Group to keep on growing in the forseeable future. PSA - If it weren't for that Opel deal, i would have placed Peugeot Citroen dead certain on the Losers side, as the French Group didn't had a plan or competence on how to make electrification in a short term. But then they bought Opel and all of the sudden they got their hands on the brand with the longest range BEV at a reasonable price in Europe. French counterparts. At the same time, General Motors would win scale for their Plug-ins, whic is crucial in these first days of paradigma shift. A lot of "ifs", but i wish it works, for the good of both OEMs. 5 largest in the world). Ford - Having been one of the pioneers of the EV game with the Focus Electric, one would think that the American brand would be a winner of electrification. Not so, in a niche that moves much faster than the mainstream market, six years without significant changes in their offerings is way too long, and without competitive specs, Ford is losing already the EV train. Let's see if the recent leadership can turn things around, but if it goes through this same path, not even their large Pick-ups will be safe from eroding sales. As for Lincoln, i doubt they will survive much beyond than the five years of this forecast. FCEVs on their way to the Dodo, they are almost starting from scratch and are another OEM hoping to partner with GM to have some sort of EV plan. We wish them well. See Lexus. But worse. Being slowly destined to insignificance.
You can blast away from the tee with a driver but good luck holding this well-protected green with a half wedge shot! Even a full wedge is no bargain and the internal contours on this green are among the most difficult on the course from my recollection. Just a lovely golf hole. The par three 6th, a mid-length one shotter measuring 195 from the back tees, features three bunkers in front and a green that slopes sharply from right to left and falls off at the back quite severely. This is a very difficult green to hold from the tee but there is a bit of room to run a shot in between the bunkers, adding to the considerable playability found at the Cal Club. The 7th, as noted earlier, is a Phillips original that used a large parcel of land in the middle of the course that hadn't been used in the previous routing.
It's an inspired hole and feels as natural as can be, with lots of room off the tee to the left but offering tantalizing opportunities for the long hitter to cut off as much of the dogleg as possible. It's a pretty unique Cape hole and the lovely green site is one of my favourites on the course, as it sits well below the approach area, allowing for both aerial or fun ground approaches. The 8th is another excellent par three, tipping out to a healthy 241 yards! It's well downhill, thankfully, and there is a little knob in the front right that is a dominant feature, allowing balls to be propelled toward the green off to the left. The outgoing nine concludes with a great midlength par four, featuring a semi-blind uphill tee shot and a very well bunkered approach, with one of the more scenic backdrops you'll encounter on the day.
The back nine starts from the other side of the clubhouse with a 412 yard par four. The approach is a difficult one, with two deep bunkers both in front and to the right of the putting surface. Another great golf hole! The par four 13th and 14th holes run parallel to each other, with the 13th climbing uphill and the 14th tumbling right back downhill. The 15th is a reachable par five if you hit a great drive but a well-placed centreline bunker in the approach area dictates much of the strategy on the hole. The 16th is the shortest hole on the course, measuring only 133 yards from the back tees. But this hole is extremely well-defended, with no less than seven bunkers surrounding the entire surface. There is nowhere to miss it here and I'd guess that despite the short length, many fine players walk off this green wondering how they made bogey with a wedge in their hands off the tee, me included! I loved the par five 17th hole - it's 567 yards from the back and features an uphill, semi-blind drive.
