Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com
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Par-4, 490 yards
GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB, Sun City, South Africa Sun City, just south of the Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa’s North West Province, is one of the world’s most dazzling tourist destinations. At its heart are two Gary Player-designed courses—Lost City and the Gary Player Country Club. The latter is home to the prestigious annual Nedbank Golf Challenge each December and can be stretched from the back tees to a staggering 8,000 yards. Obviously that sounds daunting, but at almost 4,000 feet above sea level the ball normally flies 10 percent further. The 8th is typical of how tough the course can play—from a tee that presents a semi-blind shot to a narrow fairway with a stream running across it all the way up a hill to a well-bunkered, cloverleaf-shaped green which can make a difference of three clubs depending on the pin position. The right side of the fairway sets up the easier approach because the trees to the left have grown out significantly.
18
17
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Par-3, 247 yards
SANDPINES GOLF LINKS, Florence, Oregon Routed through windswept sand dunes and a forest of towering pines, Sandpines is a breathtaking location for coastal golf. Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1993, it has swiftly become one of the ‘must-play’ golf destinations in the northwest United States. The outward nine is sculpted around the ubiquitous pines and majestic crystal-blue lakes reminiscent of those found on the Monterey Peninsula. Needless to say, the indigenous wildlife at Sandpines is bewilderingly varied—frequent sightings include deer, geese, ducks, sandpipers, blue herons, cranes, bald eagles and ospreys, sometimes even black bears and coyotes. The downhill 8th is a beautiful par-3, the last of the short holes in our fantasy line-up, framed by steep dunes to the right and tall trees to the left. The raised green is guarded by bunkers on both sides but open at the front, enabling it to receive pitch-and-run approaches from those players who can’t quite make the full distance from the tee.
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Par-5, 505 yards David Cannon/Getty Images
SCIOTO COUNTRY CLUB, Columbus, Ohio
Long before ‘local boy’ Nicklaus made Columbus famous as a fount of golfing excellence, Donald Ross laid down a marker in Ohio’s largest city. In 1916, he unveiled Scioto Country Club and the championships it subsequently staged include the 1926 U.S. Open, 1931 Ryder Cup and 1950 PGA Championship. Scioto is a shining example of Ross’s design philosophy, forever invoking a strategic approach to course management. The majestic par-5 8th, Scioto’s most picturesque hole, is often remembered for reasons other than its beauty. A drive over trees down the left side can find a wide landing area short of a stream that crosses the fairway. An iron to the green is possible from there, but the safe shot is to the peninsula just short. The reason is that the stream feeds into a lake to the left of the fairway and then runs back again in front of a green that is surrounded by bunkers as well as water. A classic risk-reward challenge to finish our round!
60
winter
2013
kingdom
27