[Pete_Pittock]

If you are making a trip to play Wine Valley in Walla Walla, WA set aside some time to play the back nine at Milton Freewater Golf Course.

It is municipal executive length course located hard against the MF High School and football field just across the Oregon border south of Walla Walla. Maybe 20 minutes. The course was built in two stages. Bunny Mason did the original nine, but I didn't catch the name of the architect of the newer hilltop back nine. I'll find out next year.

The back nine is my find of the year, and for this popcorn hitter is one of the better tests, especially if the wind is up. It is on my annual play list. Good pucker factor. I would suggest finding the course on Bing maps or equivalent and birds-eye using the compass function

The front nine is straightforward golf, small circular greens, tree lined fairways, mundane bunkering and an inviting lake if you pull your tee shot on the fifth. If you are short of time  play the first three or four holes Next to the fourth.tee is a steep cart ath heading up the hill to the water tank and the back side.

The greens have just enough contour.


The path heads up this hill, picture taken from the pro shop. The trail starts at the bridge and hairpins up to the right

When you get to the top the 10th tee (and 17th tee) is to the right of the cart path.
Hole 10
Par 4, 222 yards. Green hidden from view with a slight dogleg left so just aim for the far trees, resist the temptatation to smother hook and don't expect much roll.


#10 the line of charm is one tree right of the right "edge" of the tank. 


The view of the 10th green from about 50 yards out shows some nice contours. But the best view is taken from the 12th tee, beyond the green.


View of the 10th green looking backwards from 12.

Disorientation sets after you finish the hole because you see the 11th green stepped below the 10th green and the 100 foot drop to the lowlands. A consult with the scorecard map says the 11th tee is somewhere down by the water tank, so pick a club for a 122 yd uphill shots and head down the hill toward the tank.

Hole 11,
Par 3, 122 yds


View from the tee of the 11th hole
122 Yds uphill. The preferred line just left of the right tree line. A ball hit at the white pole will end up off the course.


Your first view of the green, and a good place to visit before you tee off on the hole.


The backwards view from the 12th tee shows the narrowness of the green, and, if you end up next to the fence, this may be your drop option
The city is down to the right, the 10th green is on the high point beyond and left of this green

[Pete_Pittock]

HOLE 12
Par 3, 122 yards
Seems like a template doesn't it. OB left, narrow green, blind tee shot. Walk forward about hallway to see what the shot entails.
The afternoon I played the wind was about 12-15ph, quartering into from the left, which by the way, is O.B.


The first view of the green, but accurate scouting requires going further


Shot shows some gentle contouring in front of the green which routes water flow, and golf balls.

After completion of the hole consult the scorecard map. The tees beyond the green service both the 13th and 15th. The hole in the background is the 15th. 13 heads down to the right, 14 climbs back up.

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 13
Par 3, 195 yards. Moderately + downhill.


Don't go left. The unfurled flag means you had to start off to that side. Right is'nt pretty.


This view of the 13th green was taken from the 11th tee. The area before the 13th green is what may be encountered with a 13th tee shot which wanders- sails right.

[Pete_Pittock]

oopsie

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 14
Par 4, 194yds
Moderately uphill, almost a dogleg to a perched green
The day I played it was into a two club wind.

The photo does not do justice to the slope. The green is over the deciduous tree, and slightly right of the left leaning evergreen on he left side of the snap.


Failing to drive the green, you see the main defense, a steeper upslope which protects a long putting surface.


The view of the green, from behind.

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 15
Par 4, 249 yards
Mackenzie type green. OB left, trees and unplayable land left,  OB long, potential oblivion right in the canyon.
For you that know me, it took me a while to choose a 9 iron for the tee shot, leaving a fairway wood approach.
Considerthe following - a strong crosswind, against from the left, a blocked shot may never be found. A severe downslope from 100-200 yards from the tee, a severer upslope the last fifty yards.


While the teeshot is not legalistically blind, you see only the alpha and omega. After the 100 yards layup tee shot to relatively level ground this is the view


The view from front right, standing on the 16th tee shows the uphill angle and the two tiered green


oking back, and the green

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 16
Par 3, 162 yards
Don't go left. Play the right edge. The green has significant slope right to left.
That day made easier with a tail wind from the right


The tee shot.


Closer show the slope a good result

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 17
Par 3, 121
drop-shot, plays 90. Hard to find tee. Walk forward to the local ordinance sign and you'll be in the right area

[/b]
The city of Milton Freewater passed an ordinance making it illegal to hit golf balls except in the play of the hole. It certainly looks like "fun" to hit drivers out over the course (also at 10/11/12), and that explains why I found a few abandoned balls.

[Pete_Pittock]

Hole 18
Par 3, 160 yards


The only back nine hole on the lower level it has water to carry, and the hill to the right. Very little bailout area


Behind the green, problematic if the tee shot doesn't come off the hill.

A word of caution, mind your liquor. And it is a drive back to the home corral.

[Dave McCollum]

Love it Pete.  My best guess, if you have a game with Pete on this gem, refill your wallet on the way home. 

[Matthew Essig]

Now that is quirky!

[Garland Bayley]

Played there today.


Asked the pro shop attendant who designed and built the back nine. He said George would know.


Went out and played 18, returned to the pro shop. The gentleman there must be George, because his response was the volunteers in the community designed and built it. There is another parcel of land west of the course that they want to acquire, but the owner/heirs can agree on anything with regards to its sale, so the course went ahead with the available land, instead of the possible land that would be more like the front nine.


I walked the whole thing. Everyone else that is not as boring as I, may want to take a cart, as the walk from 9 to 10 is very long uphill, and there is nothing marking where the 10th tee is so I had a nice walk-about trying to find it. Turns out it shares the 17th tee box which I had seen from below, so didn't imagine that would be where the 10th tee is.


The 17th is 121 yards straight down the cliff. Half wedge. The walk down is probably longer than any other hole on the course.

[Garland Bayley]

BTW, I asked players on the course who designed the back nine. No one knew, but the best answer was "The Devil".

[Pete_Pittock]

Garland,
Glad you played it. I modified my posts with bold emphasis to also suggest cart usage. No words were changed in the edit. There is a map on the scorecard. Did you enjoy the course. I know the wind was up, pretty much the same direction as I experienced.  I figure 15 and 18 create the most havoc. When I played there was no one else on the upper nine.

[Garland Bayley]

One through nine, and 18 were completely protected from the wind. Walking the upper holes made the wind an ally on a day in the 90s as it cooled me. I think it is cool that the back 9 has 3 par 3s at 122, 122, and 121 yards. That is eight iron, pitching wedge and half sand wedge. The number two handicap hole is 249 yard par 4. Drive it just short and you end up hitting the same approach as the shorted driver in the group as all balls go to the bottom of the ravine in from of the green. The bottom is fairway. Go long and you may have trouble not ending up the ravine after your attempt to pitch back to the green. I enjoyed it and my buddy who has played almost everything in Oregon enjoyed it too.

[Pete_Pittock]

..

[Pete_Pittock]

You both outdrove me on 15. I laid up with a wedge off the tee to a flat lie with a 150 yd shot.

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