[Chris Cupit]

I do understand how a difficult par 3 early in a round can cause pace issues but I confess to being an idiot regarding how the direction of the hole (boomerang walk?) matters.  I do not remember it being a long or awkward walk from 2 green to 3 tee and the walk from 3 green to 4 tee isn't so bad (it does cross the street I think)?

Anyway, I think Cuscowilla is a terrific golf course.  My snapshot smiley on each hole
1     Great start
2  Nice hole with a slightly awkward drive
3  I liked this hole though agree if pace was the only concern a par 3 is ideally deep into a round
4 
5     Fun and neat green
6   
7 
8   
9   
10  Not a big fan of the forced carry drive
11   
12  A bit too tight for my liking though I don't hate it like many
13
14   
15  Never a big fan of the tee shot or the green--seemed a bit severe
16   
17   
18     Awkward tee shot and it just seemed like a bit of a let down though maybe because the rest of the course was si much fun
 

Chris, there are people that don't like 12?  Bah! What do they know!

Also, disagree on the ' ' on 14.  I think it's a very good hole.

It has been years (a decade?) since I have played    I enjoyed #12 but heard many complain about its tightness and the encroachment of the right trees.  They may be gone for all I know now.

#14 just never appealed to me.  Maybe it is because I never played it that well but I thought the drive seemed ill defined and just kinda "out there" over the hill.  The second also seemed to really deceive me and I always ended up way right of where I needed to be.  I remember the hole playing very long (maybe that isn't the case now) such that even after two excellent shots there was still a longish shot uphill to a pretty severe green.  I just remember feeling exhausted by the time I finished the hole.

I think Cuscowilla is terrific and well worth the drive over to play.  It does seem that other than scratch golfers it doesn't seem to get much love.  Every I talk to speaks of the bunkers and their color and it always seems to be a quibble of theirs--they want bright, white, fluff I guess

[William_G]

wow, just heard about Cuscowilla on Wed. this week looking forward to it!

[Carson Pilcher]

I am so happy to see this thread on Cuscowilla.  It is one of my favorite courses in Georgia.  I have had the privilege to play it one many occasions in competitive tournaments and recreationally.  Pace of play has always been smooth; even in GSGA tourney where it can get mind-numbingly slow sometimes.

Overall, I think the course is genius.

1- perfect starting hole...take on the fairway bunker, have an easy approach.  Get tight, bail right...then you have to cut a high shot around a greenside pine and risk short-siding yourself in the deep bunker with little green behind the pin.

2 - Bust a drive, but it better be a draw.  If it goes straight or leaks right, then you may bounce right into the creek.  However, if you pull it off, you have a better view of the lay-up area and not as much of the bunker to contend with.

3 - great par 3 that plays longer than it looks or yardage.

4- risk as much water on the tee shot as you want.  The more you risk, the better the angle and shorter into the green.

5 - one of the greatest holes on the course!  Play it easy to the right.....whoa then you have an uphill short-iron to a narrow green.  Risk the left (and smaller) landing area on the drive, then you have the length of the green to work with.  Take it right at the green on the drive and risk going into the cavernous bunker of no return.  I watched great players look shell-shocked walking off this hole during tournament play.

6 - Another beaut!  Hit it high and long with a draw and hug the left bunkers as much as possible.  Drive does not get framed any prettier than this hole.

7 - OK hole.  Hit 3-wood and draw it, but make sure you are in front of the tree on the left.  If not, you could be blocked out.

8- long tough par 3.  Not much too it.

9 - never been too much of a fan, but then again it is just a bit too long for me.  If you do not make it down the slope on the drive, you have a 3-wood into this green.  Tough.

10 - I have to agree with Chris Cupit on this one.  I have never figured this hole out to my liking, but then again, I dunked two tee shots during a tournament.  Kinda sunk after that (pun).

11- fantastic short par 3!!!  Pitching wedge and it's all about controlling your spin and position.  There are some great pin positions.

12- I like short par 4's like this one.  If you go for it, you bring all sorts of trouble into play.  If you lay back, you have to control your spin into the green.  Brilliant.

13 - Really like this long par 4.  Hit a high draw over the left trees and that sets up a long-iron approach to a deep, left to right sloped green.  Hence, draw the drive, fade the approach.  That happens a lot on this course.

14 - Easily the worst hole on the course to me.  Drive is great, but then what do you do with your second.  I try to go over the fairway bunkers and it usually hangs up on the slope leaving a hanging third approach.  If someone has thought of a better route, please enlighten me.

15- Nice fade drive should leave a long-iron approach that usually plays about a 1/2 club up hill.  Deceiving, but play the extra distance.  Has a huge green with Valley Of Sin in the front left area.

16 - tricky par 3.  Sever back to front sloped green.  Get it on the green, two putt and move on...nothing to gain here, but plenty to lose.

17-  Just a fantastic golf hole.  Take a 3-wood or driver depending on how you are hitting it.  If you take driver make sure you take on the bunker though.  Otherwise you can run out of fairway on the right.  Total risk-reward with a great fairway bunker setting on the left.

18 - Another hole #9 for me.  Just too long for my tastes.  However, if you have a good round going, you are dreading having to play 18.  If you succeed and walk away with a par, you REALLY feel like you accomplished something.  So, brilliant in a way.  I am thinking about it as I walk off 14 and have to see the 18th green.

I welcome anyone to go play Cuscowilla.  I will say that it has lost a little luster with me because they have become gun shy with the speed of the greens ever since we had the hot Summer two years ago.  The greens used to be fast and firm.  I have yet to see them get to that condition since our hot Summer.  I heard they were considering Champion Bermuda but Crenshaw/Coore refused.  Shame, it would be perfect for that climate.

For Saltzman - if you like Rivermont and Cuscowilla...your next stop needs to be Settindown Creek.  You would love it!  Mac and I are going to see how many balls we can lose tomorrow.

[Jason Walker]

Mark and I played the middle tees that day...I think it was in the 160 range...may have been 150.  I hit 6 iron 160 and 7 iron 150.  I don't think that is a long par 4.


However, I do think over the last few years they have moved the middle tees up.  The last few times I've played there it has been at that 160 range...but I remember the first few times I played it hitting 3 iron...which is more like a 190 club for me.


Maybe that is the club recognizing the precise issue you guys are talking about.  Thoughts?


EDIT...I got a funny PM about John Kavanaugh's comment about 3 being the worst hole he's ever played.  The message said, "Obviously, John's never played Golf Club of Georgia Creekside.  If he had, 3 at Cuscowilla wouldn't be any worse than the 19th worst hole he's ever played."   

Come on---19th after Creekside?  That's harsh.  I'd say 13th or 14th

[Mark Saltzman]

The 4th hole at Cuscowilla is one of several holes that demands a forced carry over a water hazard.  The tee shot is played into a tilted fairway that wants to collect balls to the right, but the preferred angle is from the high/left side.  As is common of Perry Maxwell designs, a trade-off must be made between angle and distance.




The approach as seen from the right side of the fairway shows a green that falls off sharply on the right.  Approaches from the left can more easily use the ground's contours to run the ball onto the green.  Just steps over the putting surface is a lost ball.  I found out the hard way.




The 290 yard par-4 5th was praised by Ran in his review for its strategic options, but according to my caddie that day, there is only one way to play the hole.  A massive bunker protects the straight line to the green and requires a carry of some 250 yards, uphill, from the middle tees, making this a non-option for nearly everyone.  There is a small blind fairway left of the bunker and a massive amount of width to the right of the bunker.  In theory, I expect that the pitch from the left should be the easier one, but because of the sharp left-to-right tilt of the green, controlling a pitch from the left is near-impossible.






From the right, the view of the green is intimidating, but the golfer is playing into the green's tilt from here.




From the left the crowned putting surface is almost unhittable, especially with the predominant wind which is down and from the left.




A very long par-4 that moves gently to the left. Taking the aggressive line from the tee leaves the golfer with the option of running the ball onto a deceptively difficult putting surface.  The 6th was cleverly routed along side and in opposite direction to the massive par-4 9th, ensuring that at least one of these two long par-4s would have different winds.




The approach as seen from the extreme left side of the fairway.  Note the right-side bunker is set well-back from the putting surface.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Mark,

Thanks for posting this.

What time of year does the fairway grass change it's colour back to green and when does it then go brown again?

All the best.

Thomas,
  I am not sure that anyone has really answered your question, but you would start to see greenup mid April and you start to really lose color by Halloween.

[BCrosby]

Cusco is a very good course, issues with the 14th notwithstanding. I think it is the 2nd best course in the state. Only the course an hour farther east on I-20 is better.

Bob 

[RJ_Daley]

I sure enjoyed playing Cusco.  But wow, Bob!!!    That is very high praise! 

[Mark Saltzman]

Cusco is a very good course, issues with the 14th notwithstanding. I think it is the 2nd best course in the state. Only the course an hour farther east on I-20 is better.

Bob 

Bob, hopefully you can continue to contribute to this thread.  I hope there will be a good discussion re 14.  I think it is a very good hole.

[BCrosby]

Mark -

I too actually think the 14th is a good hole. Like the 17th at Streamsong Blue or the 7th at PVGC, tremendous pressure is put on the second shot. Unlike most par 5's where the quality of the second shot determines whether a birdie is achievable, the second shot on the 14th at Cusco and those other great par 5's must be played well just to put yourself in position for a reasonable chance at par. Something you begin thinking about at the tee on all three of those holes.

Many don't like the 14th. It's controversial I suspect because it doesn't fit the usual MO of a par 5 with risk/reward birdie opportunities. Unless you are prodigiously long, it is three tough shots. But a controversial hole is not a bad thing. A dull hole would be and the 14th is anything but dull.

But even if you dislike the hole, Cusco has many, many very good holes. It has few peers in Georgia, with the one exception being just down the road.

Bob 

 

 

[Mark Saltzman]

Any thoughts on hole 5 / the caddie's comments hole 5?  Is he right?

[Jeb Bearer]

Having never seen the course, would 5 work better/more as intended if the fairways were switched and the bunker shifted so that left was safer and right was the riskier play? Then the aggressive shot would leave, as stated in the tour, a pitch against the slope of the green. Is this feasible given the topography?

[Kenny Baer]

I have played Cusco probably 10x. I disagree with the caddies assessment completely. Going left off the tee is certainly the much more difficult tee shot but the reward is worth it. The green is tough but it becomes a simple 30-70 yd pitch. From the right the bottom of the pin is blind and getting it close is tough.

[Carson Pilcher]

Re: #5 at Cuscowilla.  For me, the approach into #5 is much easier form the left for several reasons.

The green does have slope towards the right fairway, but this works against you.  You usually have a 100-yard shot and if you have too much spin it sucks right back off the green and down the slope.  From the photo, the "green" grass you see is false front from that direction.  The green is shallow from that direction as well,so it is easy to go long.  I have seen people chip back and forth over that green.  There is a pin position in the back right that is impossible to hit from the right fairway.

However, from the left, you can pitch right up the length of the green to that back position.  You usually have a 40-60 yard pitch from this direction.  For the other pin positions, the left is an easier approach except for the front left position.  However, the front left postion allows for a run up from that direction.  You may see that the front left of the green from that direction allows for balls to run onto the green.  If the pin is deeper in the green, you can hit a wedge and have it check without worrying about too much spin.

This is just all my opinion from playing the hole from both fairways many times (and seeing others play it as well).  This is the strategy that I have worked out for playing it.

[BCrosby]

I have played Cusco probably 10x. I disagree with the caddies assessment completely. Going left off the tee is certainly the much more difficult tee shot but the reward is worth it. The green is tough but it becomes a simple 30-70 yd pitch. From the right the bottom of the pin is blind and getting it close is tough.

What Kenny says. The 5th is a terrific hole. One of those holes with very clear choices at the tee. Even better is that you are never sure you've made the right one. A great hole, both in terms of playing strategies and the stunning clay wash-out that dominates its look.

Bob 

[Mark Saltzman]

The golfer crosses a road to reach the 7th tee and is greeted with a very different style of golf hole once he reaches it.  The 7th hole brings the golfer into the trees and towards some housing.  The 7th hole is a short par-4 that requires precision from the tee -- finding the centre of the fairway leaves the only simple approach.




As seen from the right side of the fairway, playing too far to the right leaves an approach blocked-out by tree limbs.  Not pictured, an approach from the left side of the fairway must negotiate the lone green-side bunker.




A false-front and a very sloped back-to-front tilt make the 7th green a deceiving challenge.




Dare I say it? The 230 yard 8th at Cuscowilla has obvious reverse-redan characteristics, as the hole is best played with a running fade landing on the kicker short of the green.




I have played many half-par holes, but the 480 yard par-4, which often plays into the wind, is closer to a par 4.9.  After a fairly simple tee shot from a chute of trees, the fairway dips and then rolls, and a long drive will be rewarded with a much valued kick forward.  Thankfully the green is open in front, though many will be laying-up on this difficult-to-reach par-4.

[Thomas Dai]

I am not sure that anyone has really answered your question, but you would start to see greenup mid April and you start to really lose color by Halloween.


Anthony/Tony,

Thanks for stepping in and answering my question.

I've posted before how much I enjoy these course tours, always a good learning experience, especially about courses that are not on the immediate radar when you live on the other side of a 3,000 mile wide pond, ie not tour courses or heavily publicised new builds.

As to the photos themselves, brilliant, as per the cliche, 'a picture paints a thousand words'.

Looking forward to seeing the back-9.

All the best.

[Martin Toal]

Mac, you cleared that bunker by a mile.  Never a doubt.

With hickory or graphite?

[Mac Plumart]

Used moderns that day.  Although Cuscowilla does play well with hickories.

[Bill_McBride]

I do understand how a difficult par 3 early in a round can cause pace issues but I confess to being an idiot regarding how the direction of the hole (boomerang walk?) matters.  I do not remember it being a long or awkward walk from 2 green to 3 tee and the walk from 3 green to 4 tee isn't so bad (it does cross the street I think)?

Anyway, I think Cuscowilla is a terrific golf course.  My snapshot smiley on each hole
1     Great start
2  Nice hole with a slightly awkward drive
3  I liked this hole though agree if pace was the only concern a par 3 is ideally deep into a round
4 
5     Fun and neat green
6   
7 
8   
9   
10  Not a big fan of the forced carry drive
11   
12  A bit too tight for my liking though I don't hate it like many
13
14   
15  Never a big fan of the tee shot or the green--seemed a bit severe
16   
17   
18     Awkward tee shot and it just seemed like a bit of a let down though maybe because the rest of the course was si much fun
 

Chris, there are people that don't like 12?  Bah! What do they know!

Also, disagree on the ' ' on 14.  I think it's a very good hole.

14 has always been controversial, but what a challenge, with a long shot from a down hill lie to carry large cross bunkers!   I think it's the "ooh, that's unfair" crowd that doesn't like the hole.   

[Mark Saltzman]

The tee shot at the 420 yard par-4 10th has a very similar look as the tee shot at the 4th.  The strategy is very similar too.  Once again the golfer must choose whether to take the bold line to the right to leave a shorter approach or whether to play to the left, from where the ground's contours are more easily used to approach the green.






The par-3 11th is a wonderful short hole.  More than any hole on the golf course, the 11th is exposed to the wind and with an eternity green, the golfer is left questioning his club selection until his ball lands safely (or not!) on the putting surface.




The green is wildly contoured.  A false-front and a back-left portion of the green that falls away are separate by a narrow and pinnable ridge that cuts across the green's centre.




After the openness of the preceding holes, the return to the forest at the 300-yard 12th can make the golfer feel claustrophobic.  The golfer willing to play an iron has ample width to play to, but anyone hoping to leave just a pitch into the green must flirt with the trees on the left edge of the fairway.




The difficulty of the approach from the right, though, encourages an aggressive play from the tee.  As seen from the right-centre of the fairway, precision is demanded on the approach as the golfer must carry a fronting bunker, but absolutely must not end-up above the hole.




The green at the 12th is tiny and domed and predominantly tilted back toward the tee.  I am sure putting from above the hole to off of the front of the green is a regular occurence.  That being said, my group managed to head to the 13th tee with a total of 1 putt!

[Mac Plumart]

That being said, my group managed to head to the 13th tee with a total of 1 putt!

We're just that good!!!   


What are your thoughts on 12?  Good?  Bad?  Would you suggest changing anything?  Or not?

[Mark Saltzman]

My thoughts?

I think it's great.  Play safe from the tee and the approach (even with a wedge) is very demanding, but not impossible.

Play aggressively from the tee and pull it off and you have a pitch into the slope of the green.

Play aggressively and hit it in the woods and you probably have no chance to hit the green and will make 5 on a <300 yard hole.

[Mark Saltzman]

The 13th is routed in the same direction as the 12th and my caddie suggested that Ben Crenshaw once called this best par-4 he ever designed.  The hole sits on flat land and is constrained somewhat by trees, and is subtle in its shot demands.  An open green front suggests an easy approach but the land will move approach shots to the left and down an embankment next to the green.






The 600 yard 14th must be the most controversial hole at Cuscowilla.  For mine, it is a wonderful par-5 that challenges the golfer to play aggressively on each of his three shots.  From the tee, golfers can play safely away from the water on the right, but a bold tee shot down the left may kick forward and reward the golfer with much needed yardage.




The second shot is a handful.  Some golfers will choose to play short of the pair of bunkers 175 yards from the green, but golfers hoping to hit the green in regulation must challenge them.  Either play well away from the bunkers and leave a long and blind approach to the green, or skirt them and the golfer will be rewarded with the only clear view of the green.




After a very bold second shot, the golfer will have this view of the green:




The stretch of holes from 13-15 total over 1500 yards, and much of it plays uphill! 




The primary interest in the 445 yard 15th is found at the green, which has sharp internal contours.

[Mac Plumart]

14 gets better and better, in my eyes, every time I play it.  It is a difficult hole, but it is a par 5 with an interesting and critical second shot.

This has proven to be a tough feat to pull off and this hole gets it done.

Thoughts?

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