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Thomas Patterson

Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« on: August 27, 2010, 09:52:35 AM »
Big Sugar Golf Club – Located in Pea Ridge, AR, this 18 hole golf course designed by Jerry Slack, lays on 165 acres of rolling hills, and valleys.  Little Sugar Creek winds its way through the course as well, with its presence on quite a few holes.  This is a very affordable and fun course, with lots of elevation changes, great views, and very fun greens.  Growing up about 7 minutes down the road on 100 acres of land, I feel as though I’m playing golf in my “backyard” every time I get a chance to come here.  A few small changes in maintenance practices and a couple of tweaks on a few holes could take this golf course to a completely new level in my opinion.  If you are in the area, this is definitely a must visit.

Hole 1 – Par 5 – 612 Yards – The course greets you with a very long par 5, requiring 3 solid shots to hit this green in regulation.  Stay up the right side for the best angle in for your approach.  Smaller green is protected by a bunker on the right hand side.

Tee shot


Approach from right


Layup


Short of green


Hole 2 – Par 4 – 402 Yards - Sharp dogleg right, which requires a very accurate tee shot to a small landing area.  Anything offline will lead to an awkward lie, or OB.  A short tee shot will have a blind shot into the green, requiring a very strong fade.  The elevated green is protected by a creek on the left hand side.

Tee shot


Landing area


Landing area left and closer


Looking back from behind green


Hole 3 – Par 3 – 252 Yards - Very long and demanding Par 3, with a slightly uphill tee shot to a green protected by a lone bunker on the left side.  A pin tucked behind this bunker is a very tough location.

Tee shot


Closeup


Green from behind


Hole 4 – Par 5 – 509 Yards - A good opportunity for birdie appears on this relatively short par 5.  A lone tree on the left hand side of the fairway could hinder your second shot, and force a layup.  This 3 tiered green is slightly downhill and protected by a sharp hill on the right hand side.

Tee shot


Landing area


Longer layup from the left side – just the tip of the flag stick is viewable


Closeup from layup area


Side view of green


Hole 5 – Par 3 – 185 Yards - Straight forward par 3 across a ravine, hitting into a two tiered green with a false front and small bunker on the right hand side.

Tee Shot


Behind green


Hole 6 – Par 4 – 463 Yards – A beautiful view from the tee to a very generous landing area.  Favor the left side for the best angle into this green.  A creek runs short of the green and will catch any mishit approach shots. 

Tee shot


Right side of landing area


Hole 7 – Par4 – 428 Yards – Small fairway landing area with a big tree on the left hand side, and large mounds on the right. 

Tee shot


Landing area


Behind green looking back


Hole 8 – Par 4 – 319 Yards – Driveable par 4, with bunkers on both sides of the green.  A straight drive can run up and onto this fairly flat green.

Tee shot


Hole 9 – Par 4 – 499 Yards – Straight away drive, favoring the right side for the best angle into this green, protected by a bunker on the left hand side.

Tee shot


Right fairway


Hole 10 – Par 4 – 492 Yards – Drive across a creek to a right to left gently sloping fairway.  Approach to this green is across another creek.

Tee shot


Approach


Hole 11 – Par 5 – 507 Yards – Sharp dogleg left par 5.  A drive hit just to the right of the large Oak will leave you about 220 yards to the green.  Longer hitters can try to carry the waste bunkers left of the tree, leaving a mid iron into this green.  Elevated green is protected by a creek in front and right, and bunker short and left. 

Tee shot


Landing area right of tree in fairway


View of green from before the creek


Hole 12 – Par 4 – 465 Yards – Very challenging hole, requiring two excellent golf shots.  A drive aimed towards the 200 yard pole is the best approach.  Trying to cut the corner has too much risk, either with the creek, woods, or bending cart path.  Green is slightly elevated, but sloping front to back, inviting the long iron approach this golf hole demands. 

Tee shot


Green from right side


Hole 13 – Par 3 – 150 Yards – An elevated tee shot to a long and narrow green, protected by a creek short and left, and a severe hillside right. 

Tee shot


Hole 14 – Par 4 – 360 yards – Drives to the center of the fairway will be rewarded with a level lie and around 145 yards to the pin.  A drive pushed to the right will be much longer, and have a severe uphill lie. Longer hitters can challenge the left fairway bunkers, and be left with a short wedge into this green.  Green is protected by bunkers left, and a sharp drop off long. 

Tee shot


Long approach


Green


Close-up of green


Hole 15 – Par 4 – 403 Yards – A very sharp dogleg to the right, with a sloping hillside landing area.  Hitting to the right of the bunkers will be rewarded with a ball that runs down the hill, leaving a wedge into the uphill green.  Shorter hitters can stay to the left of the bunkers and have a level lie, and look at this green.  Green slopes from back left to front right, with bunkers left. 

Tee shot


Long approach


Closer approach


Green from behind


Hole 16 – Par 3 – 170 Yards – Tee shot must carry a large ravine to a contoured green, protected by a bunker short and right.  A pin in the middle “tongue” can make for a difficult putt if your tee shot does not find this small area. 

Tee shot


Hole 17 – Par 4 – 440 Yards – A drive to the left side of the fairway will allow an unobstructed view to this green, elevated across valley.  Any drive pushed right will have a large tree in their path, or too far right, and will be in the reservoir.  A large bunker protects this green on the front, left hand side. 

Tee shot


Approach


Green


Hole 18 – Par 5 – 513 Yards – A nice par 5 to end your round, with a nice view from the tee box to the fairway below.  A drive in the left-center of this narrow fairway will have a chance to go for the green in two.  However, the green is protected by a pond on the front right, with plenty of room to bailout/layup to the left.  A great way to finish your round!

Tee shot


Tee shot close-up


Fairway


Farther up from left rough


Looking back up the fairway


Green from behind


Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2010, 10:16:08 AM »
Seems like a very nice rolling piece of property with some good elevation changes.  A lot of the holes use the ravines well.  You should head over there one night and lift the poles from the fairways!!


Thanks for posting the pictures!


Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Thomas Patterson

Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2010, 10:18:08 AM »
LOL..I would if I wasn't 1200 miles away! 

Glad you enjoyed them...first photo tour I've put together and look forward to doing more!

Bart Bradley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2010, 11:31:18 AM »
LOL..I would if I wasn't 1200 miles away! 

Glad you enjoyed them...first photo tour I've put together and look forward to doing more!

Thomas, thanks for showing us this course.  These photo posts can be lots of work, well done.

I know nothing about Jerry Slack.  Can you tell me anything?

Bart

Mark Pritchett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2010, 11:41:15 AM »
Thomas,

Great pictures.  Do you know what year the course opened?

Mark

Thomas Patterson

Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2010, 11:53:12 AM »
Bart - Thanks!  This is my first one, and I'm excited to do some more now that this one is under my belt!  I don't know much about Jerry either.  I think that he is from the Tulsa, OK area, which is about 1.5 hours west of this golf course.  Here is a link to his website, which seems like it has been updated fairly recently.  This is the only course of his that I have played so I don't have anything to compare it to.  

http://www.golf-design.com/

Mark - Thank you..it was a very dreary day, so I'm glad the pictures turned out as well as they did.  The course opened in late 2002, early 2003.  

Michael Baldwin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2010, 01:14:42 PM »
Thomas -  I grew up "down the road" too (Fayetteville).  I make it back home from Chicago several times a year to visit my folks.  It's great to know there is another good public offering in the area. 

Did you play the course recently?  From what I understand, record rainfall and sustained heat have caused a lot of problems in NW Arkansas this year - my grandpa's garden included.

Thomas Patterson

Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2010, 01:26:07 PM »
Thomas -  I grew up "down the road" too (Fayetteville).  I make it back home from Chicago several times a year to visit my folks.  It's great to know there is another good public offering in the area. 

Did you play the course recently?  From what I understand, record rainfall and sustained heat have caused a lot of problems in NW Arkansas this year - my grandpa's garden included.


Michael - Very nice, and such a small world!  I love Fayetteville..so many good memories there!  I agree about another good public course...growing up, the only course I really played was Prairie Creek Country Club, and not that much b/c it was so far from the house.  Big Sugar is literally 5-7 minutes from my parent's front door, so my Dad was extremely excited when they started planning the course, to say the least!

I did, at the beginning of July, the week after the 4th.  The whole week it rained non stop...they haven't gotten a ton of rain, but it has been horribly humid, and record setting temperatures...it's wrecking havoc on my sister's garden as well!! 

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2010, 03:13:56 PM »
Thomas,
Interesting looking course - thanks for the photo tour.  Hopefully the yardages you listed are from the back tees.  Are the first three holes as tough of a start as it seems?

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2010, 03:32:07 PM »
Wow....the only courses I can think of that look anything like that are in Hawaii.

It has surprising similarities to the Prince course, and perhaps a couple of the jungle courses on Oahu like Koolau and Luana Hills.

Not going to say whether I think these similar qualities are a positive or not, but they are nice pics that show the course nicely.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Thomas Patterson

Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2010, 03:56:41 PM »
John - Yes, yardages are listed from the back tees, and it is a tough start.  I remember when I was just picking the game back up and was having a very rough time getting onto the fairway across the ravine on the first tee.  The 2nd has such a tight landing area that if you are offline by just a few yards, you are either OB, water, or have a horrible stance.  I think the 3rd may be unreachable for some, and from the gold tees (4 up from back), the left pin cannot be aimed at due to overhanging limbs  For me, it never feels right to pull driver there for some reason, but that is the club I need to hit.  I would love to see it play as a par 4.  Move the back tees back just a little further (plenty of room), and perhaps fill in a bit to create a layup/landing area below the green.

Brad - I've never heard it compared to Hawaii, negatively or positively!  Thanks..glad to share and show this course as I'm sure not many have seen it.

Derek Dirksen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2010, 05:01:04 AM »
I think I'm the only person on here who currently lives in Arkansas (when I am not working half way around the world).  Thanks for the great photos.  Next time I am back I will have to try to get up there and play it.  How far away from Rogers is it as I have been invited to play Pinacle CC in Rogers.  Could be a good 36 day. 

Thomas Patterson

Re: Big Sugar Golf Club (Photo Tour)
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2010, 07:23:56 PM »
I think I'm the only person on here who currently lives in Arkansas (when I am not working half way around the world).  Thanks for the great photos.  Next time I am back I will have to try to get up there and play it.  How far away from Rogers is it as I have been invited to play Pinacle CC in Rogers.  Could be a good 36 day. 

Glad you enjoyed them...I'm happy to be able to share this course with everyone.  Definitely a completely different course from Pinacle..you will have a blast there as well, and the course is always immaculate.  Big Sugar is about 20-30 minutes from Pinacle.  Take 540 North and exit onto Highway 102.  Go right off the exit and go all the way until you see Highway 94...go left and go down about 4-5 miles, and course road is on your right.  If you go up a very big hill into the town of Pea Ridge, you've gone too far..entrance is at the bottom of that hill.

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