Glen Afton Golf Course
The Course
Hole 1
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 322 YDS ~ WHITE 307 YDS ~ GREEN 265 YDS
Be sure to clear the two bunkers running laterally across the fairway 180 yards to carry off the tee. The rough on both sides is tree lined so put it on the fairway for an easy second shot. The fairway slopes left to right so favor the left side. The second shot to a green sloped back to front requires that you watch the pin placement closely. Be careful with this shot; if the wind off the coast is behind you it is easy to be long. If you are pin high or over the high back of this green, you could be looking at a bogey or more. Capitalize on this hole and get off to a good start. This is a birdie hole for the experts.
Hole 2
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 159 YDS ~ WHITE 143 YDS ~ GREEN 116 YDS
The green is only 159 yards off the tee. If the wind is out of the north, be careful what club you use here as you could come up short. The green is very generous so you have a big target to shoot at. The green is protected left and back with bunkers and water right. Make it stick or you could be chipping out of the large bunker at the left front or back of this green.
The water on the right of the fairway and green comes into play particularly if the wind is out of the west. Again, the green slopes middle to front so plan on leaving a short uphill putt for a birdie or par. The green has large sweeping undulations and a ridge running across the middle, left to right, making for a tricky two putt. This is a par for the low handicapper and expert golfer.
Hole 3
PAR 5 ~ BLUE 548 YDS ~ WHITE 513 YDS ~ GREEN 488 YDS
So you are off to a great start and you have that wonderful feeling after two good holes. Balls played to far right are out of bounds. Play well left to avoid bunkers down the right side. Do not get behind the few spruces lining this fairway or you may give up a shot just to chip into play. The funnel like “wooded” approach to the green requires an accurate shot. You could be playing a provisional ball if you have gone left, right or long into the woods. If you are not a scratch golfer plan your approach shot from the 100 yard marker to avoid the trouble. This hole is birdie material for the long ball hitter.
Hole 4
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 150 YDS ~ WHITE 140 YDS ~ GREEN 138 YDS
A short walk through a wooded path brings you to the tee box at number 4. This hole runs east to west directly into the prevailing winds and is surrounded by trees 40 to 50 feet high. Club selection is critical here because the wind will affect the shot. The target green is large and well protected by a bunker in the front right Over hanging trees down the left side do come into play. The green slopes back to front with sweeping undulations. Watch the wind!
Hole 5
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 378 YDS ~ WHITE 368 YDS ~ GREEN 366 YDS
Is this hole an optical illusion? The tee box faces directly south toward the strait and is open to the prevailing winds. The hole has trees right but open on the left other than for a large playable waste area.
This green has a ridge running front to back so be careful with your approach shot. The green also slopes back to front. If the flag is up front, do not get past it or you will be three putting. This is a double bogey for the higher handicapper and a par for the experts and wannabes.
Hole 6
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 343 YDS ~ WHITE 318 YDS ~ GREEN 301 YDS
This is what links golf is all about. This hole is wide open with a closely mown fairway bounding a pond, “dogleg” left. Your choice, drive the green across the water, carry 320 yards. Play left into secondary cut into the turf in front of the pond or play to the left corner and leave an unobstructed shot into the green, carry 190 yards. The green slopes back to front and right to left so expect a tricky putt here. By the way, watch the wind here as your drive is wide open to the prevailing west wind.
Hole 7
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 348 YDS ~ WHITE 338 YDS ~ GREEN 314 YDS
If you want to par this hole you must hit straight down the fairway to the corner of the “dogleg” left, carry 225 yards. This allows for a 125 yard iron shot to the green. If you are short with your tee shot, you will have to come in over the corner bunker tight to the green; this is a tough shot. The carry to the green across the corner is 315 yards from the right side of the tee box. This shot is obstructed by woods but some intrepid gofers can pull this shot off. The green has a severe right to left back to front slope so there are few putts that don’t break a few feet. This is a double bogey for the high handicappers, par for the low handicapper and a birdie possibility for the pros.
Hole 8
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 188 YDS ~ WHITE 168 YDS ~ GREEN 137 YDS
The wide open par 3 has a large green with a gentle slope and only one bunker front left. This green is really fun to putt because it looks flat, but in fact putts break off 5 to 7 feet in places depending on pin placement. Be careful, three putts here are not uncommon. The greens are well maintained and watered so they will hold a hot shot coming in from 188 yards. Go for the flag, there have been more than a few hole- in- one shots here.
Hole 9
PAR 5 ~ BLUE 513 YDS ~ WHITE 503 YDS ~ GREEN 480 YDS
You should be having one of your best rounds ever by this time. Even the bogey golfers are probably carding 40-41. Our low handicappers are 33-35 and looking forward to an all time low score, right?
The hole runs directly south towards the Strait into the onshore breezes. We have out of bounds and a large bunker on the left, wide open right and a small bunker at the 235 yard mark. Get as much out of your drive as possible. The second shot plays down into a swale 90 to 120 yards from the flag.
The left side of this green breaks away into a 60 foot gully and creek so keep it right or you are looking at a triple. Par on this hole is excellent for anyone. Note: When the pin is back right make sure your approach shot is from the 100 yard marker on the left side of the fairway.
Hole 10
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 151 YDS ~ WHITE 134 YDS ~ GREEN 117 YDS
The tee boxes are elevated 60 to 80 feet above the green which is guarded on the front by a large pond. The green also has a false front with enough slope not to hold the ball so just clearing the water is not enough, play long. Well not to long because anything hit past this green is out of bounds. The long and or the short of it will cost you two strokes. Make allowances for the wind here. A par here is good for the average player but there is a good chance for a birdie for the risk takers and marksmen.
Hole 11
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 346 YDS ~ WHITE 336 YDS ~ GREEN 338 YDS
If you started out with a bogey on 10, this is not the hole that you will make it up on. This hole parallels a pond and marsh to your right. The fairway slopes left to right so play to the left side to stay on the fairway with your tee shot. Left is safe up the hill, but the secondary cut could cause problems with your second shot. This gets really interesting because the green is narrow and slopes front to back and left to right. Do not be long over the back on this green as it slopes quickly to the bottom of a very large swale. Playing back to the narrow green is a tough shot.
Hole 12
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 333 YDS ~ WHITE 323 YDS ~ GREEN 314 YDS
The view is wide open to the Strait. There is a steep pitch 175 yards out so take advantage of that. Long left is safe and long right is out of bounds so play it down the middle. The long ball hitters will have an easy wedge to the green. Do not try to hit and stick on this green with anything under an eight iron. Best bet is to bump and run onto this one and hope for a stop before the trip to the bottom. This is an easy par for the pros and an easy double for the rest of us. Be careful.
Hole 13
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 357 YDS ~ WHITE 347 YDS ~ GREEN 312 YDS
Thirteen is an exciting and challenging hole that runs along the ocean. It is a pleasure just to look upon. It is a 357 yard par 4 with a “dogleg” to the right that requires a precise tee shot. The right side of the fairway skirts along the ocean. To make the corner comfortably you need a drive of 220 yards from the tips. Drive accurately because mature trees loom in the middle of the fairway at around 180 yards and along the right edge.
If you got the drive you wanted you then have a carry of around 150 yards over a pond into a beautiful green. The green slopes up with a bunker left and ocean at the back. Factor in the wind which is a constant issue here. Many mid to high handicappers play this hole as a lay-up and happily take bogey. Should you decide to lay-up the pitch to the green across the pond is longer than it looks at 75-95 yards.
Precision and strategy are important when playing lucky 13. The prudent bogey golfer will lay-up in front of the pond, wedge the ball in close and still be going for par. The not so prudent golfer here usually gets a double or triple. Note: The direct to the green tee shot over ocean and marsh requires a carry of 326 yards of the tee. Be careful it is 300 yards to carry the marsh and ocean. The reward for your risk is a possible eagle and fame.
Hole 14
PAR 5 ~ BLUE 525 YDS ~ WHITE 481 YDS ~ GREEN 456 YDS
The name Sweet Afton sums this hole up most accurately. The Afton River in Scotland was always known as the Sweet Afton because of its beauty and serenity. For some, this is the hole that they would love to skip going directly from 13 to 15. For others, they would play this hole 18 times for the round. Many others would rebuild the green or fill in the tidal marsh to make it to their liking. This hole evokes strong feelings from all who play it, be they scratch or bogey golfers.
Although this is not the signature hole, it is the defining hole in the round of golf for most players. Sweet Afton offers great rewards for risk takers that are successful in their shot making, so birdies can be had here but only if earned. On the other hand, the penalties for taking the risks and not making the shots will move even the scratch golfer into bogey and double bogey territory. In essence this is the perfect golf hole. Sweet Afton has to be played with the mind coupled with very high quality golf shots.
Laments are overheard on the tee box at number 15 that could make a best seller if published, “Best Excuses in Golf”. This was the most difficult hole to write about simply because justice cannot be done in describing this hole; you have to play it to understand why it brings out the best and worst in players.
Hole 15
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 157 YDS ~ WHITE 147 YDS ~ GREEN 141 YDS
This is the last of the group of holes known by some as the “Dirty Half Dozen” starting at hole 10 and ending here. Like its predecessors, this hole can push you into bogey territory very quickly. Play across the water to an elevated green with a lofted club. Do not go long into the back bunker because you cannot get up and down from there. Do not play short as the sloping approach will kick your ball back and down the hill leaving you with a difficult flop shot to preserve par. Be careful here as double bogeys are taken here as often by the pros as by the bogey men.
Hole 16
PAR 4 ~ BLUE 407 YDS ~ WHITE 377 YDS ~ GREEN 344 YDS
OK, breathe a sigh of relief, you can coast home from here; now is your chance to make up a few strokes starting with this easy par 4. The hole is straight away from the tee, leaving an easy approach shot into a big flat green. The rough on both sides of this fairway is playable so there is not much risk here. Honest!
Hole 17
PAR 3 ~ BLUE 200 YDS ~ WHITE 180 YDS ~ GREEN 135 YDS
Number 17 runs directly into the westerly prevailing wind so club selection becomes difficult. On a very calm day, a 7 iron will do nicely but there are times when the driver can be used particularly if the pin is at the back of this very deep green which adds another 50 yards to this hole. Accuracy is a must here as the green is flanked on the left with water and a deep bunker on the right. The green is tiered and it also slopes front to back and right to left.
Hole 18
PAR 5 ~ BLUE 503 YDS ~ WHITE 493 YDS ~ GREEN 378 YDS
What a beautiful finishing hole. For the long ball hitters, it is wide open and allows for the power hitters to be there in two. The landing area for bogey golfer’s second shot is narrowed by a pond on the right at the 150 yard marker. A very accurate second shot is required here.
The green will hold a ball coming in from the 200 plus yardage markers and is protected left front with a bunker and a false front. So balls hit short will roll back off the green so don’t be shy, be aggressive here. This is a good opportunity for a birdie.