Playing from a tee benched into the rocky outcrop, the 16th (Par 4 - 409 yds.) requires a confident drive over or near the left side fairway bunker to prevent a blind approach. You can make out Donald Ross' yellow house in the distance.
The large waste bunker well short of the green blocks a clear view of the green for players approaching from the right hand side. There seems to be a tendency to pull shots to where you can see the ball land, and two deep bunkers are sunk into the group short and left of the green.
The 16th green sits at grade and features subtle contours, which are often the hardest to read. Essex CC has done a wonderful job at blending the 16th green surrounds and both the 15th (foreground) & 17th tees together into a single unit. The steep ascend of the 17th hole can be seen in the distance.
The 17th (Par 4 - 328 yds.) is very bold, heading directly up to the top of the rocky outcrop that dominates the landscape of the back nine.
The approach is completely blind and offering no clues to the golfer waiting to play their approach shot.
The 17th green site is rather secluded from the rest of the course, and offers a nice quiet spot before heading back down the roller-coaster at the 18th tee. Note, the original Ross green was to the best of my knowledge located directly behind where the photograph was taken. There is another bunker back there that seems to have been restored in 2007, and while not in play, likely a vestige of the original Ross course.
While I am not overly enamoured with highly elevated tees, it is hard to argue against the lovely vista offered at the 18th tee. Most of the fairway here is hidden behind the mound, and a drive played just left of the left side fairway bunker will find the middle.
The approach into the 18th (Par 4 - 414 yds.) plays to another low-profile green which sits just above a fronting creek that snakes closely to the front right corner of the green.
A final look at the closing hole and the steep descent.
Essex CC is a wonderful golf course, and a place I could happily play every day. I look forward to a return trip one day and would encourage everybody on GCA to make the effort to see it, you will not be disappointed.
TK