Your opening shot plunges over 100 feet into the river valley as the fairway doglegs left. A driver isn’t necessary here, play a fairwood wood, hybrid or long iron to leave a mid-to-short iron off a downhill lie to the large green protected by a bunker on the right.
This one is reachable with a controlled drive off the elevated tee. But most players will aim to the right rough, layup with a mid-to-long iron and play a wedge into the green. Number 2 is where you should start paying attention to the prevailing landscape as you read the greens - 2-putts are not guaranteed.
Pick your club for the yardage, then put it away and take one more. Don’t be short or you’ll face an uphill lie in nasty rough at best - a water ball at worst. Par is a good score here.
This hole brings you up out of the valley and plays more uphill than it appears, while playing into the prevailing wind.
Your chance for birdie is on Number 5, one of the attackable holes on the course. It’s a straightaway drive, but avoid the small collection of bunkers on your second shot for a relatively easy approach shot to the green.
Number 6 may look harder than it is and will play significantly shorter if you hit the proper shots. A draw off the tee should bring you close enough for a short iron approach, taking the pond on the front and left side of the green out of play.
Another birdie opportunity awaits if you take one extra club off the tee to cover the uphill yardage. Reach the right tier of the green and your birdie putt is holeable.
Don’t fret about the gorge you need to carry off the tee, it’s not really in play with a well-struck tee shot, after which you’ll find a straightforward approach shot. Two-putt for par and another hole that looks more difficult than it plays is behind you.
Some say this hole begins the most beautiful stretch on the golf course, as long as you pay attention to what you’re doing. A driver or hybrid off the tee will get you comfortably in the fairway. Next up is an exhilarating 80-foot vertical drop to a deep, narrow green. To avoid the stream on the left, you can miss the shot right and front of the green where everything funnels to the left. Par is well earned here.
This green is reachable in 2 as long as you don’t go left or find the stream. A well-struck drive to the right half of the fairway will leave a straight-forward second. All that remains is carding a 2-putt for birdie.
Number 11 asks you to play a short club into the fairway to the edge of the stream that crosses your line - twice. Keep it right to get the best approach angle to a challenging green guarded by a false front and a deep, well-placed bunker and you’ll be rewarded with a short second. Don’t be too aggressive with your putt or you might be looking at a big score here.
Trust us, don’t miss left, even though it looks like the perfect shot. You can miss short or long, but hit it pin high and you’ll have another makeable birdie putt.
The most photographed hole on the course according to Brian Lorenz, our Head Golf Professional. Don’t let the scenery distract you from hitting a solid drive to the left of the fairway. From here, the green is easy enough to reach with a middle iron. When surveying your putt, remember that everything will be fast toward the clubhouse, even though it looks uphill.
This hole plays shorter than Number 13, if you can stay on the left side of the fairway. From the left, your approach shot will be much easier. As with Hole 13, ignore the read, but pay attention to the big hill on the left.
Take enough club to fly the pond on another picturesque hole. If you remember this green moves toward the lake, you’ll be adding one more birdie to your card.
Number 16 is easy if you do a couple of things. First, play your drive down the far left side to take advantage of the hillside-roll-down to the right side of the fairway. Take an extra club for the straight uphill shot to the green. If you don’t make the birdie, par is a good score here.
Hit a big tee shot on this edge-of-the-course hole unprotected from the wind. Keep it left to avoid the trees on the right and you’ll have a mid-to-long iron in. That is, if you miss the three bunkers on the left. On this green, the ball breaks down to the woods.
The tee is elevated and plays to an effective yardage closer to 500. Your drive should stay right of the tree in the fairway. Your approach shot will be to a contoured green that acts like a backstop the closer you get along the left side of the fairway. If you miss left of the tree, you’ll just need to stay left of the stream bisecting the fairway for a very manageable approach shot. You’ll have a fair chance at an eagle and birdie, but par at the last is a fine finish.