The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 2 May, 2018 | Page 21

“You don’t want to be chipping downhill. You could chip right
off the green. The best advice: Keep it below the hole.”

What the amateurs will discover on May 21 and 22 is something Farmington members have known 95
years: The 6425-yard, par-71 layout is deceptively cantankerous. “Forget the length. The greens are very small
and the rough is tough. You’ll definitely need strong approach shots,” said Price. Breaks in the greens are
subtle, he said, and slopes make them trickier. “You don’t ever want to be chipping downhill. You might chip
right off the front. The best advice I can offer is keep the ball below the hole.” Wedge play, not only into greens
but around them, will be critical. “The best wedge players and putters are the ones who succeed here.”

One who falls into that category is Farmington’s own Chris Maxwell, who finished 20th last year and
is exempt. Greg Beloin, Steve Wagner and Kevin Josephson are also among eight club members who will be
competing. Though 2017 champion Monte Mullen has turned professional and will not defend, two former
champions are part of the 96-man field: Benjamin Day of New Haven Country Club and Philip Perry of the
Black Hall Club. They’ll compete at a club with a compelling history.

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