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Par 4. Hazard right. Straight away Par 4. Approach shot is deceivingly uphill, which is okay because short is better than long. Green slopes back to front. Birdie here is usually a skin. Blast your driver as you are very unlucky if you are stymied on your second shot. (Break 80 – 4; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 5)

Par 4. OB left (and we have friends that live over there; so be nice!), OB right.

Tee shot very important here. Ball bounces high off road. Poor drive here and bogey is a good score. In fact, bogey might be pretty good with a good drive. If distance is a challenge, don’t worry. There is no shame in making this a three or four shot hole, then two putts and move on. It would be a silly place to make a big number. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 6)

Par 5. Water Hazard early, then lateral Hazard down right side.

This is a low handicap hole because for the better players it is a birdie hole, and for the higher handicap player it is a pain in the butt. There is risk/reward for the long hitter in going left of the tree on the left to cut off the dog-leg. You’re on your own. A mediocre but straight drive will always give you a shot at a good score. Green slopes right to left – a lot. (Break 80 – 4; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 7)

Par 3. OB way left.

This is a rather benign par 3, the only one on the course. Downhill takes about 10% off your distance. If you wish to make good score, I strongly suggest you stay below the hole. Front of half of green slopes back to front, back half of green not so much. (Break 80 – 3; Break 90 – 3; Break 100 – 4)

Par 4. Water Hazard early, then lateral Hazard down left side and behind green.

We refer to #5 as your final warm-up hole. Two most common errors here are trying to drive it too far off the tee, and having to putt from above the hole. The long hitters who can drive this green need to have some respect for Spring Creek left of the green. The shorter hitters just need to keep it in play somewhere across the creek. Distance on Second is deceiving – trust the yardage – and short is better than long – wa-a-ay better. (Break 80 – 4; Break 90 – 4; Break 100 – 5)

Par 4. OB far left early, then Lateral Hazard on right and behind green.

Hit your drive either straight short, straight medium, or straight long, and you’ll have a chance at making par or bogey. If you don’t, bogey or higher is more likely. Green is two-tiered; so pay attention to your front-middle-back yardages. Again, short is better than long. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 5; Break 100

Par 3. Lateral Hazard right.

Plays a bit uphill, and a false front makes it all carry. There’s an elephant buried under the right center of the green making this a deceivingly difficult green to putt. Cart path on right is a little too close to green. MAN, the ball bounces high off that thing. Two’s are scarce. (Break 80 – 3; Break 90 – 3; Break 100 – 4)

Par 4. Oscar Brown left (uh, remember our friends?). Lateral Hazard early, then Water Hazard about 100yds before green.

It takes 280 to clear the creek from the Orange tees, so calm down. Do some math here. You want to hit your second shot from middle to left side of fairway about 160yds out – from here you’ve got a good chance to score. If you’re not here, hey, knock yourself out Sparky, ‘cuz you’ll have to manufacture something. Not the place to get greedy off the tee. Green slopes from back to front. Break 80 – 4; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 6)

Par 5. Lateral Hazard down right side. Water Hazard just before green. Burnham Wood on your left, Bogey Bog on your right. Sheesh.

This is another hole where it is a low handicap hole because the low handicap player has little trouble, and the higher handicapper can find a lot of it. Hit it long and straight, twice, and you’re home. If you cannot do that, do not try to be someone you’re not. Just do math again. You want to hit your approach shot from 115-130yds. From the orange tees that’s two shots of about 190yds each or 160ea from the reds. Math sucks, but it will keep your temper from getting the best of you. A large green that adjoins #18 green – you do NOT want to be on the wrong end of this deal. Green slopes from back to front. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 7)

Par 4. Water Hazard across fairway. Lateral Hazard behind green.

Second shot is best from the 150yd marker, if you can get to it. A more realistic approach is from 160-180yds. Creek is 255 from the Oranges and 208 from the Greens, but much closer on the right. Hit it 215 from the Oranges or 170 from the Greens – If you’re gonna lay up…lay up! (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 6)

Par 5. OB far left, Lateral Hazard down entire right side and Lateral Hazard 150yds and in on left.

Drive up the left side will give you a second heading away from the pond. Most, if not all, players should be making this a three or four shot hole, take a two putt and move along. Entire length of hole is quite narrow; so take a little more lofted club for each shot to keep the ball moving a bit straighter. Don’t worry about distance, you’ll get there. It’s difficult to not be right of this green as most tend to hit away from the pond. Get a good Sand Wedge and work on your flop shot, as nothing, and I mean nothing, else is going to work. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 7)

Par 4. Oscar Brown right and left early. Lateral Hazard left and right. Water Hazard just before green.

Plays dead into the prevailing wind and there are often locusts up by the green. Apart from that it’s a pretty easy 4 par. This is one of the most feared holes in the Midwest; so check your ego at the tee. It’s actually a par 5…it just doesn’t know it. Not a great place to get greedy, but a great place to do some more mathematics. If, off the tee, you can get to 180-200yds from the green this is all you want.

Ladies, whatever you feel comfortable hitting up the left side of the fairway will be good. You’ve got about 190yds before you run out of fairway. There is no sin in hitting two shots before the creek, or three for that matter.

Par here makes you feel a little giddy, birdies are scarce. Hitting the green in 2-4 shots, two putting and skipping on over to #13 tee will keep your emotions in check for the holes that remain. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 6)

Par 3. Lateral Hazard each side and behind green.

A demanding tee shot; so keep your wits about you after playing #12. Seems like it may play a little shorter than the yardage, but, regardless, you’ll want to hit it straight. There are Titleists buried all around this area. (Break 80 – 4; Break 90 – 4; Break 100 – 4)

Par 4. This is where our long drive flags go. Prevailing breeze is behind you so rip it. Approach shot is key here as green is 50 yards deep and two-tiered (more math). Whatever level you at which you play, it is more important to be putting from the correct tier than it is getting on the green in a shot less. If you can do both, well, my hat is off to you. Don’t get too excited about getting through 12 and 13 or you’ll make double here faster than pizza goes through a dog. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 6)

Par 4. OB right.

Friends, this is an intimidating hole. It’s not as hard as it looks. My advice, don’t let up. If you let up because you hit the fairway off the tee, you’re screwed. If you let up because you hit the green in regulation, you’re screwed. Don’t let up, or throw up, until you’ve holed out. Do a little more math here and hit something that leaves you 140-170yds to the green. The more lofted your tee shot is the better the chance it will stay on this fairway – I cannot emphasize this enough. If you lose your nerve on the approach, please miss it left. It will be much easier to pitch on from the left side. (Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 5)

Par 3. OB right (Yes, our friends live there so be nice!)

60ft vertical drop from the Orange tees. Club selection is key as it generally plays about 15% shorter than the yardage. However, the wind swirls here so pay attention. Aim for something on the side hill on the other side of the valley (never aim at a target below your feet).

I stood on this tee with three fellow Golf Professionals one day, and we laughed as we realized we had fourteen clubs on the tee between the four of us, trying to decide what to hit. Whatever you choose, hit it hard and confidently. DO NOT stumble from indecision. Green slopes back left to front right. (Break 80 – 3; Break 90 – 4; Break 100 – 4)

Par 4. Lateral Hazard right.

Once again, don’t get too excited about getting through 15, 16 unscathed or you’ll make double here faster than pizza goes…well, you know. General consensus is that even if you’ve got the distance to knock it down in front of the green from the tee, there’s little, if any, advantage. Usually best to be back a bit so you can spin something. There’s a nice little plateau on the right side of the fairway 115-135 away that provides a great look. A highly elevated green allows you to club down one. Coming in with plenty of loft is important, as is staying below the whole. I’ll just say this once…there is very little chance that you will two-putt from above the hole on this green – from any distance. This green moves severely left to right and back to front. We’re talking Cosmos here.

(Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 5; Break 100 – 5)

Par 5. Water Hazard across fairway, then Lateral Hazard down left side to green.

Plays longer than the yardage for most people as tee shot is a layup. Might have to get the slide rule out again, and remember, if you’re laying up then lay up. It takes 265 to carry the creek from the Oranges, 290 from the Brown tees, and 225 from the Greens. Generally, a tee shot of about 190yds (Whites), 215yds (Greens), or 150yds (Reds) is the way to start this hole. The bridge on the right comes up very quickly as the ball runs out on that side. Get aggressive with the second shot here, not the first. Once again, this is a deep green (40yds) that slopes dramatically from back to front. This combined with a false front means smart club selection is rewarded. False front means you must carry the ball the entire yardage.

(Break 80 – 5; Break 90 – 6; Break 100 – 6)