- - Course Layout
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Front Nine -
 1st
Hole
- 2nd
Hole
- 3rd
Hole
- 4th
Hole
- 5th
Hole
- 6th
Hole
- 7th
Hole
- 8th
Hole
- 9th
Hole
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Back Nine
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- - Maintenance
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Golf:
Front 9
The true mission of almost any country club, the reason for
such extensive grounds, golf is symbolic of the club experience.
It is a game of skill, a game of refined ability, and most of all,
a game that demands a lot of square yardage for its playing surfaces.
That square yardage has to be covered, either by foot or by cart,
as players take to the tees each day. They begin, always, at the
first pin.
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The opening hole to the Green Meadow golf course is a demanding
Par 4 that curves gently from left to right. Most players find
that it is also played into the prevailing wind; with trees to
the right and an out-of-bounds line on the left, the most common
choice is to simply drive straight on the hole. Players will
find their best tee shot to be a line aimed at the left center
of the fairway. The follow up is directed toward an elevated
green, with water short and left. From there, it's a solid
putting effort into the cup. Two good shots are needed on the
fairway to allow for the birdie opportunity on the first hole.
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#2 (Par 4)
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The second hole on the course features a Par 4 dogleg to the
left, a relatively short but dangerous test for the average
golfer. The tee shot is most commonly played toward the
right side of the corridor, aimed at the leftmost tree on
the edge of the lane. From there, it's all uphill for the
player, as he or she must send the second shot up to a
two-tiered green. It is considered more effective to target
the second level of the green, as working from the secondary
green requires two shots and is a fairly rare occurrence.
On the major surface, a player will be confronted with an
extreme front to back slope. With one stroke comes a birdie,
and two strokes produces par.
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#3 (Par 3)
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The cannonball of the front nine, with a long fairway punctuated
by a lefthand water hazard and a righthand sand trap, leading
to a fairly negotiable green. The key of the third hole is to
aim for the green and punch as hard as is possible; accuracy
will be of the utmost, as there is no other way to proceed. It
would be wise to simply play for par and move on, as
there are a great many more bogies than birdies produced from
attempting to claim a birdie. Later holes will provide better
opportunities for advancement on the scorecard.
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Players, rejoice! The first good birdie opportunity of the
front nine greets all comers in the form of the fourth hole,
a slightly dogleg left Par 5 that features a short but
treacherous layout. A water hazard guards the left side
of the tee shot, and trees cover the right; the best
decision here seems to be a shot aimed at the lefthand of
the fairway. From that position, golfers must make their
first big decision. To go straight for the green would
mean tangling with a series of three bunkers and a green
that is relatively narrow front-to-back. The key is to
utilize just enough strength to overtake the bunkers, while
allowing the ball to hold on the green. If that seems too
dangerous, then the golfer can choose to lay up; even then,
he or she will be presented with a ninety yard hop to the
cup. If a player feels daring, he may challenge the bunkers
and surround rough; an eagle will beckon any who successfully
do so.
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The fifth hole is the second consecutive Par 5 on the course,
but it is not nearly as conspicuous as the hole preceding it.
In fact, the fifth hole plays a lot longer than its yardage
would suggest, due to an uphill tee shot and a blind view of
a green. Most golfers opt to head up the righthand of the
fairway, a shot that must be aimed to avoid the three bunkers
that guard against strokes too far to the left or right.
Experienced golfers can reach the green in two, but most will
want to lay up before tackling the blind green. Between the
trees that guard the putting surface and the bunker that
virtually blocks any view of the approach to the cup, it will
be a difficult task to pull a birdie out of the fire. Better
instead to play for par, and walk away a stroke better than
those who try their luck.
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The sixth hole is a straight and steady Par 4, a welcome
sight after the tricks of the fifth hole. The narrow
corridor of the layout features two main options for
players teeing up to tackle it. Long hitters will thrive
on the chance to take a hard shot past the lefthand bunker,
which will drop their next shot significantly closer to the
hole and make their life a bit easier. Less powerful
golfers must forgo skipping the bunker, either shooting
for the fairway in front of the sand trap or perhaps making
a daring shot for the small fairway patch between the sand
and the trees on the right. Players that opt to lay up
will be faced with a blind approach shot for their second
stroke, but the wedge shot facing the long hitters is
certainly no guarantee either. The main problem for both
situations is the pin for the sixth hole, which is placed
on the right side of the green and is protected by a rather
generous green side bunker. Nonetheless, the sixth hole is
considered one of the best birdie holes on the course.
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Another medium range Par 4 awaits players at the seventh tee,
although it, like the dangerously sloped fifth hole, plays a
lot longer than its length suggests. Bunkers guard against
shots to both the left and right, (with the right being of
more concern for stronger hitters), and placement is essential
to survive the initial stroke. Good positioning will leave a
short or middle iron shot up to the elevated green, which has
an extremely back-to-front sloped surface. If that wasn't
enough to cause fits, several mounds fronting the green make
pin placement a guessing game. One thing you don't need to
guess, though; if you go long, you'll probably be looking at
a bogey for the hole. Par is nothing to feel bad about on
this hole.
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The eighth hole is a beautiful Par 3, placed with a pond on
the left side and high fairway mounds on the right. Most
players will be using short irons to move up to the green,
but even reaching the putting surface will not guarantee a
par. The ball must be accurately placed on the green, lest
its owner be forced to negotiate the two extreme slopes that
stand in his or her way. Wise players will stay high, dry,
and par, on their way to the last hole of the front nine.
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#9 (Par 5)
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The last hole of the front nine is a relatively medium length
Par 4. The fairway is a dogleg right up to the green, and
tee shots must carry a large lake before reaching a blind
landing area. Trees guard the left, and the boundary guards
the right, making an accurate first shot a necessity. A
well-placed stroke can leave a player with a short iron
approach to a green diving from left to right by a large
ridge. The left side of the green is protected by a pond,
rendering some shots too dangerous to consider. Placing
the ball on the right side of the ridge is a good way to
reach a birdie putt or an easier par. The ninth is considered
a good hole for moving ahead, but par is still a reasonable
achievement.
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