Piping Rock Club, 1912 CB Macdonald/Seth Raynor, Locust Valley, NY Located on the North Shore of western Long Island, Piping Rock sits on a 340 acre massive piece of land in Nassau County. Macdonald was brought in to design his second course after NGLA to what was originally more of an equestrian/sporting club. PRC is a tale of two separate nine in terms of the land movement. The gently rolling terrain front nine is routed around the massive driving range starting on the left side of it and working around to the right. The two par 3’s on that outgoing nine are spectacular renditions of the Redan (second pic), and his first ever Biarritz (third pic). The back nine then takes you into much more up and down tree lined hills and hollows. CB routed the course in a way that uses every ridge, hill, and hollow of the property. It is true genius. What makes Piping Rock so good are its par 4’s. There is so much variety to them- long and short, up and down, left to right, and right to left. Plenty of strategy of the tee. None more so than what might now be my all time fav golf hole, the downhill short par 4 #13 Knoll hole (first pic). Hit whatever you like off the tee. If you challenge it with a driver you leave yourself a tricky short pitch up to the green that feels like trying to land a ball on a table top. It is spectacular. The turf and conditions at PRC are some of the best I’ve ever played on in the US. Firm and fast are an understatement. The greens literally roll like a pool table. The colorful blue stem fescue areas add to the aesthetics. This was my first time to Piping Rock. I had heard quite a bit about it through the years. To say I was awe struck is an understatement. PRC is truly a special place. The expanse of the property is just magnificent and you just feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere in an area that is so tightly congested. CB and Seth hit it out of the park with this architectural masterpiece and I can’t wait to get back to play again.