Ibis Landing was designed by Gordon Lewis in 2001. It has several interesting green sites where Lewis stretched the putting surface across a platform, making very wide but shallow targets. The short par four fifth illustrates this perfectly. It climbs up a hill with the green just on the other side of the apex. It spreads across the entire backside, high left to low right. It’s semi blind with only the top of the flag visible. The short par four fifteenth has the same type of green except this time, the right half extends out into the water like a peninsula while the left side is wide open and entices long hitters into driving it.
(The 310/295 yard par four ninth has a center bunker that divides the green in half for your pitch shot. Water short right of the green (out of view in this pic) persuades the long hitter to go up the left side, and creates an awkward angle for today’s pin location.)
(The 249/223 yard par three fourteenth is all carry over a sensitive area. There is a buffer between the green and the hazard. Just pray they move the tee up if this is into the wind.)
I found the short par fours to be interesting and they were well placed in the round. Three of the them were under 300 yards, and these holes were driveable for the long hitter. (One gentleman in our group drove four par fours. We were playing in a strong wind which shortened all of the downwind holes. He birdied the eighth but three putted the others.) Other notable observations included back to back opening par fives to start the round, something I haven’t seen since Hinckley Hills, and greens that extended further up the mounding they were set in, creating awkward chips and putts. Also, I’ve never seen housing construction as prominent as here. This development is going up fast! How close will they be? That’s a good question. There were several holes where I thought they were in danger, the eighth being the biggest offender. That said, the course was in great condition. Added up together, I think it’s a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).
(The 308/293 yard par four sixteenth has a very wide green and only the right half is visible in this picture. The green actually slopes away from the golfer, making for an awkward and difficult short iron shot.)
[Ibis Landing hosted the Sunday singles matches for our Ryder Cup. The wind was blowing a steady 20 mph with gusts in the 30-35 mph range. If I said my first shot of the day was a dead top into the water and I shanked two on the par three sixth, then you’d summarized that I probably lost my match, but I somehow fixated on one swing thought and won six holes between 8-14. The crazy wind didn’t do my high ball hitting opponent any favors. On the par five thirteenth, my double bogey beat his triple. Oh the thrill of match play! I won the war of attrition 2&1.]
(The 375/349 yard eighteenth hole for most people is a simple metal wood and pitch when played straight away at the bunker, but longer hitter has the option to carry over the entire lake, bringing the front edge of the putting surface into play.)
(#3 139/126 yard par three)
