[Peter Ferlicca]

Starting on Hole 13 to the finish you better have your game figured out by now because you have quite a test in front of you.  This is by far my favorite stretch of the golf course.  13 is a great downhill par 3, and 14s green is wild, you pretty be on the right portion to have a two putt.  Then 15 is probably the best par 3 in the Seattle area IMO.  It is real easy to bogey every hole coming in from 13 on.  I am sure Sean can attest that didnt Brock MacKenzie birdie the final 4 holes or something ridiculous like that. 

[rjsimper]

Standing on the 13th tee..."Holy sh__ - I wish I would have learned to hit my 3 iron straight"
Standing on the 14th tee..."Hey, didn't we already play this hole?"

[Patrick Schultheis]

7 is start of the stretch where some birdies can be made. A good par 5, with a tricky green and a narrow opening to run it on. Plays longer than the yardage indicates much of the year and going for the green in two often times depends where the pin is. If its back, people often lay up as a putt or chip from the front of the green can be difficult to get close.

Sean, would you please show your fans from where on 7 you hit the double eagle shot?

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 15: Par 3, 219 Yards

Playing #15 - ‘The Gauntlet’ begins with a long and very difficult par 3. There is a very deep bunker protecting the front of this two-tiered green. The tier separates the left and right sides of this shallow green. The left side slopes severely from back to front whereas the right side, although smaller, is relatively flat. Because the green is not very deep, a recovery shot played from behind this green could very easily run off the front and back down the fairway. Par is an excellent score on this hole.




The 15th at Aldarra has been called the best par 3 in the Seattle area (don't believe me? See 3 posts up!).  Though a similar length to 13, the two holes feel nothing alike. 

There really is no easy pin on this green.  They range from hard to really hard. Front-left pins probably fall in the 'hard' category, and are much more difficult than they appear.  Shots missing right find the very deep front bunker.  Anything not carrying onto the green will roll back down the false-front.  And anything long enough to carry onto the green but pulled will find the left bunker.  Only options: hit it perfect, or hit it long-right (any righties out there ever do that? I don't).
 







The false-front short/left of the green




The collection area short/right of the green shows undulations making up and downs difficult





The green is split in two by a single spine






The 15th green from the 18th fairway (this is one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken). 

[Joe Stansell]

Really enjoyed my first visit to Seattle about a month ago.  Chambers twice and Bear Creek CC in Kirkland.  How would the balance of courses discussed compare with Bear Creek? 

I've played Bear Creek a few times in a scramble, so I guess I'm qualified to comment.

Bear Creek is closer in design style to many typical Pacific Northwest courses -- tree lined with an over-powering sense of narrowness. It requires well executed shots, not strategy, and is punitive if shots are misplayed. The greens are challenging and enjoyable, though. Other courses of Bear Creek's vintage: Kayak, Port Ludlow, most of the local municipal courses, and the "queen" of them all, Sahalee. 

Aldarra is a different animal to Bear Creek, for all the reasons Mark (and others) describe in this thread. I generally agree that Aldarra deserves to be mentioned in anyone's discussion of the best courses in Washington; I'm not sure Bear Creek would make anyone's top 25.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 16: Par 4, 427 Yards

Playing #16 - The play on this long par 4 is just short of the right-hand fairway bunker. This will give you the best angle to a two-tiered green that is protected on the left side by another deep bunker. The lower tier slopes towards the front whereas the upper tier slopes slightly away from the player making an approach shot very difficult to stop.




Not a whole lot to add to the description above other than to say that into the wind, this is a very difficult hole.  I wonder if the bunkers on the right (which are supposed to be challenged for a better angle into the green) are too far off the tee and are an aiming point for many players rather than a hazard.











Hole 17: Par 4, 340 Yards

Playing #17 - Even though this par 4 is one of the shortest on the course, don't let the yardage fool you. Your tee-shot needs to be left of the large tree on the right hand side of this fairway (A) and must be long enough to carry up the hill. Although this will leave a short approach, the shallowness of this green as well as the protecting ‘British Open’ style pot bunkers in front will force you to be very accurate with your wedge. This green has many slopes as it is very wide with three separate tiers.



Playing the hole into the setting sun, I actually thought the area right of the tee was a Hogan's Alley-type sliver of fairway.  I was wrong.  Right is bad.  Shots behind the tree are stymied, though shots missed right of the tree will have a shot at the left portion of the green.






The green is sort of boomerang shaped with deep fronting pot bunkers (though I don't know why Fazio decided on the change in bunker type here).








The green is very undulating and generally sloping from left to right.  I suppose this is because tee shots missed right can only hit left part of green and two-putt from left part of green to right part of green = impossible?

[Peter Ferlicca]

16 from the way back tee is a VERY long golf hole, you need to hit one of your sunday bests to be able to even reach the fairway.  I have played there 4 times and twice from the back tee I cleared the gunk by about 5 yards.  This hole is one of the longest northwest holes you can play depending on the yardage. 

17 is a little funky.  You have played a pretty solid golf course for the first 16 golf holes and then you approach 17, it is completely different from the rest of the course.  You not only have a weird tee shot, but you then have a green with different looking bunkers.  It is a good golf hole just would have been better on another golf course.  I can imagine that Fazio could have designed a stellar driveable par 4 here that would have made the course better, especially since you have to traverse 50 yards back to get to 18 tee. 

[Mark Saltzman]

16 from the way back tee is a VERY long golf hole, you need to hit one of your sunday bests to be able to even reach the fairway.  I have played there 4 times and twice from the back tee I cleared the gunk by about 5 yards.  This hole is one of the longest northwest holes you can play depending on the yardage. 

17 is a little funky.  You have played a pretty solid golf course for the first 16 golf holes and then you approach 17, it is completely different from the rest of the course.  You not only have a weird tee shot, but you then have a green with different looking bunkers.  It is a good golf hole just would have been better on another golf course.  I can imagine that Fazio could have designed a stellar driveable par 4 here that would have made the course better, especially since you have to traverse 50 yards back to get to 18 tee. 

Peter,

Based on what you wrote about 16, I presume I am correct that the fairway bunkers are indeed misplaced and are not in play for most?

Re 17: I hope someone in the know can chime in as to why the different bunker style was used.  It was one of those WTF moments when I saw them.

[Sean Leary]

Hi Mark,

Yes, those bunkers on 16 are out of reach and the bunkers on 17 make no sense. Those bunkers on 17 are actually better now as they used to be layered sod walled bunkers. They look dumb.

As for the reason, Fazio insisted on having them despite questioning by the super. End of story.


I agree with Pete that 17 is an opportunity missed. The green is funky and out of character with the rest of the course as well. The membership in general likes the green, of course, so change is unlikely.

I'd blow the whole thing up, or at least the green and start over.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 18: Par 4, 422 Yards

Playing #18 - The finishing hole at Aldarra may be the toughest in the state. Both length and accuracy are required off the tee. There is a fairway bunker on the left side of this fairway catching any wayward shots struck to avoid the hazard that runs down the right side of this hole. Your lengthy second shot must traverse over a 30 yard-long hazard that crosses the fairway 100 yards short of the green. The green is well protecting on both the left and right sides by deep bunkers and the green itself slopes predominantly front-right in front and back-right towards the back.




The 'Playing #18' description above pretty much says it all.  A very stout Fazio finisher.  Aim it down the right and challenge the fairway bunker for a shorter approach with a preferred angle.  The bunker left means there is no bailout.




A well-placed tee shot leaves a fairly simple approach, but you really don't want to try to approach the green from out of position.






A false-front requires that shots be carried onto this green, which is not such an easy task with a mid to long iron (notice my balls short of the green).

[BDuryee]

But a cute little hole as is.

Sean,

Didn't know you had a sensative side.

[Sean Leary]

But a cute little hole as is.

Sean,

Didn't know you had a sensative side.

I do occasionally wear pink....

I have an open spot tomorrow before the GCA dinner if anyone is interested, probably playing mid to- late morning....

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