It's nice to see positive reaction for these previews, thank you, so I guess I'll do another one for this week...
THE SAND PIT
Location: [Island Links] Style: Delta
Architect: Gregg Emmerson.
Par: 71 Yardage: 7109
Difficulty/Handicap: Easy/68.6
(Gregg- if you'd like to leave course notes feel free and I'll take these down.)
The Sand Pit is an intimating name and the first tee shot is in front of a patio area where people sip their coffees and teas and watch us start our round, but the pressure’s not as intense as it sounds. It's a washed out brownish course set on default with overcast morning lighting where the sun’s rays peak through to display all the bunkers and dirt areas that surround so many of the fairways and greens. Though it’s a links style, a few trees decorate the grounds – reminds me of a mix of Bandon Dunes and Whistling Straits. This could be Whistling Straights as most of the holes are straight and it’s more about avoiding bunkers and water occasionally. Staying in the fairway is important as a lot of the brown ground has lumps, humps and bumps that disturb recovery shots. After 2000+ plays from everyone so far, the course only has a 68.3 handicap so this may play as one of the easier courses.
1)
4-453. The first hole, a slight dogleg left, has a wide landing area for driver off the tee as it heads out towards the beach. A bunker blocks the right side of the flat green.
2)
3-152. This par-3 is one of two birdie opportunity par-3’s. It rides along the shore for 142 yards worth to an easy green except for half a false front on the right side. Even with wind blowing off the water, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
3)
4-402. Luckily The Sand Pit bunkers on this links-style course aren’t pot bunkers or too deep because this hole is littered with them. The fairway winds and weaves through the toasted land leaving a wide landing area for drivers off the tee. It’s too bad the approach is to a 8-shaped green that could use some nourishment it’s so skinny. This is one of two extremely narrow greens that is very difficult to hit even with a wedge. With the green pinched in from the right, any approach that lands far from the hole could result in a 3-putt.
4)
4-500. The toughest hole on the front nine, this #2 handicap is straight ahead with the fairway disconnected from the long, jelly bean green. This is a tee shot that is highly demanding as the landing area at 300 yards is narrow and any 3-wood tee shot will leave an almost 250 yard approach to a tough two tiered green tilting to the right. There are fairways of other holes on both sides that can catch some errant tee shots but anything that lands in the left or right rough will leave a practically unreachable approach.
*For a test I purposely hit it in the left rough and used a hybrid (223yd) and I barely reached the fairway 60 yards from the green.
5)
4-299. Bogey on 4? That’s okay- this is a drivable par-4 with a prinicple’s nose bunker fronting the right side of the jelly bean green. Off the tee, you can look straight towards the lone cypress tree like at Pebble Beach on the horizon. The green tilts to the left on the front half and the back is serene. Do not drive too far past the green. Over the fence at the back of the green is OB.
*Tough to see on overhead – I hit one over the fence as a test and it is out-of-bounds.
6)
3-212. A great hole, this long par-3 takes place on a small piece of land on the sand-another hole mostly straight, mostly flat. OB is all along the righthand side but it’s not close to the actual hole. With a headwind, a wood may be needed off the tee. Luckily the green is very mild.
7)
5-566. A light double-dogleg par-5, this is another chance for birdie after a couple of tougher holes. Up to the rocks at 250 yards is OB along the right side. The fairway narrows closer to a green that has a false front.
8)
4-392. A short par-4, the suggestion is a 3-wood since a driver doesn’t have much room to work with. If using a driver off the tee, avoid the very deep bunker left of the fairway around the landing area. More lovely views of the water will keep you calm on this difficult green.
9)
4-493. A straight, long downhill 9th with a wide landing for driver tee shots, it narrows around the green with dunes surrounding. The approach is a demanding 200 yard shot to a long, narrow green with humps and bumps and clumps of dirt and bushes in the surrounding area. A south wind will be against you making this hole feel longer. Bogies may hang around this hole this week.
10)
4-413. Like the front nine, the back nine begins with a straightforward hole where some accuracy is required. The relatively easy green is 20 feet above the tee, tilted left with a false front.
11)
4-460. A wide landing area provides stress relief off the tee. The approach asks for a fade around the big bunker area fronting the green.
12)
4-420. The #1 handicap, the dangers here are the narrow fairway that cuts off to dissuade long drivers, and standing water behind the green. The entire back half of the green tilts towards the water so deep shots will roll off the back into the rough or bounce into the water.
13)
4-427. A straight par 4, sometimes in the shadows, the fairway has a wide landing spot for a 3wood, and OB is far, far left. Keep your focus on the difficult green.
14)
3-154. This is the 2nd easier par-3 but watch OB behind the green beyond the fence.
15)
5-556. Another malnourished fairway, it’s very skinny as it leads out to a green out on the water. There’s OB on most of the right side for the first 400 yards, and anything on the left side of the fairway (or rough) will be blocked out by a tree. One of the tougher par-5s.
16)
3-167. The toughest par-3, this has the scariest tee shot along with the 4th hole. There’s barely any room for long or short approaches to this tiny, shallow green. A fade with full backspin might be the best bet to keep the ball on this teeny-tiny but mostly flat green. It’s a ‘cape’ hole out on the water so it’s the most penalized tee shot at The Sand Pit – approaches short, long, and right will be punished. The Sunday pin is tucked in the back corner at 180 yards- even more reason for a fade.
17)
5-555. A slight dogleg right par-5, it’s not an easy eagle when you notice the little stream cradling the green from the right side. A perfectly placed fairway bunker also blocks off run-up fades from the left that try to avoid water. You’re safe once you’re on the mild-mannered green.
18)
4-438. The finale is a light dogleg right par-4 with an OB beach area running all along the right side. The clubhouse sits in the distance as you complete the final hole that’s not overly penal. The green is an easier affair allowing a final chance for birdie.
Well, it was fun doing these writeups and it’s helping my game some – I finished in 25th and 44th in the CCD circuit the last couple of weeks which is better than I was doing. Hopefully others are continuing to improve – have a great, fun week everyone.