Shoal Creek

[Bravo]

This is currently rated #49 in the US and has hosted two PGA Championships and a US Amateur...

Here's the range...they were having Nike demo day when we came up...

 

[Bravo]

Cottages for out-of-town members and their guests...This club has approximately 25% out of state members who fly in to play and bring guests. This is the Nicklaus cottage and another one whose name I don't recall...Nicklaus designed this course and it opened in 1977....

 

[Bravo]

This course has five sets of tees with the 5 star being the longest ones and the ones from which the pro tournaments were played from at 7114. The 4 star course on the card is indicated to be only 6779 - but today, many of the tee set-ups were very close to the championship length. My guess is we played a course that was around 6950 today and we got whipsawed...

Once again windy weather!! I think that the entire North American continent is experiencing a cold/windy spring and this is the case here. Today's date is May 1 and when we teed off - it was 66F/19C with bright sunshine and 10-20 mph winds.

This course is located in a mountain valley and holds water. We had a big rain about 24 hours ago and the balls were hitting and stopping with no roll whatsoever.

Here's the first - the classic easy opening hole - straightaway par 4 that measured 393. My drive flew 240 and stopped dead - this left me 150 to the pin into the wind...

 

[Bravo]

As I said, the balls tended to hit and drop on the spot...if there is any issue with this course as it relates to conditioning - it is its propensity to hold water...

 

[Bravo]

Here we are on #4 - the #1 handicap hole on the front side. This puppy plays 452 from the tips. Our distance today was 432. I hammered a good drive which left me 172 to the pin. I stuck a 5 iron 15 feet away and two putted for routine par. (The regulars know this is not me in the photo)

 

[Bravo]

And here's the 5th. A beautiful downhill par 3. We had 187 to the pin today. I left mine in the front bunker - then hit over the green and ended up with a double.

Double Oak Mountain looms behind the hole. Notice the sheer rock face in the upper left portion of the picture among the trees...

 

[Bravo]

Coming out of the chute on the 7th...Damn these are long holes...

Championship tees are 442 on the card and we played about five yards in front of this so maybe 435+ straightaway. I hit a really good drive (that actually rolled!!) but got behind a strategic tree and took a bogey because I could not approach directly. The #3 handicap hole on the front...

 

[Bravo]

And the 8th...a fun little downhill Par 3...Played 156 today. My 8 iron fell a bit short of the green and I used my TM RM to chip up for par....

 

[Bravo]

The 10th...a straightaway par 4...Played 410 today.

 

[Bravo]

My buddy with the r7 hit a good drive and I followed this up with another nice one. Both flew about 255 and stopped dead...

In 39 years of playing the game - we had never seen this...I was playing a Precept U-Tri Tour and he had the Pro-V1x. The Pro-V1x finished 1/4 inch ahead...the hole is toward the top of the frame...

 

[Bravo]

Here's the 11th - a classic double water-carry Par 5. I hit an excellent drive into the wind and then a good second shot that set up a wedge into the green - which is surrounded on three sides by water. I looked up on my approach and hit it in the water - which gave me a double....

 

[Bravo]

The 13th - which played 172 today. I hit five iron to 15 feet and three putted for bogey. This is an all carry hole with a ravine in front and a large bunker greenside...

 

[Bravo]

And the 14th...a downhill Par 4 with about a 70 foot drop from the tee. Mountain backdrop once again...yours truly in 3rd photo...I hit mine in the right bunker...about 250 out and ended up with double again...not my day today.

 

[Slingblade61]

Sweet pics Bravo!

Thanks for going to the trouble of posting them......Those narrow fairways would kill me.

 

[Bravo]

The 16th..a par 3 that normally plays about 185 but they had the tees back (again) to championship distance. We were 210 to the hole. I played my TM RM and hit it on the fringe of the green on the right side. Too bad the pin was left. I had a 50 footer and three putted for bogey.