Carroll Valley Tour Part 11

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

Hole 11: 213 yards

Look, it's another long and difficult par 3.  Considering this is a resort course, there is really not a lot of variety or let-up on these par 3's.  None of them are particularly easy or inviting targets.  Although out of the six par 3's on the course, I would say this one is the most difficult.  Number 8 is a little longer, but at least on the surface, it's a little more inviting target.  It almost feels like a little par 4, since it has a full fairway, a feature most par 3's don't have.  Maybe that's why it feels like such a weird hole.  (Note: Not my original idea.)

But we've already talked about number 8.  This is number 11, and the view from the tee does not inspire a lot of confidence.  The green is pretty shallow, and there are bunkers front left and right of the green.  The hole location in the picture is probably the easiest one you'll ever see.  They like to put it behind the left bunker, which puts the hole almost out of reach, considering you need a mid-iron to get to the hole.  Actually, a week ago when I played here, I managed to hit a nice little draw around the bunker to about seven feet.  It was a fantastic shot, which would have been even better if I had meant to hit it like that.  No, I was aiming at the right side and got lucky.

One thing that I want to bring up though that isn't specifically about this hole, but features occasionally throughout the course.  There are some bunkers around that have native areas of waist-high grass right next to them.  The bunker on the right is one of them.  Fairly recently, my younger brother hit a shot at the bunker, but it just went over into this native area.  We couldn't find the golf ball.  Ten yards from the green, and the ball was gone.  I don't know whose idea that was, or why they do it, but please, cut the grass around those bunkers.  Golfers will look for golf balls in there, and that will slow rounds down.  There's nothing more frustrating than losing a golf ball when your shot wasn't really that bad.  Water I can live with because if you go in, it's gone.  I know native areas are good for the environment, and on every other occasion, I like native areas.  I like the look, and I like that it saves water.  But make them unobtrusive.  That's my rant for the day.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 10

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Hole 10: 395 yards

The scorecard says this is the 6th hardest hole on the course, but don't believe it for a second.  This hole is by far the toughest hole out here.  Do whatever you can to avoid starting on this hole, I've done it before, and it never ends with anything better than a double.  The drive is downhill, but the target is narrow, and there's no good place to miss.  The pond on the right beckons to me, and the trees on the left are just thick enough that I'll probably have to pitch out if I go over there.  I use a three wood and try to keep myself from getting tight and spraying the ball on some fantastic but ill-fated journey to the bottom of the lake.  So, I chunk one out about 220 yards down the fairway.  Close enough.

The water isn't really in play on the second if you're a solid iron player.  I can be pretty solid sometimes, but I can also be terrible.  The water is just close enough to the green to make me worry about it.  It would be easier if I had hit a better drive, but that was just too difficult.  I'm just hoping to get it on the green at this point.  A par would be fantastic at this point.  I hack a short iron over the pond and get it about 40 feet from the hole.  Luckily, this green is just as boring as the others, and I very carefully lag a putt a couple feet short.  I'm not known for my bravery on the greens.  The two footer sneaks in the side (I'm not very good at them either), and I sprint away to the next tee.  I really hate this hole.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 9

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Hole 9: 502 yards

Boy, that's a great picture of the pond.

This is the shortest par 5 on the course, 3 yards shorter than the first hole.  Don't let that yardage deceive you though, this tee shot is nothing but pure evil.  This hole and the next are very difficult driving holes, although if anything, this is the easier drive.  The most obvious feature on the drive is the pond running along the right side of the fairway, and which actually cuts the hole in two a bit further up.  I don't think anybody has to worry about running out of fairway, but the water on the right is a bit of a concern.  Not to mention that there's a native area left of the fairway, not too close to the fairway, but close enough that I can't feel comfortable bailing out left.  So, I feel like I have to challenge the water on my drive because I hate using a 3 wood or less on a par 5.  I like playing aggressive.  I've hit my fair share and probably someone else's fair share into that pond as a result.

The second shot, if you've found the fairway, plays up the hill towards a green surrounded by bunkers.  There's a bunker in the fairway short which will catch lay-ups that are too aggressive or poorly struck attempts at the green.  A little nitpick: there's internal out of bounds to the right, and I don't understand why.  There's just the tenth hole over there, and it's the only instance on the course of internal O.B.  I don't like that entire concept, so I would honestly get rid of it here.

The green is sloped rather severely from back to front, so being above the hole is not recommended.  This hole can be tough, but it isn't too difficult to get a decent score on the front nine.  I'm not the biggest fan of this course, but I do like the fact that there are three par 3's and par 5's on the front, instead of the usual two.  It's a bit different, and that's good.  I wish the par 3's had a little more variety though.  Get ready though, the next hole is the toughest on the course.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 8

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Hole 8: 223 yards

This is the longest par 3 on the course, but on the surface, it doesn't look that bad.  A couple of bunkers on either side, but the green is pretty much wide open.  Long irons are tough, but this looks like a pretty easy...

STOP RIGHT THERE!  There's sorcery on that fairway, I'm telling you.  I don't recall hitting a shot there that made any sense at all.  I've had good rounds come to a screeching halt because I hit the most incomprensible slice into a pond that isn't even on the hole.  Or if I'm having a terrible round I'll hit a great shot and make a birdie.  Just yesterday I hit an iron that was little more than a worm burner, but it managed to find the green and plop on down 30 feet from the hole.  I didn't make the putt, but no amount of strange voodoo magic can make me a good putter.

Seriously, it's either a birdie or kick-in par, or I have to work for a double bogey, and I have no idea why.  It's a weird hole.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 7

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Hole 7: 400 yards

This is another mid-length par 4, and another relatively easy hole.  The drive is wide open, except for a native area well to the right.  It's flat, the fairway is inviting, and there's no particular danger, so I like to use a driver and just go for it.  That's my strategy on a lot of holes, but it works on this one.

The second shot is just a wedge to a green guarded by two bunkers.  Whether or not you can be aggressive and go at the flag depends on where the hole is placed and where your drive is.  Fairly often you'll hit a good drive, but since you hit down the wrong side of the fairway, the hole may be right behind a bunker.  I'll go right at it if the hole is open, but if not, I will try my best to aim for the center of the green so I don't go into a bunker and short-side myself.  The green is pretty thin, so shots on the wrong side of the hole can be pretty tough.

The first seven holes were not all that difficult.  The fourth is a little hard, mostly because it's pretty long.  The next few holes are not nearly as easy.  So, if you haven't gotten a good round going at this point, it might be difficult to start. 


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Carroll Valley Tour Part 6

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Hole 6: 346 yards

It's been a little while since there's been a par 4, and this one is nice and short, by far the shortest par 4 on the course.  It plays uphill, with a fairway bunker on the right, but it really only comes into play if you hit less than a driver off the tee.  So, I always hit the driver, and that has absolutely never backfired on me.  Nope, I always hit a very long and straight drive right down the middle to leave myself a nice little pitch.  That is what always happens and I make many birdies on this hole.

For people out there who aren't lord and master over their driver and half-wedges, a wood or long iron may be a better option so you don't leave yourself a potentially awkward 60 yard pitch.  The right side of the fairway is definitely recommended, with the one greenside bunker being on the left.  And wouldn't you know it, the fairway bunker is on the right.  How inconvenient is that? Okay, there's a fairway bunker on the left, but I literally never noticed it until now, taking a closer look at the picture above.  It's not exactly obvious, and to be honest, I really don't see any reason for it to be there. 

The green is very long, and you can have some rather lengthy putts if your distance control with a wedge is less than optimal.  I think since this is a resort course, the greens are on the whole not particularly interesting because they have to accommodate the absolute beginner and the very casual golfer.  But other than that, this is a reasonably interesting short par 4, and it's hard to ask for more on a course which doesn't present much in the way of strategic interest.

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Thoughts on the 2014 U.S Open

Well, as far as drama and excitement goes, this tournament had very little.  Martin Kaymer ran away with it, and as soon as I started watching this afternoon, I knew that nobody else had a chance.  He was playing too well, and there was nobody chasing him down.  The people who were closest had no experience doing this sort of thing, and the people who do were nowhere to be found.  But, it was kind of obvious after the second round that this was going to happen.  I was watching because I wanted to see the new Pinehurst, which I've written about before.

I thought the course looked absolutely fantastic.  The big sandy waste areas, the fairways that weren't entirely green, it looked like a place that was just begging for golf.  The fun kind of golf too, the kind where balls roll all over the place, and the most obvious place to hit your ball is never the right place.  I know I have the most fun playing golf when the course is brown and dry, and the ball rolls in all manner of unpredictable ways.  Judging that roll is way more fun that hitting one boring pitch shot after another.  Plus, any course where I can use a putter from off the green is a good course in my book.

I'm probably in the minority when it comes to liking how the course looks.  All these years of being force-fed super green courses has swayed many golfers into thinking that Augusta National is how a golf course should look.  But it isn't.  Pinehurst is how golf courses should look, and I say that without even thinking about the environmental benefits.  But since I've mentioned it now, they're using only a third of the water they used previously.  In a world where water is quickly becoming a very valuable resource, cutting back is not only nice for golf courses, it's basically imperative for the sport's survival.  Hopefully seeing this place in all it's natural-looking glory on such a big stage will really start something in golf, a move away from extravagance and towards reality.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Hole 5: 201 yards

The first of many 200 yard par 3's on this golf course, this hole actually feels like it plays a bit shorter than the yardage indicates. This is another very flat hole, and like the previous hole, it plays along the road, but it doesn't really come into play.  That doesn't stop me from thinking about the road every time I tee off here, but there really isn't anything to worry about.  The three bunkers are of a little more concern here.  If you want a place to miss, short and a little left leaves you a very easy chip shot.

Once again, there isn't anything particularly interesting about this green, other then that putts from above the hole are very quick.  However, this hole was the site for one of the most spectacular recovery shots I've ever hit.  A couple of years ago I hit a big pull-hook very close to the 6th tee.  My second shot was on a severe downslope, and there was a fairly significant tree directly in between my ball and the hole.  The sensible play would have been to try and punch one underneath, but I hate being sensible.  So, I took out my lob wedge and hit this gigantic flop shot that cleared this 30-40 foot tree that was only about 15 yards in front of me, and landed it on the green.  I still had a long putt, which I didn't make, but that pitch was something I'll remember for a very long time.

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British Open Returning to Royal Portrush

It hasn't been officially announced yet, but it looks like the British Open will be leaving the island of Great Britain for only the second time in its long history.  The only time the Open has been hosted
anywhere else was all the way back in 1951, where Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland was the host.  Now, after nearly 70 years, it's coming back.  Two holes, the 17th and 18th, are going to be replaced with new holes for the upcoming Open, and the old holes will house the "tented village".

I think it's fantastic that the Open is going to a different course, especially one in northern Ireland.  I really like the British Open, but I've always been kind of indifferent on some of the courses.  Carnoustie and Lytham come to mind right away.  Portrush has a fantastic reputation, it looks interesting, and it proved it can handle crowds a few years ago at the Irish Open.  Now, I can only hope they bring it to Royal County Down, which is even better and more spectacular than Portrush is.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Hole 4: 584 yards

In an unusual coincidence, it turns out that both Waynesboro Municipal and Carroll Valley go from the third being the shortest hole on the course to the fourth hole being the longest.  This is a very long par 5, basically untouchable in two.  The tee shot is blind, as the hole starts going sharply downhill.  It doesn't look like there's very much room, but the hole does open up.  The road does run along the right, but there is a lot of room over there.  The bulk of the fairway is to the right.  However, there isn't as much room as you might think left of the fairway.  There are trees which are just dense enough to get in the way, and there is a native area about 30 yards right of the fairway.  I know this hole, I know there's a lot of room right, but I never fail to hit left.  I can't remember the last time I had an unimpeded second shot.

On most long par 5's I like to try and cover as much distance as possible with my second shot, but that's not really an option on this hole.  There is a stream cutting right across the fairway at about the distance a good 3 wood would land.  So, best play there is to try and get yourself about 100 yards away, or whatever distance you feel comfortable with. 

The third shot is a full wedge to a green with bunkers left and right.  Fortunately, this green is not particularly difficult to putt.  The hole is still one of the more difficult ones on the course.  If I can hit the green in regulation and two putt, I'm happy.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 3

Part 2, Part 1

Hole 3: 153 yards

This is the first of six par 3's on the golf course, and it is also the shortest.  It plays over a stream, which is the first of many encounters with water on this golf course.  The water doesn't really come into play unless you really underclub or chunk your tee shot.  There is one bunker, short of the green, which is very much in play.  It's not a particularly good place to be.

The green is highest in the middle just after the bunker.  This can be a difficult green, you can get some big breaking putts on this one.  Par 3's of this yardage are okay, I wish there were one or two more short par 3's on this course, the rest of them are all on the long side.  I wouldn't call this a birdie hole, because par 3's never are, but it isn't difficult.   

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 2

Part 1

Hole 2: 397 yards

This is a medium length par 4 that doglegs sharply to the right.  Again, right is not where you want to miss your drive, as there are more trees and out-of-bounds.  Left isn't a great option either as you can easily run out of room.  If you've got the length, the dogleg is easily cut, which leaves just a wedge into the green.  If not, you're looking at a mid-iron.  At least, I guess that's what you would use, I always go over the trees. A word of warning: if you're playing into the wind, bail out left.  If you want to clear the trees, you have to hit the drive fairly high, and the ball will get stuck in the wind and will probably not make the fairway.  Even missing the fairway a little right is enough to obscure your view of the green and force you to either pitch out or hit some funky shot to get at the green.

The second shot plays over a bunker to a green with some significant breaks to it.  There are bunkers left and right of the green, but I've found they really don't come into play.  Right and long is difficult to get to because you would have to use a lot of extra club to hit a slice long, and the bunker left just isn't really near anything.  If you've managed to carry the trees with your drive, this is a pretty simple hole.  With that bunker short of the green, it really encourages you to be aggressive, since there's no good bailout spot.  It is easily conceivable to start your round here with two birdies, although I've never done it.  This is not a difficult hole.

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Carroll Valley Tour Part 1

Carroll Valley is located in...Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania.  How about that.  It's part of the Liberty Mountain Resort, which more known for its skiing, but there is golf over the summer.  I can't comment on the quality of the resort, since I've never been there.  I only live 25 minutes away, it would be kind of silly to stay in a fancy resort when home is so close.  Right now they have a special where families can play unlimited golf in the evening for 25 dollars, which is very nice, and it's why I've played the course more often then most of the other 18 hole courses in the area.  There is construction going on when I publish this, which is scheduled to go through 2014.  So it might seem a bit weird driving up.

I'm using an actual camera for this tour rather than the crappy thing that's on my cell phone, so hopefully the picture quality will be a little better.  Now, what I'd really like to do is get out there a few times without golf clubs and take some pictures that aren't along my path to get some more interesting pictures, but we'll have to make do with these.


Hole 1: 505 yards

The course starts off with a shortish par 5 that doglegs quite a bit off to the right.  You don't want to miss the fairway right at all, there is out-of-bounds quite close, and trees will shut you out if you're not quite O.B.  I like to aim down the left side to give myself some leeway.  You can miss it on that side and not have too much to worry about.  Also, there's a pond to the right, but I think it's mostly off the course.  Best advice, don't ever go over there.  It's never stopped me, but I am wildly inaccurate with the driver, and this course doesn't currently have a driving range.  I think they are adding one in the near future.

If you've managed to hit a decent drive but can't get there in two, feel free to swing away wildly to get as far as you can.  There is literally nothing for you to hit into until you get to the green.  The O.B. is still there on the right, but it's much further out, and there is absolutely nothing else on the right side.  It's still a fairly easy shot if you can get to the green in two, but at least there is one bunker to the left of the green, and one behind, but I don't think I've ever seen anybody go in there.

The green itself is fairly straightforward.  There are some breaks, but there are no particularly significant features to warrant a mention.  Hopefully you've used the putting green beforehand, because they do keep these green very fast, considering this is a resort course.  Or maybe I just have trouble since I'm used to very slow greens at my home course.  Anyway, this is a very good opportunity to start your round off with a birdie, as long as you don't go right off the tee, this is an easy hole.

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Waynesboro Municipal Tour Part 9

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Hole 9: 325 yards

The last hole is the longest par 4 on the golf course, and no, 325 yards isn't very long.  This is not a
very long golf course.  This is the only hole where water comes into play at all, with a stream running down the left side of the hole.  It's there, and I've certainly hit drives into it, but it's really not that big of an issue.  You really have to miss a drive, and miss it big, in order to get to the stream, as this is a very wide fairway, and you should be aiming more towards the right.  Why aim out that way instead of taking dead aim at the green?  That big hill on the right side of the hole makes this hole very reachable when the place has dried out, it gives you massive amounts of roll.  I've seen golf balls land 70 yards away from the green end up on the green.  This is a very fun drive, the ball just loves to roll and roll off that hill.  There is a line of trees on the right if you slice, and I've been on the 8th hole, which is parallel to the 9th, many times, more times than I've been in the water.

The green itself is not difficult, but you don't want to miss it anywhere but short.  Long is basically
dead, left is about as dead, and there's a mound right which complicates chips from over there.  I've left many pitch shots just short of this green because I find it difficult to get aggressive considering there is a very steep dropoff behind the green.  While the green is pretty straightforward, the shot into it is not, because unless you're right next to the stream or just short of the green there are no level stances on this hole, and if you're really unlucky the ball can be several inches above your feet, making your pitch shot that much more difficult.

Well, that's Waynesboro Municipal Golf Course.  It's golf in a very basic form, but it's my home course, and I do have a soft spot for it.  A typical round for me is around 36, with my best score being 32 for nine holes.  I think it's 67 or 68 for 18 holes, but that I don't remember as much.  I don't play 18 very often here, and after so many playthroughs, the rounds tend to blur together.   Next up for golf courses of south central Pennsylvania is a Carroll Valley, which is part of Liberty Mountain Resort.  It's a real golf course this time.

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