Saticoy Country Club is something of a brute from the back two markers (75.1/143 and 73.3/140) with narrow fairways the norm and lush rough and overhanging tree limbs ready to catch offline shots. The bunkers were redone several years about by John Harbottle. A shot in a fairway bunker is near a full stroke penalty.
The opening hole at Saticoy is a downhill 400 yard par-4. This narrow fairway is made more difficult to find thanks to the elevation change.
The 330 yard 2nd is a short par-4, where it seems that the trees are the 'key' to protecting par. The view from the tee is altogether confusing with trees overhanging from the left combine with a centreline tree. The approach is played to a very narrow a steeply sloped green that helps to explain why this hole plays as one of the most difficult on the course in US Open Qualifying.
The third is another 400+ yard par-4 and moves gently uphill to a green protected by a false-front that will reject shots slightly mis-struck:
The 4th plays into the wind and at over 225 yards will require a wood for all but the longest hitters:
After another mid-length par-4 at the 5th, we reach the first par-5 of the day with the 500 yard 6th. This bunker protecting the 6th green gives an idea of the Harbottle work...
The straightaway 7th is made notable by a false-front so severe that the front half of the green is not pinnable.
The 8th is the most interestingly bunkered hole on the course as staggered bunkers in the driving zone forces the golfer to consider club selection from the tee. The hole is capped by another severe green that tilts hard back toward the tee:
After the uphill par-3 9th, the golfer crosses the clubhouse to reach the drop-shot 10th:
There is no doubt the back-nine encompasses the more interesting land. The 440 yard 11th features a wildly tilted fairway that is near impossible to hit unless the golfer can rope a hook into its face:
The 13th is a very nice par-3 with an excellently selected green-site set naturally into the side of the hill. Fitting the lay of the land, the green tilts from right-to-left:
Certainly the most picturesque hole on the course, the short par-5 14th plays hard against a steep drop-off into the valley below.
The 16th is slightly similar to the 12th in that the golfer will lay-up from the tee before the hole doglegs right leaving a short approach. Where it differs in the very long green that is so severely sloped there is serious consideration being made to softening.
The 17th is a monstrous 480 yard par-4 made shorter by the elevation change.
The 18th is a 550 yard 'S' shaped par-5.
