Forest Creek
NC, USA
8th hole, 350 yards; This holepossesses two features we admire greatly: a fairway bunker directly in the landing area and a green that falls away from the golfer. No wonder it is our favorite hole on the course.
The bunker in the foreground is 260 yards from the championship tee and is in the middle of the fairway. If the hole location is left, the play is to the right of the bunker and if the hole is right, then the play off the tee is left of the bunker.
Looking from behind the 8th green, the six bunkers are hidden and all that remains obvious is that the entire hole runs downhill, including the green itself.
9th hole, 430 yards; Fazio puts the screws to the golfer here: the green is fronted by a lake, is steeply pitched from back to front,and is only 22 paces deep. Even the bail out area to the left makes for an extremely unlikely up and down as the green slopes from left to right as well. In the mid 1980s, the courses that were being built featured a hole of such uncompromising difficulty as many as5 to7 times per round. Golfers in turn grew frustrated with such courses as they gobbled up their golf balls. Tom Fazio was one of the principal architects who led the change away from suchpenal designsto more playable ones. Having said that, every course should have one such brute of a hole, and the 9th at Forest Creek is definitely that hole.
The 9th is the only hole not to have any fairway bunkers. It doesn't need them, for the approach is the most precise shot on the course.
10th hole, 225 yards; This dramatic hole generally plays into the prevailing wind. Typical of several other holes, the ’safe’ play may not be what the golfer first suspects. A large bailout area to the left of the green is provided but the green itself slopes away from the bailout area (ie from left to right). The right hand green side bunker may provide for a less ticklish, more straightforward recovery shot.
The right hand greenside bunker may be a better miss than the large bailout area to the left.
14th, 525 yards; A very appealing gambling hole, with a large scrubby area that must be carried if the green is to be reached in two. However, the green dropsfour feet from back to front so nothing can be taken for granted, especially if your ball is anywhere but directly underneath the hole location. The author’ssole regret with Forest Creek is that a few more sandy waste areas aren’t also brought into play. After all, this is the sand hills.
The gambling golfer must carry this scrub to reach the green in two.
15th hole, 435yards; Fazio uses the angles well and the hole’s challenge comes down to the green which is high in the middle and low inthe front and back.The golfer is better to miss aback hole location by being long; at least that way, he has a straightforward uphill chip shot. If the golfer comes up short of the middle hump with his approachfor a back hole location, thenhe faces the scenario ofbeing too gentle with his first putt as he tries to coax it over the brow and down the slope…now he has a quick downhill ten footer for a two putt… now he has a six footer for a three putt…now he has a four putt. This very event was witnessed last time we played here, and the golfer was a three marker at that!
16th hole, 420 yards; A perfect use of a fairway bunkertogive a straight hole some strategy. The closer the golfer hugs the bunker on the right, thebetter his approachangle into the green. If he shuns the bunker altogether, he maybe partially blocked on his second by a strand of tall pines or he will have at least to carry the six foot deep greenside bunker thatguards the entire left side.
This bunker must be contended with in order to gain the optimal angle into the green.
18th hole, 430 yards; A fine show of restraint, Fazio only uses the lake as a back drop. Again, the real attention was focused on the green contours, this time the back two thirds of the green slopes away from the golferand he has to perfectly judge how to play such an approach shot.
Forest Creek also finishes with a unique twist: should the golfer’s want, there is a 165 yard one shotter 19th hole in which the golfermay try and redeem himself.
The 19th hole with the intimate clubhouse in the background.
Not dissimilar to the famous Ross coursein the village, Fazio gives the golfer plenty of room off the teeand presents the heart of the challenge within 40 yards of the green.For some of the strategic dilemmas to come off properly (i.e. in order to carry the fairway bunker on the 3rd, the fairways need to be firm off the tee, to fret about the fall away slopes on the greens, the greens need to be firm, etc.), fast and firm playing conditions must exist. And at Forest Creek, the greens are maintainedat thesame caliber in terms of pace and firmness as those at Augusta National, Seminole, Pinehurst No.2, and Yeamans Hall . Of course, Green KeeperBill Pattonhas the advantage of a sandy base and limited play but still his work is to be commended. Without it, Forest Creek would pose far fewer strategic decisions.
Some courses areprofiled on this website because of their variedfairway bunkeringschemes which create alternative routes and risk/reward decisions; other courses are included because of the variety found within theirgreen complexes; and still others are included because they find the perfect balance in a serene environmentof providing strategic dilemmasfor the better golfer without everoverpowering the weaker player.
Forest Creek is included for all three reasons,and that makes it a delight to play for any golfer.
The End