Hole-By-Hole Of Your Home Course

[dagolfer18]

In this topic, just give the name of your home course, some general info about it (yardage, par, rating/slope) and then a rundown of each hole. I’ll start. This’ll be my first course post of probably three on this topic. Yardage will be from white tees.

Umstead Pines Golf and Swim Club in Durham, NC. Par: 72; Yardage: 6063 from whites. Rating/Slope: 69.5/123 whites.

No. 1: Par 4, 365 yards, SI 4. This is a tough opening hole. Dogleg left. A good fairway wood/long iron will leave you about 160 in, but miss right if you do miss. Left is OB. The approach is all carry, and the green slopes off on all sides. There is a bunker short-right.

No. 2: Par 4, 337 yards, SI 8. One of the shorter par-4s on the course, and one of the wider fairways. Again, OB is left, but you’ve got all the room in the world to miss right past about 170 to the green. The approach plays slightly uphill. There are two bunkers, one short-left, the other short-right.

No. 3: Par 3, 140 yards, SI 10. The first one-shotter plays about half a club downhill to a well-guarded green, a massive bunker wrapping short and left, and slopes long. Right is the ideal miss here. The green slopes from front to back, making approaches with no spin hard to stop.

No. 4: Par 5, 478 yards, SI 14. This is a dogleg right, and you only need about 200 yards to get past the corner. A fairway bunker sits right at the 100 yard marker, in perfect position for those wishing to lay up. The green is open to runups, and shots that trickle off the back can roll back down to the green, a common theme at this course.

No. 5: Par 4, 377 yards, SI 2. A really fun hole, especially from the blue tees, 45 yards back. The tee shot is downhill, then the hole doglegs right and gives you an all-carry approach to a green guarded by two bunkers short left and right. The green slopes from back to front. Par is a good score from any tee box.

No. 6: Par 4, 303 yards, SI 16. Unless you can carry the ball past the fairway bunker, which is about 210 from the tee, you’re getting little to no roll. The fairway is probably 50 yards wide past the 100 marker, and 30 yards wide short of it. The green slopes severely from back to front, making anything long a tough up-and-down.

No. 7: Par 3, 150 yards, SI 12. Probably my favorite hole on the course, but No. 11 is another possibility. It’s a mid-length par-3 for me, leading to a smallish green guarded by two deep bunkers. Long is dead.

No. 8: Par 4, 318 yards, SI 6. Don’t let the short yardage fool you. This is a sneaky hard hole. It’s a sharp dogleg left, and there’s a fairway bunker about 70 out that you can’t see from the tee. You can try to cut the corner and have about 50 yards in, but good luck. I won’t be doing it with you 😂. On the approach, there’s a bunker short-left, but there’s plenty of room short-right, which is the only really acceptable miss. This is the only hole in the first twelve I’ve not birdied yet.

No. 9: Par 5, 442 yards, SI 18. For the better golfers, this hole and probably the next are gimme birdies. They are both very short par-5s, but there are some quirks to each. Here, there’s a dogleg to the left, and a fairway bunker at the corner of the dogleg, making you think twice about cutting the corner. The driving range is also to your immediate left, which plays as OB. The approach plays slightly uphill, and there’s two bunkers short of the green, and steep drop-offs right and long.

No. 10: Par 5, 444 yards, SI 17. After a lengthy walk across the parking lot to the tenth tee, you face the second of back-to-back par-5s. This one has an uphill tee shot. The ideal play is left of center, as it opens up the green. There’s two clumps of trees in the middle of the fairway about 170 from the green. If you miss too far left or too far right, especially the latter, you’re not reaching in two. Even if you can get it there, you have to contend with three bunkers short of the green, and then the green is about twice as wide as it is deep.

No. 11: Par 4, 359 yards, SI 15. Again, this may be one of my favorite holes on the course. The tee shot must be either in the fairway or left. Miss right at any point on this hole, and you’re dead. At best, you’ll have a bad sidehill lie to contend with. At worst, you’re implementing the stroke-and-distance penalty. The green here has some subtle breaks, so be careful when putting. Oh, and there’s a greenside bunker short-left. 

No. 12: Par 3, 165 yards, SI 9. An all-carry approach here. Again, either short or long is the miss. Losing it a little bit right isn’t too bad, but left can very likely run into a creek. Short-left is in a bunker, and there’s a false front to watch out for.

No. 13: Par 4, 421 yards, SI 1. If this hole had a name, it would be ‘The Narrows’. That’s exactly what this hole is. If you miss the fairway or the green here, it better not be more than 20 feet off line. If it is, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. There are two bunkers short-right. Short or short-left is the ideal miss, and there’s another false front. Putting or chipping from above the hole here can get ugly. Even for a good player, there’s a real possibility where you're chipping or putting for three, but you walk away with six. Bottom line: take five and run to 14. This is the most difficult par-4 I’ve ever played. Not close to the longest, but definitely the most difficult.

No. 14: Par 4, 356 yards. This hole is somewhat of a reprieve. A dogleg right hole, you can easily cut off 20 or 30 yards by bombing it over the trees. The blue tees give you the perfect opportunity to do so. They’re 40 yards behind the white tees. The approach to this green is a tamer version of 17 at St. Andrews. I’ll take a picture of the green and post it here one day. If you know St. Andrews, you know what I’m talking about. For the third hole in a row; there’s a false front.

No. 15: Par 4, 373 yards, SI 3. A downhill tee shot awaits. It looks like you can curve it around the corner and cut 30-40 yards off your approach. Ummm...don’t. There’s a small pond about 100 yards from the green. There’s also a bunker short-right, and combined with the almost certain downhill lie you’ll have for the second shot, a middle-or back-right pin is almost impossible to get close to.

No. 16: Par 5, 523 yards, SI 13. The longest hole on the course, and the only hole I have birdied out of the last six. Take the big stick out and let it fly! OB is finally somewhat out of your hair, although there are still woods to look out for. There’s a fairway bunker about 240 from the tee, in perfect range for the middle or longish hitter. Once you get past that, it’s a straight shot to the green, but you have to keep in mind the two bunkers short of the green. They’re not hard to get out of, but they’re there. Not too bad for a long    par-5.        

No. 17: Par 4, 355 yards, SI 11. If you look up this course’s website and go to the golf page, you’ll see this hole as the background. A fun par-4 with five fairway bunkers gathered in a cluster. You can bite off as little or as much as you want. The approach has yet another false front to deal with, and two bunkers on either side. I like to go to the red tee and try to drive the green, because they’re 100 yards in front of the white tee! 

No. 18: Par 3, 157 yards, SI 5. Ah, the finishing hole. A par-3 over a beautiful lake. There are two bunkers on either side of the green (which I’ve never been in), and the last false front of the round. The dining room overlooks the 18th green, so you’d better hit it stiff if there’s an event going on!

So, there you have it, my home course. It challenges your game in neat ways, and it’s just a fun track that currently in good shape. If you’re in town, let me know and I’ll make the tee time!

[Osnola]

Royal Golf Club in Slidell LA  From the White Tees is 6245 yards  70.10/155

1.  Par 4 386 yds.  Fairly straight forward.  Best to bet is to get around the 150 marker and fly it to the green.  Off the tee box, in the fairway or slightly left is okay, going a bit right can get you in trouble with trees.

2.  Par 3 183 yards.  Straight with water to the left and OB in trees and ditch on right.  Best to be straight and short.

3.  Par 4 387 yards.  Pretty straight with second shot having to carry over water.  Water on right of green so if you are gonna miss the 2nd shot, best to miss a bit left.  Bad tee shot and you will not be able to hit GIR.

4.  Par 4 403 yards.  Straight with trees to the right and a ditch to the left.  A fairly wide fairway but a good shot off the tee is really an asset.  Green is built up a few feet so not gonna get anything to run up, have to pretty much hit the green on the fly.

5.  Par 4 390 yards.  Fairly wide fairway.  Nice drive gets you to the 150 area and you have hit the green because it is also hard to run it up onto the green.

6.  Par 5 483 yards.  Trees on left make it hard to reach the green in 2 or 3 if you are over there.  Humps to the right, but better here if you don't hit the middle of the fairway.  Small ditch runs across the fairway and can come into play on your 2nd shot.  Closer to the green are large oak trees on the left and to the right.  Long and left will put you in the water.

7.  Par 3 128 yards.  Have to carry water to reach the green.  For some reason (for me) the ball seems not to carry so I hit one more club than normal for that distance.  Pin placement is what will dictate what club you will need.  Missing right better than missing left.

8.  Par 4 364 yards.  Dogleg left.  First shot over water .  Safe play is to the 150 marker but you can take a chance and hit driver over water to shorten 2nd shot.  Me, I play to the 150 marker.  Second shot is pretty straight forward but you do not want to miss right as it is harder to get to the normal pin location than from the left side.  When pin placement is in the front, difficult to putt if above the hole or from right side.

9.  Par 5 475 yards.  Dogleg left.  Crucial to hit tee shot past trees on the left and the oak tree to have a good look for 2nd shot to the green.  Trees on left are like a magnet for golf ball.  Preferred shot of the tee is a long draw giving you a chance to hit green in 2.  Second shot that misses left can be big problem.  Best to miss a little to the right.

10.  Par 4 388 yards.  Green is slightly left from the tee but safe play is to the middle to just right of middle of the fairway.  Errant tee shot to the left is trouble into the trees or a blocked shot to the green.  Water protects the front of the green with trees and marshy area to the left of the green.  2nd shot has to hit the green or miss just a little right.  Anything else and you are playing for bogie.

11.  Par 4 280 yards.  Nice hole with a birdie opportunity.  However, miss left and your next shot is your 3rd shot.  Straight off the tee looks good, but a miss to the right brings a tree and a couple of humps into play.

12.  Par 4 327 yards.  Trees down the right side of the fairway and way left brings you into trees and blocked shot into the green. I hit 3W from this tee to gibe me a better chance to stay in the fairway.  In fairway but to the right a bit puts a tree in between you and the green.  

13.  Par 4 406 yards.  Looks straight from the tee box, but there is water on the left near the green with a lot of cypress trees and pine trees if you go left off the tee.  Best to be slightly right, but to much right brings you into the trees.  The area to the front of the green seems to stay soft, so any 2nd shot that lands short is not going to make it to the green.

14.  Par 4 360 yards.  Trees to the left and trees and big ditch for lost ball on the right of the fairway.  Hit a long iron to the 150 marker then hit your second shot over a very deep ditch to the green.  Any shot to the right side of the fairway makes is difficult to get to the green in two.  Miss right and your ball is gone,  Miss left and your ball is gone.  

15.  Par 3 150 yards.  Not much here other than you really need to hit the green or be straight and short.  Anything else and you will not make par, unless you are lucky.

16.  Par 5 480 yards.  Nice straight hole with trees to the left.  Hit it way right and you are playing out of trees.  To me, it takes a good drive and a good second shot.  A missed shot at the green that goes left leaves you really short-sided and makes for a difficult 3rd shot.  Missing right slightly is tolerable, but a bigger miss to the right is gonna be OB.

17.  Par 3 135 yards.  Green is somewhat elevated.  You better hit it straight off the tee and not be to short.  Hitting it left brings some really tall trees into play and will leave you in trouble whether you clear the trees or not.  Missing right is probably worse because many times you will not find your ball or will find yourself with a very tough 2nd shot.

18.  Par 5 520 yards.  Big dogleg left.  You have to hit first shot off the tee over a big creek with trees on the left.  Miss right and guess what????  More trees.  To long and you are in trouble.  Second shot is going over the creek with oak trees to the left.  Just pick a flat area on the right and settle for getting to the green in 3 if lucky.  If your second shot goes to left of the landing area, you will be blocked by a very large oak tree.  Hit it a little further and you have a nice look at the green.  Pin placement here makes a big difference as to the difficulty of making your putt.

Hope this helps and give you a little idea where I play probably 70 of my golf.  It has a driving range, a putting green, a small club house with food and beverage.  Price is good and staff is extremely friendly.  Grounds crews really try hard and it is in better shape now than over the past few years.

I have played better and more expensive courses in the area but this course is more difficult because if you are not in the FW off the tee, you are going to have trouble.  There is not sand traps, but who needs them when you live in SE Louisiana where the ground is always wet and many times harder to hit out of than sand.  I looked back and my average score for the past 3 years on this course is +16.  I am 71 years old and am contemplating moving to the Gold tees as I have lost a bit of distance off the tee and with my irons...I love golf though....

[Jrwatkins7]

On 2/17/2020 at 6:22 PM, Osnola said:

Royal Golf Club in Slidell LA  From the White Tees is 6245 yards  70.10/155

tell me that slope rating is a typo....

[Vinsk]

Goodness...I believe we have a thread that shows overhead  fly-by video of our home courses....just sayin’😃

[NM Golf]

23 hours ago, Jrwatkins7 said:

Tell me that slope is a typo...

It is, and so is the rating. I get 68.9 116 when I look it up.

[dagolfer18]

I’ve decided to do another two courses, both of which I could technically call my “home courses” since I play them a good bit, but the course I outlined in the first post is where I play most of my golf. I’ll provide the yardages from the blues and the whites on both courses.

The first course is Occoneechee Golf Club in Durham, NC. It’s a par 71, 6301 from blues, 5951 yards from whites. Rating is 69.5/125 from blues and 68.1/119 from whites

No. 1: Par 4, 294/281 yards, SI 17. A great birdie opportunity to get your round started. It’s a downhill, slight dogleg right where longer hitters can try for the green from the tee, but I personally lay up to about 75 yards. The bunker on the left side of the green shouldn’t come into play.

No. 2: Par 4, 400/380 yards, SI 3. A mid-length par 4 where accuracy is at a premium. There’s dense forest on the right and left of the fairway, and a tree overhanging on the tee box. A good drive should leave a mid-to-short iron downhill approach into a green that slopes back-to-front. There’s a bunker short-right, and a creek long.

No. 3: Par 3, 155/130 yards, SI 11. Another good birdie opportunity. A short-to-mid iron approach that plays over a lake that shouldn’t come into play, and the large green is guarded by a bunker short-right.

No. 4: Par 4, 368/356 yards, SI 5. One of the most difficult short par-4s I’ve ever played. Downhill from tee to green, but the fairway slopes severely right to left and there’s a lake about 240 from the white tees, so driver is a no-go. Your approach will never be flat, unless you can get your ball to stop five feet short of the lake.

No. 5: Par 5, 484/469 yards, SI 7. Another hole where you can’t hit driver, because from the blue tees, it’s about 240 to get to the far treeline, which means 230 to run through the fairway. Then you have a slightly downhill 250+ yard second to a green with a bunker short-left. Unless you can curve your tee shot right to left, this hole is not reachable in two.

No. 6: Par 4, 412/391 yards, SI 1. A longish straightforward par-4 where you hit over two lakes: one on toll your tee shot and one on your approach. There’s a creek all the way down the left side of the fairway. Bottom line, stay to the right and you should be fine.

No. 7: Par 5, 510/467 yards, SI 9. One of the best birdie opportunities on the course. Even two okay shots should still leave you with 100 yards or less into a fairly benign green.

No. 8: Par 3, 149/131 yards, SI 15. There’s a lake, but it only comes into play if you hit a really poor tee shot. The only defense for this hole is it’s green. Severely slopes from back to front, but any pin is vulnerable.

No. 9: Par 4. 391/362 yards, SI 13. Another straightforward hole. No bunkers on this one, but the approach plays about half a club longer. Over the green could be in the parking lot.

No. 10: Par 3, 168/158 yards, SI 16. An all-carry mid-iron par-3. Short could be swallowed up by two bunkers, while long runs off a slope, so it’s a difficult chip coming back. 

No. 11: Par 4, 382/366 yards, SI 4. The most difficult hole on the course, in my opinion. I mentioned this hole in one of my score posts last week. It’s an entirely downhill hole, approach over water, to a green guarded by two bunkers short. It’s a fun hole, but definitely difficult.

No. 12: Par 4, 352/334 yards, SI 14. A short but tight par 4 that plays all uphill, so you’ll probably have 140-150 in. It’s a mid iron approach to a green guarded by two bunkers short.

No. 13: Par 4, 393/370 yards, SI 12. It’s about a seventy-foot drop downhill, so you’ll definitely see some extra distance with the widest fairway on the course. But that could also mean disaster, because the lake from the parallel 16th sits off to the right. The approach is uphill, but short tends to run off to the right.

No. 14: Par 4, 396/380 yards, SI 10. Probably my favorite hole on the course. A dogleg right hole where the drive is uphill, but the approach is relatively flat. Right or long of this green is fair, at best. This is also the hole where I got the idea for my “When People Hit Into You...” thread.

No. 15: Par 4, 422/412 yards, SI 2. This hole will play slightly shorter because it plays slightly downhill. Only one bunker here, to the left of the green. On this hole, I just put myself on the green in three, two putt and get out of there. This hole is only difficult because it’s long (at least for me).

No. 16: Par 3, 175/157 yards, SI 8. Despite being the toughest par-3, I’ve recorded more than my fair share of threes. It’s an uphill par-3, so take a club more. Long is almost certainly dead. The green is two-tiered, the front lower than the back. It isn’t very deep, so when there’s a front pin, watch out. Hitting to the back of the green with a front pin almost guarantees a four. Short or left is the best miss.

No. 17: Par 5, 469/453 yards, SI 18. After that testing hole, you get a bit of a reprieve. This downhill par-5 lets you really rip one, and the longer, the better. The second shot (if you choose to go for it in two) is over water, so you ideally want to be at or inside the 200-yard marker. There’s an excellent chance for birdie here.

No. 18: Par 4, 381/356 yards, SI 6. Not a bad finishing hole. A dogleg right par 4, you’ve got all the room in the world to miss left, and you’ll probably have at most an 8I into the smallish green. A lone bunker guards short-right.

One down, one to go. Here’s the other one, and probably my favorite of these two. Hillandale Golf Course, Par 71, 6425 from blues, 6026 from whites. Rating is 70.2/127 from blues, 68.2/124 from whites. When the Club Championship is played in September, there are back tee markers used on some holes that can add as much as 30 or 40 yards to the blue tee yardage, so it’ll play probably 6600-6700 during he Club Championship. I’ll note these holes with an *. This course also has a few tricks up its sleeve.

No. 1*, Par 4, 350/330 yards, SI 13. A fairly easy hole to start. You’ll probably have a 9I at most into the green, a wedge if you cut the corner. I almost never make worse than five here.

No. 2*: Par 5, 510/480 yards, SI 9. I’ll go ahead and say this: you cannot miss right at any point from holes 2-6. There’s a creek that runs through the middle of the front nine. This hole is another fairly easy hole, but if you don’t know the course, you’d think the creek on the right is further right than it really is. This green is reachable in two for the longer hitters.

No. 3: Par 4, 425/390 yards, SI 1. This hole goes steadily uphill, so it’ll probably play 30 yards longer than the scorecard says. The green is three-tiered, and can sport some interesting pin placements. Their favorite is back-left.

No. 4: Par 3, 165/151 yards, SI 15. My favorite hole on this course is between this hole and #16. This is a mid-iron par 3, where the green is very similar in difficulty to the third hole. This one is two-tiered, and the back tier is about 18 inches above the front tier. Middle of the green is a tough pin, so I always play to the front, no matter where the pin is.

No. 5: Par 4, 333/315 yards, SI 17. A tricky tee shot, because the bunkers on the left side of the fairway look further away than they really are. The best play is to hit a wood or long iron to the left, and hit a wedge in. Another good chance for birdie.

No. 6*: Par 4, 425/375 yards, SI 5. A tough slight dogleg-right par-4, even for the faders. As I noted above, going too far right will end up in the creek, too far left in a bunker, long grass or the highway. The approach, most likely around 140-160, is to a smallish green, bunker short-left. Over the green here is dead. Short is the only really acceptable miss.

No. 7*, Par 3, 180/165 yards, SI 11. A long uphill par-3, probably a mid- or long-iron. Bunkers short and left, but long is okay. A front pin is very difficult to get close to. If I walk off this hole with a four, I’m a happy camper.

No. 8*: Par 4, 410/383 yards, SI 7. The tee shot isn’t what’s hard about this hole, just a routine shot. The second shot, however, can kill you. It’s not long, but the creek I mentioned earlier cuts the hole short of the green, and it’s wider than it seems. Take a club more than you think. You’d rather be fifteen yards long than five yards short, trust me. This hole can play 450 yards during the Club Championship. 

No. 9: Par 4, 400/385 yards, SI 3. A fairly straightforward hole. The creek runs about 50 yards in front of the tee, but I don’t even look at it when I play the hole. You can miss left, but right is OB. The approach isn’t bad,  about 150-160 from a well-struck drive. The only trouble on your approach is two bunkers.

No. 10*: Par 4, 425/400 yards, SI 4. This hole will play shorter than it says. The tee shot is about half a club uphill, but the approach is about a full club downhill. Long runs for days down a huge slope, ten feet below the green.

No. 11: Par 4, 392/379 yards, SI 6. This hole is quirky. It has two greens, one that makes the hole play about 40 yards longer. I feel like the card notes the distance to the further green, and the other green is about 330-340. Back to the hole. The creek comes in again, and looks closer than it is, like you can drive the green. You can’t, but it is possible to get over the creek, about 60 yards out. I saw it happen last time I played there. But I just lay back with a wood or hybrid. The approach to the shorter green plays it’s yardage, but the approach to the farther green is all carry.

No. 12: Par 4, 347/332 yards, SI 12. A fun downhill par 4, where you can let it rip. You’d have to miss pretty bad to be penalized on this hole. Assuming a good drive, you have a short iron or wedge into a green guarded by a bunker short. If there’s nobody behind me, I like to hit a shot from the gold tees (~240 yards) to see if I can drive the green!

No. 13: Par 4, 368/350 yards, SI 2. This hole is tougher than the third, in my opinion. The drive is uphill, and a drive that doesn’t carry about 220 will stop dead on the hill, which is where I end up most of the time. That leaves about a 150-yard all-carry approach (115-125 for those who clear the hill) into a green surrounded by just slopes. I found that a chip from behind the green is almost impossible to stop.

No. 14: Par 5, 440/420 yards, SI 18. Yep. Par 5. Second-shortest par 5 I’ve ever played. A drive down the middle can easily get you inside the 200 yard marker, but beware if going for the green in two: there’s a huge pot bunker guarding the middle of the green, making you think about taking the risk. Par here isn’t too bad even though it’s a short par-5.

No. 15: Par 3, 192/175 yards, SI 10. A long all-carry par-3 guarded by three bunkers short. The green is two-tiered (back higher than front) and is tough to hold. Par here is excellent.

No. 16*: Par 4, 380/353 yards, SI 14. A downhill par-4 where accuracy is critical. Left is OB, right is trees. A good drive can leave 110 or 120 into the green, which is guarded by a bunker short and a falloff long. Probably my favorite hole on this course.

No. 17: Par 3, 190/170 yards, SI 8. Not much to say about this hole. Straightforward par 3, bunker right, tons of room to miss.

No. 18*: Par 5, 493/478 yards, SI 16. A fun hole to finish. The tee shot is downhill, and you can get past the corner with a well-struck drive. The green is open to run up shots, and will hold most fairway woods that get to the green. This is a great chance to get a stroke back at the end of the day.

Well, there’s two more of my ‘home courses’. Hope you enjoyed!

[Osnola]

Sorry, typo....Slope Rating at Royal Golf Course is 115, not 155....

[bwdial]

Sugar Hill Golf Club - 6094 Suwanee Dam Road - Sugar Hill, GA 30518

Blue - 71.6/140 - White - 69.1/129 - Gold - 66.4/115 - Red - 66.0/109

Hole #1 - Par 4 - H.I.-13 - 384 - 356 - 326 - 281

The first hole is a gentle dogleg left that plays downhill from the tee.  If you keep your tee shot along the left side of the hole, you'll have a decent shot at a birdie.  If you go too far right, you'll be in the junk and trees.  The approach shot is downhill, and if your tee shot is too long, you may have an awkward, hanging lie.  The green is 30 yards deep and 19 yards wide, and guarded all along the right side by a bunker.

Hole #2 - Par 5 - H.I.-11 - 524 - 474 - 426 - 398

Another scoring opportunity early in the round, big hitters can definitely get home in two.  Off the tee, you should favor the right side of the fairway.  The left is guarded by a large bunker, and a giant granite outcropping in the middle of the fairway around 270-280 yards from the blue tees.  The approach shot plays downhill to a green that is 38 yards deep, but only 14 yards wide, and guarded by bunkers left and right.  As you get closer to the green, trees and deep underbrush - hit it there and you are reloading - pinch in.

Hole #3 - Par 3 - H.I.-17 - 146 - 119 - 97 - 83

The scoring opportunities keep coming with this short par three over water, which isn't really in play, unless you really suck.  The heart shaped green is 29 yards deep and wide, and surrounded by bunkers.  The wind can play havoc with tee shots, but it's a pretty innocuous hole.

Hole #4 - Par 4 - H.I.-1 - 402 - 366 - 302 - 295

Hope you scored well on the first three holes, because this one is going to take you down a notch.  This sharp dogleg right is pinched on the left by water and the right by dense, ball eating woods.  If you are a big hitter, you better be able to shape your tee shot left to right, or take a fairway wood off the tee.  If you go straight and long, your approach may be blocked out by trees on the left.  Be sure to club your approach properly.  It needs to be accurate, because the green is 36 yards deep and only 13 yards wide, and fronted by two small bunkers.

Hole #5 - Par 4 - H.I.-5 - 399 - 377 - 357 - 230

This short-ish par four doglegs left around a lake.  Big hitters can have a go at the green from the tee, but you'll have to deal with a large tree off the left side of the tee, as well as a massive pine beside the green that may repel your tee shot into the lake.  Playing up the right with a hybrid or fairway will provide a large landing area and a short approach into another long, narrow green, measuring 34 yards deep and 17 yards wide, with a small bunker on the left, under the aforementioned large, pine tree.

Hole #6 - Par 4 - H.I.-7 - 388 - 360 - 279 - 235

Don't let the yardage fool you; you are going to need to thread the needle off the tee.  The fairway narrows as you get closer to the green, with a stone wall along fifty yards of the left side of the hole, ending about 75 yards from the green.  The right side isn't an option because the fairway slopes toward woods teeming with briars.  As with most holes on this course, if you find the woods, your ball is gone.  Again, your approach needs to be accurate, as the angled green is 36 yards long and only 14 yards wide, flanked by a pair of bunkers on the left side.

Hole #7 - Par 4 - H.I.-9 - 341 - 291 - 276 - 147

Once again, you're going to need to be accurate off the tee, as there is trouble left and right.  Left is down a forested slope, and right is up a forested slope... take your pick.  The good news is that you can take a mid or long iron off the tee and still have a short iron approach.  And, as with the previous holes, that approach better be the right club and accurate, because the green is 38 yards long, 17 yards wide front and back, and pinched to 11 yards wide in the center.  If sand is your nemesis, I've got some good news, there aren't any bunkers.  There is, however, a rock outcropping to the right of the green that will repel wayward approaches down the hill and into the briars.

Hole #8 - Par 3 - H.I.-15 - 164 - 128 - 117 - 111

Finally, a sigh of relief.  This par three requires the correct club off the tee, as the green is 40 yards deep, but it is 20 yards wide and funnels toward the center.  Bunkers front the green left and right, but there is plenty of room to run the ball up.  The surrounding area is pretty wide open and flat, so you don't have to worry about the ball running down a slope into the woods.

Hole #9 - Par 5 - H.I.-3 - 526 - 497 - 478 - 390

Here's another hole that looks pretty tame based on the yardages, but unless you are hitting off the red tees, you are going to have a difficult getting home in two.  The tee shot is downhill to a pretty narrow fairway, that gets pinched pretty hard as it doglegs 90 degrees to the right for a little over a hundred yards before taking a hard left up the hill.  If you are going to get home in two, you are going to have to thread a draw - for righties - with your hybrid or fairway wood around the trees to your left.  If you go in two, you'd better get it all the way onto the green, because if you are short, it's going to roll back down the hill and leave you with a 70 yard pitch up a steep hill to a green that is 35 yards deep and 21 yards wide.  Long is okay, because the green has a backstop, but don't go too long, because your chip will be lightning fast.

Hole #10 - Par 4 - H.I.-14 - 365 - 322 - 278 - 237

The back nine starts off with another sigh of relief, as the tee shot is relatively wide open.  The only trouble is long left, a densely wooded area, or a fairway bunker along the right that begins about 260 yards from the blue tees.  Ideally, your tee shot should be left center of the fairway.  The approach shot is downhill, to a green is 36 yards deep and 23 yards wide, but it is surrounded by four bunkers and a mound.

Hole #11 - Par 4 - H.I.-12 - 358 - 287 - 262 - 158

This hole is a big hitter's dream, as the fairway widens the farther you hit it.  Just stay to the right, to avoid the dense forest to the left, and open up the green to your approach.  The fairway slopes down to the green from about 65 yards from the green.  The green is 30 yards deep and 18 yards wide, and the only real trouble is a lone bunker left of the green, but that is a better fate than the deep, dark woods just beyond it.

Hole #12 - Par 3 - H.I.-18 - 141 - 119 - 111 - 88

The "easiest" hole on the course is a par three over water, but like the first par three, the water shouldn't come into play unless you really chunk your tee shot.  You will have to contend with a gaping bunker that fronts the entire green, which is 30 yards wide and 22 yards deep, and slopes back to front.

Hole #13 - Par 5 - H.I.-10 - 505 - 485 - 440 - 409

Big hitters rejoice!  You should be able to blow it past the bunker that pinches the fairway from the right in the landing area for the mere mortals, which will leave a downhill approach shot to a relatively large - 34 yards deep and 25 yards wide - green that is surrounded by three bunkers; two of which pinch the front of the green, with the third behind the green.  Definitely a chance for a birdie.

Hole #14 - Par 4 - H.I.-6 - 392 - 356 - 320 - 313

If this course has a "weird" hole, this one is it.  Whatever tees you play, you MUST keep your tee shot at, or short of, the 150 yard pole.  Beyond that, there is a ravine full of thick, ball-grabbing rough.  That same ravine must be carried with your approach.  The green is a generous 31 yards wide and 22 yards deep, but its front edge sits right behind the ravine, and any shot that comes up short is dead.  On the bright side, there aren't any bunkers, but did I mention the ravine?

Hole #15 - Par 4 - H.I.-2 - 402 - 362 - 337 - 174

Your tee shot needs to favor the left side of the fairway to avoid the trees to the right.  There is water short of the fairway, but again, it shouldn't come into play unless you make a grievous error off the tee.  If you find the short grass off the tee, you will face an uphill approach shot to a kidney shaped green, that is 19 yards deep and 36 yards wide, and fronted on the left side by a large bunker.  Long and right is bad, as there are deep woods that might not give your ball back.

Hole #16 - Par 3 - H.I.-16 - 182 - 166 - 150 - 102

After two bruisers, this wide open par three has a green that is 20 yards deep and 36 yards wide, and the only trouble is a large bunker in front of the green.  The hole plays slightly uphill, and any shot short and left will run off of the putting surface.

Hole #17 - Par 4 - H.I.-8 - 378 - 348 - 319 - 194

A good drive in the middle of the fairway should yield a birdie opportunity.  The fairway bunker on the right side of the fairway should be carried by most.  The approach is more reminiscent of the earlier holes as the green is 47 yards deep and only 18 yards wide, so you need to pull the right club to avoid a three putt, and it needs to be straight.  A large bunker menaces your approach short and right of the green, and the large green undulates as it slopes down toward the front.

Hole #18 - Par 5 - H.I.-4 - 525 - 498 - 457 - 386

Again, don't let the yardage fool you.  Only the longest hitters will get home in two, because the hole plays uphill all the way, and pretty severely as you approach the green.  There is water right off the tee, but as with most holes, it should not come into play.  Trees pinch both sides of the fairway from about 200 to 100 yards out, and about 65 yards out, the fairway rises sharply to the green, which is 32 yards wide and just 21 yards deep, and with trees directly behind the green, long is a problem.  Short is also a problem, because if your ball doesn't stay up, you'll be lucky if it drops in the bunker fronting the left side of the green, because if it doesn't, it may very wind up 75 yards back down the fairway.

After your round, make sure to pay a visit to Daddy O'Briens (liquor infused) Ice Cream.  Their "Drunken Oreo" and/or Big Lebowski inspired "Dude" White Russian ice creams will soothe your soul, and numb your senses.

Edited May 7, 2020 by bwdial

[iacas]

On 5/6/2020 at 1:33 PM, Osnola said:

Sorry, typo....Slope Rating at Royal Golf Course is 115, not 155....

From the golds. And the course rating is 68.9 from the Whites (116 slope) and 67.1 from the Golds.

On 2/20/2020 at 3:09 PM, NM Golf said:

It is, and so is the rating. I get 68.9 116 when I look it up.

 

[pganapathy]

Coorg Golf Links, Bittangala, Coorg, India

Course Par 70

Men's Slope 67.3/117

Women's Slope 67.5/119

Championship Tees

Hole 1 - Par 4 - 360 yards - SI 9

Straight hole.  Right side and over the back is OB.  Hit across a road which divides the front 9 and back 9.  Immediately across the road is a tank.  There is another tank on the right side.  Carry around 200 and you are over both the tanks.  On the left side of the fairway from 260 to 320 is another tank.  Hit 200 to 250 straight and you are good.  Green is slightly elevated but fairly flat

Hole 2 - Par 3 - 149 yards - SI 11

Straight hole.  A tank on the left side till about a 100 yards.  Two bunkers in front and a gap between them.  Green slopes quite a bit

Hole 3 - Par 4 - 360 yards - SI 1

About 200 yards straight.  Then a serious climb with a bit of a dogleg right.  The last 150 yards or so easily climbs 25 yards.  Around 230 yards is a road.  All along the right is OB.  Either hit it 200 yards till where it is level and then hit an uphill shot or carry it at least 240-250 and clear the road. A bunker on the left edge of the green.  Fairly small and reasonably level two tier green.  Maybe a difference of a foot or two between the two tiers

Hole 4 - Par 3 - 143 yards - SI 13

Straight hole with an OB on the right and a drop off on the left.  The right side is a slope as well, but plants to keep the slope from eroding hold up balls hit there.  There is a bunker on the front right side and the green has a slope with an elevation change of three feet or so.

Hole 5 - Par 4 - 305 yards - SI 5

Dog leg left. Hole goes up for 125 yards and then turns left and goes severely downhill (reckon 50 to 75 yards).  On the left side of the fairway is a hazard and on the right side is an OB.  There are some tall trees in the hazard on the left, which makes cutting the dogleg a bit of an issue.

Hole 6 - Par 5 - 530 yards - SI 3

Dog leg right.  Hole goes up 250 or so yards (climb of 50 yards or so) and then turns right.  Down hill all the way from there to the green (drop of 100 yards or so.  The entire right side is OB.  About 100 yards short of the green cross the road (same as 3rd hole).  About 50 yards short of the green a tank on the left edge of the fairway.  Green has two bunkers in front.  Behind and right side drops off after the green.

Hole 7 - Par 4 - 335 yards - SI 15

Slight dog leg left.  About 200 yards to the left.  Cutting the dogleg is problematic thanks to a tree in the relevant line.  Left downhill slope with trees and a tank.  Right uphill slope with trees.  After that OB onto the road (3rd and 6th hole) and beyond.  Green has two front bunkers.

Hole 8 - Par 4 - 295 yards - SI 17

Straight hole.  Water body from 100 to 150 yards.  Two fairway bunkers on either side between between 200 and 250 yards.  Bunkers either side of the green.  Most of the left side of the fairway is wooded rough. Green slopes from back to front.

Hole 9 - Par 4 - 365 yards - SI 7

Straight hole.  Tank on left of fairway from 250 to 350 yards.  Two bunkers in front of the green.  Green slopes from right to left.  A couple of yards past the green is OB.

Hole 10 - Par 4 - 460 yards - SI 2

Bit of a dogleg left.  Left of the fairway is OB.  About 250 yards from the tee is a fairway bunker on the right side of the fairway.  One the right edge of the fairway are two tanks at 150 and 75 yards.  Left and beyond the green after 5 yards or so is OB.  Two bunkers either side of the front of the green.  Green slopes from front to back.

Hole 11 - Par 3 - 160 yards - SI 18

Left of the fairway and behind the green is OB.  One bunker on the front left of the green.  Right of the fairway is a tank.  Green slopes from front to back.

Hole 12 - Par 4 - 390 yards - SI 6

Slight dogleg left.  Entire left of fairway is OB.  Turns left around 225 yards.  Two bunkers in front of the green.  Behind the green slopes down and a tank about 5 to 10 yards past.  Green slopes from front to back.

Hole 13 - Par 3 - 170 yards - SI 14

Left of the fairway is OB.  A tank stretching all the way till 20 yards before the green.  A bunker on either side of the front of the fairly level green.

Hole 14 - Par 5 - 500 yards - SI 10

Dogleg right.  About 275 yards and the fairway turns to the right.  Trees lining the entire right side of the fairway, which makes going left on the fairway, right of the fairway onto the 12th fairway or long enough mandatory if you want to hit the green in two.  Front of the green has two bunkers.  10 yards over the green is a tank.

Hole 15 - Par 3 - 170 yards - SI 12

Straight hole with bunkers either side of the green.  A bit of a drop off on the left of the green.  Both sides have some trees though far more on the left.

Hole 16 - Par 4 - 360 yards - SI 16

Straight hole with fairway bunkers either side around 200 to 250 yards.  From a hundred or so yards in the fairway rises by about 5 yards and then levels out.  Green has a bunker on either side and drops off every side.  Slopes a bit from back to front.

Hole 17 - Par 5 - 560 yards - SI 4

Dogleg right.  Left of fairway for tee shot is OB.  About 275 yards from the tee box is a tank on the right half of the fairway.  After the tank the fairway turns right.  The green has two bunkers in front and about 10 yards behind it is a tank.

Hole 18 - Par 4 - 495 yards - SI 8

Almost straight hole.  At the end of the fairwayof about 450 yards, the green is on the left side another 50 yards or so, and raised up by 10 yards or so.  However, it isn't really a dogleg because you can hit the green from almost any point on the fairway.  The green has two bunkers at the right and back. On the left and front, it is a slope.  Back and right long is OB.  One part of the green is quite steep and it is a two tier green.

[DrvFrShow]

Lake Spanaway Golf Course, WA

Scorecard

Hole	Black	Blue	Blue/White	White	White/Green	Green	Men's Handicap	Women's Handicap	Men's Par	Women's Par
1	422	402	382	382	382	318	3	7	4	4
2	458	425	407	407	358	358	1	5	4	5
3	195	170	170	144	144	125	17	17	3	3
4	423	378	378	358	358	299	11	9	4	4
5	501	492	476	476	476	451	9	3	5	5
6	195	173	164	164	118	118	15	15	3	3
7	399	377	377	359	359	339	13	13	4	4
8	463	382	363	363	300	300	5	11	4	4
9	525	519	519	502	468	468	7	1	5	5
OUT	3,581	3,318	3,236	3,155	2,963	2,776	OUT	OUT	36	37
10	458	452	452	425	425	406	12	4	5	5
11	419	406	396	396	336	336	4	10	4	4
12	444	397	382	382	347	347	2	14	4	4
13	524	500	500	484	484	454	8	2	5	5
14	157	143	131	131	131	110	18	18	3	3
15	471	422	397	397	358	358	6	8	4	4
16	428	413	390	390	329	329	10	6	4	5
17	190	174	174	161	161	148	16	16	3	3
18	411	376	376	357	357	340	14	12	4	4
IN	3,502	3,283	3,198	3,123	2,928	2,828	IN	IN	36	37
TOTAL	7083	6,601	6,434	6,278	5,891	5,604	TOTAL	TOTAL	72	74

 

	Black	Blue	Blue/White	White	White/Green	Green
Men's Rated	74.2	72.0	71.0	70.3	68.6	67.1
Men's Slope	136	123	121	120	118	117
Women's Rated				76.0	73.9	72.3
Women's Slope				129	125	121

 

The Black Tees can be stretched out to play 7300 yds. The course is very well maintained year round. The bunkers? Well they could use some sand but I'll take some of the best maintained greens in the area over sandy bunkers.

1st Hole: This challenging dog leg left opening hole requires a right to left tee shot to set up a mid to long iron approach to a green that slopes back to front. A large, right green side bunker will come into play when the flag stick is on the right 2/3 of the green.

2nd Hole: A long straight away that requires a very accurate tee shot, and a second shot that makes the best shot makers really think. Personal note: when you check your distance you'd better club down and play to the left side of the green. If they tuck the pin behind the big bunker on the right it's a sucker play.

3rd Hole: The green has a three-club swing and any shot that doesn't hold on the left-hand side makes for a very tricky up and down. A great shot makers' hole from the back tee. Local knowledge: playing the left to right breeze off the tee is a noob play. That breeze dies near those bunkers.

4th Hole: This slight dog leg right, par 4 requires a tee shot that is played to the left side of the fairway. The mid to long iron second is guarded by a grass bunker that runs the entire width of the green on the right side and you don't want to go in there.

5th Hole: Be careful of the "grip it and rip it" attitude as you prepare to hit the tee shot on this relatively short par 5. Right and left are jail and possible bogey. Two huge bunkers guard the front of the gigantic green and require very difficult sand shots. Local knowledge: play your tee shot left. There's a big pine on the right side you need to be clear of for a shot at the green. 

6th Hole: A downhill par 3 that you do not want to be long on when the flag stick is on the front of the green. With two bunkers front left and right, easy does it on all down hill putts. Note: this hole is a bogey machine.

7th Hole: Aim right at the giant fir, standing 150 yards from the center of the green. Any ball left or right will leave you a mid to long iron to this long narrow green. Note: I have hit that giant fir with my tee shot.

8th Hole: Keep your tee shot down the left-hand side of this long par 4, as the right side is known as bogeyville. The front part of this green is hidden and guarded by a blind bunker front right. Note: there's a bunker on the left they're forgetting about. Back right pin location is very tricky. Front left pin location is a birdie.

9th Hole: Fly the bunker on the left side of the fairway, and you could be home free. Short of it and you're playing a three shot par 5 to a heavily guarded green. Note: play your putts straight... mostly.

10th Hole: This is the "Amen" corner of Lake Spanaway. Play holes 10, 11, and 12 even par or better and you will feel like a King or Queen. Under par and you will feel like you are on top of the world. A straight drive will set up a fairway wood to a relatively generous green. Be careful of the sand bunker on the right hand side of the green.

11th Hole: This hole appears to play longer than it does. A smooth swing with your driver down the left center of the fairway and you are set up perfectly for a mid to short iron approach to a big, generous green.

12th Hole: This dog leg left par 4 is one of the holes at Lake Spanaway that you will remember when your round is finished. Take an extra club on your approach. It is all carry to this huge green protected by two bunkers from left and right. Note: this is the most difficult hole on the course. You must hit your tee shot to the upper part of the fairway at the dogleg. If you overshoot, you're in the woods. If you undershoot, you have the worst sidehill hook lie on the course. The green has a steep drop off into the woods on the left side so that hook lie doesn't help - if you miss it left you're looking at a DB or triple. 

13th Hole: Play this straight away par 5 as a three shot hole and you are assured a par or birdie. If you go for it in two - a fade off center of the fairway will give you your best lie and approach to this green that slopes back to front, and has a bit more break than you actually see. Note: the fairway slopes right.... overcook the fade and you're in the trees. You'll be in someone's back yard on the left and you don't want to hop the chain link fences... not in that neighborhood. 

14th Hole: This sleeping beauty of a par 3 could be the kiss of death. No the water does not come into play here but more bogeys than birdies are marked on the scorecards. Just because this is the 18th handicap hole doesn't mean it's easy. That front bunker catches more balls than anything. 

15th Hole: This is the big giant that has conquered them all. The trees are double bogey trees, not firs. Cut the center of the fairway or play the right side. Those sand bunkers left and subtle hill that rolls away from the green on the right will make you wonder why you didn't take one or more clubs for your second shot. Note: Keep it in the middle off the tee and a 155 yd club should do the trick. But you have to make the center of that dogleg left. Don't get clever.

16th Hole: Play 16, 17, and 18 even par and you're in the money. Play 16 down the middle and aim for the middle of the green. This green is second to #6 in three putts. If you're riding you're golden. If you're walking that ball might be leaking right. You don't want the ball leaking right off the tee. It's not that long. Use your 3W. 

17th Hole: #17 is the second toughest par 3 on the course. Two giant firs on the left and fairly good size bunker on the right protect this large green. It looks simple, but looks can be deceiving. Note: Can I say I hate this hole? From my tees it's only 147 yds from an elevated tee. It's an 8 iron. I've NEVER gotten better than a bogey on it. I've tried a 9 iron and that lands short. The 8 iron lands in the back of the green or rolls off. I've tried hitting a little punch shot and had that land in front of the green and roll all the way off the back. Did I mention the green is huge? Also if you block the ball right you're in the double bogey pines. 

18th Hole: A straight drive down the middle of 18 is the biggest gift a golfer can ask for. As you walk up the middle of the fairway, you will notice that the trees do not come in as close as they appear from the tee. Note: The tee shot is scary looking. You need to hit it in the middle and you need to hit it to the crest of the hill or past that crest where the trees pinch in. A 3W off the tee should do the trick. The trees are no fun. The lighting around the green makes the approach difficult to judge except at midday. And you might drop an f-bomb on the green depending upon pin placement.

[dagolfer18]

I’ve decided to do another one. This course was the first course I could consider my “home” course. Lake Winds Golf Course is an extremely short course, as you’ll see from the scorecard. (please ignore the scores 😂) When I play this course now, I’ll alternate between the blues and whites. 
 

Don’t be fooled by the course’s yardage! It’s kind of a tough layout with smallish greens and thick rough, and a slight mishit can cost you dearly on some holes. On to the hole by hole!

No. 1: A nice start to the round. With the hole playing downhill, a solid tee shot will leave you with a short iron approach, but missing long or right on your approach is a big no-no.

No. 2: A shorter hole than the first, but this one is tougher. The first of eight holes with water in play, a pond sits off to the right about 230 out from the blue tees, so a fairway wood off the tee is best. The approach plays about a half club farther due to an elevated green. 

No. 3: The first of four fantastic par threes, and another one that plays over water. Fly it all the way there, because any shot landing short of this green will not bounce up.

No. 4: Probably the toughest driving hole on the course. You’re hitting out of a sort of chute, and while it widens out at about the 150 marker, you can be intimidated by how it feels on the tee. The green is much wider than it is deep, so it can be tough to hold the green.

No. 5: An ultra short par 5, barely clearing 400 from the whites. The catch is that every inch of this hole is uphill, so it’ll play much longer, but it’s still reachable. The green is one of the most sloped on the course, so be mindful of that when deciding whether to go for it in two.

No. 6: Another par 5, and while it’s actually a decent yardage, it descends the same steep hill that the fifth hole ascends, which makes for an awesome view. Sprayers of the ball beware, this hole can eat you alive. If you hit the fairway here, you have a very good chance for birdie.

No. 7: Probably my favorite hole here.  This is a short par 3 that’s pretty much hit the green or bust. Short or left is wet, long is an almost impossible downhill chip back towards the water. You have a chance if you go right, but that’s the only acceptable miss.

No. 8: Although this is the longest par 4 on the course, it’s not that hard a hole. Just a gentle dogleg to the right that doesn’t have any real trouble. The green is actually pretty benign.

No. 9: This is a tough uphill hole to finish the front. Trees overhang the left side of the tee box, so the ideal play is a draw. If you hit a good drive, you have a short to mid iron into the green guarded by two bunkers in the front.

No. 10: The first hole on the tougher back nine is a par 4 that barely tops 300 from the blues and a downhill dogleg right, and the green on this hole can be driven by longer hitters. However, trees await if you mishit it. The best play is a fairway woods or long iron off the tee and a wedge in. 

No. 11: Despite being a short par 5, this can only be reached by the longest of hitters. Why? The hole doglegs left around the 150 marker, so you need an ultra long drive to get to the corner. Again, a layup is the smart play here. The green is one of the toughest here, sloping severely back to front.

No. 12: This begins Lake Winds’ version of Amen Corner. The first hole in the stretch is a long par 4 where the fairway is pinched by a water hazard about 240 out from the blue tees. If you manage to hit the fairway, you still have a mid or long iron into a green guarded by a bunker in front. Five is nothing to be ashamed of here.

No. 13: Probably my least favorite hole. Not a long par 4 at all, but the approach, which will likely be around the 120-130 yard mark, plays about a full club uphill to another severely back to front sloping green. If you go long, good luck.

No. 14: You’d think this is an easy hole, measuring a measly 107 from the back tees. You’d be wrong. Although the only par 3 without water in play, this hole is adjacent to the fifth hole, which means it climbs the same hill. The green is also small and it slopes severely right to left, so it’s tough to stick one close. Be very happy with par here.

No. 15: Another somewhat difficult hole. This one goes all the way down the hill that 14 went up, and with a severe dogleg left, this is another drivable par 4, but only with a perfect tee shot. Water guards mishit efforts 50 yards short, and your approach is hit off a downhill lie.

No. 16: Obviously the longest of the par 3s, this one features an all carry approach over a pond to a shallow green. Another hole where par is a good score.

No. 17: The last two holes can easily produce birdies, but also bogeys and doubles and worse. This one is a fun short par 5 that can be reachable, but your second will need to be hit high and land soft. Like 16, any shot coming up short is likely wet, and OB is about five paces off the back of the green. 

No. 18: The closing hole is yet another drivable par 4, but again there’s a challenge. To drive the green here, you must carry your tee shot about 250 yards over a pond, and it needs to land soft. It’s possible, because I’ve witnessed it (my dad did it when I was 14, and it’s also the only time I’ve seen him try it). 

There you go! Although the back nine is a good bit shorter than the front, it is believed to be the tougher side, requiring you to be in better position off the tee. Although I love the layout, I don’t play here often because the course is very poorly maintained. If it was in better shape, you better believe I’d be playing here more often. Probably a 1 or 2 on the Doak scale, was likely a 4 when it was in better shape. Definitely one of my favorite tracks in the area.

[Billy Z]

This is one of what I consider home courses, which I feel is somewhat easy to score on. Not a lot of elevation change throughout. Last year I shot a 73 on my birthday, my lowest there. Great to get out with some of my higher hc friends for casual golf.

Front Nine
1st Hole: Blue 335 – White 325 -  Par 4 Handicap 9 
2nd Hole: Blue 162 – White 150 - Par 3 Handicap 17
3rd Hole: Blue 400 – White 390 - Par 4 Handicap 1
4th Hole: Blue 195 – White 192 – Par 3 Handicap 15
5th Hole: Blue 337 – White 324 – Par 4 Handicap 13
6th Hole: Blue 375 – White 369 – Par 4 Handicap 5
7th Hole: Blue 357 – White 340 – Par 4 Handicap 7
8th Hole: Blue 325 – White 321 – Par 4 Handicap 11
9th Hole: Blue 515 – White 493 – Par 5 Handicap 3
Blue 3001 – White 2904 – Par 35

Back Nine
10th Hole: Blue 326 – White 318 – Par 4 Handicap 14
11th Hole: Blue 170 – White 150 – Par 3 Handicap 16
12th Hole: Blue 376 – White 371 – Par 4 Handicap 12
13th Hole: Blue 407 – White 395 – Par 4 Handicap 2
14th Hole: Blue 509 – White 475 – Par 5 Handicap 4
15th Hole: Blue 147 – White 141 – Par 3 Handicap 18
16th Hole: Blue 520 – White 512 – Par 5 Handicap 8   (I have eagled this hole)
17th Hole: Blue 423 – White 403 – Par 4 Handicap 6
18th Hole: Blue 394 – White 380 – Par 4 Handicap 10
Blue 3272 – White 3145 – Par 36

Course
Blue 6273 – Par 71 , 68.5, 117

White 6049 – Par 71, 68.2, 113

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Billy Z

[Lugowskins]

This could be a good exercise if anything.

Very short course just 5827 yards Par 71 slope 114 rating 70. Main thing to know that I will not bring up hole to hole is that this courses greens are like parking lots, in firmness not size lol

Hole 1: 324 yard drivable par 4 (this will be a theme on the front) tree trouble at 250 yards a large tree on the left that overhangs the fairway and a group of trees on the right. Tall pines guard the right side of the green which has a false front as well as the entire left edge of the green that falls off dramatically. 

Hole 2: 285 yard par 4 over water with the water wrapping around and running down the left edge of the fairway. It is roughly 265-270 to carry the water but the play is a 6 or 7 and just give yourself a firm wedge in with hopefully enough height and spin to hold the green. 

Hole 3: Very short 235 yard par 4 that has water running all along the left and the green is guarded by a large willow tree. Depending on the firmness a well placed 215 yard shot can get you on. There is a tree line right and a creek running long right of the slight dogleg left fairway where many a ball have found their way into. Anything worse than par sets you back a long way.

Hole 4: Straight away 353 yard par 4 that is generally into wind. Heavy tree trouble to the right that can make it difficult to maneuver your way to the uphill green which slopes heavily back to front> Being below the hole here is very important as going long makes 2 putting challenging.

Hole 5: The first of 6 90 degree doglegs on the course. This 381 yard par 4 does give you the opportunity to carry the out of bounds left a 220-260 yard carry can land you in the fairway depending on your line but miss short you're re-teeing and miss long you're punching out from a tree line. To play to the corner its a 190+ yard shot leaving you around 170 yards in to one of the largest and mostly flat greens on the course.

Hole 6: The shortest par 3 on the course and the only on the front measuring at just 108 yards. Straight forward aside from a tree that slightly over hangs the green on the left and this is the 2nd most undulating green on the course.

Hole 7: Slightly downhill drivable 320 yard par 4 but driver is a risky play. The tee box actually lines you up OB left as OB is just 10 yards off the fairway. Tree trouble right from 80 yards and in smart play is long iron or hybrid to find the fairway but a good drive makes for an easy birdie.

Hole 8: Another drivable 318 yard par 4 slightly uphill only big hitters can get there. OB left again just like 7 aim slightly right and hit it as hard as you can. One of the trickier greens when the pin is at the top as a third of the green is roughly a foot and a half above the rest of the green making for some tricky putts.

Hole 9: The first par 5 of the course a 502 yard 90 degree dogleg left where the fairway goes drastically uphill at 100 yards levels out then goes drastically downhill at 270 yards. You can cut the corner with a bomb but risk going OB left once again  or getting caught up in the many trees and bushes occupying that area. The approach shot is straightforward provided you aren't blocked by a tree you'll see a wide open green that may be the smallest on the course.

Hole 10: Uphill 163 yard par 3 with a drastic back to front sloping green. I have seen 6 putts here, nothing is off the table with the slope of this green.

Hole 11: Index 3 90 degree dogleg right 368 yard par 4. Very tough as your tee shot is blind up hill you must hit it at least 190 yards but no more than 210 otherwise you will have no look at the green. Heavily wooded right and a massive tree overhanging the fairway left in the middle of the dogleg. Play left to be safe for a look at one of the toughest greens on the course which features a false front and slopes back to front. 

Hole 12: Slight dogleg left 358 yard par 4. OB left along the fairway that eventually wraps around the green. On a firm fast day some may call it drivable but the smart play is a 250 yard shot where the hole is the most open.

Hole 13: The only par 5 on the back is a 537 yard 90 degree dogleg left par 5 that is 310 yards to get to the corner. Tee shot is wide open until 270 yards where the hole becomes surrounded by heavy woods lining the fairway all the way to the hole. Trees are too tall to cut the corner if you come up short. If you manage to make it to the corner you have an almost wooded tunnel to the fairly flat and large green from 200+ away.

Hole 14: 90 degree dogleg right 316 yard par 4. Requires a 190 yard shot that leaves you 120 yards through another wooded tunnel shot to a green with a small pond to the right and the left side is guarded by over hanging trees. The longest and softest green on the course.

Hole 15: The hardest hole on the course by far I have never seen a person birdie it and I don't believe my scramble team has ever birdied it either. 90 degree dogleg left 368 yard par 4. It is 190+ to give yourself a look at the green it would be quite the effort to carry the heavily wooded dogleg need to carry at least 220 but the height required is tough to pull off. From there you are looking at 170+ into a tiny elevated green where the far too small top plateau (where the pin just happens to always be placed) is probably 3 feet higher than the rest of the green which once you get to the bottom of the slope is really just a couple feet of collection area. I hate this hole.

Hole 16: 381 yard straightaway par 4 to a massively elevated, long, skinny crowned green. With the firmness it's incredibly hard to have anything stay on and you cannot run one up because the fairway is so steep leading directly into the green.

Hole 17: Straight forward 194 yard par 3. Sloped back to front with steep run offs all around. Wind is generally off the left you tee off from the woods which makes it very tricky to read.

Hole 18: Drivable slight dogleg left 317 yard par 4. You tee off from deep in the woods again and the tunnel you must hit through is very small I've seen many a ball not make it out of the teeing area lol. There is a small pond 180 yards out just left of the fairway and random trees scattered to the right. The green is protected by pines to the right but an accurate tee shot leaves you feeling confident you can end your day with birdie. 

[Troy Ocker]

This is my home course: 

Norsjø Golfpark, par 72

6800y, 75,0 rating/152 slope from White, 6300y, 72,7 rating, 147 slope from Yellow (where I usually play from). 

Hole 1 (index 5)

540/540 par 5. Weak dogleg left and right with an elevated teeshot to a wide fairway. OB left and a long green that runs away from you with a bunker guarding the front right. Wide play area, so a quite easy opening hole. 

Hole 2 (index 17)

172/137 par 3. A short par 3 with an elevated teeshot (60 feet higher than the green) to a round green with trouble left, right and long. Can be a tricky green to hit in windy weather. The green is round without much ondulation. 

Hole 3 (index 7)

385/360 par 4. A narrow, straight teeshot with woods on both sides of the fairway. The flat green is protected by bunkers front/left and right. Hit the fairway and you should get a good score. 

Hole 4 (index 15)

191/191 par 3. A big green with 2 levels protected by a bunker front/left. A long par 3 with no real dangers, so should be a 4 at worst. Wind plays a huge factor, so I've hit anything between from 8 iron to 4 iron on this hole (usually a firm 7 or a soft 6) 

Hole 5 (index 11)

440/385 par 4. Dogleg left with a wide fairway and plenty of kind rough on the left side, do not miss the fairway right. A big, ondulated, slightly elevated green which slopes off in every direction. If you should miss it, miss it short left or you could be in trouble. 

Hole 6 (index 9)

354/354 par 4. A straight par 4 that narrows at aroung narrows a lot from 200 yards out, where a ravine starts. An iron to around 150 from the green is the correct play. A big green that slopes towards you is protected by a small bunker on the front/left. 

Hole 7 (index 1) 

400/368 par 4. Straight the first 220 yards, then doglegs heavy to the left over a ravine.  A shot to around 150 yards from the green is the play here as well. The green is big, 2 levels and is protected by a bunker in the front as well as the ravine. Don't hit the approach short. 

Hole 8 (index 13)

180/180 par 3. Uphill par 3 with an ondulated green with 2 levels. Water behind the green so don't hit it long. 

Hole 9 (index 3)

578/500 par 5. A pretty long (a monster from the white tees) uphill (around 80 feet) par 5 with water on the left. The approach shot is usually 50/60 feet uphill to a green with 2 levels with no real dangers around it. If you avoid the hazard on the right on your teeshot you should get a decent score. 

Hole 10 (index 2)

591/525 par 5. Another long par 5, down hill, with OB left and a strong dogleg left from which starts 350 to 400 yards out. Lots of space to right to miss your teeshot. A second to the corner with 170-120 yards left is a good play. A very ondulated green protected by a bunker in the front and a hazard surrounding the right side front to back. Par is a good score. 

Hole 11 (index 16) 

208/200 par 3. Infamous hole. A long teeshot from an elevated tee (around 60 feet higher than the green). Lake Norsjø protects the hole left and front, while the forrest take care of your misses left. You need at least 160 carry to have a ball in play (dropzone) and 195 carry to reach the right side of the green. The green has 2 levels. 

Hole 12 (index 12)

390/330 par 4. Blind teeshot up a hill (60 feet) to a wide fairway. The teeshot from the white tee is tough and you need to carry the ball at least 220 yards to not be in big trouble. Big green protected by a front right bunker. Tough hole from whites, but very scorable from the yellows. 

Hole 13 (index 10) 

460/388 par 4. Long par 4 from the whites to a fairway that narrows around 170 from the green with woods on the left side. Open up again from 130 and in and the approach shot is to a green 60 feet below you protected by bunkers both short left and right. If you hit the tee shot to closer than 130 yards you have quite tricky downhill lie. 

Hole 14 (index 4) 

518/518 par 5. The fairway is very narrow from 220-300 yards out and is heavily sloped to the left. There is a hazard along the entire left side. This is usually 2 long irons and a short/wedge in. The green is surrounded with danger left, right and long, so your miss should be short. Par is a good score.

Hole 15 (index 18)

134/134 par 3. Island green with dropzone, so you either hit the green/fringe and put/chip for birdie or you fight for a bogey. A spectacular hole where the wind is a large factor. Have hit anything from 56° to a chippy 8 on this one.  

Hole 16 (index 6)

385/340 par 4. The signature hole on the course with the green beautifully placed down by lake Norsjø. The fairway narrows a lot from 130 yard to the green and in, so a mid to long iron from the tee to around 150-170 to the green is the correct play. A difficult appoach to a green that is arrond 40 feet below you and runs left and away from you into the lake or trouble. It also har 2 levels. Par is a good score. 

Hole 17 (index 14)

341/341 par 4. Uphill dogleg left. Hit your teeshot to the corner at around 130 to the pin. From there you have a blind approach shot to a green with 2 levels and a bunker that catches your long shots. Not as tough as it sounds, and you usually walk away with a decent score on this. 

HOle 18 (index 😎

552/522 par 5. A long par 5 that is around 80 feet uphill with water on almost the entire right side. Important to his the fairway, because the rough on the left is also very unforgiving. The approach shot is usually 50-60 feet uphill to a green with 2 levels and no big dangers close to it. 

It is a very varied course (park/forest) with a lot of challenging and exiting holes. I still haven't birdied 7, 9, 11 or 18, so that is high on my list of goals this season. 

A link to the course guide: http://golfparken.no/baneguide/