One can’t help but go around Prairie Dunes and have it reinforced how crucial sandy soil is to great golf. I recently had the good fortune to tour the following course that capitalizes on its sandy environs in stark contrast to the other courses in the area. The hazards are well placed with central bunkers as we see below. Though visually dramatic, the holes lay quietly in their natural surrounds. To the credit of the architect, some of the greens like the eighth are truly lay of the land, allowing the golfer to soak up the environment that has captivated golfers for more than a century. Can you guess where this course is?
The 255 yard seventh above may seem like a beast but the ground game option of banking a ball in from well left of the green actually makes it quite fun to play.
The golfer on the 205 yard downhill par three sixteenth has just putted up and over the spine that he is walking over. Having played a lot of golf with the gentleman in the photo, his soon-to-be three putt was no surprise.
This reachable 520 yard par five swings left before climbing a steep sandy slope not unlike the second at Pine Valley. As we saw at Birkdale, it’s great to have a penultimate hole where an eagle is possible.
As seen 290 yards from the tee both from the left (upper photo) and right (lower photo), a series of cross bunkers bisect the fairway at the 410 yard Home hole. Impressively, the natural vegetation is left in its raw form.
Guess this course.
Cheers,