All-
I had the fortune of playing TR in March, and I wished that I could have done it again with all of you, but anyways.
In response to the question at hand, I am a scratch player, and my only time playing the course, I shot a 73 from the tips. The fairways are wide and the greens large, and I was fortunate to get some good bounces, especially with the back and sideboards of some of the greens. I am not a super-long hitter, as I generally average about 250-260. The course is admittedly short for the scratch player, as I had something like 12 of 18 holes at an 8-iron approach or less. With these clubs in hand, the side/backboards can be used at will by the scratch player. Par 5 wise, the 4th hole is pretty much a long par four if the drive is positioned correctly (i hit a poor drive, but down the left side, leaving only a 5-iron), and 11 is easily reachable (despite some fun pin positions, like the back right one I had, causing me to 3-putt from the front third). The longest par four on the front, #9, has gathering effects at the green. The longest par four on the back, #10, is downhill as well (as is the 18th at 432), and distance can be bitten off by driving down the right side.
Despite the lack of distance, harsh penalties abound, and wayward shots are seriously penalized. One bad play could add two strokes easily. As it has been said above, good design rewards thoughtful play, and Tobacco Road certainly falls into this category. Many shots make you think:
Layup on #1, Go for it/layup on #4, tee shot on #5, choose the right shelf #7, carry the front bunker #9, go for it/layup on #11, layup on #13, left or right #14, where's the fairway? #16, where's the hole? #18
I am a big fan of TR, but that's not to say it can't be taken advantage of.
-Brad