Golf courses are giant works of art. And for the most part, each course has its own unique brush strokes. Some courses have their “Signature Hole” that sets up the entire course. Some courses have trick holes to make you think your way down the hole. Our job as golfers is to figure out the best way to play these masterpieces in the least amount of shots! When you stand on the tee box of either sort, they both bring you a different type of experience as a golfer. It could be awe, or it could be woe! These are the 5 holes at Tanglewood that give me a sense of either.
Hole #1 – A not-so-gentle welcome
A lot of courses that begin with par 5s start with a nice welcoming par 5, something to give the golfer happy thoughts for the rest of the round. Tanglewood does not.
Tanglewood gives you a warning that you will need to be a little more thoughtful in some cases! This 550-yard par 5 starts with a mostly open tee shot. At around 300 yards, it starts to roll down into a valley. If you have the accuracy and distance from the tee, this can lead to some amazing long drives. But that does not mean you are getting on the green in 2! Large trees loom over the left side of the fairway, reaching out to snag the ever hopeful second shots. And to make it even more challenging, because of the slopes and turns, most of the lies will not be even for you!
Once you reach the bottom of the valley, you now have about a hundred yards shot up to a green that slopes left to right. Guarded on the left by a tree, and the right by a bunker. Short and you roll back, long and you have a hill behind you. Target golf is the name of the game; hit the green and hope for a 2-putt par!
Hole 8 – The short beauty
Par 3s get the “short” end of the stick on being remembered by most golfers, with a few exceptions. To me, hole 8 is the best par 3 on the course. While it is the shortest, playing only 120 from the tips, it’s also the most fun and beautiful.
When you get to the tee box, you are looking at the green and can see nothing of it. You see trees surrounding where you know the green is, the flag, and the traps. 2 deep bunkers guard the right side of the green, waiting for any wayward shot to fall in them. When you get to the green for the first time, you find that it’s not nearly as flat as it may appear from the tee box. This green has a plateau in the front and a runoff feeding towards the back. If you are too short or too long and have a putt to make, you will find more breaks than you anticipated.
Hole 13 – Drive it, if you dare!
Everyone loves a driveable par 4! And the 320-yard hole 13 is one of those that BEGS you to try it. Now you may look at 320 yards and scoff, you can’t hit that, but it’s 320 and downhill! Standing on the tee box looking down, it turns from 320 to 260.
This hole has one of the tightest fairways on the course. Each side is lined by trees that can snag the slightest wayward shot, and that’s after the team has removed dozens of them! It also has a lovely little bunker waiting just at the bottom of the hill, the perfect spot to gather golf balls.
If you can’t reach the green in one, you still have a good chance to get real close! There is a slight fairway opening that, if you catch it just right, you can roll up close. But the challenge comes from the green. This green is one of a few on the back 9 that have multiple tiers that will force you to take your time and read the breaks. If the pin is low right and you are on the far end, you are in for one wild ride!
Hole 16 – The Nemesis!
Of all the holes at Tanglewood, this one and I get along the least. But that is what makes this one of my favorite holes as well. Coming in at 352 yards, it does not seem like this would be a difficult hole when you look at the card. 14th handicapped hole, sounds easy enough! Then you step onto the tee box and realize it’s easily the tightest shot of the day.
Tree line and uphill, you cannot even really see much of the fairway. If you pull a driver and hit it dead straight, you run the risk of running through; try and run up the right side to cut the corner and a branch waits to snag you up! The smart play here (which I rarely take) is to play an iron to the top of the hill where you can look down on the green. The hole opens up once you are on the top of the hill and gives far more playability. Looking down at the green, you will see a bunker on the front right, and not much else trouble-wise. But once again the fun comes from the green! This hole has 3 tiers that run from the back left to front right, with some heavy slopes between! Find yourself above the hole putting down, and you better hope for a rain-soaked slow green that day!
18 – Going Home
Hole 18, in my opinion, is the perfect finishing hole. A par 5 that gives you the chance to make that final birdie of the day! But it’s not without its own troubles as well. Topping out at just over 500 yd with a gentle downhill slope at the end.
If you can get your drive in the middle of the fairway, you’ll be settled on the top of a hill overlooking the 18th green and the clubhouse. If you catch the perfect drive, you will end up perfectly situated for a mid-iron to wedge into the green. Even if you’re a little further out, it still provides you with ample opportunity to get yourself situated in a nice spot after your third shot.
The biggest hindrance to getting on the green in two is how your second shot is settled on the fairway. You may find yourself with an awkward lie downslope at an angle. If you’re a little short, you do have some trouble up the right-hand side with a pond situated between 18 and 10. The 18th green is not necessarily one of the toughest greens on the course. Aim for the center and give yourself a nice opportunity to get to almost any location that the pin will be set on that day. If you can get on in two and get yourself two putts, it’s the perfect birdie finishing hole.
Tanglewood as a whole has lots of unique greens and holes that will make you think about your shots. But it also provides you with opportunities for birdies if you can take advantage of them. With the maintenance team making changes to the course at a rapid pace, some of these holes will be longer and harder in the years to come.
Some courses thrive on being easy. Some courses thrive on being challenging. Tanglewood sits right in the middle. It may not be the longest course you play this year, but it will be one that makes you think about some of your shots. And hopefully in the end that’s what brings you back for more
Written By: Jeromy Prosser
Email: Jeromy@Prossergolf.com
Website: www.Prossergolf.com
