Liberty National

Women Golfers will Like it

With the Statue of Liberty for inspiration, "Oh beautiful for spacious skies" rolled through my mind as I watched the ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 15th at the new Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. Everywhere I looked there were beautiful skies and sky-scapes. This is truly a unique golf course.

The fact that it is private, costs $500,000 to join, $130 million to build and its grass grows on former garbage dumps is very interesting, but you can learn all about that on its web site: www.libertynationalgc.com. The course officially opens for play on July 4th.

A few general comments about the course: I love vistas on golf courses and am a sucker for mountain views. So, I was quite surprised to find this flat "city" course so breathtaking. Never have I seen a course where bridges, sky-scrapers, statutes, rivers and even some cranes fundamentally enhance the golf experience. The course has magic and grandeur, which is not easy to accomplish on a course built at sea level with a maximum elevation change of about 60 feet.

But let me focus on what brought me to the course that day. I wanted to know whether or not women golfers will like this course? Was Miss Liberty watching out for us? (I have reviewed many golf courses from all tees, including the tips; but, I have a special interest in evaluating how a course will play for the average woman golfer.)

Most of the hype about Liberty National centers on its 7400 yard tournament tees. Not exactly "women-friendly." But, women golfers are relevant -- even if not critical -- because the course will attract corporate executives and some of those are women. In fact, there are already two female members. And once the new clubhouse is built (the expected completion is 2008), it will be a fabulous site for golf outings and entertaining, and women will be there for those, too.

At the ribbon-cutting, I was very lucky to spend some time with Bob Cupp, who along with Tom Kite, designed Liberty National. Bob refers to Liberty National as his "prodigy child" and believes that his career will be defined by this course.

I asked Bob whether in designing the course he thought very much about women golfers. He replied that although he puts lots of "sizzle" in the men's tees, he also makes sure that women enjoy the course, too. He went on to say that based on his experiences, women are responsible for about fifty percent of the play on many courses today. "Those of us with wives," he said, "know how important their happiness is!"

So it's not surprising that the forward tees at Liberty National play at a manageable 5287 yards. The rating for women from the forward tees is 70.4 (par from the tees is 72) and the slope is 126, which means that a female bogey golfer will be challenged - but not overwhelmed. (The "Regular" -- or next-longer tees -- play at 6008 yards. They currently are not rated for women, but they should be.)

From the forward tees, most of the holes will reward the straight drives of average women golfers. Bob apologetically pointed out three holes - one, nine and ten - with forced carries over narrow creeks where women might want to lay-up on their second shot. "Forced carries are not my favorite thing," Bob told me. On the Par-5 tenth hole, Bob believes that even with the lay-up shot, many women will be able to reach the green in regulation on their third shot. (Bob had wanted to avoid all these forced carries by piping the creek underground but moving the creek became prohibitive because of environmental requirements on the wetlands.)

The drives from the forward tees on a number of holes require a 150-yard tee shot to carry on to the fairway. The good news is that if your drive is short, the ball will usually land in playable, second-cut rough. The fescue grass which is a trademark feature of the course will catch the men's shots - but probably not the women's.

Bob also explained that women should like the absence of rough around the bunkers. And, he believes that women will appreciate the grass around the greens which will make down-hill chips from the back of the greens less intimidating. When I revisit and play the course, I will find out if he is right!

Overall, this course is quite an accomplishment for the developers and designers as well as the officials of Jersey City. Appropriately, the club has taken on the sponsorship of the golf team at Lincoln High School in Jersey City, whose members were all present at the ribbon-cutting - including five female members who play on the co-ed team. None of the girls had ever played golf before this high school opportunity came their way. I could not resist a photo-op.

In thinking about the course, I could not avoid linking my experience at Liberty National that day with my father's experience many decades ago. He used to tell me how he felt when as a young man he entered this country on a ship and saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. There I was looking at it from a golf course.

And, Miss Liberty still casts her magic!

To contact her, write, call or email Nancy at: Nancy Berkley, Berkley Consulting, 242 Eagleton Estates Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL or at info@nancyberkley.com. For more information about Nancy Berkley see http://www.nancyberkley.com/676304.html.

Copyright by Nancy Berkley. Used here with permission.