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.

My Other Blogs
Loose on the Internet
Science Universe

My Twitter

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. 


My Other Blogs
Loose on the Internet
Science Universe

My Twitter

Waynesboro Municipal Tour Part 3

Hole 3: 125 yards

The third hole is the course's first par 3, and the shortest hole on the course.  The most prominent feature of the hole is the bunker just short of the green.  Unlike some of the bunkers on the course, this one does come into play, and it can be nasty.  The sand can be really soft, and golf balls have a tendency to plug, since you're usually hitting a wedge up high.  Actually, one time when I had a very, very plugged lie in the sand, my younger brother bet me ten dollars I couldn't get the ball to the hole.  It was only a 30 or 40 foot shot, but I had to swing with literally everything I had.  I got it there though.

The green is a bit unusual.  It's long and thin, and it sort of has tiers, but it sort of doesn't.  It has 3 levels, but the levels are separated by long and gentle slopes.  You do not want to miss this green long, there are a line of trees behind the green, it falls off sharply, and the green slopes away from you.  Also, I wouldn't recommend missing left during the summer.  It gets very dry over there, and it is virtually impossible to keep a golf from bounding almost onto the next tee if you go left.  If you have to miss the green anywhere, miss it right.  You won't have any green to work with, but it's better than the alternatives.

My Other Blogs
Loose on the Internet
Science Universe

My Twitter