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FWST: Why playing this year’s AT&T Byron Nelson means so much to Fort Worth’s J.J. Henry

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog
Why playing this year’s AT&T Byron Nelson means so much to Fort Worth’s J.J. Henry

BY DREW DAVISON

J.J. Henry couldn’t have asked for a better golf career. He’s won three PGA Tour events. He’s played in every major tournament. He’s represented the U.S. in the Ryder Cup. He’s still going with 558 career PGA Tour starts and counting.

At age 46, though, Henry knows his opportunities are becoming more and more limited. That’s why he’s grateful for a sponsor’s exemption and the chance to play in at least one more AT&T Byron Nelson this week at TPC Craig Ranch.

It’ll be an emotional week on a number of levels for Henry. It’ll be the first tournament he’s played since his mom Nancy passed away six weeks ago. And he’s always admired the tournament’s namesake Byron Nelson.

Read more at https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/golf/article251332608.html
 

Jared7

Active Member
I think the first sentence of that article is kind of a back-handed compliment. Sure, he could have asked for a better career. How about a major championship? Or just one more regular title so that he'd still have his tour card for a year or two as he approaches becoming eligible for the Champions Tour and getting to play competitive tourneys frequently rather than relying on sponsor's exemptions? He indeed accomplished a lot by being able to make golf his career and earn enough money to be a viable veteran tour player, but could he have done better? And could he do better still at the next level? I think so...
 

Putt4Purple

Active Member
Too bad its so far away in McKinney. Yes, I know if I really wanted to go see professional golfers I can make the effort. The Bryon Nelson is trying to be legitimate with eyes to the future. To be honest. I miss Las Colinas. By the time the Byron Nelson has an identity in the new coarse in McKinney years from now I'll be gone from this earth. I am very grateful for the Colonial in whatever sponsor name you want to give it. It is a tradition. Thank God!
 
Too bad its so far away in McKinney. Yes, I know if I really wanted to go see professional golfers I can make the effort. The Bryon Nelson is trying to be legitimate with eyes to the future. To be honest. I miss Las Colinas. By the time the Byron Nelson has an identity in the new coarse in McKinney years from now I'll be gone from this earth. I am very grateful for the Colonial in whatever sponsor name you want to give it. It is a tradition. Thank God!
Am I the only one that is unimpressed with Colonial (the course and club)? Avid golfer here and prefer Mira Vista or Shady Oaks over Colonial.
 

Wexahu

Full Member
Am I the only one that is unimpressed with Colonial (the course and club)? Avid golfer here and prefer Mira Vista or Shady Oaks over Colonial.

I think Colonial is a better golf course than Shady and for sure Mira Vista, but as far as tour venues go, it's very average IMO, just from a golf course standpoint. It's great to attend though because so many holes are close together.
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
Am I the only one that is unimpressed with Colonial (the course and club)? Avid golfer here and prefer Mira Vista or Shady Oaks over Colonial.
What’s your handicap? Guessing it has two digits if you prefer either over Colonial

don’t get me wrong - shady is in great shape because of the rebuild

however it’s still a tricked design that feels like two different golf courses between the front and back

8th is a perfect example - a par 5 that takes a full on slice over the trees to not miss the fairway left or go in that new bunker they put in - all to get a second shot into a green that can’t hold a second shot is stupid

Plus they put modern ink blot bunkers on an old school design so it feels like a 70’yr old woman wearing stelettos

and hey go long and you can have a 7ft cliff in the middle of your putt like a putt putt course

Mira vista should be the best course in town with the land it has but years of neglect couple with an uninspiring layout causes it to be stuck at the fourth best - the first hole at MV tells you all you need to know about how they screwed up a great piece of land in the design. Worst second shot in ftW

but they have the best practice facility around



colonial needs a rehab for conditioning and it will get it next year after the 2022 tourney ends - but even without it, it’s the best shot makers course in north Texas.

Playing even the blues and shooting 75 means you either are finding the correct portion of fairways and hitting the second tiniest greens on tour almost every hole or you are getting up and down from a trash can either being short-sided in bunkers or hitting chip shots close from right lies with the grass grain is against you all day

However if shooting bogey golf is your game - it probably doesn’t feel that special given that you can hit 3 below avg shots and 2 putt on the small greens with subtle break and shoot 90 all day long at Colonial
 
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flyfishingfrog

Active Member
Might be a new OT thread, but what are an outsider (or insider) perspective on the various clubs of Fort Worth (in no particular order)
Colonial
Mira Vista
River Crest
Shady Oaks
Ridglea
Well since I already spouted off about 3 of them- I will just add my view of the other two

Ridglea is pretty solid for what it is

two courses, focused on younger families and golfers, they have a great men’s group and a ton of “games” you can get into to play

the Monday group is one of the best around town

the family course (north) is actually the better course in my opinion but the south being the men’s only course means they have some great options

if they had a better club house at the North it would be hard to beat for the price really

if I were younger and couldn’t fit the Bill for Colonial- I would be at Ridglea in a heartbeat

RiverCrust - meant that- is a social club with a golf course. Their course is a muni with a big maintenance budget. Nice clubhouse but getting dated already, great pool scene and good food. Lots of old west side money families and the Nuevo Rich seem to flock there. But I can’t stand the course and only play it for charity events and the Crestibal. Really good CC gin games at Rivercrest though

there is a reason Rivercrest only has golf memberships - because if they offered social, no one would pay the extra to play the course
 
What’s your handicap? Guessing it has two digits if you prefer either over Colonial

don’t get me wrong - shady is in great shape because of the rebuild

however it’s still a tricked design that feels like two different golf courses between the front and back

8th is a perfect example - a par 5 that takes a full on slice over the trees to not miss the fairway left or go in that new bunker they put in - all to get a second shot into a green that can’t hold a second shot is stupid

Plus they put modern ink blot bunkers on an old school design so it feels like a 70’yr old woman wearing stelettos

and hey go long and you can have a 7ft cliff in the middle of your putt like a putt putt course

Mira vista should be the best course in town with the land it has but years of neglect couple with an uninspiring layout causes it to be stuck at the fourth best - the first hole at MV tells you all you need to know about how they screwed up a great piece of land in the design. Worst second shot in ftW

but they have the best practice facility around



colonial needs a rehab for conditioning and it will get it next year after the 2022 tourney ends - but even without it, it’s the best shot makers course in north Texas.

Playing even the blues and shooting 75 means you either are finding the correct portion of fairways and hitting the second tiniest greens on tour almost every hole or you are getting up and down from a trash can either being short-sided in bunkers or hitting chip shots close from right lies with the grass grain is against you all day

However if shooting bogey golf is your game - it probably doesn’t feel that special given that you can hit 3 below avg shots and 2 putt on the small greens with subtle break and shoot 90 all day long at Colonial
Thx for this. Helpful. Was scratch in HS and college but 8 now.
 

Punter1

Full Member
Shady Oaks did the older membership (and Ben Hogan) for that matter a huge disservice with the new rehab. It was a renovation that literally only a select few were in favor of...

It's basically unplayable for most members over 65....and many of them, including my dad left because of it. I get it, coarses need updating but it's way too modern for me and I hate that older people can't really play it anymore. The bunkers are insanely steep and they've eliminated many of the pre-green runways the older guys used to get around. Pre renovation I would routinely get beat by 75 year olds driving it 220 out there even tho I'm an 8 handicap and can bomb it. I thought that was so cool.

I love old timey courses like Colonial, Shady Oaks and my club in Austin, Onion Creek which was kinda designed with Colonial in mind, which I was told. There's enough modern courses, we need to save the old ones.
 

Eight

Member
golf took a turn for the worse the day zboaz closed

heck, even i can stop a ball fairly close on greens that are well maintained, but asphalt covered by a bit of dirt and a few blades of grass at zboaz, now that took some talent

you also got a unique experience when the b52's were taking off and landing. try hitting a putt when the ground starts shaking
 

Putt4Purple

Active Member
What’s your handicap? Guessing it has two digits if you prefer either over Colonial

don’t get me wrong - shady is in great shape because of the rebuild

however it’s still a tricked design that feels like two different golf courses between the front and back

8th is a perfect example - a par 5 that takes a full on slice over the trees to not miss the fairway left or go in that new bunker they put in - all to get a second shot into a green that can’t hold a second shot is stupid

Plus they put modern ink blot bunkers on an old school design so it feels like a 70’yr old woman wearing stelettos

and hey go long and you can have a 7ft cliff in the middle of your putt like a putt putt course

Mira vista should be the best course in town with the land it has but years of neglect couple with an uninspiring layout causes it to be stuck at the fourth best - the first hole at MV tells you all you need to know about how they screwed up a great piece of land in the design. Worst second shot in ftW

but they have the best practice facility around



colonial needs a rehab for conditioning and it will get it next year after the 2022 tourney ends - but even without it, it’s the best shot makers course in north Texas.

Playing even the blues and shooting 75 means you either are finding the correct portion of fairways and hitting the second tiniest greens on tour almost every hole or you are getting up and down from a trash can either being short-sided in bunkers or hitting chip shots close from right lies with the grass grain is against you all day

However if shooting bogey golf is your game - it probably doesn’t feel that special given that you can hit 3 below avg shots and 2 putt on the small greens with subtle break and shoot 90 all day long at Colonial
What’s your handicap? Guessing it has two digits if you prefer either over Colonial

don’t get me wrong - shady is in great shape because of the rebuild

however it’s still a tricked design that feels like two different golf courses between the front and back

8th is a perfect example - a par 5 that takes a full on slice over the trees to not miss the fairway left or go in that new bunker they put in - all to get a second shot into a green that can’t hold a second shot is stupid

Plus they put modern ink blot bunkers on an old school design so it feels like a 70’yr old woman wearing stelettos

and hey go long and you can have a 7ft cliff in the middle of your putt like a putt putt course

Mira vista should be the best course in town with the land it has but years of neglect couple with an uninspiring layout causes it to be stuck at the fourth best - the first hole at MV tells you all you need to know about how they screwed up a great piece of land in the design. Worst second shot in ftW

but they have the best practice facility around



colonial needs a rehab for conditioning and it will get it next year after the 2022 tourney ends - but even without it, it’s the best shot makers course in north Texas.

Playing even the blues and shooting 75 means you either are finding the correct portion of fairways and hitting the second tiniest greens on tour almost every hole or you are getting up and down from a trash can either being short-sided in bunkers or hitting chip shots close from right lies with the grass grain is against you all day

However if shooting bogey golf is your game - it probably doesn’t feel that special given that you can hit 3 below avg shots and 2 putt on the small greens with subtle break and shoot 90 all day long at Colonial

In your statement about the new rehab. I have heard minute talk about those supposed changes. Is there a location or website about the specific changes. Holes, greens, layout changes etc...
I feel there needs to be upgrades to the Colonial G.C. for P.G.A. legitimacy and relevance otherwise it will be replaced and gone. Fort Worth needs Colonial and a sporting spotlight other than TCU.
 

Putt4Purple

Active Member
golf took a turn for the worse the day zboaz closed

heck, even i can stop a ball fairly close on greens that are well maintained, but asphalt covered by a bit of dirt and a few blades of grass at zboaz, now that took some talent

you also got a unique experience when the b52's were taking off and landing. try hitting a putt when the ground starts shaking

I played Z-Boaz a lot as a kid growing up starting in the early 70's. The B-52 were ear shattering. You could not think much less hit a golf shot. A wait of about 30 seconds every time. Having said all that I do NOT miss Z-Boaz at all. Good riddance!
 
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