Many from the treehouse have played French Creek, but perhaps a re-visit will be enjoyed by the veterans as well as the rookies.
Fellow GCAer Dan Herrmann and his lovely bride invited me out this past Saturday, my 2nd visit to the course, which happens to be located across the street from Stonewall's two courses (Doak).
I'll come right out and say it: I'm a big fan of Gil Hanse's work (read: Inniscrone) and I can understand why FC has such passionate members like Dan and Laura. It is a wonderful layout, a bit quirky in places, and a joy to play. Add to that conditioning which is as fast and firm as the weather allows and you have a real winner, IMO.
The property at FC has much to be admired, but it is not perfect. But I really think Gil did a bang-up job of dealing with the numerous environmentally protected areas and a crossing of a state road too.
Ok, enough of my yakking (subtle Spinal Tap reference), let's boogie:
The first hole is striking in that as you walk up to the tee you notice the tee and fairway are one on this uphill slight dogleg left par 4, playing 360 yards from the tips.
The best line off the tee is left in the FW, with a left tee shot being dead:
Too far right will lead to an obstructed view of the green, but a good drive leaves a view like the following for the 2nd short iron in:
Although these 800 pixel wide pics don't quite show it (please, Ben, get this changed soon or I may not do as many photo tours in the future!), you get a real quick introduction to some subtly contoured greens at FC that you better be on top of your game:
A very neat aspect of the first hole at FC which runs along the side of a top of a hill, is that you clearly see the beautiful 2nd hole down below. It is quite frankly nearly a distraction! Here is the view from the middle tee box on this 475 yard dogleg right par 4 with a very wide FW:
A view from about 200 yards out is this:
Just past the big cross bunker gives this view to the green, where a large sunken area exists just short and right of the green:
Here's a better view of that 'hazard' short and right of the green; I hit a decent drive this day and tried to get a 6 iron to the front right pin and was 1/2 a club short, and my ball slowly rolled back into the depression:
Here's a view looking back up the FW from the front of the green (with the extensive bunkering on the 1st hole visible):
The green on #2 is large and contoured, as this pic from left and behind tries to show:
At the point the 2nd green finishes is not far from a large marshy area where a neat little par 3 is placed before getting across the state road for holes 4-8. This one-shotter plays out to 216 yards from the tips to a green probably more severe than the first two:
From the small hill just over the green to the left:
From the right of what is a two-tiered green (right tier higher than the left)
After finishing the 3rd there is a small hike across PA 401 to the tees within a low-lying area for the par 5 4th hole (539 yards). Here is the view of the tee shot on a hole that bends right early, then a bit left at the end:
A good drive leaves a view like this for the 2nd shot:
A 'layup' 2nd shot leaves a partially blind 3rd as follows:
Here another very subtly contoured green awaits that is close to a creek that runs nearby:
The 5th is a little uphill par 3 where excellent distance control is needed (117 yards total) as the green is just perched above a very deep bunker, and the green is one of the smallest on the course:
Here's that bunker short of the green:
The view from well left of the green on the way to the 6th tee:
The 6th hole is the #1 handicap hole for both men and women, an 'S' shaped par 5 that runs uphill and 550+ yards:
A good drive leaves a choice of playing to the left of a large cross bunker, or playing over it:
A typical 3rd shot after playing to the left of the cross bunker looks like this:
From just over the green:
The view of the green and FW from the hill near the 7th tee:
The par 4 7th is not long (361 yards), but the deep bunkers in the right part of the FW must be dealt with, as well as the green that sort of runs from front to back:
From short of the right cross bunkers, even this view suggests the best line in is from left in the FW as the green is raised short and right (not to mention some boulders being present too):
My drive this day carried the cross bunkers, but being right in the FW left a difficult shot in to the front right pin:
This pic from over the green tries to show the no-so-friendly slope:
A short walk across a development road leads to the drop-shot par 4 8th of 186 yards:
The view from just over the green:
Now you cross back over PA 401 for the 9th hole, which requires a drive over a large marshland to this split FW par 4 playing slightly uphill and 404 yards:
I hit a good drive here and took the 'high road' to the left FW leaving a view like this in for the 2nd shot:
Miss the green short and right and you are left with this tough up and down:
The green at the 9th is a punchbowl. If you wanted to find my 2nd shot this day, you only needed to look in the hole believe it or not!
I'll post the back nine later. I hope you enjoyed the first nine.
