|
|
Hole 1
Par 5 | Yards: 579 | Handicap: 17/7
Measuring 579 yards from the championship tees, this opening whole is your first risk-reward test of the day. A good drive down the right center of the fairway gives you opportunity to go for the green in two. A greenside bunker blankets the left side of the green, so the miss is short and right. Three good shots could give you your best opportunity to birdie for the round.
Hole 2
Par 3 | Yards: 174 | Handicap: 15/13
Club selection is imperative on this slightly uphill par 3, as the green is protected by a deep greenside bunker on the right side. The miss here is short and left. The back to front green can make a putt from above the hole treacherous, while a putt from below the hole can give you a look at birdie. Walking away with a three on this hole is a moral victory.
Hole 3
Par 4 | Yards: 489 | Handicap: 3/3
This long and challenging hole is framed by the Philadelphia skyline in the background. A large fairway bunker on the right side is strategically placed in the landing area so the play for this downhill tee shot is left center. A good drive leaves you with a long iron in on the second shot. The narrow green is protected by a small but penal greenside bunker on the left. A miss short and right keeps you in play. A par on this hole requires four well-executed shots.
Hole 4
Par 4 | Yards: 437 | Handicap: 1/1
Although measuring well over 400 yards, a driver may not be the play off of this tee. A solid fairway wood left center of the fairway takes the hazard down the right side out of play. If the tee shot is the fairway, a bridie chance looms. Do not go pin seeking for any pin that is on the right or back side of the green, as a hazard comes into play for any ball to the right or deep of the green.
Hole 5
Par 3 | Yards: 210 | Handicap: 9/15
This par 3 features the first water penalty area on the course. The green is 37 yards long and is protected by water, so club selection is imperative. The bailout area on this hole sits to the right, and anything short or left will be wet. With such a large green, the wrong club selection brings a three-putt into the equation. Get the right yardage, take your two-putt par and continue on.
Hole 6
Par 4 | Yards: 410 | Handicap: 7/11
This is one of the shorter par 4’s on the course, but that does not make it any less challenging. A large fairway bunker on the left forces you to play to the right center of the fairway. A driver is not needed, as a hybrid or fairway wood leaves you 150 yards in on your approach. The green sits up on a plateau with greenside bunkers on the left and right, giving you no room for error. Two good shots give you a chance at birdie, but an approach shot off line brings big numbers into play.
Hole 7
Par 5 | Yards: 577 | Handicap: 5/5
Hole 7 is a true test of a par 5, requiring three good shots. Measuring 577 yards from the championship tees, a drive down the right center of the fairway gives you a better angle to lay up and shave off some of the dogleg. The second shot needs to stay to the left as the hole takes a 75-degree turn to the left 150 yards out. A good layup will leave you with a wedge in your hand. The entire green is surrounded by a sandy waste area, which makes your third shot visually intimidating. Most par 5’s are birdie holes, but a 5 here is a very good score.
Hole 8
Par 3 | Yards: 244 | Handicap: 11/17
This par 3 features a long two-tiered green which slopes severely from back to front. A stream protects the front of this green, so anything short gets swallowed up by the penalty area. When selecting your club off the tee, make sure you are below the hole. Anything above the hole brings three putts into play, and if you accomplish keeping the ball below the hole, you will have an uphill look at birdie. Club selection is key, as the green is 28 yards long.
Hole 9
Par 5 | Yards: 605 | Handicap: 13/9
Measuring 605 yards from the back tee, this par 5 is a great test to finish your front 9. The uphill, slight dogleg right demands a tee shot on the right center of the fairway, while the blind uphill second shot presents a risk-reward opportunity. If you are going for the green, you must stay right to avoid an intimidating greenside bunker on the left. If laying up, you will be left with a 100 to 120 yard shot uphill. With a collection area short and right, the approach shot must stay right of the pin. Once on the green, all putts fall away from the clubhouse. If played properly, a birdie is in the cards.
Hole 10
Par 4 | Yards: 496 | Handicap: 4/8
This breathtaking par 4 has an elevated tee that sits on the highest point in southern New Jersey, but don’t let the beauty disguise the level of difficulty. A good drive down the right center of the fairway will leave you the best angle into a green protected by two greenside bunkers on the right, and even a good drive will leave you around 200 yards for your approach. The approach shot plays about a half a club less, and the bailout is short left. As one of the most challenging holes on the golf course, a par is a very good score.
Hole 11
Par 4 | Yards: 408 | Handicap: 10/4
Measuring 408 yards from the back tee, this dogleg left par 4 plays uphill on the drive. A driver is the play off the tee if you challenge the fairway bunker on the left, while the right side of the fairway is the play if you are using a fairway wood. A good drive will leave you about 150 yards to a slightly elevated green that is protected by a massive greenside bunker on the left. The green has a back to front contour, and with a length over 30 yards, club selection is key.
Hole 12
Par 4 | Yards: 399 | Handicap: 8/12
At 399 yards, hole 12 is the only par 4 under 400 yards. Despite its length, the tee shot demands precision, but a driver is not the play off the tee. Instead, a fairway wood or hybrid down the left center will give you the best angle for your approach. The second shot plays severely downhill with the left of the green protected by a small but deep greenside bunker. The key to this hole is the tee shot, and finding the fairway gives you a responsible chance at birdie. Once on the green, a spine runs through the middle so you must be on the correct side to have a chance at making a putt.
Hole 13
Par 3 | Yards: 186 | Handicap: 18/18
With a beautiful skyline vista, the downhill tee shot to this 35-yard deep green plays one club less. The undulated green has many plateaus to it, so landing the tee shot on the correct level is crucial for a good look at birdie. The front left side of the green is blanketed by a bunker that tells the golfer to miss it short or right. Out of the five par 3’s, this hole is your best opportunity at birdie.
Hole 14
Par 5 | Yards: 562 | Handicap: 16/14
Measuring 562 yards from the championship tee, the tee shot on this hole plays slightly uphill, and an expansive waste area on the left requires you to play up the right side. The lay up needs to be precise, as the water guards the left side of the fairway landing zone. The big hitters will try to flirt with the water, but laying up is the smart play here. The two-tiered green allows for some interesting pins, but it is key that you hit your approach to the correct tier. With three good shots to the green and landing your approach on the correct tier, birdie is in the cards.
Hole 15
Par 4 | Yards: 481 | Handicap: 2/2
This long dogleg right par 4 demands both power and accuracy off of the tee. Bigger hitters can try to cut the corner by aiming right, but those who flirt with the right side could be blocked out by trees for their approach. The percentage play off the tee is left center. A good drive will still leave you 200 yards to a green that has a massive waste area guarding 100 yards on the left side. Although a relatively flat green, the subtleties make birdie putts that much more challenging. As the third and first handicap hole, a par on this hole is a victory every time.
Hole 16
Par 3 | Yards: 238 | Handicap: 16/14
Hole 16 plays drastically downhill and as much as two clubs less from the tee. The two-tier green has a severe left to right slope, so any ball landing on the left side of the green will feed down to the right. There is a deep bunker that protects the right side of the green, and would certainly be in play with the incorrect club selection. A tee shot pin high on this green will always give you a look at birdie, but it is imperative to be on the correct tier.
Hole 17
Par 4 | Yards: 453 | Handicap: 6/6
As one of the most challenging holes on the course, this 453-yard par 4 demands precision off the tee and with your approach shot. A small landing area off the tee is protected by a bunker on the right and clusters of trees on the left. Even a good drive here will leave you 200 yards over a ravine and into a narrow green that is protected by a greenside bunker on the left. You will not see many birdies on this hole so anything on the green with your second shot is deemed a success on the hardest handicapped hole for men.
Hole 18
Par 4 | Yards: 461 | Handicap: 12/10
One of the best finishing holes in golf, this 461-yard par 4 tests all aspects of your game. With a slightly elevated tee shot and a pair of bunkers on the left side, the driver is the play off the tee while aiming at the sole pot bunker on the far side of the fairway. A good drive here leaves you with a 150 yard uphill approach to an infinity green that is protected by bunkers on all sides. With the American flag flying adjacent to the green complemented by the stunning Philadelphia skyline in the background, hole 18 will take your breath away!
|
|