David, you can see from these pics the conditions I encountered. I could care less—the property, the great holes, and the wind all made the trip worthwhile for me. I was there on June 30-July1. They told me that they had a very difficult spring and the grass had just started growing. Nevertheless, the greens were good enough and the fairway condition of no consequence to me. The safe thing to do is plan your visit mid-July through August, I imagine
I’m not sure what course Matt Ward played, as 1-6 all got my heart thumping.
#1 386 yd par 4, andeasy opening tee shot, combined with a fallaway slope toward the green that makes the approach tricky. I thought it was a perfect opener. In the background you can see the split fairway #2, with a blind tee shot toward two lines of approach
#2 328yd par 4 has a blind tee shot over center-line and cross bunkering , then a nice introduction to the lake vistas on the short approach shot
#3 132 yd par 3 Difficult humpbacked green makes this short one interesting
#4 485yd par 5. The uphill tee shot.
#5 415yd par 4.
#7 518yd par 5 Most of the elevation change in this sprawling uphill 3-shotter is in the last 100 yards, and with the wind and the deceptive bunkering, it’s difficult to choose the right club—this one you could play over and over again without tiring.
#8 174 yd par3. Viewed from the side, this hole is really hard when the wind blows.
#8’s interesting green feature
#9 331yd par 4, breather hole, where a pretty easy downhill tee shot yields a short approach and birdie oppurtunity
#10 551yd par 5. Note the rolling characteristic of the property. The pin is peaking out at the left this picture. The hole has a short turn right to the green
#10 green
#12 438yd par4 The 12th is a dog right that requires a well-hit tee shot to get in the right position to attack this beautiful skyline green site. Note #2 green in the background. My favorite hole on the course
#13 334 par 4 Plays up the same hill as the uphill par 5 #4, but note it’s a short par 4—one of the charms of the wonderful routing of this course—with a tiny knoll-top (or built-up?) green.
#17 208 yd par 3 green.
I was so fascinated with 14, 15, and 16, all difficult, wind-exposed par 4s, that I forgot to take pictures. #15 stands out, dog left with a tee shot that looks straightforward but on repeat plays makes you understand why precision is required. Go see this course!