Yatesville Lake State Park - Eagle Ridge (Louisa, KY)

If you’re the pencil and paper type who likes to write clean numbers on their scorecard then you might want to avoid Yatesville Lake which is one of the wildest courses I’ve played in my blogging years! This heart thumping, blood pumping, adrenaline rushing course features multiple forced carries over ravines and gullies with elevation changes well over 200’!

Yatesville Lake was designed in 2003 by Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest as part of Kentucky’s state parks signature golf series. As soon as it opened, the buzz ringing in golf circles focused on the thirteenth, a driveable par four that drops 240’ down to the valley floor. You can count the seconds as the ball hangs in the air before plummeting down to its destination. The par five fourth is another one that drops hundreds of feet as the second shot launches off the terraced fairway down to the lower landing area. These are holes unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere.

(The 414/385 yard par four second plays downhill to a fairway that ends before a deep valley. Aggressive players can try to carry it over the bunker line and get a superior angle…

…those who took the routine route face this look to a partially hidden green. It should be a short iron approach which takes most of the fear out of the shot.)

(There is nothing timid about the 220/200 yard par three third. There is fairway short right for those looking to bail out but the direct assault requires a pure strike to make the carry. It’s here where you’ll reassess your decision to play the #2 tee and move up to the #3 tee where it’s a more manageable 173 yards.)

(The 582/565 yard par five fourth begins with this intimidating drive over a plunging ravine. The right side is more forgiving and will push the ball back to the left. The second shot is mythical…

…it drops over 200’ down to this narrow landing area. A creek guards the right side of the fairway with a hillside full of pine trees serving as the aiming point. Longer hitters can carry it all the way to the green. The rest of us will hit a little pitch for the third. Regardless of what you score, you won’t forget it!)

(The 374/342 yard par four fifth button hooks to the right around a deep gorge. Most of us will have a difficult shot over the ravine to what is essentially a peninsula green. The long hitter who can hit it past the bunker will have this little pitch back to the putting surface. You’ll see a wide variety of scores here.)

(The 577/535 yard par five seventh is full of decisions as a tree forces you to decide how much you’d like to challenge the hazard on the left. The optimum play is past the tree further up the right where the higher ground gives a better view…

…a ball that funnels back to the left will leave an uphill shot to angled green protected by a bevy of bunkers. These traps will make the long hitter think twice. A par is a great score.)

This is a very severe piece of property and I find it amazing that Hills and Forrest were able to massage a golf course on it. If you were to try to shoot a real score, I think throttling back and playing to the fat part of the fairway would be a smart decision. The first five holes have the greatest potential for a big number so managing your game to secure a bogey at worst is key. The course becomes more playable at six with wider fairways and less sloping terrain. The 9-15 stretch features shorter holes where a bunch of pitches and short irons will be the club of choice. One will have many birdie opportunities during these seven holes. The final three holes are a bear and par will be a good score. With a 145 slope rating, anything under 78 is a really good score from the tips.

(I love the bunker work at Yatesville. Look how it hides the putting surface and makes even the shortest pitch seem so difficult. This is the view on the 336/314 yard par four tenth. It was my only birdie of the day.)

(The 347/320 yard par four eleventh is a great golf hole. The fairway occupies a heavily left to right slope. You can hit it far left and let it bound back to the right or you can peel a draw down the right and let it ride the hill down short of the green.)

(The 304/290 yard par four thirteenth put Yatesville on the map. It falls 240’ from the tee box! The two things that gave me the most trouble were picking a line to start my tee shot on and then watching the entire ball flight as it went below the treeline. The pro tip on the sheet suggested hitting your 175 yard club to the fairway but I don’t blame you if you decide to give it go. It’s a super cool hole!)

(The 400/378 yard par four sixteenth has a generous fairway and then this shot over the corner of the hill. The rear left and right corners of the green demand specific shots to get close while the front middle section is somewhat of a bowl. Birdie is in play here.)

(The final hole is a 382/348 yard par four across a valley to a climbing fairway. It plays much longer than its listed yardage. From the back tee, it’s 220 yards to carry past the right bunker. The approach is to a green that slopes left to right. Four is a good score.)

Yatesville Lake is not for everyone and there’s a whole subset of golfers who will hate it. However, and this has proven to be the case, it has developed a cult following and players come from as far away as Canada to experience a unique and unusual round of golf that pushes the boundaries of what a golf course can be. I’m sure with multiple plays figuring out the places to miss and not miss will increase one’s enjoyment. I personally loved the drama and craziness off it all. Count me as a fan. I give it a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play).

(75 is not a real score. I hit multiple balls from different tee boxes and took the best one. I mostly played #2 and #3 tees but did mix in a couple #1. If I was playing stroke play, I think I’d move up to the #3 tee and play it at 5,502 yards. The course is perfect for a four-man scramble. Blog 491.)

(They had the winter carts out and this was my chariot for the day lol! Thankfully I had a blanket to cover the seat.)

(The Kentucky State Parks do a good job keeping their golf courses in great shape. At $35 on the weekdays and $45 on the weekend, this may be the best value in America. This is an alternate view for the par four fifth approach.)

River Hills Country Club (Lake Wylie, SC)

A late night rain shower mixed the morning air with the sweet aroma of pine and moisture, flooding my memory with all the great spring golf trips we made to Columbia SC back in the ‘90s. River Hills is very similar to many of the courses we played then. The hilly property and Bermuda grass pose a distinct challenge that requires acclimation.

Willard Byrd designed River Hills in 1972. His work is found mostly throughout the southeastern part of the United States. He specialized in routing courses for housing developments and resorts. Architecturally, his principles focus on playability and maintenance.

(The 357/335 yard par four second plays down and up a “V” shaped valley. Personally, these are my least favorite as the approach shot is off a steep uphill lie. Two bunkers are cut into the front left and right sides of the green, hiding the putting surface from view.)

(The 180/166 yard par three fifth is slightly uphill with a green bracketed by bunkers and a raised back tier on the right. It’s a small target to find and the rear section is several clubs longer. Regardless of the pin location, a three is a tough task.)

(The 369/356 yard par four seventh doglegs left off the tee and plays to this beautifully situated green. Note the bunkering and how the edges drop down into the sand. They’re very “pit like” and can be challenging for some players to physically get in and out.)

(The 394/367 yard par four eighth doglegs right while climbing up a pronounced hill. The second shot plays at least two clubs longer and the putting surface is out of view.)

River Hills has a lot of variety to it. There are both doglegs left and right (3R,8L) as well as uphill and downhill holes (9U,5D). It’s a very demanding tee ball course. The uphill holes play very long so there’s pressure to hit it as far as you can, while on a few holes, the angle and trees make for uncomfortable tee shots. At least half the greens are blind or semi blind from the fairway. The course reminds me of Crickentree and Cobblestone Park, two courses in the Columbia area that we played on our spring trips. Many of us were single digit handicaps and both of these places would drub us. River Hills is the same quality. Breaking 80 is a good achievement.

(The 173/158 yard par three eleventh is on a steep incline with the flagstick the only thing in view. Selecting the correct club, often two more than usual, might put doubt in your head. Be confident and swing away.)

(The 558/519 yard par five twelth is one of the few downhill holes. A fairway bunker forces your hand on where you want to hit your second shot. Note how the green nearly stands alone as the terrain scuttles balls away. The long hitter will have his work cut out to hit this in two.)

Being in a housing development, there are several drawbacks River Hills possesses. Walking is a nonstarter as long green to tee transitions are found throughout. OB is present on many, if not all the holes. They’re not in your face, which is a blessing, but don’t be surprised when your poor shot finds it. Lake Wylie only touches the course twice, behind thirteen green, and thirty yards short of the eighteenth putting surface where it breaks up the hole. That said, it’s in top notch shape (greens were rolling 10.5 on the day we played) and the club has a laid back vibe. It’s a really solid course and is worth playing if in the Charlotte area. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(Believe it or not, eighteen is one of my favorite holes. It’s a 372/347 yard par four with an arm of Lake Wylie crossing the fairway. There’s a chute to drive the ball through off the tee but three tall pine trees 150 yards away guard the preferred line. It’s so tempting to take the higher lofted club and blast over them, but woe is the golfer who fails to cover. A good drive makes this a good birdie opportunity.)

(Claire is a member at River Hills and was gracious to host me. I played with her friend Gary, and her grandson Morgan, a twelve year who is playing many regional junior events. I played the blue tees at 6,289 while they played the whites at 5,735. Morgan had the only birdies of the day, stuffing tee shots on both par threes on the front. I hit a lot of poor drives, leaving just advancement as second shot options. I had four really good up n downs which salvaged a respectable score. Blog 490)

(The 216/184 yard par three seventeenth is downhill to a well bunkered green.)

East Liverpool Country Club (East Liverpool, OH)

As recently as five years ago, I would not have had an opportunity to play East Liverpool, but things change fast in rural America, and here, the club has fallen below 100 members making outside play a welcome addition. This is not a new phenomenon and for architecture enthusiasts like myself many of these places are designed by the golden age architects. This one is a nine hole Willie Park Jr design dating back to 1920.

Park’s decision to route every approach shot uphill, including the par threes, makes East Liverpool a very challenging course. There are no flat lies, so one is constantly trying to judge the trajectory and shot shape into the putting surface. Park once said “any man who can putt is a match for anyone.” Trust me, these are greens where you don’t want to be above the hole, and yet those tough sidehill lies don’t always allow such conservative play.

(The 341 yard par four third is a reverse camber dogleg right where getting the proper line off the tee is key…

…the more aggressive shot brings the trees inside the elbow into play but will cut off significant yardage if successful. The green sits on a small shelf benched into the hillside. With no view of the green, it’s very difficult to ascertain the pin position. It’s a sneaky difficult hole.)

(The 541 yard par five fifth plays downhill before turning slightly right and sliding back uphill. A meandering drainage ditch wiggles across the fairway at a diagonal placing pressure on the second shot…

…the green is carved out of the hillside and is semi blind from the fairway…

…this view looking back shows just how much movement this hole has. The green is subdued with mostly back to front tilt. The back third has some flat spots for easier pin positions. It’s an excellent golf hole!)

(The 144 yard par three sixth looks like it possesses only a sliver of green. Note how the bunkers are hidden with only the rolled down grass faces and front mounding giving away their presence.)

(The 612 yard par five eighth is a monster that plays downhill until it reaches a small drainage ditch that creases diagonally across the fairway. The green is fortress-like with a steep slope in front and a fall off into a bunker left…

…looking back reveals just how much one should drive it down the higher side of the fairway. It’ll take two all out blows to get it over the hazard. The green is two tiered with good internal contour. It’s another excellent hole!)

(The 362 yard par four eighteenth has two distinct greens with the one atop the hill playing the hole’s full yardage while the one on the left playing forty yards shorter…

…the shorter green receives the most play. I reckon the aging membership and the opportunity to end on a good note is the overwhelming reason. It’s also a nicely designed green complex that’s crowned on the sides. The one further up the hill is harder to hit with only the top of the flagstick visible. For a nine hole course, it distinguishes the last hole for those making a second loop to play eighteen.)

With the membership dwindling down to two digits, East Liverpool finds itself making do on a shoestring budget. The overgrowth of trees has hindered proper play on the par three fourth and taken away aggressive lines on a couple others. Park’s insistence on making every approach uphill has me wondering if a couple downhill shots would make this a better, more enjoyable experience. Besides the shorter green on eighteen and the opening hole, I would contend there are no true birdie opportunities between 2-8. It is one of the toughest nine hole courses I’ve played. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(I played to both greens on the last hole making a twenty footer for birdie on the short green and a up n down sandy on the long green. A 39/40 depending on what score I took. Blog 489)

Chautauqua Golf Club - Hill Course (Chautauqua, NY)

Be patient with the Hill course. It starts off slow but turns into a rollicking roller coaster from the ninth tee until the final putt on eighteen. It’s an out and in design that transverses the beautiful western New York countryside. It may not be the most sophisticated architecturally, but if conditions mean a lot to you, the greens were the best I’ve played all year.

Hill was designed by Xen Hassenplug, a civil engineer turned golf architect whose work is found mainly in the New York-Pennsylvania-Ohio triad. Working on a severe piece of property like this one, he did a great job routing some cool holes. I’m particularly impressed by the cross sloped ones. I also like that he didn’t make the natural water features the dominant hazard. They’re nuanced with plenty of give for those who don’t want to challenge them.

(The 463/450 yard par five eighth plays straight uphill to this green. After being in the meadow down near the clubhouse, this climb sets in motion the drama for the next ten holes.)

(The 346/298 yard par four tenth doglegs slightly left before ascending to a small shelf of a green. Judging the yardage appropriately will be key. Anything short will tumble back down the fairway.)

(The 473/469 yard par five eleventh demands an accurate tee shot between the trees. One can cheat a bit by playing down the left and getting a favorable bounce…

…from there it’s straight uphill to a green that has one of the few bunkers on the course guarding the front left. It’s a good birdie opportunity if you can negotiate the tee shot.)

(The 386/380 yard par four twelth drops down between two small ponds on either side of the fairway before playing back uphill to the green. Notice how the lay of the land design flows effortlessly without the need for sand traps to provide challenge.)

(The 168/136 yard par three thirteenth provides one of those deep breathe moments. No houses, no noise, just peace and solitude listening to the sounds of nature. It’s a lovely shot to a large green that should yield a stress free par unless you challenge a front pin position.)

(The 388/361 yard par four sixteenth comes out of the trees before doglegging left, dropping downhill, and climbing to another elevated green. It’s beautiful hole but I’m unsure of the mowing lines…

…this view looking back shows plenty of grass in the elbow of the dogleg which shortens the hole. I feel this is the line most players take. Regardless, the green is hard to hit and quite challenging once you arrive.)

The Hill is one of two eighteen hole courses at the Chautauqua Golf Club. Together, they make for an ideal 36 hole golf getaway. (Cleveland is just over two hours away) If the first six holes matched the quality of the last ten, the Hill would be rivaling Peak n Peek’s Upper as the best course in the area. Nonetheless, it’s super fun, very playable, and a great value at $58. I know my friends love Deer Ridge in Belleville, and I think they’d have the same affinity for this place. I give the Hills a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(The 389/365 yard eighteenth completes the round with a dogleg right downhill par four. One can fly his approach to the green or use the tumbling fairway to run the ball on.)

(I played the white tees at 5,961 yards. The swing changes from my lesson seem to be paying off and I’m getting more comfortable trusting them on the course. I tied my best round of the year, but the 11 GIR tell me it could’ve been a few strokes better. Golf is a funny game. I shot a 94 the day before. Blog 488)