Golf Course – “Downback”
“A good golf course is like good music or good anything else; it is not necessarily a course which appeals the first time one plays over it, but one which grows on the player the more frequently he visits it.”
—Alister MacKenzie
Hole #1: “Down”
Favor the left side off of the tee. This will give you the best angle onto this green, which is one of the smallest on the course.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #2: “Railroad”
A risk-reward par 4. You can lay up and have an easy wedge into the green. You can also go for the green off the tee. If you are aggressive, the left side miss is always better than being on the hill on the right.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #3: “Pipeline”
You can hit less than a driver off the tee and have a wedge onto the green. Being slightly more aggressive gives you a wider fairway into a tricky-shaped diagonal green.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #4: “Pipeline”
A risk-reward hole with more risk than reward. Any tee ball in play should then be hit onto the second fairway. This will leave a wedge shot off of a side hill or downhill lie over a ravine to the green.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #5: “Long”
A well-struck tee shot will leave you a long iron into the largest green on the golf course, which is canted left to right.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #6: “Deception”
The longest par 3 on the golf course. A blind tee shot will leave you wondering where your ball is on this redan-style green.
Tee
Green
Hole #7: “Angles”
The closer you are to the bunker off the tee the better an angle it will leave you onto this green. Be sure to play for the deceptive uphill shot to a back-to-front sloped green.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #8: “Subtle”
Gage the wind right and be confident in your club selection. This is a front-to-back sloped green with a bunker behind.
Tee
Green
Hole #9: “Triplets”
Named after the three trees on the left that guard the “Speed Slot.” Favoring the left side off the tee will leave you the shortest distance into the green. A tee ball that wavers offline right will leave you blocked out by trees unless a very creative shot is played. Be sure to hit the green, as it is the smallest on the course.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #10: “Narrows”
Hitting the fairway is imperative to approach this uphill second shot. Be sure to pick enough club due to the false front on this green.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #11: “Thimble”
A solidly struck long iron will put you on or around the green, leaving you an opportunity to make the best score.
Tee
Green
Hole #12: “Carry”
A good aiming point is the telephone pole in the distance. A tee shot over a large ravine to a fairway that meanders to one of the most interesting greens on the course.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #13: “Cape”
This oft-used template hole requires a committed tee shot. The more you bite off on the right, the easier your approach is onto an elevated green.
Fairway
Green
Hole #14: “Short”
A short iron onto the green allows you to attack any hole location.
Tee
Green
Hole #15: “Road”
A road that splits the fairway in two gives golfers an interesting choice off the tee. Cut the corner and have a short iron into the green, or hit a safer shot to the left of the telephone pole and have a longer distance into the green. This newly renovated green has allowed for more hole locations. Be sure to be on the proper level on this green.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #16: “Tears”
A tee shot favoring the left side will give the golfer the best angle onto the green. The most difficult green, it demands a proper play into this hole.
Tee
Fairway
Green
Hole #17: “Boomerang”
“There should be a sufficient number of heroic carries from the tee, but the course should be arranged so that the weaker player with the loss of a stroke or portion of a stroke shall always have an alternative route open to him.” —Alister MacKenzie
Tee
Landing Area
Green
Hole #18: “Back”
A unique ending to a day “Downback.” A two-tiered green with a diagonal ridge cutting through the green makes a tee shot on the putting surface rewarding. MU is “home.”
Tee
Green
