Now on to my favorite part of the course.
#13 par3 169 yards
The green rises up a bit from the surrounding land, and on this hole the shelving idea works well to supplement the bunkering as hazards. The slope that comes in from the right side of the green essentially makes that side of the green a two-tier affair. The left side of the green is more of a continuous gentle slope. Easily the best par 3 here in my estimation. Although that may be because it is the only one I hit in regulation.
#14 par4 416 yards
My favorite hole on the course. There are wetlands all the way down the left. Fairway bunkering right for the chickens who avoid the water. I liked the cross-bunker that keeps big hitters honest. I really liked the green and the way it fell off front right to shoulder so-so shots away. The middle left had a nice bowl type area that would take your ball away a bit too if you weren't careful. Cool in the Pinehurst #2 sense, understated and seemingly not a lot going on from a distance (partly because the green is raised up 4-5 feet I think), but then you get up around the green and see the flowing internal contours.
#15 par5 496yds
Overall a straightaway hole, but effectively the trees and bunkers work well to move you back and forth as you go. Off the tee you just want to get between the two magnificent specimen oaks (kudos to Kyle and team for incorporating some really beautiful trees into the layout). The second shot is where it gets interesting. The green seems within reach and you see a big cluster of bunker built into a raised up area, over which sits the green. What you don't see is that there is some space between the bunkering and the green which is formed into a bit of a swale (mowed at fairway height) that can give you some short game challenges. If you are playing it as a 3-shotter it is interesting because the ground is relatively featureless over there and your mind knows the green is left and your eye sees the bunkering that is front of the green so in spite of trying to play safe I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many golfers end up having a tough 3rd shot in. Plus, the green is set perpendicular to the line of play, so the further left you come in from the shallower your target is. Conversely, playing the second out to the right gives a better angle in for someone who is managing their game and risks. The only downside was I felt there should have been some opening for the low ball guy to have a ball roll through and utilize some slope to get to the green, instead of having to exclusively fly in.
#16 par3 154yds
A routine par 3 with water all along the left. Daunting for sure, but I don't know that you would ever try to do anything but hit the middle of the green. The bunker in front would certainly make a front pin exacting to get to. The bunkers at the back are effective in keeping you from attacking a pin back there (although that didn't stop Pete Galea from hitting a lovely shot to about 5 feet). The way the green sets up on a diagonal to the line of play is nice, and trying to bail out right with the mounding and grass bunkers is not really a good idea. Rough ground heading up to the green precludes a running shot which might have been nice to have as an option when the wind is up.
#17 par4 410yds
I really liked this hole also. Fairly straightaway hole, fairway pinched by flanking bunkering (wonderful dual use of bunker complex between #15 and #17). The tendency would be to bail out to the right which seems more open off the tee, but doing that leaves you with and approach that must find away around a massive oak tree that guards the green short right. The green is relatively deep and has enough slope and contour to make three-putting a distinct possibility.
18 par4 384yds
Similar to #9, but the water doesn't have to be flirted with unless you hit it long and left. I like how the fairway narrows down the further you go, so once you know the course you have to decide how far up into the neck you are willing to risk your tee ball. The shelving down the right side is visually distracting. Without knowing the course it seems you might think there is a split fairway on either side of the right side fairway bunkers. Rough ground rising up before the green blocks your view of some of the green surface which is set into an amphitheater of sorts with water hard on the left. I liked how the green tilted from back right down to front left, thus making bailout approaches to the right more difficult to get up and down.
All in all, a very nice course that I would be happy to play on a regular basis.
In hindsight, I find it interesting to note that the front nine land had a little more movement which I felt Kyle and team made good use of, and yet my favorite stretch of holes is on the back side which is pretty much flat.