Good!
My 1st post and it will be controversial.
Glenn;
I have played Fox Run, which is very near my home, a few times. What did you think of the rest of the course? It is challenging, beautiful, and even from the short tees I must use every tool in my bag. It is a 'tough nut'. Glenn, #17 & #18 are my two FAVORITE holes on the course. Though moderate from the back tees, #17 allows you to choose anything from a medium iron to a fairway wood to lay up; then you must decide how to approach. With water right, and a rough hillside left, you want something you can be confident of holding, or you must play left, obviously. a beautiful challenge.
Then comes #18. From MY short tees, my 190 yd all out drive [yep, that's it] will, if hit accurately, leave me close enough to the lovely lake to make a decision. How much of that lake can I bit off, and to what purpose? I will usually, because it is FUN, hit my 5-wood diagonally across, with enough room to carry not only the lake but the small diagonal fairway, and into the light rough on the hillside. each time it has left me a pitch under 80yds to a long narrow green, but not too hard. Of course, that's when i three putt for my 6, but what the hell.....it was fun and gorgeous.
The best Art Hill Co golf course I have played BY FAR, and my favorite all time course, is Eagle Ridge, at Yatesville Lake St Park in Kentucky. While Dale Hollow and Hidden Cove have gotten publicity as the 'Crown Jewels' of this fantastic golf trail in the 'hinterlands', Eagle Ridge plays like no other. I mention it now, but will describe it in detail in another post, I hope. I mention it now, as i said, to tell you about the hole you will definitely think is 'WORSE' than #18 Fox Run. That is #4 Eagle Ridge.
#4 is a 580 yd par-5, from the back, with a 220 yd forced carry over a chasm [lots of those at ER] to a fairway that bends left to right around a ridge. if you do not hit it 250 or so, please move up a tee. If you do, and you DID, and it's in the fairway, you now have one of the toughest shots in golf to play. there is a drop through foot high vegetation and rocky area, of perhaps 80 ft over a 190 yd stretch, to a VERY narrow lower fairway, water right and hillside rough and outjutted trees left. With a very straight shot you are now read for a wedge to the long green, water still right, trap and hillside left, and a fallaway to a collection area behind. If the pin is in the back, just be short. I promise you, any par you get here win you the hole! It's dropdead beautiful, as is the rest of this unique, monster tough [144 slope, 153(!) front, 135 back] golf course. When I walk off it, more than any other course, i wonder why I am leaving
Needless to say, i disagree with you Glenn, about Art Hills Inc. Shaker Run is a pretty sweet course to, you know? This is not to say i do not like other designers i have played, but just I think maybe you are a bit tough on this one.
Doug