Lewis River - Detail
The opening hole is a short par 4 fronted by a pond. 200 yards is really about all you're looking for off the tee box. Stay in the left half of the fairway for the best approach angle.
#2 kind of sets the theme for the whole course -- it's a narrow par 4 through the trees. It's not very long, so you don't have to hit driver, and frankly, it's probably better for you if you don't. Just keep it in play.
#3 is a 165 yard par 3. There are trees left, right and long, and bunkers short. Yikes! Two strategies come to mind: 1) hit the television shot to the middle of the green, or 2) lay up short of the bunkers.
#4 is back to the central theme of the course -- narrow par 4 winding through the trees. I tried hitting a driver here, lost it right into what looked like a swamp from the tee, but turned out not to be and managed to chip back to the fairway and save bogey.
#5 is a short par 5 coming back the other way, still winding through the trees. It's a bit wider and you can probably get away with driver, but because of the length of the hole, you don't really need to. Favor the left half of the fairway to set up the best angle for your approach shot.
#6 starts to showcase some of the course's Augusta aspirations with a gorgeous flowerbed in front of the tee. This hole (367 from the blues) is all about setting up your approach to the green. If you can somehow manage to stay in the right center of the fairway, you'll have a perfect approach shot, framed by the trees, and flying over a creek. (I had the perfect angle, and then chunked my wedge right into that creek...)
#7 is a manly par 3, playing 190 yards, and flying over the creek, which runs up the right side of the hole. Stay left!!
#8 is not that long (378 yards), but the back tees give you a taste of what the pros get to play, because the tee box is set back in a chute of trees that looks impossibly narrow. And in fact, one of my companions hit what looked like was going to be a perfect high draw and it clipped a pine tree and fell short. I've never hit a high draw in my life, and it wouldn't have occurred to me that this would have been the wrong shot, but it is, at least for this hole.
#9 is a short straight par 4 leading back to the clubhouse. There's no real trouble in play, so if you're confident that you can keep your driver between the trees, give it a whack!
#10 is a par 5 curving gracefully to the right. Long hits can get in trouble pretty quickly because of the dogleg, so pick a club you can hit mostly straight.
#11 is a medium-length par 3 with a two-story green. Putting up or down the ridge can be tricky, so try to land on the same tier as the flag.
#12 is a ridiculously long par 5, playing 647 yards. I really struggled with the hole, trying to hit mighty shots with really long clubs, and spending most of my time in the woods. One of my companions calmly played it like a par 6, and actually wound up with a long putt for a 5 (which he missed). Made my snowman look kind of feeble.
#13 presents you with a dogleg right look off the blue tees (it's straighter from the whites). It's a longish par 4, and you need a good strong tee shot to open with. I foozled a hybrid by the outbuilding on the right.
#14 is a little shorter, but also a little narrower as it winds back to the right. I mistakenly thought that the fairway would match the contour of my natural fade. Instead I lost it right into the trees, and discovered one of the seven wonders of the golfing world, namely, a bunker in the woods! Who puts a bunker in the woods??? Evidently they were worried that a slicey shot would work through the trees and back into the 13th fairway. Not a chance -- those trees were so thick I didn't even reach the damned bunker! But still, quite a marvel, eh? Oh, just for good measure, there's a pond fronting the green. Kind of scenic...
#15 is another long par 5 (577 yards). You really need to hit driver on this hole, but it's just narrow enough to make you think twice about it!
#16 is a very short par 4, with a bit of a surprise awaiting you greenside. But first, you need to hit a straight shot to the middle of the fairway about 210 yards. Then there's a 90 degree dogleg right to the most gorgeous green complex this side of Augusta National. With a pond in front and flowerbeds to the right, it just doesn't get any prettier than this, especially on a sunny day!
#17 is a short par 3 back to another green located right next to #16. Very pretty corner of the golf course!
#18 is a 365 yard par 4, straightaway. It's protected in the front by bunkers, both left and right. Pretty simple hole if you can keep it in the fairway.
Actually, that's pretty much true of the whole course. And most other courses, now that I think about it. Well, especially courses that are basically in the woods. Don't get greedy, hit clubs that you are confident will go straight, and you'll score way lower.
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