometer a long time ago & remember 3.5 miles. Anecdotally, I've played several thousand rounds at pinnacle over the last few decades. More than half of them walking. 36 in a day walking at pinnacle was no sweat. However, walking 18 at blessings had my legs burning toward the end. Given this, I can say I definitely feel the significant jump in length & hills

Wow, we may be approaching Wilt Chamberlain math here. 'I slept with probably 20,000 women'.
'Thousands of rounds' played at Pinnacle.
Hopefully you have...I would be jealous.
But the course opened in 1990...let's just say 25 years. 25 years X 365 days = 9125 rounds. That's if you played every day for 25 years. Just to get to a 1000 would take a lot of playing.

[Gohogs600]

Wow, we may be approaching Wilt Chamberlain math here. 'I slept with probably 20,000 women'.
'Thousands of rounds' played at Pinnacle.
Hopefully you have...I would be jealous.
But the course opened in 1990...let's just say 25 years. 25 years X 365 days = 9125 rounds. That's if you played every day for 25 years. Just to get to a 1000 would take a lot of playing.

Haha. I'm not in that range. I've been there one way or another for over 20 years. Over a decade of that time included playing numerous times per week. It sounds like a lot but quick math with a couple rounds on average per week over multiple decades adds up! 2 rounds a week X 52 weeks X 20 years is nearly 2100 rounds.