wtbush

Beautiful course and facilities. I've been playing here quite frequently for the past 3 years or so and have always enjoyed the entire experience. There's a great staff that make you feel at home, the restaurant has great food and the whole place has a country club vibe, which is what it's about to become now that Bay Club has taken it over.

Course: The first six holes are flat and challenging enough but not overly so. Several ditches to cross- on 2, 5 and 6, woods always there for a wicked slice or hook. 6 takes you back past the clubhouse to use the bathroom, get a drink or snack etc, and then 7 starts climbing and tightening through 9. Lovely views from many holes. 8 is one of those oh wow holes where you're hitting over a huge ravine to a tricky green that needs to be read carefully. 9 is ungodly hard, at least for me. I've parred it maybe 30% of the time. Target tee shot unless you can bomb it over the pond, then a long tight fairway wood to another undulating green.

10 through 12 are on the flat side of the course again and quite playable, but then 13-16 start the torture. 13 is a tight par 4, not worth driving, with a tiered green that will make you curse Johnny Miller when your ball rolls and rolls and rolls back to your feet and beyond. 14 is gorgeous, par 5 down the valley and back up. 15 is almost as bad as 9 for a par 4 challenge- But, if you can tee your downhill drive about 250, you're rewarded with a roll down the hill and a makeable approach, although the green is protected by a hungry tree and grass swale. The par 5 16 starts nicely and then narrows. And narrows. And narrows. Trees and a hill on the right, the marsh of death on the left. Don't go for it without good odds. Then getting on the green can mean nothing. Misread a huge break and you're second putt is 15 feet away. That's true for several holes. GIR is literally only half the battle. Don't be doing that mental math with a par.

The par 3 17 goes over the marsh, which can get in your head but it's not that long and shouldn't incur the sweats, at least not until you've shorted it into the marsh. 18 is a blind par 4 dogleg right (please go up and check if the group ahead of you has crossed the ditch). A fade sets you up perfectly for a 7-9 iron approach to a reasonable green.

Conditions: The fairway is a carpet with hardly any blemishes. Many lies are up/down/sidehill, so unless you know how to play those, play one less club for the center of the fairway. Numerous hazard and OB stakes with many ditches, ponds, and marshes. Greens are fast fast fast and firm, and the cursed tiers and deceptive slopes. Although the bunkers are plentiful and well placed, they are reasonably fluffy and workable. It's definitely not a walking course- I've seen a handful of walkers ever- 7 green to 8 tee is long and hilly. 8 tee to green is long and hilly. 8 green to 9 tee is long and hilly- walk and the group behind you will be breathing down your neck. But hey it's a walking game and the course is what it is. A few long walks between things on the back 9 as well. Unlike many courses, the maintenance crews are quite unobtrusive- this is not a place where you're waving at guys to look or teeing off when a mower starts.

Negatives: Not enough to miss playing or joining- no starts before 730 AM makes early rounds unlikely. A few of the tee boxes are not flat, which should be fixed. Not a walking course. No range, although it's coming, and is to take over part of #12. Expect lost balls for >15 golfers, but it gets better once you get serious about course management. I'm not a fan of the slope-y greens, but that's my fault not the course.

Facilities and amenities: 1st class, and the staff genuinely are helpful and accommodating. If you want a country club feel to your course and overall experience without 5 figure annual costs, this is it. No range, but I hear that's coming. If I was still playing frequently, I'd be playing instead of writing right now.