The article I wrote for the Durham Herald-Sun can be found HERE.
Hole 1:
From the physical description as described by the map of the course, this appears to be an easy hole. While the tee box is positioned to the left, parallel to a pine tree line, a straight or slightly right tee shot onto the wide fairway will set the player up fine for his approach shot to the green. Reaching the green in two shots should not be a problem for the competent player as the blue tee box is only 350 yards away from the green.
What is not seen on the course map that may be treacherous is a small creek that runs through the pine tree line. The smart player will aim right.
Hole 2:
This is the hardest par 5 on the course, ranking as a nine handicap, compared to the two par 5s on the back nine, which are rated as 18 and 16 handicaps. It is easy to tell why.
50 yards from the tee box is something resembling a water hazard. The course map shows this hazard as appearing closer to the tee box. It certainly seems to be at least 50 yards from the box. The green lays 510 yards away from the tee box, making this hole the longest on the course.
There are pine trees on both sides of the fairway, making for a somewhat narrow landing spot for the drive to land satisfactory for a legitimate shot at reaching the green on two strokes.
John Gaddy, who is in a three-way tie for second place after the first round, birdied the second hole, and described his approach: "It's the ultimate risk-reward, because you don't have a very long second shot, but you don't have a very large landing area.
"The tee shot, if you put it in the right place, you have a shot at the green. But it gets smaller the closer you get to the green. You can be 200-220 yards out and sometimes the smart shot is to not go for the green because you have more space to land with the shorter shot."
Gaddy used a three iron for the second shot. He left it just short with an easy pitch to the green, and then made the subsequent birdie put.
Hole 3:
Interestingly, the most difficult par 5 is followed by the most difficult hole on the course. Hole 3 is rated as a 1 handicap. It is the lengthiest par 4 on the course, going at 425 yards from the blue tees to the green. Hillandale Road is behind the hole, creating something of a distraction for those who may be subject to distractions while putting. It is a straight hole, however there are bushes to the right, so players would want to keep their drives to the left.
Hole 4:
What was memorable about hole 4 was its sloping green. Other than that it was a straight on par 3. There is a hazard very far to the right. However, only a player of the author's propensity to shoot horrible shots would find the hazard.
Hole 5:
There is a wrap-around bunker that protects the green on hole 5 However, it is also the second-easiest rated hole on the course with a handicap of 17. The yardage is only 337 for a par 4.
Hole 6:
All my notes say for hole 6 is as follows: "Fairway bunker, fairly straight." It is a longish, relatively, par 4, going for 425 feet, and rated as the fifth most difficult hole the course at a five handicap.
Hole 7:
This is a par three which can appear to be deceivingly easy. It has deep bunkers which surround the hole on all fronts – on the front and one to each side. If the player does lands his ball in the bunker, he'll have a difficult time placing it on a space on the green where he'll be able to save par.
Hole 8:
There is a hazard just in front of the green. The smart player will assess his first shot where club selection will be critical. While some say that you never want to leave a shot behind the green on a Donald Ross designed course, this is a hole where you'd want to risk over shooting the hole than leaving it in the hazard in front.
Hole 9:
The pin was placed near the front of a difficult sloping green today. The first shot must clear the the marsh-like hazard. However, if that is done, the hole should be easily played as long as the green-approach shot does not miss to the left or right as bunkers flank either side.
Hole 10:
And so now we've reached the turn. The front nine was certainly the more difficult part of the course. The most difficult par 5 was on the front nine at hole two, followed by the lengthiest and most difficult hole on the course at the third hole.
Hole 10 was a beauty. It is a straight-on tee shot down the fairway which presented a view of North Carolina pastoral – pines in the background sloping down into a fairway of green grass. There are no hazards and only a small bunker flanking the right-front side of the green. This was not a detraction from the hole, as its aesthetic beauty was derived from its almost offensive green vegetation.
Hole 11:
There is a rather large dip in the middle of the fairway, a spot the ambitious golfer should aspire to drive his first shot above. The green appeared to be difficult as it seemed to have more curves than a woman of the night in New Orleans.
Hole 12:
This is a short par 4, only 332 yards from the tee box to the pin, with a slight dogleg left. It is another hole built with hills and slops. However, playing so short, it is rated as one of the easier holes on the back nine.
Hole 13:
If there is anything we know about the disposition of golfers, it is that most are a little antsy at the tee box. This hole is not ideal for the hyper-antsy golfer as it is near Hillandale Drive, a not-unbusy street that disrupts some of the holes on the course.
There is a fairway bunker that is ready to capture a player's ball only 100 yards from the tee box. A competent player should out drive this bunker.
However, there is a knoll that rises above the bunker. The ideal tee shot will clear the small hill for an ideal approach shot to the green.
Hole 14:
This is the EASIEST hole on the course! It is an 18 handicap rated. But only one player made eagle on Saturday. That player was Michael Smith, who also won the tournament in 2005, and shot a 71 on Saturday, leaving him only two shots behind the leader going into Sunday's final. He summed up his approach succinctly, leaving little doubt as to what he did: "I hit my driver and I hit about 178 yards from the hole. And then I hit a six iron about four feet from the hole and made the putt."
Anyway, my notes only say that there was a slight dogleg left, a hill in the middle, slopes down and geese that were near the green as I approached it.
A reasonable reader may deduct that the geese did not affect Smith's approach shot to the green. However, it would have effected the approach shot of geese enthusiast.
Hole 15:
Frankly, all you need to know about this par three is that two bunkers protect the green. The fairway is large and forgiving, so if a player misses the green he's probably still ok.
Hole 16:
A fairly pedestrian hole, a lot of guys pared it by the end of the day. There was only one line that I wrote while taking notes on this hole: "A straight par 4."
Wow, that's not much analysis. But to my credit, this may be the most pedestrian hole on the course. It's a 14 handicap, 380 yards from tee box to green, and rather flat and straight.
It is the Mitt Romney of golf holes.
Hole 17:
This is the fourth most difficult hole on an already fairly easy back nine, presenting the players with an 8 handicap hole par three. There is a hazard in the middle of the fairway. However, any player who can qualify to play in this tournament (must be a 10 handicap or better) should clear the hazard. In fact, I propose that clearing the hazard should be a litmus test to determine whether you really belong in this tournament.
My notes say as follows: "Must clear marshes. However, otherwise a short par 3, only a pair of bunkers on either side of the green."
Hole 18:
For a tournament course, this is an ideal hole to end on. It is the second most challenging of only three par fives on the course. This presents a chance for a late-round comeback eagle or a more modest birdie to tie of win the tournament.
There is some heavy foilage along the left side of the fairway. It does not do the player much good to aim too far to the right, however, as there are trees on that side as well. As true Donald Ross style, a cautious player would want to lay his approach shot straight and short. There is a bunker to both sides of the green, and a slope down the back toward the chief-course distractor, Hillandale Street.
Epiloge:
If you have read this far, you must either be a golf enthusiast or a lover of my prose. I don't care, either way, enjoy.
Ultimately, remember, the first six holes are the most interesting as two, three and six present some challenges. A player who makes it through the front nine even par has a good chance of winning the amateur title.
This brief synopsis of Hillandale Golf Course may be informative, entertaining, or a waste of the reader and author's time. However, I had a good time.
Durham/Raleigh
5/24/2014
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