#7 is a par 5
569 from the gold tee
512 from the blue tee
We haven't had any partially blind or somewhat confusing tee shots on the front nine yet, have we? Chalk up one more, and then repeat exercise on #8.
This is a wild hole, starting with the view on the tee. Visually, the hole appears to be even longer than it really is thanks to the way that #8 fairway appears to be part of the playing surface unless you really focus. The hole winds back and forth, both left and right as well as up and down, on its way from the tee to the green.
For my game, this is nothing but a pure 3-shotter and each shot should be played with anticipation for the next. I suppose this could be a 2-shotter for the big hitters, but I'll let them chime in because I'm not even sure where you'd position your tee shot to have a good go at the green in two.
For me, the play was left off the tee and then right with the second shot. I didn't want to hang my drive out to the right in the scrubby rough and from the back tees didn't feel like going a little left would cut me off. In the afternoon round, when we played the blue tees, you had to watch going left a little closer as you could definitely bunch yourself behind some trees cutting off your angle of attack for the second shot.
The first time you walk down to the landing area in the fairway, this hole gets even more confusing. The second shot is likely blind, and both distance and left/right are important. Hit it too far and you might end up down in the valley with yet another blind shot up to the green. Lay back just enough and you should have a wedge or short iron in hand with a nice view of the putting surface.
The front left of the green is a bowl, and this is the pin we faced. As long as your distance control is good on the approach, the ball should funnel in to this position. Hit it long and you are faced with a nasty downhill putt. Leave it just a little short and left and the bunker is your reward. Miss short and right and you will likely tumble back further short and right. There are additional bunkers guarding the right and rear of the green.
I walked off this hole feeling like it might be one of the more criticized holes on the front nine, but I rather enjoyed it. It's a par 5 that may result in three consecutive blind shots, which is a bit quirky, but there is enough room for error out there that I think it works, especially for repeated play.
Another adventurous tee shot on the front nine
A view from a slightly more forward tee
A look at the fairway (sort of) walking off the tee. Here you can also really see the 8th hole and the visual deception. The 7th green is on the far right of this photo. Everything toward the top left of the picture is part of the 8th.
A view from the fairway near the landing area
The approach from the left side
Approaching from the middle - a couple more peaks and valleys to go before the green
One more view from the fairway, only one valley left
A view of the bunker guarding the front of the green
A ground level view of the green from the front - you can really see the contour that divides the front bowl from the back here
Another shot of the green
Looking back on the hole from behind the green
A view of the green from up on the 8th tee
A view of the 7th green (with the 8th fairway and green behind) taken from the 6th