Going into this one, I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect.
We’ve talked a lot about this trip already. Planned it out, looked at the routing, gone back and forth on what we’re excited for. But when we got into The Lido on the pod, it felt different right away.
Not just another course on the schedule.
There’s something about it that makes you pause for a second.
The story alone is enough to do that.
The original Lido was built in 1914 on Long Island and was considered one of the best courses in the world. Then it disappeared during World War II and was never rebuilt. For years, it just lived on as one of those lost courses people talked about.
And now it’s back.
Wild Origins
Not because someone had perfect plans sitting around, but because people pieced it together. Old records, notes, shared research, and somehow even a version that was recreated in a video game. That part still blows my mind a bit. But it ended up being accurate enough that they could actually rebuild it out at Sand Valley.
So now we’re heading there in a couple weeks to play something that really shouldn’t exist anymore.
That’s a weird feeling.
When we started getting into the actual course, that’s where things got even more interesting.
The scale of everything stands out right away. The greens are massive. The bunkering is bold. It all feels a bit bigger than what you’d expect, but not in a way that feels overdone. More like it’s just asking you to pay attention.
And then you start getting into how it plays.
There are a lot of holes where what you see isn’t really what you get.
You can have a fairway that looks wide open, but depending on where you hit it, your next shot changes completely. We talked about one hole in particular where if you take it down the right side, you’ve got a clean look in. Go left, and now you’re hitting a blind shot over a dune with no real idea of what’s waiting for you.
Same hole. Two totally different experiences.
That’s kind of what kept coming up as we talked through it.
You’re not just stepping up and hitting shots. You’re making decisions the whole way around.
And if you’re not committed to what you’re doing, it’s probably going to show up pretty quickly.
The greens are another thing that kept coming up.
Greens that lift and separate
They’re big. Like really big. You can hit what feels like a great shot and still have a long way to go. Add in the slopes and the way everything feeds off them, and you start to realize this is going to be as much about managing misses as it is hitting good shots.
There were a few times on the pod where it turned into a bit of a running joke, but it’s real.
You just can’t go long on a lot of these holes.
Long turns into trouble fast. Whether that’s water, bunkers, or just a brutal spot to try and recover from, it’s one of those places where knowing where not to hit it is just as important as anything else.
And then there’s the bunkering.
There are holes where all you see from the tee is sand. Centerline bunkers, cross bunkers, everything kind of pulling your eye in different directions. Even when they’re not really in play, they’re in your head.
It makes you second guess things.
Which, if we’re being honest, is probably where rounds can start to go sideways.
One of the things I found interesting as we talked through it is how the course sits.
From a distance, it’s actually pretty flat compared to the rest of the property. But once you’re on it, that’s not how it feels at all. There’s movement everywhere. Uneven lies, little shifts in the fairways, spots where you’re just never quite on a perfect stance.
It’s subtle, but it adds up over a round.
No details overlooked
Even some of the smaller details stood out.
The scorecard, for example, is done in portrait instead of landscape. It’s a small thing, but it ties back to the history of the course. It feels intentional. Like everything out there has a reason behind it.
By the time we wrapped up talking about it, I think we all landed in the same place.
Excited, obviously. But also curious.
This doesn’t feel like a course you just show up to and figure out as you go. It feels like one that’s going to make you think, maybe frustrate you a bit, and probably surprise you more than once.
And honestly, that’s kind of what you want.
We’re going to find out pretty quickly how it actually plays, but going into it, this is the one that feels the most unknown.
If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, it’s worth it.
Not just for The Lido, but for the whole series. We’re breaking down every course on the trip, and this one sets the tone in a way that’s a little different from the rest.