This seemingly straight-forward 354 yard opening hole may prove more challenging than it initially appears. A good drive is necessary to avoid the nest of bunkers on the right side and deep rough on the left. A good drive will leave a short iron or wedge to this large and difficult green which slopes from front to back. As with many holes at Siwanoy, accurate placement of the approach shot below the hole will leave a considerably easier putt
One of the most difficult holes on the course, the 420 yard second is the #1 handicap hole for men and provides a significant challenge to even the most skilled golfer. A gentle dogleg from left to right with a sloping fairway and bunkers in the driving area make it extremely important to hit a good tee shot. An uphill second shot to a sloping two-tier green make distance control extremely important. Players missing the green or leaving a long putt from the wrong tier are always happy to escape with a par.
The downhill par 3 third hole has a large green with two deep greenside bunkers, placing a premium on hitting the green with a good tee shot. Once on the green there are still multiple challenges on this quick, deceiving and subtle green. Putting is always more difficult than it first appears.
The par 5 fourth hole has an elevated tee overlooking a wide fairway that doglegs slightly left in the driving area. A couple of penal bunkers on the inside corner of the dogleg force a player to either carry them or play out wide right, adding distance to the hole. A large undulating green with a wide approach allows a player to go for it after a good drive. Multiple undulations make this one of the most demanding greens on the course.
The 152 yard sixth hole is the shortest on the course but has one of the most difficult greens. Players must hit a short iron to a fiercely sloping three section green. Any tee shot to the left is likely to find one of two difficult bunkers and any tee shot to the right and short of the green will be pushed away and down a steep slope. As the 6th hole is deceptively difficult players are usually extremely happy to avoid all the pitfalls and walk off the green with a par.
The 373 yard seventh hole was changed considerably in the recent course restoration. There is out-of-bounds to the left and a creek crossing the fairway about 200 yards from the tee. This forces a play to assess how will he or she is driving and decided whether to try and carry the creek or not. Players carrying the creek will have a fairly easy second shot to this narrow and sloping green, but players forced to lay up will face a difficult iron or wood shot to the narrow green. The green is sloped from back to front and protected by a deep bunker on either side of the green. As with many holes at Siwanoy it is deceptively difficult and par is a good score.
A wide fairway on this 340-yard par 4 hole makes this one of the easiest tee shots on the course with players often hitting a fairway wood or hybrid to lay up short of the brook, which runs across the fairway in the driving zone. Any false sense of security a player might have after the easy tee shot is immediately dispelled by a difficult second shot with a short iron to an elevated green surrounded by bunkers. If you miss the green, getting up and down for a par is very difficult.
The 369-yard tenth is another deceptively difficult hole. Laying up short of fairway bunkers will leave a player with an uphill short iron shot to a large undulating green. The correct distance with the approach shot is difficult to judge, but necessary, to avoid a long and difficult putt.
One of the easier holes on the course, the 354-yard twelfth hole is a straight-away par four with a blind drive over a hill. A good drive leaves a small wedge shot to a fast green that slopes from back to front. Although the hole appears to be one of the easiest, keeping the ball below the hole is of utmost importance.
The treacherous par 3 thirteenth hole has the most difficult green on the course. Guarded in front by a deep bunker, this severely sloping green is exceedingly fast and will send many putts rolling well past the hole. Be sure to hit enough club into the prevailing wind to carry the bunker while still leaving an uphill putt from short of the hole. A new back tee at 221 yards makes often demands either a driver or three wood to reach the green.
The 388-yard fourteenth hole can be one of the most difficult on the course. A good tee shot short of a brook leaves an uphill second shot with a mid to short iron. Very difficult pin positions on this large undulating green put a premium on the correct distance with the approach shot and are a challenge with the putter.
The 444-yard fifteenth is Siwanoy’s signature hole, often featured in course photographs. A long straight tee shot is needed to reach the fairway and put the green in range of the second shot. A less than ideal tee shot usually forces a lay-up short of the creek that diagonally traverses the fairway. Once a player has reached the green the speed and slopes offer little respite. A par 4 is always a very good score on this long and difficult hole.
The sixteenth has been significantly changed in the recent restoration. At only 370-yards, the hole should be among the easiest, but a large pond on the right, fescue on the left, and a couple of fairway bunkers put a premium on the tee shot. The second shot with a short iron is slightly uphill. Judging distance is a premium as the second shot plays longer that it looks. Ideally players should leave their approach shot short and right of the hole to give an uphill putt on this difficult green.
The ideal drive on this 370-yard par 4 hole will come to rest on the left side of the sloping fairway. This will provide the best angle for a second shot to the green, guarded on the right side by a tall tree. The entire hole slopes left to right and is deceptively difficult. Many close matches are decided on this hole.