I will go ahead and start a brand new post on Bulls Bay GC as this is a long one. I have finally had time to sit down this weekend and put this together. This will replace the one from a few days ago. Bulls Bay is the new private course designed by Mike Strantz just north of Charleston, SC. I believe I heard that it opened around Thanksgiving 2001 for limited play.
One of the things I liked about the course was the width in the areas where it is needed to account for the normal breezy conditions that will be prevalent here on this exposed piece of property in the SC lowcountry. It not only allows for some dramatically different angles of play depending on how much risk you want to take on the tee shots and how that effects the strategy of the approach shots. It also allows the course to hopefully remain playable in many different wind conditions.
Bulls Bay GC plays to posted yardage of 6930 on the card, but the course has the flexibility to change the makeup of individual holes to accommodate changes in the wind as there are several additional tees that are not listed on the card that can allow them to move certain holes back even farther and/or others up as the wind might dictate.
The obvious focal point once you come onto the property is a large central hill. This is one place where Strantz’s flair for the dramatic comes through. Although this course is much more subdued than Mike’s more recent efforts Tot Hill Farm, Tobacco Road, and True Blue that flair still shows itself in several places. However, at Bulls Bay you sometimes have to pay a little more attention to pick up on some of these subtle things, unlike his last few designs where they hit you over the head sometimes like a sledgehammer. This large hill will be the focal point for the entire property. They apparently have been moving dirt on this for nearly 2 years, as they had to compact the soil every two feet in order to meet specifications to put the clubhouse on top of this when they are done. They have apparently been growing this in for quite some time, and other than the fact that you know a hill this large could not be natural in this part of the country it looks like it has been there for quite sometime.
What they have achieved is a huge hill in the middle of the lowcountry from which you can see most all of the course, as well as a lot of the surrounding low country area, and Bulls Bay. The views will be spectacular when the clubhouse is added later. In addition to the site for the clubhouse the hill also offers a few opportunities to give some elevation change to some holes. I liked the way Strantz’s showed restraint and only used the hill sparingly. The 1st, 10th, and 15th tee boxes play off from parts of the hillside dropping considerably (for Charleston, SC) to the fairways below. The greens at 9, 14, and 18 also use some of that elevation with uphill approach shots. By and large though this course plays along the flatland below darting out to the nearby river and low country areas and back again.
One of Strantz’s little touches is that the cart paths in many areas are just dirt paths cut through the grasses covering the hillside. He hand painted where he wanted each tire rut to be cut out of the grass and where he wanted grass to be left in between the tire tracks. This is where the real artistic touch of Strantz’s comes out. The result looks like old wagon trails through the native grass that must have been there since the pioneers went west. Let me tell you coming from a kid who grew up in South Dakota and has seen the real thing through the native grassland I grew up on it looks pretty good here in the Carolina lowcountry. And it fits with the “Wild West” theme at Bulls Bay.
The course highlights:
No 1. - 421yd. Par 4. Plays down hill from the elevated teebox. A strait away hole with ample width in the landing area. However forgiving the landing area is the second shots are severely limited if you are far right as you will be forced to play a cut around some trees pinching short of the green. I like that it forgives the slightly missed shot but then penalizes you by making your second shot that much more difficult. I found this to be the general theme out here. You can slightly miss a shot and still be able to find and play your ball, but it will be a more difficult shot.
No. 3 - 170yd Par 3. Multiple teeing locations and directions of play make for some dramatically different playing options from day to day here. It reminds me of one of the par threes on the front nine of the Ranch course at Black Diamond. Lots of sand surrounding the green.
No. 4 - 530yd Par 5. Back tees built out on a small island of grass out in the lowcountry marshland. After fairly long carry from back tees to a fairway with ample width your second shot lay-up area is pinched slightly by waste areas. The green is tucked back ever so slightly to the left in a small stand of trees so if you want to try to go at it in two you better be able to work the ball slightly. Nothing tricky but a good solid hole.
No. 9 - 377yd. Par 4. Now you return towards the large hill in the center of the property. That final uphill portion makes this slight dogleg left play fairly long even though it is under 400yds on the card. Again a very ample driving area gives you the option of playing safe to the meat of the fairway to the right or carry as much waste area inside the dogleg as you would like for the easier approach.
No. 10 - 586yd Par 5. Plays dramatically downhill from the elevated tee box near the top of the clubhouse hill. The parallel fairway of #15 to the right only separated by a thin ribbon of dunes almost looks like it could be an alternate route to use, but I don't think there would be any advantage, although it would allow recovery should you drastically miss one to the right.
No. 11 - 437yd Par 4. This dogleg left cape hole plays around a waste area bulkheaded in with some railroad ties. This is the picture that Dick commented on the True Blue post earlier (someone had posted a link) and it is not as obtrusive as it looks from that picture as you would have to be in a boat out in the lake to see it from that angle. Once you decide how much to cut the cape, and execute the shot you are facing a potential long second shot into probably the largest green on the property. fortunately it is well accommodating to a run up shot.
No. 14 - 190yd. Par 3. This par three makes nice use of the clubhouse hill. The green is nestled nicely into a hollow in the hillside and bunkered well. The highest compliment I can probably give to a golf hole I will bestow on this hole. When I stood on the tee it reminded me of Sand Hills in NE. I know that is borderline sacrilegious to say, but it does remind me of a hole there quite a bit.
No. 16 - 341yd. Par 4. This is an interesting little hole. Great strategy, this nearly driveable par 4 tempts you to fire straight away at the green. From the back tees a shot carrying about 230-250 yards over the lake in front of the teebox will likely run up through the large open throat into this green. Or if you prefer play it the more conservative route as a dogleg right for a hopefully safe par. I am usually not one to go for it on these all or nothing temptation holes, however even from the furthest possible tee location this one feels doable, and turned out to be on my first attempt. After my opponent put his second into the lake he decided to play the conservative route. What a great match play hole this would be coming down the stretch in a close match.
No. 18 - 429yd. Par 4. Much like its little brother No. 9, this slight dogleg left plays uphill on the approach shot. Also like the 9th you are given ample room if you want to play to the fat of the fairway right. However unlike the 9th this one measures a healthy 429 on the card from the back tees. Helping you in your decision of how much of the left side waste area you think you want to cut off on your tee shot. The green is cut into a large amphitheater area of the clubhouse hill just waiting for the clubhouse to be built above. A perfect spot it will no doubt be to sit with a pint and watch the undoing of your fellow members coming up 18.
Again I think the best compliment that I can pay is that I hope to get back to play it again in different wind conditions. I think it would definitely keep your interest. I only wish I had some pictures of the holes. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me. A friend of mine had his camera with us, but I did not realize it until the end. All that I have is a couple of pictures of us on the 18th tee, including the one you see here with my profile on every post. I look forward to seeing what others think of this fun club.