I recently had a chance to step back in time a little bit, and play the Aiken Golf Club. Certainly a hidden gem one should keep in mind if you find yourself in that part of the country.
Aiken Golf Club (Sorry still no digital camera)
The Aiken Golf Club was designed in 1912. The exact design credit is somewhat cloudy I was told that Donald Ross was involved in the process, but also a local gentleman named Jerry Englis (sp?). Apparently Ross helped with the layout and visited the site at least once, but most of the work was done by Englis. The owner has apparently put a fair ammount of money into the course in the last several years trying to restore much of the original design. The course is a sporty little track with wonderful greens and some nice greenside bunkering, but also reflects the limitations of the property based on the era of construction. The course plays to a maximum of 6048 yards from the Medal Tees to a par of 70. It does not have a driving range or any room for expansion. However it is a very walkable and very enjoyable golf course if not the toughest test from a length standpoint. Most tee boxes are nearly adjacent to the previous green. The firm conditions and great undulations and false edges on the greens make for a nearly limitless variety of playing conditions, and provide for a course that you would love to play everyday. Overall there is a collection of some very solid holes.
The 1st hole is a straightforward 330 Yard Par4. As with many holes here at Aiken GC the real adventure starts around the green. This double green (shared with the 17th hole) has some unbelievable undulation and false edges. A nice starting hole.
The 2nd Hole is a Par 5 playing 465 yards. The downhill tee shot is dramatic and plays fairly straight. The challenge comes more on the second shot as the fairway bends just slightly enough to the right at the end as to cause you to work the ball if you plan on getting home in two (which obviously is a distinct option given the length). The green is tucked back into a beautiful stand of pine trees, and is cut nicely into the hillside which features numerous hollows and bunkers surrounding the green on the back side.
The 3rd hole is definitely the quirkiest hole on the course and probably the weakest link of all the holes. Playing to par of 4 at 405 yards it is no pushover distance wise. However, the driver is probably not the best play as the entire fairway slopes from right to left towards a small creek on that side and a large open sore in the hillside on the right hand side cuts into the fairway probably 210 yards out from the tee. If you play a shorter club off the tee to stay short of that you are left with a long shot from a side hill lie into a green guarded by the creek which cuts across diagonally in front of the green. Although the green site itself is again wonderful the hole just does not flow properly from tee to green.
The 4th is a nice uphill par 3 playing 196 yards. The green surface is blind from the tee box. The green is huge and features a large false front and is guarded by a large deep bunker and small pot bunker on the left. These two bunkers separate the green from the 5th tee box for the back tees.
The 5th is fantastic hole, probably the best hole on the course. The 422 yard par 4 starts with a spectacular and nerve wracking carry over a large waste area. The perfect tee shot needs to be drawn around the corner carrying the furthest part of the waste area. The tee boxes for the forward tees are located more straight away and do not require you to carry as much or even any of the waste area depending on your line of choice. The 2nd shot is also a wonderful shot into and great green complex.
The 6th hole is a short par 4 measuring 368 yards from the Medal Tees. Based on the shape of the hole from the tee box a slight draw would seem to be the correct play from the tee box. However upon reaching your ball in the fairway you will find that a tee shot favoring the right side of the fairway would provide you a better angle into the green. Although the hole appears to set up best for a draw from the tee, a single sentinel pine tree on the left hand side about 20yds short of the green guards that side of the fairway. Any ball left of center in the fairway may have to be worked slightly depending on where the hole position is that day.
The 7th is a straightforward par 4 of 405 yards.
A straightforward drive on the 355yd par 4 8th will leave you with a downhill short iron approach. The beautiful downhill approach to the green situated in a valley is a delicate proposition with bunkers guarding both right and left on the front portion. The right hand bunker being particularly deep and treacherous.
The 9th hole is a tough uphill par 3 measuring 202 yards from the medal tees. A well struck long iron or wood is required to thread between greenside bunkers both left and right. To add a little additional visual difficulty a bunker directly in line with the center of the green is cut into the hillside about 15 yards short of the green. The optical illusion caused by this bunker makes one think that the hole plays a little shorter than it actually does, but don’t believe it. Take the yardage on the card and add some to it for the dramatic uphill and just trust it.
The opening hole for the back nine is an awesome par 5 measuring 520 yards. A spectacular downhill tee shot sets up best for a slight draw. However you will have to have hit a long shot down the left hand side and be able to follow that up with a long fade shot if you have visions of reaching this hole in two. The green is tucked back slightly to the right and is well bunkered with two on the right of the green and one on the left. The green itself is a thing of beauty. An hourglass shaped green running diagonally from front left to back right, the back right portion past the narrow neck actually falls away substantially lower. Just a wonderful green, the best approach to a hole location in that back section would have to be landed on the front section, rolled through that narrow neck of the hourglass and released down into the back section.
The tee box for the par 3 11th is the furthest point on the golf course from the clubhouse, from here you start the return loop. The hole again in keeping with the theme of long and difficult par 3’s at Aiken plays 215 yards from the medal tees to a green situated slightly uphill. A very strong golf hole.
The 12th hole is a 357 yard par 4. A good drive leaves you a short uphill approach shot to a well bunkered green left, right, and short. A very solid golf hole.
The 13th hole is a fairly short par 5 playing only 480 yards. The tee shot is somewhat narrow and must carry a large waste area. The second shot turns slightly to the right and plays entirely up a slight hill which does make it play a little longer.
The 14th hole is the first of two very short par 4 holes in a row. Playing only 276 yards from the medal tees. A quirky little sporty hole the direct path to the green would require a carry over a fairly large bunker so the play is probably to the right slightly and roll it up close to the mouth of the green.
The 15th is the second short par 4 mentioned, playing 295 yards from the medal tees. Fairly straightforward and no real trickery to protect this hole from scoring.
The 16th is a gorgeous downhill par 3 playing 198 yards from the medal tees. There is probably a drop of 40-50 feet from tee to green. An old system of stone steps were recently uncovered that run down the hillside from tee to green. Apparently over the years these had become covered over, and were only recently uncovered and tried to be somewhat restored.
The 17th hole is a par 4 measuring 368 yards. The hole swings slightly to the left on the approach. The hole locations can be quite varied on this incredibly wide if not so deep double green which is shared with the 1st hole. A large bunker front / center pinches the narrow center transition area between the double green.
The course finishes up with a 194 yard par 3 finishing hole. The tee box is located directly adjacent to the 17th green and kind of feels like you are in the line of play for the first hole. However you really are not unless someone misses their approach fairly wide right. The long iron shot required on this hole is no bargain. The green is guarded on the front by a single greenside bunker front right. However any shots hit into this fairly firm and crowned green are subject to finding the back edges which fall away quickly into brushy areas.
Again in overview Aiken Golf Club is not the longest course, especially for today’s technology. But what it lacks in length and resistance to scoring from that standpoint it makes up for in charm and quirkiness. And strictly from a par 3 standpoint they present as tough of a set of holes as you would ever care to see. A quick review of the par 3 distances from the medal tees proves this out: 196 yds, 202 yds, 215 yds, 198 yds, and 194 yds. Quite an impressive collection, and since they play over a variety of elevation changes and wind directions a variety of shots required. Their collection of par 5 holes provide some of the best character of any of the holes although some of them are fairly short by today’s standards and thus provide some interesting scoring opportunities.
Overall the Aiken Golf Club is a highly walkable and fun golf course to play. Somewhere that you would love to play again and again.