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Caledonia #9

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Matt Kardash:
seriously, i don;t know how anyone can say this is one of the most intimidating holes theyve played. It's just not.

Sean_A:
Help me out. It sounds like Cal's #9 is similar to The Road's #6.  Is this the case?  Mind you, I find it difficult to believe that any other hole on the planet has such a wide teeing area as #6!

Ciao

Sean

Brent Hutto:
Sean,

It's sort of a little brother to the sixth at Tobacco Road. The tee box is wide but not extensive enough to allow either a shallow-wide green or a narrow-deep one. At Caledonia #9 you're pretty much always playing to the shallow-wide aspect. There are large bunkers in front and behind the green but they aren't a natural-looking waste area like the ninth at the Road. The green at Caledonia is smaller and more contoured but the shot is shorter with a maximum yardage of under 120 yards and a minimum of just 70 yards.

The ninth at Caledonia is a cool short Par 3. The sixth at Tobacco Road is one of the most interesting short Par 3's anywhere.

Brad Klein:
I think some of this thread misplaces the problem with the 9th. As a little tiny shot to a shallow green, it's a tricky hole. You think it should be easy but it's not esp. with any wind in the air.

But I think the perception of "weakness" regarding Caledonia's 9th emerges from its location in the routing. You have a long way to go from the 8th green to 9th tee, and then after finishing at the 9th green you double back, partially retrace your steps, and go to 10th tee. So I think it's the positioning and direction of the hole that is more annoying - or disjointed - than the hole itself. If ever a par-3 were shoe-horned in, this is it, and I've always thought it felt like it played in trhe wrong direction considering how 8 and 10 run. Not that I think the current routing offers much room by way of a better alternative that is evident. So I see it as evidence of a clumsy routing, not as a weak hole to play.

Having said that, I still love Caledonia.

Brent Hutto:
Brad,

I wonder if that routing awkwardness is even noticed by the 99.5% of Caledonia players who are in carts. There are a lot of courses at the beach where every third hole seems to involve a long cart ride to the tee and then backtracking from the green. On my occasional trips to the Grand Strand I'm always greatful to find a good course that actually allows me to walk.

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