I have posted about this new golf course in central MO before, but having played it again I now feel this is one of the top three courses in the state. The golf course is fun. Conitions are great (firm enough for bounces good and bad). Every club gets used. Eagles, birdies, bogeys... all are possible and I cannot imagine getting bored with all of the variety of the golf shots required. On to the photos...
Number 1. A slight dogleg left with a blind drive over the crest of the hill. No need to hit driver. Hard the first time, a member's hole from then on.
Number 2. Medium par 3 with a large bunker left. Lots of room to bounce the ball onto the green. Green slopes hard from left to right.
Number 3 is a medium length par 4 with a center line bunker and a green that has a wonderful false front. The tee shot on 3 can be seen in the background of the second photo.
Number 4 is the first real test, a long par 4 with a creek that runs down the left side of a fairway that slopes toward the hazard. The creek then runs in front of the bunkerless green. There is a large bailout to the left of the putting surface.
Number 5 is the first of three drivable par 4's. The aggressive line requires a 250-yard carry over water. Brian Noser knocked in on with ease...
Number 6 is a monster par 5 at more than 600 yards. It also plays into the wind. I have jit 4-iron and five-iron on the green for my third shots. There is a creek that crosses the fairway at an angle forcing you to choose the proper line. The fairway is biscected by bunkers on the second shot. Tough hole.
Number 7 is the longest par 3 at 220 yards. The green is bunkerless and can handle a running shot but is protected on the right by a beautiful specimen tree.
Hole 8 is the second reachable par 4 (and it may be too short). Creek, bunkers, etc... guard the green but it is only a three-wood for a longer hitter. Neat hole, but it hurts short hitters and play's easy for big bombers.
Number 9 is a neat par five that plays uphill. The second shot offers a split fairway around a deep gully to a bowl-shaped green. The payoff for going left (the narrower side) is an easy pitch onto the putting surface.
The back nine starts out with a reachable par 5 (maybe the weakest hole on the golf course). A drive toward the tree on the left will leave a long iron approach to a green that runs hard toward the back. Almost all approaches end up in a collection area behind the green.
Number 11 is a longer par 4 that moves uphill around a center-line bunker and back down the hill to the best greensite on the golf course. Beautiful golf hole.
12 is a middle length par 3 that plays uphill to a green with two bowls. I wish I had better pictures...
13 offers a great view of the entire golf hole (a rarity on the course). It plays uphill toward a skyline biarritz green. Cool, cool, stuff.
14 is longer par 4 that has three bunkers in the center of the wide fairway. Play left and have a long approach over another bunker. Risk the right side (where OB comes into play) and the reward is a short iron to an open green.
15 is a deceiving par 5. The fairway looks tiny but there is actually a lot of room to the left over a creek that cuts in at 240 yards. The second shot is all carry to a green that slopes away from the golfer. There is ample bailout room for a layup.
16 is a the shortest par 3 at 140 yards. It plays to the largest green on the course, a putting surface that plays like three seperate greens. Wild contours. (no pictures)
17 is the last of the driveable par 4's (and the best). It plays 310 with a minefield of bunkers across a fairway that must measure at least 80 yards wide. Take an agressive angle over a set of bunkers and a kicker-slope will send your ball toward the green. (no pictures)
18 plays back uphill along the lake that comes into play on the tenth hole to a fairway that seems sprinkled with bunkers at random. The wide green is blind from the left side of the fairway but open on the right side (asking golfers to bring the water into play).
