#burhill

Aside from a few bunkers being removed and the awful re-design of the third hole, Willie Park’s design remains. I have included comments in the pictures below highlighting the design features. I thoroughly enjoyed my two rounds on this golf course.

Clubhouse and Putting Green – Love the classic open lawn feel. It is echoed along the back of the clubhouse also.

1st hole – second of two bunkers protecting the inside of the dogleg left. Sits around 150 yards from the green. Longer hitters have to negotiate around it from the tee.

1st hole – the green complex has a classic two tier setup all sloping back to front.

2nd hole – bunkers line the left side of this slight dogleg right. Longer hitters can carry these with a solid shot. Check out the protection of the green side bunkers.

2nd hole – Greenside bunkers

2nd hole – Greenside bunker. Notice the dirt pile on the back of this bunker. Dug out, flipped over, seeded. Very Cool

3rd hole – Oh Boy…what happened? The course was originally par 69. Club acquired extra land, pushed the 3rd to a par 5 and did not consider bunker style.

3rd hole – the only saving grace to this hole is the drainage ditch.

3rd hole – another view of bunkers made by modern equipment with little consideration to the style of Mr. Park

4th hole – Reminded me of the 9th at Meadowbrook. Short par 4, dogleg right. A great feature MCC didn’t have – see the directional bunker out in the distance. That is your target line. Hit it just short, and the green opens up.

4th hole – didn’t make it out towards the target bunker? now you have to hit over these bunkers to a green that slopes severely from right to left.

4th hole – the slope of this green doesn’t present itself until you are up on it

5th hole – fairway bunkering

5th hole – green side bunkers

6th hole – par three up the hill, heavily bunkered

6th hole – they were aerating the greens

8th hole – heavily bunkered fairway. This is looking over the short right bunker. There is another bunker left around 250-260 off the tee and then one long left. I am told the long left bunker can catch the long ball in the summer.

8th hole – Greenside bunkering on a steep back to front sloped green.

9th hole – these fairway bunker sit on the inside of the dogleg. Into the wind, hard to carry. Downwind or no wind and these conceal the fairway bunker behind them.

9th hole – second fairway bunker beyond.

9th hole – the second fairway bunker is a formidable test to get the ball back to the green.

11th hole – The bunkering here is deceptive and beautiful. The deep bunkers are reachable but only for the best of drives. They make you think about not using driver.

12th hole – 325 yards downhill to a blind green. Driver probably isn’t prudent but if you need to jumpstart a match, let it rip.

13th hole – another par 3 with heavy bunkers. While they shouldn’t come into play, they frame the hole well and will catch the stray shot.

14th hole – Good size par 5. It is interesting that there is both an aiming stick and a directional bunker. The best play is a right to left ball, over the bunker moving towards the stick. The fairway slopes severely to the right. Any ball to the right of the aiming stick is finding the rough.

15th hole – Demanding par four with a slight dogleg left. There is a house along the right side that is OB.

15th hole – the green slopes from right to left off the bunker. It is a gradual slope that runs like concrete. Be left of the pin.

16th – final par 3. Tiny green, lots of bunkering…seeing a theme in the par 3s?

16th – view up the neck into the green.

16th – fairly flat green once you are on the surface.

18th – The last two holes are great finishers. Both par 4’s and neither has a bunker green side. No need for them. Creative shaping of the greens into the land provides more than enough trouble.

18th – the approach shot on 18 requires a mid to long iron for even the longest hitters. The green is blind. After 17 holes of back to front sloped greens, the 18th slopes front to back. Tricky!

18th – trying to show the front to back slope.

18th – trying to show the front to back slope.