Post by rebs on Mar 10, 2024 17:03:14 GMT -5
Welcome to Throwing Stone. A layout that sits alongside the fictional Throwing Stone River.
Hole 1 with Scorecard
The course commences on the few holes that lie entirely on the east of the riverbank. The first is a mid-length par 5 with a double plateau green complex and some perilous bunkers defending the green.
Hole 2
The second hole is the course's driveable par 4 but lies entirely along the riverbank and has a green that sheds balls on both side of the broad flanks. Those that choose to lay up will contend with the bunker. Those that go long and miss will either find themselves in the river or in a collection area to the left. The collection area might be the worse result as the green runs away from you for all pin placements.
The third hole crosses the river and has the wildest green complex on the course but has both favorable and unfavorable pins. So its difficulty depends on the day. The bunkers are only in play for tentatively struck shots but the back collection area is a common area to find oneself. The fourth is the prototypical alps hole with a fairway cant that fights the preferred shot type. If the fairway is found, however the green is very receptive.
Hole 5
The fifth hole goads the golfer into carrying the fairway bunker off the tee instead of laying up to the flat area. If one chooses to go for it, a likely sloping lie awaits and for those that pull the ball, a possible lie in the ditch which makes the already difficult task of getting close to the hole even tougher. The green lies on the other side of a public road and runs away from the player.
The sixth is the last in a difficult three hole stretch. The tee shot is the simplest of those holes but the green is blind to the player due to the principal's nose bunker and balls that fall short are plagued by the false front. The seventh is the first of a few holes running along the neighborhood surrounded by the course. The tee shot is flanked by o.b. on the right and bunkers on the left. To reach the green requires a brave shot over a nest of bunkers to a shallow green with water off the back.
The eighth similar to the previous hole is flanked by OB on the right. The bail-out move will leave a completely blind shot to a shallow green whereas the brave move if successful leaves the golfer near the foot of the green and well below the hole. To finish out the front is the longest par-3 on the course. The front pins can be accessed by a well struck shot with the ground game, and the back pins require an all carry shot mostly. Par is a good score.
Hole 10
The back starts with one of the most difficult holes on the nine. Players not wanting to challenge the o.b. can hit to the left fairway and leave themselves with a blind shot to a green that runs away. The brave play once again challenges the o.b. and leaves the player with a view of the green. Most misses will leave themselves in a collection area to the rear or right of the green.
Hole 11 is a flat par 5 with the main challenge coming in hitting the green which sheds on both the right and left onto collection areas. Hole 12 might be the most difficult hole of the nine with ditches crossing the line of play off the tee and short of the green. The green is also oddly shaped and hitting the correct side is paramount. Hole 13's primary feature are the two bunkers on the left that partially obstruct the contours of the green. Shots that miss left end up in a ditch, shots that miss right go to a collection area.
Hole 14 returns to the river and might be the most underrated hole on the course. The tee shot narrows for the long hitter between the river and bunkers. The crescent green abuts up against the river on the left and long sides of the green and against a large central bunker short. One of the more intimidating approaches on the course. Hole 15 plays from an elevated shelf near the 5th tee box down to the river flank. The flat fairway allows the player to choose their angle of attack.
Hole 16
The 16th plays back across the river for the first time since the third to a well fortified and sloping green.
Hole 17
The seventeenth plays back across the river off the tee to a fairway that narrows as it progresses. Balls that wander too far right might meet the pond that flanks the fairway. The second shot winds its way up and around a small pond short and well below the level of the green.
The final hole is a dogleg right that shares part of the fairway with the penultimate hole. The green sits in foreground of the clubhouse and is defended by a central bunker and slopes running off on all sides.
Give it a play and let me know what you think!