| Tough ones: Long and tough and worthy of its designation |
| Sunday, 31 August 2008 14:45 | |||
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Even if you hit the perfect (and long) drive at #9 at The Ridges, you are still faced with a decision: Aim directly at the green and tempt the creek that runs along the left, or play a safer "carom" shot to the hill that guards the short right side of the green. I snorted at the yardage book's cavalier line that "Most golfers will play this hole as a par 5." Intimidated by the trees down the left side of the hole, I pushed my drive out to the right rough, well right of the yardage book's guidance to hit a good one to the center or center right fairway. Still, I hit my drive as far as any during my round and it got a favorable bounce off the side of the hill that runs below the cart path. I was left with about 225 yards in, and aimed my three wood at the right side of the green, as the yardage book suggested. You definitely do not want to go left of the green, where the stream that runs the entire length down the left side of the fairway snakes along the left side of the green. Fortune smiled on me. My shot hung up on the very top of the large hill that guards the right side of the fairway near the green. Unless you are tempted by a go at the narrow and well-protected green - foolish, in my opinion - it is unlikely an approach shot will come off the hill through the thick rough. I had a great lie in the Bermuda, was able to get a lob wedge under the ball and popped it out to five feet from the hole. When I made the putt, I felt as if I had made birdie instead of a one-putt par. It was the highlight of the day, even though I did make two actual birdies during the round. I'll provide a full golf review on The Ridges and the surrounding community later this week.
On the tee box at the long 9th hole at The Ridges, you can choose to play it safe to the right or tempt fate, and the stream that runs down the entire left side.
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