Behind the Scenes: House Theory Thursday - Tie Guys
One thing we (and most podcasters for that matter) don’t do a very good job of is showing you what our prep looks like to deliver an episode. This piece is a literal “copy and paste” from our Google Doc we iterate on throughout the week.
Many of you have heard our House Theory material before. The idea in short is that great golf makes us feel like a great home does. When you stand in one, it’s impossible not to notice how friendly the layout is to the user. And when the house, or the hole, or the course, is less than amazing it’s equally impossible to miss the small inconveniences and inefficiencies. Environment certainly plays a factor. We can only judge the house based on the site it was built on— for what it could be. Lastly, if we all had the same house, what kind of life would that be?
We love match play like the rest of you. House Theory Thursdays is our way of explaining our half-boiled and ever-changing theory through this vehicle. Each hole will face off head-to-head until a winner is determined.
This week’s matchup: Wild Horse Golf Club vs. Pinehurst No. 4
The links to each course above provide a direct link to view hole by hole as you read. If you feel so compelled, reading while viewing these hole by holes would be the A1 viewing setup. The podcast episode will air on Thursday at 8pm EST. Hope you enjoy.
Key: Henry’s text, Walker’s text
Two good ones here. Both are top bucket public offerings.
Wild Horse the best/only game in town.
Sup Josh Mahar deserves as much credit as Dave Axeland and Dan Proctor.
Like the Dye family, we owe C&C (& SandHills) so much. Wild Horse was a direct response to the work done out there.
Thirdly, the community surrounding WH (Gothenburg) made this happen. It was not a few. It was many-- so I’ve heard.
No. 4 a clear second fiddle to No. 2 that literally is intertwined with it. Stellar sense of place to each of these courses which certainly gets a lot of points in our book. Let’s run it!
I remember old 4. Lifeless, boring, eroded. One late afternoon I parked on the shoulder of Morganton Rd (right by the 17th tee) and walked on site while the course was under construction.
For as good of land as Pinehurst has, I felt like the routing was not capable of being “great”. I still wouldn’t classify it that way, but Gil & Co. squeezed most of the juice out. It’s as “good” as it can get.
Hole 1: Tie.
Both just “get things rolling” holes. No. 4 a little harder, but generally both are just can you make an easy/solid par holes
Nothing to add.
Hole 2: Wild Horse wins. Wild Horse 1UP.
#2 at wild horse is just solid. Reminds me of 4 at RMGC West. #2 at No. 4 is just flawed a bit. The green can be too hard and it lacks a clear strategy
I agree. Very linksy. One long, straight, man-made boundary, but with safety comes more danger (bunker complex). Green is humble and not trying to deceive you.
This couldn't be more different than the 2nd at Pinehurst 4. I wish there was aid on the right of that green instead of falloff. They almost certainly made that trough to prevent water from running across the green. All about revenue baby.
Hole 3: No. 4 Wins. Match TIED.
Wild Horse 3 is good, but not any better than many of the other par 5’s out there and No. 4 is a very attractive and strong tee ball. Very much rewarded for taking the risk up the left, very much penalized for not pulling it off and hitting it into the left bunkers/waste.
I have always been a fan of squared off green edges.
I believe the best squared off greens have movement inside the green edge that ties into a movement outside the green. The 3rd at Pinehurst 4 does that extremely well.
Hole 4: Tie. Match TIED.
Nothing wrong with either par 3, but both fall into that range of yardage where you need to do SOMETHING to make the hole not feel flat, and neither really does.
Arguably the two worst/bleh/”get me to the next plz” holes on their respective courses…
Hole 5: No. 4 wins. No. 4 1UP.
5 at WH is cool with the big front right kicker, but with a blah tee shot and a wedge in hand, it doesn’t spread the shot quality at all. The fifth at No. 4 is a man’s par 4 and the difference off the tee, into the green, and on the green between high and low quality stuff is rewarded/punished. Just a higher quality hole to me.
You definitely have that competitive bias to your rankings, because I'd argue both feel equally at home within the golf course.
However, No. 4 is a more important hole in the round- there is more at stake. And because of that it wins.
Hole 6: WH wins. Match Tied.
Starting with No. 4, this is a good par 3. Have to “play to play well,” but only knock is that it is already your 3rdlonger iron in 6 holes. 6 at WH is a par 5 that can be rewarding or punishing. The double dog leg and land movement usage is wonderful, and the bank on the right side of the green matches up beautifully with the low lying area to the bottom left of the green.
6 at WH is the best bunkerless hole I’ve ever played.
Adding a bunker would make it worse.
There isn’t a hole at Pinehurst no. 4 that would beat it imo.
Hole 7: Hole Tied. Match Tied.
Tight one here. I like both holes. Need to hit a well intentioned tee shot, and then it’s all dictated by where the pin is. Left side on either is tough. Middle/right not so much.
I’ve always wondered if the 7th green at Pinehurst No. 4 was 20-30 yards to the right of where it is now tucked up next to the trees by the 11th green. That’s knit-picky though. I think it's a good hole.
I just lol at how simple Wild Horse is. Its like a middle finger from Dan Proctor and Dave Axland saying, we’re not going to spend more time putting bells and whistles on this thing- you’ll fuck it up plenty the way it is.
Hole 8: WH wins. WH 1UP.
I don’t hate the 8th at No. 4, but the big flashed bunker on the right that tightens the fairway excessively isn’t my favorite. Would like to see the hell’s half acre from nine extended all the way across or something. 8 at WH rocks. Really asks you where you want to take it on. Driver off the tee to get an 8 iron in? Or lay back and hit a 4 off a tough lie. Great green too. Just a great hole.
The 8th at PHurst 4 reminds me of that one open lease nobody wants to touch because the last 3 tenants went bankrupt
Hole 9: No. 4 wins. Match tied.
9 at WH is a very nice par 3, but with the prevailing wind behind, 185 becomes an 8 or 9 and the big gully short right is taken out of play most of the time. If it were into the wind, would be a totally different story. 9 at No. 4 is a massive transformation from before. The hell’s half feature is awesome, and it begs execution and decision making regardless of how you tackle it.
I agree. Loved 9 at WH personally. Such different holes, but I do feel that for the better player it comes down to fractionally better decision making and execution on 2nd and 3rd shots at Pinehurst no. 4’s 9th.
When I think of what the best holes are at Pinehurst no. 4, the 9th is on the short list. The 9th doesn’t make that list at WH.
Hole 10: WH wins. WH 1UP.
I don’t completely know what to make of 10 at No.4. It’s not bad, but its strange and the green could be cool to save but isn’t particularly. 10 at WH is flat out good. Very much a “when’s the penalty” hole. Push the drive for a wedge to a tougher than meets the eye green or lay back for a 150 shot that with any wind and a hanging lie is not easy.
10 at WH asks thought provoking questions.
Aim at what you can see? Longer approach.
Aim at what you can’t? Doom or glory.
10 at No. 4 doesn’t really ask you anything.
Driving range vibes. Property line hole.
Hole 11: Tie. WH 1UP.
Open to push back here as if anyone gets it it’s WH, but I think Gil crushed this completely new hole. Green is small and if you miss it’s penalizing. Yardage and green size/penalty match up great. 11 at WH has a large green for the length of hole but is properly made smaller by the small sections and large undulation as well as penalty for missing. Two great short 3’s.
I’m ok with tie here. WH feels like like a home that’s been lived in, and No. 4’s 11th feels like its a new build that happens to also be really sweet.
Hole 12: WH wins. WH 2UP.
12 at No. 4 is fine but nothing special, not some massive reward for taking on the left side off the tee, just need to find the short stuff. 12 at WH makes you think off the tee as the ball can chase out a ton and missing in the bunkers is tough. Wonderful green with a big movement from right to left and if you miss in the little left bunker, no dice. Super strong hole that wins.
Wild horse 12 feels like youre at the top of a mountain and you have to choose between blue and double black.
The left side is like a natural bowl - the blue- in that you're probably capable of more, but is safe.
The right side is blind, and may be more than you can handle. If you miss, you’ll surely wish you took the other path.
The 8th, 10th, and 12th at Pinehurst no. 4 all are “getmetothenext” holes imo.
Hole 13: No. 4 wins. WH 1UP.
Maybe a bad take, but I think 13 at No. 4 actually works well. It’s not an attractive hole necessarily, but essentially to make it an easy/doable par you have to take on the water on the left. 310+ over the right bunker and being in there can lead to a double or worse in a second. Green is properly large and accessible for a 500+ par 4 (It’s a par 5 on the card). 13 at WH is a fine par 3, but nothing special about it unless I’m missing something. Could honestly be 30 yards longer given it’s not super penal on/around the green.
I really like the way those two bunkers guard the green short at WH’s 13th (192f, 215m, 235b). It’s aesthetic and functional but agree that it’s not a more memorable hole than 13 at Pinehurst no. 4.
Hole 14: Tie. WH 1UP.
14 at No. 4 is just solid. Any left pin is dangerous and it’s a hole that requires discipline. Most shots will be 20-100 feet right of the hole and then you just have to try to get down in 2. Much like 17 at QHC which I think works great for what it is. 14 at WH is an attractive 5 with a great green. While there is some reward for a great drive, there isn’t much risk to compliment as the fairway is a pasture. If the tee ball had more pressure on it, would be a banger, but it doesn’t.
14 at WH feels like the par 5 where you need 3 or 4 but it always makes it harder on you than you want. I like that about it, but it doesnt have the presence that 14 at Pinehurst no. 4 has.
The tee shot on that par 3 makes you feel something. That’s certainly worth something.
Hole 15: WH wins. WH 2UP.
Both shorter 4’s. Tee ball I would call a relative draw as WH is typically just a long iron that needs to be solid not great and No. 4 is a blind driver up the hill. Approach at WH quite a bit better. Have to hit a shot that is probably struck and controlled whereas No. 4 is just a little blah.
The 15th at WH is, in my opinion, a top 3 hole on the course. I got prairie dunes vibes without ever playing it. The way it presents so much width but requires a precise second is so tasteful. The way that flashed bunker looks with the bushes in the back is a complete chef’s kiss. I remember thinking of Mackenzie.
Hole 16: Tie. WH 2UP and Dormie.
Different holes here. 16 at No. 4 is good but could be better, but I love the inclusion of a drivable 4 that can be a legit eagle opportunity, but around the green can be dicey if the tee ball isn’t good. (Danger zone for me- hybrid talk) 16 at WH is a strong hole and a great green. Well situated within 2 par 5’s and a short 4, but so is 16 at No.4 with 2 long ones preceding. Vastly different holes but both good.
16 at Pinehurst no. 4 is VASTLY better than it was previously. For what the land offers, I think it’s one of the highest value holes out there- but I agree that it could still be slightly better.
16 at WH has a greensite that feels more at home in it’s landscape. It’s a birdie opportunity just the same, and asks you to keep the ball below the hole as well.
Hole 17: No. 4 wins. WH 1UP.
This is simple. Both par 5’s, both have center line bunkers. No. 4 is more demanding, has a cooler green, and the opportunity to chase one up the pipe onto the meandering green makes it one of the more fun shots on the course if you can pull it off.
These holes are so eerily similar. 17 at WH is one of the most textbook par 5’s in my book, but have always loved 17 at no. 4 just the same. It was one of the few that hardly needed any help.
Hole 18: Tie. WILD HORSE WINS THE MATCH 1UP.
This one is pretty tough. No. 4 wins the tee ball by a good bit, but the blind second shot with no real back drop is just not the finish people want whereas wild horse is an interesting green and presents on last solid shot to be hit. The green is also better at WH as No. 4 is a little boring and around the green doesn’t really add to it.
I’ve always hated the propped up 18th green there. It feels manufactured where even 17 and 11 feel less so. It was that way before, and still is. It must have to do with water.
18 at WH is flipped. I feel meh about the tee shot. The second is another opportunity to score, but so easy to just make par. That green has some slope to it.