COURSE REVIEW
Revitalized Gambit Golf Club in Vienna aims for "golfing destination" status
By Kiel Christianson,
Senior Writer
VIENNA, Ill. - Golfers who've visited Gambit Golf Club more than once over the past decade likely found one of two golf courses: a scenic, rolling, enjoyable challenge or a poorly-conditioned pasture with a surly staff. As a result, some southern Illinois golfers simply decided to stay away.
Bruce Monzulla, new principle owner of the course and the adjacent Gambit Inn, aims not only to bring those players back to the Gambit, but to make Vienna a legitimate golf destination. And if anyone can do that, Monzulla can. His expansive vision, boundless energy and deep pockets make him the best bet the Gambit has ever had.
Gambit has had a tumultuous history; three different owners have tried their hand at making it a success since 1998, including the troubled brother of a former U.S. vice president. Monzulla became principle owner less than a year ago, when he came to Vienna with the goal of creating a legitimate golf destination out of the Gambit.
The progress toward that end in such a short time has been extraordinary, to say the least.
To begin with, what was once a ramshackle pro shop and grill has been expanded into the only indoor training facility in southern Illinois, with two golf simulators complete with high-speed cameras and launch monitors, four practice bays and a nine-hole putting course.
While the grillroom still exists on one end of the newly sprawling clubhouse, Christophe's at The Gambit occupies the other end, where Monzulla promises "everything is made from scratch and as fresh as can be."
"The halibut on the menu today was swimming in the ocean yesterday," he says.
Adjacent to Christophe's you'll find more than 6,000 square feet of banquet space, and the course's own wedding chapel under construction. "I flew my buddies out from Las Vegas to give me their unvarnished opinion of what they would want to see in a golf destination," Monzulla says. "They told me, and I'm taking their advice."
For anyone who knew the Gambit before Monzulla took over, the metamorphosis is truly stunning.
Playing Gambit Golf Club
But what about the golf course? Like everything else about the Gambit, says Monzulla, "Just about every hole has been upgraded in some way." These upgrades include new tee boxes, new trees, renovated fairway rough, less steep and better-draining bunkers, new sand and over seeded fairways and greens.
Admittedly, there is still plenty of work to be done: many fairways have creeping bare spots, the rough is speckled with weeds and hardpan and a few greens are in pretty bad shape (including the green on the par-5 fifth hole, which looked to be near death). But as Monzulla says, everything about the 6,556-yard, par-71 Richard Osborne design is only getting better.
"The goal is to push the course to 7,000 yards and par 72," he says. "We just closed on the trailer house behind the 18th tee, so we'll get that torn down and lengthen that hole."
Indeed, the 18th is perhaps the hole that requires the most work. At present, it is a 273-yard par-4 clunker of a closer, an odd little dogleg left to a tiny mesa-like green surrounded by a moat of soured water. An easy par can be had by hitting driver at the green, taking a drop if you get wet, chipping up and one-putting.
Yet even if the 18th is lengthened and renovated, there is a strong case to be made for reversing the nines. First of all, the 398-yard second hole is the number one handicap and plays all uphill to a small, deep green that drops off precipitously on the right side. This tough hole can slow down an entire round coming out of the gates.
Secondly, the 457-yard ninth is a scenic, memorable par 4 that plays down a ski-slope-like fairway toward an ancient cedar. From the tree, the fairway doglegs left, and golfers are challenged with an approach to a peninsular green jutting out into a glinting pond. This would be a fantastic closer.
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The best holes on the current back nine - which should be the front nine - are the 507-yard, par-5 15th and the 458-yard, par-4 16th. The former is an excellent risk-reward cape hole that swoops around water on the right. A big drive from the elevated tees leaves 200 yards of all carry to the small, elevated green.
The latter is a mean par 4 that plays downhill to the fairway, and then demands a long second over water from a downhill lie. This would be an awesome par 5 that would force a delicate lay-up for all but scratch players and an approach with anything from a 9-iron to a 5-iron, depending on the wind.
Monzulla is torn about reversing the nines and turning the 16th into a par 5 to create a par-72 course. While he sees the benefits, he worries about having consecutive par 5s, and wonders if the 405-yard, par-4 10th might be too tough as an opening hole.
Gambit Golf Club: The verdict
It's a bit ironic that the vast potential of the Gambit creates such tough decisions about how to make it even better. Something tells me, though, that having so much raw material with which to work is a problem Monzulla is happy to have.
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While there is still work to be done both on and off the course, the Gambit already feels as if it is closer to Las Vegas than it is to its lackluster past. The tremendous improvements are already reaping substantial rewards. Annual rounds played have tripled since Monzulla took over to over 35,000, and the membership ($700 single) has likewise tripled.
Peak season green fees are just $25, which is a steal, and winter rates are even less, at $20. In most years, Vienna is far enough south to play year-round, too, so members and visitors can wring every last dollar from their fees.
Given Monzulla's drive and vision, and the almost limitless potential of the course and property, the Gambit seems poised to succeed as the golf destination of far-southern Illinois.
Stay and Play
The Gambit Inn sits adjacent to the golf course, and like the course, holds a great deal of promise for expansion and improvement. At present, it has 16 rooms, but will be completely renovated and expanded to 30 rooms. Already, however, significant improvements have been made, including welcoming interior design touches in the lobby. The walls and doors may still be a bit thin, and the mattresses and floors a bit creaky, but the rooms are clean and comfortable - well worth the $48-$55 nightly rates.
Christophe's menu is unquestionably the most ambitious for 30 miles around. The most noteworthy feature, however, is the Chef's Table - one of those high-end features suggested by Monzulla's Las Vegas cronies. The table is set up in a posh alcove just off the kitchen. Here, for $100 per person, six to eight people can enjoy a seven-course meal along with seven hand-selected wines. (A designated driver or reservations at the inn are required.)
As part of the Southern Illinois Golf Trail, packages can be put together that include rounds here and at four other nearby courses. The folks at the Carbondale Convention & Tourism Bureau ((800) 526-1500) will arrange a golf package specifically to your wishes free of charge, including golf, lodging (at the Gambit Inn or elsewhere), and meals.
October 1, 2007
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
