Boxing Day Special: Old Barnwell vs. Tree Farm
Intro:
After a couple strolls around Old Barnwell and a few cuts at Tree Farm, I feel ready to weigh in on the consummate debate that has ensued over these two awesome new builds outside of Aiken, SC. A few important details to hash out before I get into it. First off, I played 36 at Tree Farm about 10 days ago and 36 at OB yesterday. So, getting to see them under similar conditions at the same time of year is valuable to my ability to weigh in. Someone who sees 2 courses in the same locale separated by 6 or more months doesn’t have the ability to level set their comparison as well due to variability in the playing style that will be informed by the difference in season, in my opinion. I’m in the investing world, and we constantly are trying to make things “apples to apples” in our comparisons. It’s important. Second, neither club is “fully executed” yet in terms of the buildout of lodging, clubhouses, auxiliary golf, and many of the other things each of these clubs will have. So, this will be mostly golf course talk. Finally, and most importantly, these 2 places are DIFFERENT. While they were each built by great architects, sit on really cool sandy land, and are within 25 minutes of downtown Aiken, the experience that each club will ultimately serve up is vastly different.
Tree Farm
is a high-class golf experience end to end while not having the pretensions that many would traditionally associate with such a club. Great caddies, high golf IQ membership, top class staff in every way, and a desire to appeal to architecture hardos and good golfers alike. It’s not for the layman, necessarily, but also is able to keep premium golf lowkey, welcoming, and fun. It’s a hard fairway to hit, but TF is center cut in that department.
Old Barnwell
captures their vibe really well in their tagline of “for all those who love it.” You will see a larger mix of golfers at Old Barnwell with regard to backgrounds, ages, etc. The bagmen are high schoolers rather than top drawer guys like Tree Farm. The club has made a huge commitment to underprivileged golfers and golf communities. The long-term vision includes a par 3 course, kids’ course, and other such offerings not necessarily catered to the stereotypical club golfer. And finally, the club has been set up to offer extremely affordable membership and guest fees that feel miles below market rate. Can’t imagine too many people will be complaining about that one. All fantastic things for the golf world to have been given in Old Barnwell, but again, very different than what Tree Farm has delivered.
Where OB Distinguishes Itself:
Drainage. Drainage. Drainage:
While this is a rather nerdy thing to call out, the way OB went about managing water flow when it rains is as good as I’ve seen anywhere. Not only did they make it a major priority, I honestly thought a lot of the shaping and long grass added to slopes and on the periphery of holes to manage water flow was highly additive to the course from an aesthetic and architectural standpoint. I haven’t seen a ton of that in the states, but can only hope OB trailblazes a path towards “managing water can be cool” or something like that. This was a clear spot that OB “wins the fight” that people want to make this out to be.
The Early Part of the Course:
OB comes out of the gates much stronger than Tree Farm. Where Tree Farm is one of the best closing stretches of holes I’ve seen in a long time, you stand on the 3rd tee at OB much more fired up about what you’ve seen so far than Tree Farm. Maybe that’s because you can start birdie birdie with relative ease, but whatever it is, that’s definitely how I felt. I think both courses really find their stride by the 5th hole and just keep coming at that point, but to the degree that the first couple holes matter, OB is the better start.
Stylistic Diversity:
Our friend Lukas Michel said recently on our 3rd pod with him that we have “lost a bit of a sense of stylistic diversity in GCA” and I couldn’t agree more. I love simple, whether we’re talking daily routines, food, workout styles, hangouts with friends, the list goes on. We don’t need to make life too complex. But there is always a place in the world for us to continue to explore and figure out what we may like that we are overlooking, and Brian Schnieder and Blake Conant clearly made that exploration at OB. What I really hope to see from OB over the years is for it to help people “see the light” that is golf course architecture for those who have yet to. Tree Farm will be thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by those who already are deep in the game, but I feel Old Barnwell is more likely to add members to the club of the architecture obsessed. Apologies in advance to the family members of the many future converts…
The Wow Factor:
Whether it is truly indicative of a better course or not, I can never fault an architect for wanting to create a course with the visual “pop” and set of features that present a level of novelty that will really grab someone’s attention and yield their praises on a single visit. Old Barnwell has as much of that as any course I’ve seen. Tree Farm won’t underwhelm, but fewer people will walk off first time through with wide eyes saying they’ve just “found whatever it is.” I love that Tree Farm is a place that continues to improve each time you play it, but many people only get to see a course once and if designing with this in mind is important, OB hit a total grand slam. That’s not to say people won’t want to keep playing it over and over. I sure as hell do. But again, the degree to which a course excites on a single look does matter, and OB clearly made this a focal point.
Where TF Distinguishes Itself:
Find Great Land and Let it be What it is:
Tree Farm exudes the principles of natural architecture and restraint in an admirable way. Most all the greens sit right into their natural landscape without significant intervention present. The aesthetic of the golf course is fully in context with the locale. In fact, effort was even made to keep some of the landforms and natural elements that typically would not make the cut which gives the course even further natural texture. Heathers, underbrush, sandy mounding, and different colors of sand were all left to keep the aesthetic as natural as possible. It’s obviously a new golf course, but its principles of architecture and the way it sits into the land give it the feeling that it has been around for quite some time.
Quality of the Putting:
The experience of putting the ball at Tree Farm is superior for the better golfer. The greens are far from easy, but they are objective. Generally speaking, I find that better golfers enjoy firm, fast greens that challenge you but putt the way they appear, and that is what Tree Farm’s greens do. While the audacious style of many of Old Barnwell’s greens are a fantastic addition to golf and something we could frankly use more of, over time I find that a more objective test on the greens like Tree Farm is more favored than more wild stuff, and has a larger set of uses such as member play, club play, and outside competitions. OB will be fantastic for daily play, but I question how it will translate to competition. Tree Farm’s greens remind me of that guy who shows up to the office just dialed every day. All the right stuff for the times yet classic in style. Old Barnwell is the dude who isn’t afraid to push the envelope. Some days he’s the best dressed dude in the office, and it’s not close, but every now and then boss man has to have a word.
Convergence/Divergence of Good and Bad Golfers:
One of my biggest metrics for a golf course is the degree to which it converges or diverges difficulty levels for good and bad players. Nothing at TF stands out to me as being excessively punishing to a bad player while easy for a good player. The challenge into and around the greens provides many options and opportunities for good and bad players alike but is not excessively punishing for bad players. One of my qualms with Barnwell is that many of the greens are perched up without a clear need for them to be, which I think provides much more challenge for a bad player than a good one. Someone with good hands will nip a pitch up close without a ton more difficulty whereas a bad player is having a much tougher time than when greens are shaped at grade like at Tree Farm. Barnwell also has a few bunkers that feel a little deep to me that don’t make it much harder for low cappers but will really punish someone who doesn’t have the speed or skill. To be very direct, I heard a lot of people in the 6-15 handicap range say they think Barnwell is really hard and I found it to be more of a super fun but highly scorable course. With a pretty good short game you have a ton of birdie chances, but they quickly go away if a pitch or putt off a tight lie up a big ridge is hard for you. Tree Farm seems to level set its difficulty more which is a big deal to me.
Where It Truly is Up to You:
Tee Play:
One thing I heard people say about OB going in was that it’s “wide as hell” and not very difficult off the tee. These things are both true, but I do believe there are some tee balls that provide more intrigue than meets the eye. 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, and 14, in particular, absolutely have a tiger line that makes the approach more attractive or easier than the less aggressive play. Is the conservative play punishing? Not always, but I still enjoyed the tee play more than I was told I would. Tree Farm also has many width and angles holes, but I find them to be more discerning. While it often isn’t hard to find the short grass, there is a clear advantage to executing the right shot and approaching many greens and pins from the right spot. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 14 stick out to me. I love that there are many spots to flex your muscle with high quality tee play at Tree Farm, but I feel many people enjoy being able to not worry too much about where they hit it off the tee and prefer to not be tested until the approach play and on. Both courses’ tee play is a style I love, which is that you will feel like you’re fine more often than not, but the real challenge gets presented in ways that are less obvious. The subtle way this style of play gets you I find better for a larger number of players. The only difference I find is Tree Farm is more sophisticated.
Raised Greens:
Something I noticed a lot of at OB is greens that are popped up 4 feet or so from grade whereas at Tree Farm everything was built at grade. That doesn’t mean there aren’t places where your ball can run well below the level of the surface, but they weren’t manufactured artificially. While as I mentioned above, I don’t love the fact that I think this is something at OB that will make things harder for bad players but not necessarily for good players, I can’t tell someone if this aesthetically is a positive or negative.
DIY Golf vs. Premium Experience:
Old Barnwell has more of a DIY feel to it where many people walk and carry or push, and if they do take a caddy, it’s at a super affordable rate with a kid who may be just learning about the game. Tree Farm, while not exclusively caddy, has more of a feeling of a top tier experience where if you do elect to take a bag man, he or she will likely be a better player than you, and you certainly will be well advised to take their advice. Carts will be few and far between at each club, but the experience even in the absence of any riding will still look very different at each. Some people want to just go launch ‘em and don’t need advice or the experience that comes with having a great caddy. Some people want a true sherpa, if you will, to carry the sticks and guide them around the course. I would never tell you what you can and can’t enjoy eating. Not going to be a hypocrite when it comes to how you like your golf.
Who’s it for?:
While certainly not stuffy and relative to other premium experiences, I find Tree Farm to have a highly eclectic mix of golfers as its clientele, it’s a club that will end up being for more high IQ players who come from a similar set of golfing circles at a national and international scale. Old Barnwell is truly for “all those who love it.” Sorry, I had to slip that in there. Just in the day I was there I saw as much texture to the cohort of golfers taking the course with me as you may see in settings far from golf, which some may not be as into, but I am a massive proponent of. To the degree that it isn’t all a bunch of hog wash when people talk about “growing the game,” Old Barnwell will make an admirable effort at doing so.
Here’s how I think about each club as if they were restaurants. I live in Texas, so bear with me:
Tree Farm
is a top tier BBQ joint. You see all sorts of folks there. Locals, out of towners, big, small, all colors, etc. You typically don’t see a lot of babies or older people, and there definitely is a common theme among the patrons: meat better be a passion. Not exactly a lot of “kale yeah” shirts being worn. Truly open to all, but there is a limiting reagent that keeps some people away. The food is all awesome and while there is plenty of variety, it’s all similar in concept. Smoked meats, simple sides, a handful of sauces. Beers if you aren’t already indulging yourself enough. That’s the Tree Farm. A great mix of people who have a common passion for the camaraderie, architecture, and tradition of the game in a setting that is lower key than many places you would go for a similar quality of experience. Laid back environment but white shoe quality, if the central offerings appeal to you.
Old Barnwell
is a cool, zany, renegading Asian fusion place. Like any Austin restaurant they #supportlocal with regard to ingredients, but the dishes themselves are anything but local. There are some things you might just not order, but also some things that make you dance a little when you eat them. The good dishes are probably the best stuff in town, but the ones the chef came up with after 4 whiskeys not 2, just don’t quite find the strike zone. Hell, he may have hit a batter or 2. The clientele is all over the map. Old, young, local, international, when they all are enjoying their food and having a good time, it really is a beautiful thing. Something the world needs more of. But, if the music gets a little loud for grandma, that baby starts crying, or that one dish goes a littleeee too far on the fusion side of things such that it insults tradition, we might have an issue or two. That’s Old Barnwell. What it gets right is difficult to beat. But you don’t get there by not being willing to push it. And when you push it, you will miss every so often.
Conclusion:
My friends know I could switch off between an Asian fusion place and top tier BBQ everyday and die a happy man. Strange, I know. But not everyone is this way. A large majority of people probably agree, but the world does have vegans, gluten free people, and those that just can’t handle loud music and the type of umami you should expect at an Asian joint.
Getting back to writing like a normal person, I believe that better golfers are going to like Tree Farm more and people less skilled and or traveled in the world of great golf will take a liking to Old Barnwell. Now, how does this hold up over time? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do generally maintain the view that simple stuff done right usually wins the game in the end. However, if complexity really does turn out to be that good, it can completely change the game and be seen as one of the true greats in any field. So once again, let’s chat in 5 years. At the end of the day the true winner in all of this is Aiken, SC. To have two new, different, and objectively awesome courses pop up in the matter of a year is just great. And what’s more is there is all sorts of land ripe for further development in the greater area.
I’ve delayed telling you what I actually think here on which course I personally am more into. Well, like anyone who plays the #content game, I’m not going to tell you in this piece. Rather, starting January 4th, you can head to https://www.thetiepodcast.com/ to find our podcast feeds and listen to House Theory Thursday where we match up courses in a hole 1 v. hole 1, hole 2 v. hole 2, etc. format until a winner is determined. As a quick primer, I’ll leave you with this. As previously mentioned, Old Barnwell comes out of the gates hot and through 10 holes will be up at least a couple holes. But, like Cat in a USGA event, Tree Farm has plenty of heat late in the game and shouldn’t be overlooked as the holes start to dwindle.