The Course:
Conventional wisdom might say a course that is 1 of only 5 in the US with water views from every hole would be more about the scenery than the architecture. At Fisher’s Island, thiscouldn’t have been further from the truth. As I walked down the arrival boat dock adjacent to the 17th fairway and looked back over my shoulder, I was shocked to see the 12th tee and 11th green, perched well above my eye level. There was WAY more elevation change than I would have imagined. All the pictures and write-ups I meticulously studied ahead of time didn’t do this place justice. The most stunning combination of scenery, land movement and architecture really ramped up with what I dubbed the “stairway to heaven” at the “Plateau” 3rd hole where green met the horizon. You could argue that the stretch from the 3rd hole through the 7th is one of the most captivating stretches of golf in the world (it was also my personal favorite). Situated near “Wreck Island” on the rocky south shore, the oft-photographed 4th (Punchbowl) and 5th (Biarritz) holes get all the headlines. With the coastline setting, it’s miraculous that holes like the 4th, 5th and 16th (located at the narrowest point on the entire island) haven’t been swallowed by the sea. Not to be outdone, the stretch from the 9th through the 12th packed plenty of punch starting with the dreamy 9th green (Double Plateau) set hard against the coastline with Connecticut in the distance. The bunkerless 10th may have been my favorite hole had we not played it in a complete downpour. I read an interesting fact that there is only a single fairway bunker on the entire course (9th) and it isn’t in play. Raynor instead challenged the player by using approach angles, difficult greens and a couple of blind tee shots/landing zones (“Punchbowl”, 15th, 6th, 9th). While there was plenty to love about the layout, there were a handful of holes near the clubhouse (1st, 2nd, 17th, 18th) on less inspiring land. These 4 holes are probably what holds Fisher’s back from being held in even higher regard. The other two holes that I didn’t love were the 13th and 14th, at least from the tees we played. Both might have been better from the back tees as they would have played closer to their original intent with our modern equipment. While it helped my score, I would have liked to have played the course from the back tees. The other piece that took away from being able to fully experience the layout was the fact that we took carts and didn’t have caddies. I would have preferred to huff it (per usual), but old man Patrick’s shin splints were relieved to have a ride. The last observation I had about the architecture was that the par-5s weren’t that inspiring, likely due to their lack of length. The exception was the 6th, with a fairway that seemed to tumble endlessly and was chock full of humps and bumps leading to uneven lies. The one thing I haven’t mentioned to this point were Raynor’s greens which were as delightful as always and probably the best set I’ve played to date. The pro informed us that they were in the best condition they’d ever been for the late September event after having been punched just 12 days prior.
The Golf:
After obsessively tracking the weather forecasts for weeks, we didn’t catch the break we were hoping for. We played in every kind of weather, including a form of precipitation the pro kept referring to as “Irish mist”. I would just call it a steady rain. For someone that doesn’t wear a glove and plays with glasses on, asoaking rain was no bueno. Fortunately for me, because we were playing in a charity event, it meant that we played one tee box up. This was a huge benefit to my game as it meant I didn’t have to hit driver on every hole. Aside from a couple of loose drives, I was able to keep it between the mayonnaise and mustard for a respectable 83. I could have done some real damage had I rolled the rock like I did the day before at Wykaygl. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite find my stroke at Fisher’s. It didn’t help that I had fewer good birdie looks as I was clearly distracted by the scenery and overall experience. I need to find a way to get better at staying focused on playing my own game like it’s just a regular round at these bucket list spots! Our team came in as the leaders in the clubhouse by shooting a very solid gross best ball 64. After an hour of scoreboard watching, we ended up getting clipped by the group that was composed of 4 caddies from Sebonak who came in with a 58(!) gross. When their winning score was announced, it was hilarious to watch the reactionsaround the ballroom. Despite the skepticism, no one was going to protest the hard-working loopers taking home the trophy.
The Experience:
Two years and one pandemic later, our group couldn’t believe that the time had finally come for us to experience Raynor’s Sistine Chapel. The sense of anticipation was further heightened starting at dinner the night before the outing. After warmuprounds at Wykaygl and Sleepy Hollow respectively, our group met up for the first time in Mystic, a lively Connecticut fishing town, for a seafood dinner on the dock at Red36. I knew we were in for a day at Fisher’s based on the personalities around the table. Patrick was the type of guy that commanded the attention in any room who couldn’t stop talking about the three lobster rolls he had ordered throughout the day! Ben came across as the reserved gentle giant type who was built like a silverback ape. He was a bit reserved at dinner, but when he didcontribute to the conversation, it was cause for concern. He informed us that he had called an audible and booked a speed boat ride to the island the next day with a guy by the name of “Wild Bill”. No chance “Wild Bill” was a real person, right?? I decided it would be prudent to keep our ferry reservation with the rest of the outing participants, just in case. I was more than relieved when we showed up at the marina to find a small flagthat read “golfers”. I quickly learned that Wild Bill is in fact a local Fishers Island legend. As we sped towards our destination, the smell of the salty sea air and mist from the boat chop were a novel, but welcome, experience for a golf trip. Approaching the dock, the anticipation reached a climax, something akin to the scene in Jurassic Park where they pass through the entrancegates. Given the build-up over the last 2 years, a strong drink was in order if I was going to calm the nerves and have any shot at hitting a golf ball. I definitively answered the question that 9am is not too early for a cocktail at a charity golf outing benefiting a Christian student organization. Renee, a South African gem, kept my Planters Punch flowing like Linus in the How I Met Your Mother wedding episode. Even though I missed out on the other Fisher’s Island staple (PBJ & Bacon) at the turn window, I made up for it with liquid calories. As we explored the clubhouse, drink in hand, I was shocked by the TINY locker room that only had enough space for maybe 6-8 guys to change their shoes. While cramped, it was plenty big enough for our group and even though there were 100+ players out there, we still felt like we had the place all to ourselves. As we battled the elements throughout the day, the thing that stood out more than how we were playing was the repeated choruses of “this is sick” and “amazing” about the course and our experience. The sheer joy from each guy was more fulfilling than I could have imagined. To think I got to play even a small role in facilitating a “bucket list” opportunity for 3 guys that were essentially strangers prior to arriving at Red36 was worth every penny (which we decided didn’t actually count because it was spent almost 2 years ago prior to the COVID postponement). The more I reflect on the journey to experience the best courses around the globe, the more I’ve come to realize it’s less about the golf and more about the lifelong friendships formedswapping stories over a Planter’s punch or while eating Frank Pepe’s on the long drive back to the airport.
George 
Ben