GOLF COURSE TIPS
FROM THE PRO
Welcome to Keswick Hall. Great golf is literally right around the corner. Below is a little primer before you get stated on your journey around Keswick Club. Playing a course for the first time is never easy. These tips should help you navigate the course in a very respectable fashion, and if the ball obeys your command, give you plenty of bragging power at the 19th hole. So grab your favorite beverage, find a comfortable chair and settle in for a little light reading.
Keswick Club’s golf course has been around since 1939, the land much longer. Although Thomas Jefferson was not a golfer I still feel his presence every time I walk on the property. As I’m walking to my ball I wonder if my steps are shadowing steps that he once made. A Scottish immigrant by the name of Fred Findlay was the original architect. The Arnold Palmer Design Group renovated the original in the early 90’s. The tees, greens and bunkers were the primary areas of change, the layout pretty much left unchanged. Our course is definitely in the “classic” design category. Ancient oaks, grassy wetlands, rolling fairways and meandering creeks are just some of the wonderful treats awaiting each golfer.
Read the hole by hole tips very carefully. There are little nuances listed for each hole that would not be readily apparent when you play the course for the first time. Think of this as a mental round of golf. Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you on the 1st tee.
General Tips:
• Fourteen of our eighteen holes require an uphill approach to the green. You should add at least an extra club the majority of the time.
• Leaving your approach above the hole is rarely a good idea.
• Play more break than you see on all putts.
Special thanks to Keswick Club member Bill Marlatt for his very creative hole names.
Hole #1 Far and Sure
Play your tee shot to the right portion of the fairway to take advantage of the right to left contour. This direction will also give the ball a sling down the fairway. The second shot needs to be as close to the creek as possible. Holding the green from the far left side of the fairway is very difficult. The green slopes hard from left to right.
Hole #2 Creekside
The tee shot should be played down the left side of the fairway. A tee shot played to the right lengthens the hole and brings the greenside bunker more into play. Left of the green on the approach shot is a bad leave.
Hole #3 Souter Johnnie
This hole will play much longer with a back left hole location. Long is wrong on this hole. If you bail out then go hole high to the right.
Hole #4 Sentinel
This fairway is split by a big willow tree. The safe play off the tee is left of the tree. A tee shot played towards the left to right sloping fairway will give the ball a nice forward kick. You want your approach shot to finish on the left quadrant of the green. Shots missing the green to the right will leave you with a difficult pitch.
Hole #5 Gauntlet
The more left you go off the tee the shorter the hole but the greater the risk. This green is double tiered from left to right. For a hole location cut on the top left tier the smart move is to play for the center of the green. Left of the green in this situation leaves a near impossible pitch.
Hole #6 Goose Creek
This green slopes drastically from left to right, towards the water. A bail out to the left is not a safe option, requiring a slippery pitch. A safer bail out would be short of the green.
Hole #7 Broadmore
Aim at the left side of the fairway bunker. A soft draw is the ideal shot. If you miss the green with your approach shot, right is better than left. This green slopes hard from back to front.
Hole #8 Meadow
This blind tee shot offers a couple of choices. Middle to left side of the fairway is the safe choice. The hole shortens the more right you go, but you could end up in tree trouble. The second shot should be as far right as possible, opening up the green for a better approach shot. This green has a tremendous swing from right to left, so factor this in when aiming.
Hole #9 Waterloo
This fairway slopes big from right to left so make sure to aim further right than what your eyes see. The approach shot may look downhill, but it’s not. Left of this green is not a good position. If you’re not certain you can reach the green in two than lay-up short of the green and try to wedge it close to make your par.
Hole #10 Bunker Hill
This is a true risk/reward hole. Hit driver at your own risk. The safer play is to lay-up short of the creek and hit a short approach shot into the green. Favor the right side of the fairway off the tee. This will give you a much better angle into the green. A four on this short hole is a very good score.
Hole #11 Tom’s Thumb
This hole has one of the tougher greens on the whole course, featuring a devilishly difficult right to left slope. No matter the hole location, the best play is always towards the left quadrant of the green.
Hole #12 Longshot
Aim at the two fairway bunkers in the distance. The ball will move hard to the left upon landing. The second shot is almost always from a hook lie so factor that into your aim. This green slopes away from you from front to back making an approach shot played from close proximity to the green difficult to stop. It’s better to lay-up further back.
Hole #13 Arnie’s Hollow
The most important play with the driver on this hole is to reach the upper plateau of the fairway. Everything is much easier from there. The green opens up better from the left hand side. Aim at the middle of the green for a back right hole location.
Hole #14 Keswick Corner
Left off the tee is “deadsville”. Even a tee shot finding the left side of the fairway will be blocked by the trees. If you miss this green it’s better to ere on the right side. Left quadrant hole locations are “sucker pins”. Better to aim towards the center.
Hole #15 Shepherd’s Crook
The right side of this fairway is severely sloped from left to right. You’ll find your most level lies on the left side of the fairway. The left side of the fairway also offers the best approach angle into the green. A tall cedar tree guards the right portion of this green making a shot hit from the right side of this fairway to a back right hole location very difficult. There’s a creek just off the right side of the green so ere a little left.
Hole #16 Cavalier
Out of Bounds is lurking just to the right of this green so be careful. There is a false front to this green that will stop a ball dead in it’s tracks. Take enough club to carry it on the green. The best bail out area is short right.
Hole #17 Homeward Bound
A drive down the left side of this fairway makes the hole shorter and more easily accessible. There is a lot of elevation change coming into the green so pick at least an extra club. Approach shots that miss the green to the right are in danger of being out of bounds.
Hole #18 The Moors
Aim for the left side of this fairway. If you can’t reach the upper plateau of this fairway then the smart play is to lay-up short of the waist area. A five on this hole won’t hurt you. If you get too brave this hole could ruin a good round. The approach to the green is more uphill than you think. This green slopes hard from back to front left. Going long on your approach is testing gravity, you’ll lose every time.
Well, how was your round? Did the ball behave? If you sliced it into the creek on number five or hooked it too far left on number fourteen then we can help. Enjoy some quality one on one golf instruction. We’ll fix you up so your second trip around our course will be much more memorable.
Once again, welcome to Keswick Hall. We hope your stay will be everything you thought it would be and more.
Sincerely,
Eric McGraw
PGA Head Golf Professional
Keswick Club
