[A.G._Crockett]

More 18 at C'donia:  I still think it would be nice if the back tees were 400+, not ~380.  I'd prefer a tough finishing hole where the driver is almost required.  Yes, if you bust a shot right now from the tips 270 yards, you are at the end of the fairway with a slightly longer shot than if you just hit something 250.  But putting a tee say 430 out (don't know if they own that land behind the current tees) sure would make people pucker.  

Joe,
The way the hole is now, if you hit driver to the right side, you have the best angle into a very narrow green that angles back to the right.  Of course, if you go TOO far right, your drive is in the hazard, and if you don't go far enough right, you can hit through the fairway with driver.  The shorter your drive, the less receptive the green becomes, so the player that plays it safe and hits 3W or an iron off the tee is left with less green to hit to, with a nearly impossible up and down, plus hazard to the right.  That's a pretty good strategy set.

Would a longer drive add to that?  Maybe, but I don't see how forcing everybody to hit driver, and giving anything less an impossible shot into the green would be an improvement.  The pucker factor is pretty high as it is, on one shot or the other.

[Jay Flemma]

I play a fairway metal and a mid-iron...I agree it's more execution than strategy, but it's cool hitting to the clubhouses with guys watching you from the veranda while drinking their Arnold Palmers.

[Jamey Bryan]

I decided I wanted a day to think about why I don't care for Caledonia's 9 or 18.

I think AG got it pretty well when he said the hole suffers from being the finishing hole for the front and from it's isolation from the rest of the course.  There's no question that's true.  Even allowing for that, though, I think it's still a very disappointing hole.  In my opinion, such a short one shotter should have a very challenging green requiring exceptional distance AND spin control on the tee ball (and possibly some very penal bunkers).  #9 doesn't have that; it's just a simple wedge and a putt or two.  IMO, a bad hole to end what is, otherwise, an excellent nine.

I'm a a bit more conflicted on #18, in that I love the approach and the excellent green complex, but i HATE the drive.  From the tee, portions of the hazard are blind and it's not apparent the degree to which the pond curves back to the left approaching the end of the fairway.  At least twice I've hit drives which appeared perfect from the tee only to find that they had run through the fairway into an unseen section of the hazard.  Probably the best position I've ever achieved off the tee came from a really ugly pushed duck hook (a shot I seem to hit frequently ) which ended up 125 or 130!  I don't object to luck being a factor, but it seems to me that #18 forces defensive play off the tee to an excessive degree.  I now play it as Jay does:  fairway metal and mid iron.  I will agree that the approach is excellent; in fact I probably wouldn't be as critical of the hole if it weren't the home hole, or if the other 16 weren't so good.

Jamey

[Brent Hutto]

Isn't there a middle pin placement on the ninth that offers a fairly shallow green with a bit of a kick forward if you land it just barely over the bunker? Or am I getting Caledonia #9 conflated with Tobacco Road #6?

[Tim Gavrich]

I must agree with A.G. about #9 at Caledonia; I find it to be a very good hole in its own right, and I don't mind that it finishes the front nine because it gives any player a birdie chance that could likely help them post a number (whether it be breaking par, 40, 45, 50, etc.).

I also think that a bit too much is made of #9 being disconnected from the rest of the course.  The walk from #8 green, while longish, is very pleasant.  You stroll by the chipping greens and under the shade of Spanish-moss-laden oaks, all the while licking your chops at the prospect of making a 2 on #9.  Not only that, but seeing cars driving in along the drive makes one smile, wondering whether the driver of the car knows what's in store for him/her.  In fact, I was considering discussing it in Mark Bourgeois' recent thread about longer green-to-next-tee walks, but declined in the end.

If anything, the 1st hole is more isolated because it's across the driveway.  What's more, it's quite a bit longer-disance from the bag drop to the first tee than from the 8th green to the 9th tee or the 9th green to the 10th tee, I believe.

[Joe Bausch]

Isn't there a middle pin placement on the ninth that offers a fairly shallow green with a bit of a kick forward if you land it just barely over the bunker? Or am I getting Caledonia #9 conflated with Tobacco Road #6?

Brent, that sounds about right and perhaps this photo might help:

http://sports.webshots.com/photo/1036702907000239304wLmUcT

together with this 'aerial' view:

http://www.fishclub.com/caledonia/hole9.cfm

[Brent Hutto]

Thanks Joe, that's just how I remembered it. We had a right tee location and the hole was just left of the waist in the green and toward the front of the green. Even for a 110-yard shot it seemed pretty darned precise if you wanted to have a putt inside 15-20 feet.

[Joe Bausch]

Thanks Joe, that's just how I remembered it. We had a right tee location and the hole was just left of the waist in the green and toward the front of the green. Even for a 110-yard shot it seemed pretty darned precise if you wanted to have a putt inside 15-20 feet.

I really should like this hole better as it is the site of the finish of the best Ryder Cup style matches that my gang that goes to Myrtle every Spring break has ever had (so of course that day we started on #10). I was in the final group of our singles matches and was 1 up going into this last hole and the teams were tied.  Pin was up and left, and I fanned a sand wedge into the front bunker, near the lip.  My partner hit a ball just at the waist, cleared the bunker and stopped at the back fringe, just to the right of the waist.  His shot wasn't that hard, but w/ 15 other guys watching, he was nervous about what shot to play (a little chip or the more sane putt).  I blasted out to about 10 feet.  He asked the team captain what shot to try and they chose the chip w/ like an 8 iron, which he proceeded to nearly whiff and toed it further from the hole to the back fringe!  His chance to win the hole was pretty much over.  Our group still kills the captain for such poor advice on that shot!

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