Temporarily I will withhold the exact information about name and whereabouts of this course. I worked there throughout college and it's where I got my start in golf maintenance. I was naiive to the design at the time and only looked at it as a fun place to play, but really lacked in the conditioning. Props to anyone who can name the course and architect!
It's a municipal course, and only about 5-6 greenskeepers work full time. Bermuda fairways with bent/poa greens and the conditions are always firm and fast. Looking back now I appriciate the shot values more and realize that while it is a shorter course (6548 from the tips) that can easily yeild low scores, it's low maintenance and firm conditioning makes a big number very attainable as well for misguided shots that may challange the many reachable holes.
Curious as to what the great GCA here might think from a "blind taste test". Forgive the pictures as the day was slightly cloudy and all the yardages listed are from the back tees. Enjoy!
1st Hole: 389 yds, Not a tough opening hole, water on left is driveable though
2nd Hole: 427 yds, Tough tee shot, about 150+ carry over water, ESA (environmentally sensative area) right to a left to right sloping fairway, green perched above and against the side of the hill on the 2nd shot
3rd Hole: 204 yds, If your shot doesn't make the green's plateau level, you run the chance of your shot rolling all the way back down to the creek at the bottom
4th Hole: 370 yds, One of my favorites, bite off as much as you can chew. The green is unreachable, the left rough is virtually hardpan and you need a big drive to reach the upper plateau and a flat lie or else your second from the fairway will be an uphill lie on a right to left shot
5th Hole: 466 yds, Yardage looks long, but tee shot plays WAY downhill, ESA danger again on right. One greenside bunker exists on the right but if you're right and miss that, your ball will again roll all the way to the bottom for a tough uphill pitch to a narrow green
6th Hole: 398 yds, Another downhill tee shot makes this hole shorter than it lists. Gaping bunker sits right in front of the middle of the shallow green making even a pitched 2nd shot no easy feat
7th Hole: 518 yds, Reachable par 5, your drive can reach the water on the left though. 6, 7 and 8 are where you need to make your good scores to get ready for the more challanging back 9.
8th Hole: 135 yds, Most bland hole on the course IMO. Unless the water carry is your nemisis, this should be an easy 3.
9th Hole: 418 yds, Similar to #2, forced carry off the tee, longer carry required the farther left you try to go, landing area narrows the longer the drive, bi level green sloping back left to front right
10th Hole: 500 yds, Reachable par 5, but second shot has to carry a creek to a well protected green with rock outcropping on left and ESA on right
11th Hole: 438 yds, Severly left to right sloping fairway, downhill tee shot with a creek guarding the right side and cutting in front of the green, easily reached with a driver, tough downhill sloping lie on the 2nd from almost everywhere in the fairway
12th Hole: Blind landing area to a humpback fairway. Long drives will clear the ridge giving a clear 2nd but over the ridge the fairway drops down severly sloping left to right, shallow green running left to right with steep dropoffs guarding the entire front and right sides
13th Hole: 164 yds, Straightforward par 3, to a bi level green, shots short and left obviously filter down away from the green
14th Hole: 549 yds, Reachable in 2 as the fairway slopes downhill and drives will run out, but also run the chance of running all the way into the creek crossing the fairway, 2nd and 3rd shots are uphill to another shallow left to right green with front facing bunkers
15th Hole: 206 yds, TOUGH par 3, practically all carry, good luck finding your ball if you miss anywhere short or left
16th Hole: Reachable par 4, but your tee shot would have to be blind over the hillside on the right. Safe play is long iron straight out and a pitch to a relatively easy green
17th Hole: 500 yds, Reachable, if you want to challange two front facing bunkers and a shallow green. Otherwise easy par 5 when 2nd is playing out the right and 3rd can be played in right to left into the longer length of the green (picture is of the 2nd shot)
18th Hole: 184 yds, Relatively easy and bland finishing par 3, but club selection can be difficult on the moderate drop-shot to the green. In the end, the player only has themselves to blame if they can't pull of some good scores on the last 3 holes
