It’s curious how wavelengths work. Not the ones you learn about in physics, but the arbitrary ones that find their way into phrases like “you and I are on the same wavelength.” A viewer named Tom E. and I share one.Let me ‘splain. On Saturday, I sat down at the computer to prepare the Best 16th Hole in Buffalo-Niagara voting page, for release last night (Sunday the 20th). I went to the Dande Farms site to get information on that amazing and challenging par four 16th and discovered that … it’s now a par three! Good God, I thought, I can’t believe that I messed up that badly. The one hole at Dande that I remembered clearly from my youth and I got it wrong. It’s the 15th at Dande that remains forever in the mind.
Now, before we go any farther, let’s consider the current state of the Best 15th Hole voting. Byrncliff is running away like no one, not Tiger nor Secretariat, has ever run away with anything. Would Dande have had a chance? Who knows, as I haven’t seen its email list. What I do know is, it deserved a chance at Best 15th hole, as it is one of the top four public-access 16ths in the region.
Which would it have replaced in the cast of candidates? Who knows and cares! What we know from this page, and Tom E. saw the omission immediately, is that a course in Akron should have made the list. Here’s Tom’s comment, in case you have yet to read it:
15 at Byrncliff is a great hole however I think the 15th at Dande Farms is not only the best hole there but one of the best Par 4?s in this area. Dogleg right 405 yrds, elevated tee and you hit down to the creek plain, trees right, you can bail out left but the rough is so tough it’s a stroke and if you do hit the fairway the uphill approach which is almost a blind shot is as tough as they get, Fine Hole.
