Corporate Golf review
Think Green(s) Lake of Isles, acres for golf
By Peter Hart
Special to CCM
Southeastern Connecticut has quickly become a draw for golfers' delight with
the opening last May of two of the country’s top new golf courses.
Lake of Isles, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, sprawls across 900 picturesque acres of countryside with a 90-acre lake as centerpiece. It is composed of two courses, one resort and one private, designed by renowned golf course architect Rees Jones.
“ This was a golf architect’s dream,” stated Jones. “It is not often you get a chance where they want to do it right, where there are no houses, where there is golf for golf and you basically can’t see one hole from the next with a 90-acre lake already built.”
The land, formerly a Boy Scout reservation, located across from the tribe’s Foxwoods Resort Casino, was purchased in 1993. For the next two years, the Pequots conducted archeological excavations on the rocky forest land that belonged to its ancestors. They found artifacts estimated to be as old as 10,000 years along with remains of 18 structures from the 18th and 19th centuries. When building the course, the tribe wanted to keep the connection with the land. They saw the importance of incorporating the natural features of the property; the only thing imported was sand. Jones recycled the rocks and trees.
“The rock outcropping served to define the holes,” continued Jones. “Because we had so much land to work with, we were really able to fit the holes to the land. This is truly a neo-classic course where less is more.”
Golfers will be able to take in the natural beauty of the land as they pass century-old stone fences and grave markers, hit tee shots over vast, natural scrub areas, and take in views of trees and sky that seem to stretch on forever.
Lake of Isles is managed by Troon Golf, the largest golf management company in the world. The firm oversees 185 golf courses located in 29 states and 18 countries.
North Course
The North Course, which is open to resort guests and daily fee golfers, stretches more than 7,300 yards from the back tees. Each hole has personality, offering a variety of challenges.
There are five sets of tees, and playing from the right set will make the round challenging yet enjoyable. The opening hole, the toughest one on the front nine, a 575-yard par 5, requires a carry off the tee of 200 yards to an uphill fairway and the approach shot to a domed green. The trios of downhill par-3s are very appealing, demanding, and scenic. Among the most dramatic is the 196-yard 11th hole, which requires a laser-like shot to avoid trouble all around the green. The 18th hole is one of the best finishing holes in the state. A 459-yard par 4 requires a big drive to a small landing area followed by a mid-iron shot to carry over trouble to a peninsula green. This hole often makes the 19th hole a welcome site.
Details: Greens fees for the North Course range from $135 to $19 and can be booked 30 days in advance (if staying at Foxwoods) or 7 days in advance for daily fee golfers.
South Course
The South Course is also fair challenge for members and their guests. The ninth hole is a 443-yard, no-guts-no-glory par 4 whereby players can cut off as much of the wetlands on the dogleg left as they dare. The 230-yard, par 3, 16th hole is a magnificent hole that requires a long, downhill carry to a peninsula green protected by water on the right and granite rocks on the left. The South Course has more of a classic feel with views of the spectacular Foxwoods Casino above the tree-lines on two holes. A limited number of individual and corporate memberships are available for the South Course.
“Rees Jones has created wide corridors on almost every hole, and the fairways are generous,” stated Archie Cart, general manager. “While there may not be a ton of trouble around the greens they are canted in different directions, which puts a premium on accurate approach shots.”
Accolades
After just one year, the golf world has taken notice of Lake of Isles and it has been recipient of several prestigious awards. Golf Magazine named the North Course one of the "Top Ten New Places You Can Play." Golf Digest named the North Course #7 on the list of "Best New Upscale Public Golf Course," and Golfweek named it #1 in the state of Connecticut.
“Being selected by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine as one of the best public courses in the country is a very prestigious honor,” said Cart. “The competition this year in the public category was very strong. It is nice to see the Tribe’s commitment and dedication to quality recognized on a national level.”
Amenities
Lake of Isles also offers a state-of-the-art Golf Academy for golfers looking to work on their game. The 60,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor learning center features a large teeing area along with putting green, a practice chipping and pitching area, a classroom and video swing analysis. Golf schools, group clinics and individual instruction are available by a team of experienced PGA golf professionals.
The 50,000-square-foot clubhouse offers commanding views from the hillside location above the lake. The impressive facility includes a grand ballroom with a capacity of 300 guests and spacious meeting rooms fully equipped with audio/visual equipment. Matches Tavern is located on the lower level of the clubhouse. The casual restaurant is a perfect place to catch a bite to eat after golf or to watch your favorite sporting events on the large-screen televisions. Matches is open year-round and offers great views of the lake.
Also on the lower level of the clubhouse is the Lake of Isles Golf Shop. Recently named by Golf World Business as one of the Top 100 golf shops, the 1,800-square-foot contemporary golf shop features equipment from top manufacturers Titleist, Ping, Callaway and Taylor Made along with apparel from Polo, Greg Norman, EP Pro and Nike. Eye-catching displays and a relaxed atmosphere makes it a must-stop for golfers and hotel guests. Also, the golf shop accepts Wampum points for golf and merchandise.
For the members, the clubhouse has a private dining room and locker room facility. The busy social calendar gives members plenty of time to socialize or enjoy tournament and casual golf events.
Of course, golfers can enjoy complimentary shuttle service to try their luck at the tables or take in a show at nearby Foxwoods, which offers more than 4.7 million square feet of entertainment, gaming, dining, and shopping and resort experience all under one roof. The tribal nation recently announced a $700 million expansion that will add additional hotel rooms, meeting space, restaurants, theatre and shopping by 2008.
Resources: www.lakeofisles.com or www.troongolf.com
