Page 9 - 2017 Golf Guide

Hole 8 Hole 4
Union League Golf The Golf Course at
Holes 1-18
Baywood Greens, Long Neck, Del.
This southern Dela- ware track may be one of the prettiest courses in the country. The manicured fairways, sculpted mounds, bridges, walkways, flowers and natural vegetation are down- right eye-popping. Here, we’ll pick the 18th hole as the most scenic, but throw a dart at any on the scorecard, and you can bet it’s a real looker.
Hole 8
White Manor Country Club, Malvern, Pa.
White Manor’s par-3 Hole 8 bedazzles from the tee, but we’ll see if you’re still enchanted as you walk to the green. Though it’s only 165 yards, the water surrounding the front and left of the green makes for a love-hate relationship. Throw in the bunkers right and the trouble long, and you have all the chal- lenge you can handle. Don’t hate it because it’s beautiful.
Hole 10
White Clay Creek Country Club, Wilmington, Del.
This 582-yard, par-5 monster is nothing but trees, bunkers and fair- ways. It’s a lovely sight
the whole way, but don’t be mesmerized. This hole demands accuracy and hitting straight rather than long. Think fairway woods off the tee,
due to a hidden little creek on the right. Your second shot needs to be placed short of the fairway bunker to set up a third shot into an elevated green that’s only about eight or nine yards wide and 28 yards deep. Par here will have you sitting pretty.
Holes 17 and 18
Paxon Hollow Country Club, Media, Pa.
Here’s a memory- making pair. The tan- dem of 17 and 18 yields two of the best-looking finishing holes you will play anywhere—from the elevated tee from 17—a short downhill.
Hole 18
Lookaway Golf Club, Buckingham, Pa.
This former dairy farm has no shortage
of charm, from stone outbuildings, lakes and streams to a restored farmhouse-turned- clubhouse. Rees Jones sculpted a treasure here, and the Mill Creek Bridge is not only a path through a dense hardwood forest, but also a portal to three of the greatest finishing
holes in the area. Hole 18 will blind you with its
beauty, but thankfully, you won’t have to look at the score after play- ing this slippery, uphill double-carry finisher.
Hole 10
Bayside Resort
Golf Club,
Fenwick Island, Del.
Jack Nicklaus picked an ideal spot for his first Delaware golf course, with sweeping views
of the Assawoman Bay and the Ocean City, Md., skyline in the dis- tance. Hole 10 plays 429 yards from the tips, but the high- to mid-hand- icapper will find the wide fairway a pleasure. Most of the trouble comes from the well- placed bunkers and the ever-present breezes. Begin your back nine with a makeable birdie here and you’ll be off to an excellent start.
Hole 8
Turtle Creek Golf Course, Limerick, Pa. This 538-yard par 5
features woodlands on the right and a lake de- fining the left. Don’t get distracted by the pretty picture—you’ll have to decide whether or not to go for it in two. The green is well defended by water and rough mounds, so make sure you get it right.
Club at Torresdale, Philadelphia
You’ll be so struck by the majestic clubhouse in the background and the downhill approach shot that you may not even realize this 505-yard par 4 is ready to eat your lunch. A wiser player would hit
a solid drive to the top of the hill, lay-up to the ample landing area, then take a chance with a wedge close for a par.
Hole 2
Broad Run Golfer’s Club, West Chester, Pa.
Broad Run feels
like it would be as challenging as a black-diamond ski slope, with plenty of elevation to make you work for par. Rees Jones’ designs always leave you thinking, and on this hole, you have to hit a good drive— but not too good, or you’ll end up in the nature area. A par here means you managed two really good shots to get to the green. Just don’t get distract- ed by the sweeping vistas of Hole 16’s fairway running up
the mountain.
Glen Mills, Glen Mills, Pa.
Bobby Weed’s design has some interesting twists, turns, risk-reward and natural beauty on every tee box. Hole 4 is a 571-yard par-5 double dogleg that drops significantly from tee to green. The countryside will inspire you to carry an abyss of hazards and bunkering in two. Once on the green, scan the surrounding land- scape—of course, it’ll be prettier if you’re put- ting for a four, but five is a beautiful thing, too.
Hole 14
Applebrook Golf Club, Malvern, Pa.
If you play Hole 14 when the wildflowers are in bloom, you’re in for a visual treat. But while you’re stop-
ping to smell the
roses, a treacherous cape design awaits, with serpentine rock barrens guarding the entire right side. Bite off more than you can chew, and a penalty stroke looms. But find some safe ground left in the fairway, and a mid-iron shot home just might be good enough. Whatever your score, after you hole out, look back and take in the splendor.
Holes 4, 9 and 18
Deerfield, Newark, Del.
Deerfield is a public golf course with the feel of a private club. The conver- gence of Holes 9 and 18, with Hole 4 splitting them, is a perfect example of what you’ll get here—ample fairways, challenging slopes and trees framing most every hole. With forest views
of White Clay Creek State Park, the backdrop is always tranquil, but some difficult holes will make you sweat.
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