SOME NOTES ON THE GOLDEN VALLEY COURSE

     Course Name: Golden Valley Golf Club
     Location:    Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
     Designer:    Robert Trent Jones Jr.
     JNUG Design: Jay Johnson (aka "Jaybird")
     Difficulty:  Moderate to Very, depending upon weather.

       First and foremost, this is a gambler's course and most
       of the gambles are from the tee. Simply put, it's usually
       a matter of how much of a dogleg one is willing to try
       to cut off. The big gambles are at # 9 where you can
       drive the green but OB awaits the failed shot, and # 18
       where the second fairway can be reached with an very
       good to excellent drive. If you miss it, you should very  
       likely replay the shot as the places you can drop are
       fairly poor. If you pull the drive off, beware the second
       shot - the distance shown to the pin is from 15 to 30
       yards longer than the actual distance. This is due to
       the program measuring distance along the centerline of the
       hole as originally laid out, not along the intended path
       from ball to green (which in this case is across the water
       to the green. This phenomenon is not confined to this one
       hole, but is true, in general, for any dogleg. Hole # 2 is
       what I call "sneaky tough" and J.N. calls a "sleeper".
       Hole # 1 violates one of the Bear's rules about no water
       on the first hole but I just drew what's there. By the
       way, a big hook will get you off to a good start here and
       the problem isn't so much putting the shot into the trees 
       on the left as it is driving through the fairway into the
       rough or the bunkers on the right.
         The middle fairway bunker on the right on # 10 is fairly
       deep - consider using a wedge to get out.
         Hole # 11 is another "sleeper". Although the first fair-
       way looks large enough, it really plays smaller than it 
       appears. Many practice plays on this hole has convinced me
       of the folly of whomping the drive.
         Hole # 13 is the longest par 4 on the course and it
       requires a good drive to score well.
         Hole # 16 is another "sleeper". The water catches a lot
       of drives, so be careful.
         Hole # 17 has one of the most vicious greens I've seen
       anywhere. The quote given on the hole refers to having a
       chance for a par, not birdie. In testing I once took 7
       putts on this hole which made me ease it up a little. I
       actually think it's unfair but I'm not changing it any
       more.
         I welcome feedback of any kind on this or any of the
       courses I've put out there. I do ask that you be specific
       - telling me that a hole (or even an entire course) sucks
       doesn't help much unless you specify how it sucks. But
       hey, You've got the JNUG Designer, so feel free to make
       the changes you feel are needed.
         I also welcome suggestions as to courses that you want
       to see done and this applies to types of trees that will
       be appearing in future TREESn files.
         Next up will be Springfield in Japan which is another
       Robert T. Jones creation. Following that will be the
       Jack Nicklaus course, Melrose
Š         By the way, if you ever see a course by Scott Chesney
       appear for download, grab it. I've played his Olympic,
       Cypress Point, and Pebble Beach courses and they look
       and play very well,indeed.
         I can be reached via the BBS at Accolade or at home:
            Jay Johnson
            449 Blumont St.
            Laguna Beach, CA 92651
            (714) 494-2477