May River is the second modern course of the year that I have played and really enjoyed. For those of you who are not familiar with May River, the course is located near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina near a settlement called Palmetto Bluff. The golf course winds through the pine and live oak forests near the bluff and also skirts May River on multiple holes. Some thoughts:
May River is an exceptional modern golf course. When traveling to Hilton Head, it is to be worn down by narrow golf courses through house-laden forests and marshes. May River is completely different. The fairways are very spacious, allowing for plenty of strategy off the tee. A few trees come into play in very strategic locations, but mostly they set a gorgeous backdrop for the golf.
May River is also refreshing because of its natural, uncontrived appearance. Jack Nicklaus' team (including our own Kurt Bowman) did a great job with the bunkering, which is low-profile and unobtrusive to the surrounds. The smaller bunkers are simple carvings from the earth, while the larger bunkers sprawl gently into the fairways and then recede into the forests. The bunkers create all sorts of strategic decisions. Some, such as the par fours at 9 and 16, are simple bunkers on the inside of the dogleg that protect the best angle into the green. Others are centerline hazards that create all sorts of decisions based on the day's hole location and the player's ability. The mid-fairway bunkers at the 8th, 10th, and 12th dictate strategic options back to the tee. In the case of 10, the player must make a decision on whether to attack to the green in two or lay back in three. His decision will cause him to play to one side of of the centerline bunker (and tree) or the other. Each of the five par fives at May River is filled with strategic choices like the ones showcased at the 10th.
The marsh holes at May River are also done tastefully. A particular favorite of mine was the 7th, a short, fish-hook par four along the tidal marsh. The hole features a very shallow green jutting out into the marsh. Most players will layup to the right and then pitch across the marsh for the second shot. The hole could have been an example of one-dimensional target golf. However, the landing area is wide enough to accommodate slight mis-hits, and the green is beautifully constructed so that the closer the golfer plays to the left side of the green, the more exacting his approach will be. There is plenty of bailout room to the right of the green, but the golfer will have to decide beforehand to play to this side of the green.
Finally, the greens at May River are a treat. I tend to enjoy golf courses that are option-filled off the tee and then become stern at the greens. This type of courses brings golfers of all shapes and sizes into the mix. In this way, May River is much more a mental test than a physical one. While some greens, like the ones at 13 and (the modified punchbowl) 15 were set down low, most of the greens were built up from their surroundings. These greens, bordered by bunkers and fairway-mown chipping areas, leave all different types of recovery shots. I played shots with the putter, 8-iron, and wedge in equal numbers from around the greens. These green sites force the golfer to stay alert and keep his wits about him when he misses the green. When he can do that, he will succeed at May River. When he can't, he will be in for a long day.
May River might not be the type of course you'd expect from Nicklaus: it is filled with strategy, fits brilliantly into the natural environment, and defends itself at the greens. It is hard to imagine a better strategic test of golf.