Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove (Short)

Same as with the Short course at Oxmoor Valley, it is difficult to really talk about a par 3 course. All the holes on this course require the player hit an aerial shot to the green. All the greens are elevated. But there is reasonable variety. Holes play as long as 215 on the card from the back tees (and can play 5-7 yards longer than that from the far back of the teeing area) and as short as 70 yards from the forward tees. For those not insistent on playing a single set of tees, every club in the bag, except perhaps the 3 wood and driver, can be used on the course. Overall, this is a good, above average, course.

Holes to Note

For the first time on this site, a tour of the entire course will be posted. This is the writers home course and he has played it 50 or more times just this year. All pictures and yardages from the back tees.

Hole #1: 174 yards

Proper distance and line are important right from the opening shot. The green is separated into three distinctly different tiers: the front part of the green is sunken, the back right portion is sunken as well. The middle tier is rather flat and perhaps two feet above the front and back portions.

Hole #2: 180 yards
Playing downhill over a wetland area, this is a semi-scenic hole. The shot requirement is roughly the same as the first hole. This green is separated into two tiers, front and back.

From the tee, the shot needed is quite clear.

The well defined rise can be seen here.

Looking back at the tee from behind the green.

Hole #3: 189 yards

A virtual twin of the second, this hole again plays downhill, over the wetlands. This green has less movement than the 2nd, however. 

Hole #4: 215 yards
This hole is the longest on the the course and plays to a four-tiered green that is far too extreme for the shot required. The idea of the hole is good, but the green is not at all suited to the hole.

Hole #5: 137 yards
A break from the long holes that start off the round. This hole plays roughly a club uphill to a two-tiered green. Certainly a potential birdie hole if you can hit a decent shot off the tee.

The rise in the green can be seen here.

Hole #6: 135 yards

The shortest hole on the front nine plays to a green on the same level as the tee. This green, while also highly undulated, fits the shot required, unlike the 4th green. This hole, depending upon the pin position is likely the easiest hole on the course. When the hole is cut center left any shot within a 10 yard wide semi-circle right of the hole will funnel right down to the cup.

Today, the hole is cut center left, as described above. Beyond the bunker, the green is shaped like a bowl, feeding shots to the hole.

The shadowing from the trees gives definition to the rise that separates the front part of the green from the left-center. The mound just left of the prominent pine tree shows the location of the rear dividing tier.

Looking from the rear of the green, the bowl is more clearly seen.

Hole #7: 190 yards

This is one of the few holes on the course that might actually require the player to shape for ball from the tee, at least when playing from the back tees. When the hole is cut in the back portion of the green, as in this picture, a fade off the tee will give the player easiest access to the hole.

Hole #8: 178 yards
This hole has one of the largest greens on the course, if not the largest. This green would be far better suited on the 4th hole. There is perhaps 10 feet of rise from front to back with 4 distinct tiers. The back left portion of this green also acts as a funnel for shots. This hole, due to the fantastic green, is likely the best hole on the course.

From the tee, the tiers are visible to the player. Any shot on the wrong tier above the hole will leave a very difficult putt.

The tiers are well defined and severe.

Hole #9: 160 yards
This hole plays sharply uphill, roughly a club and a half. Prior to a renovation in 2011, there was a huge put bunker directly in front of the green. Shame it is no longer there. As with most greens, this one has several distinctive tiers.

Hole #10: 173 yards
From the back tees, this hole can either be simple or a real terror. To a front hole location, the shot is easy, the rise that separates the front and back tiers is roughly 3 feet high and serves as a major backstop. To the back location, however, there is no room for error. A miss short and left will roll down to the front tier. A miss short and center will go into the bunker. Any shots long or right will deflect down a steep hill and leave something of an impossible up and down.

This shot most certainly did not end up in an ideal location and anything other than an outstanding putt will likely result in three putts.

Hole #11: 192 yards

Just a standard hole here. Tee and green on the same level, green roughly flat. One of the few holes on the course that is simple and understated.

Hole #12: 195 yards
Tough hole playing long and over the fronting bunker. Another reasonably simple shot to a green with a lower tier.

The lower and upper tiers are visible in this image.

Hole #13: 205 yards

The second longest hole on the course has a green that fits the shot. Green has a simple tier, enough movement to give interest to the hole. Would be a much better hole if the green were lowered 3 to 4 feet to allow for a run-up shot.

A simple rise separates the front and back of the green.

Hole #14: 190 yards

Another of the few holes on the course that calls for working the golf ball off the tee. The shape of the hole actually resembles as Redan and a draw off the tee is favorable. But as with all holes, a run-up shot is out of the question.

Hole #15: 110 yards
The shortest hole on the golf course is also the easiest. The bunker is virtually meaningless and the mounds on the right provide a kick onto the green. This is the final birdie hole before the final difficult stretch.

Hole #16: 192 yards
This hole plays slightly uphill to a three tiered green and over the same marsh that came into play on holes 2, 3 and 4. And in reality, this hole is a virtual copy of 2 and 3. The deep green can prompt indecision in the player having to determine how much to add to or take off the posted yardage.

Hole #17: 155 yards
This hole plays sharply uphill and to a green that slopes sharply from back to front. When the hole is cut in the front, any shots left above the hole leave a very difficult putt. This green also has several different levels, but they are a bit more subtle than the levels on some other greens.

Here you can see the 4 tiers. This image is taken from the back of the green, the green has tiers back left and right, then two tiers falling down towards the front of the green.

Hole #18: 170 yards

The closing hole plays a club uphill to a green that is semi-blind from the tee. Regardless of where the hole is cut, the player is unable to see the bottom of the flagstick. This hole is a fair closing hole, but nothing spectacular.

The 18th green has some interest, bringing difficulty to the final hole.

Overall, this is a solid course. The yardages are varied and as said before, can be extremely varied for players who play from all different tees. But without the ability to play the ball on the ground at least a few times, the shots get slightly repetitive. That coupled with a couple of over the top greens, detracts from the course a bit. But this course is still solid. 4 out of 10

High Quality Nine Hole Golf Courses: A Rarity

Everyone has played a nine hole golf course from time to time. But how often are those courses really that good? While these little courses certainly have a place in the world of golf, most of the time they are nothing special and simply give golfers a place to play. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. Golf Digest published a list of the top 25 nine hole golf courses two years ago. If we are to assume the list does, indeed, rank the true top 25 nine hole courses, then it is rather indicative of the average quality of these courses nationwide. This writer has played two of them: #3 ranked Northwood and #24 ranked Annapolis Golf Course.

Northwood is an old Alister MacKenzie design in northern California. This course does have some interesting greens and some of the holes have quality shot values. But in other places, the trees have encroached on the course so much that it is virtually unplayable. The playing corridor on 9 is 25 yards wide. Not the fairway, the entire playing corridor, from the trees on the right to the out of bounds stakes on the left. The trees greatly effect turf quality as well. This course is not bad, just average; 3 out of 10 on the Johnny B. scale.

Annapolis Golf Course...well, to put it as nicely as possible, this just is not a course you would recommend to your friends. The fairways have no turf grass, only weeds mown to an inch in height. The greens are near perfect circles occupying the otherwise huge original green pads. Bunkers no longer have sand, only weeds. For the real student of architecture, the course is so good as to nearly brings tears to the eyes. But for a normal golfer, this might be the worst course he will ever see. The course was designed by Charles Banks, who learned design from Seth Raynor. The pedigree is outstanding. But the course has fallen into such disrepair as to completely prevent any interface with the architecture as it sits. Again, I fully assume due justice was done in coming to the conclusion that this is the 24th best 9 hole golf course in America. Given that is the case, it speaks volumes to the mediocrity of 9 hole courses in America.

One other course off that list worth a note is Pottawatomie Golf Course in Illinois. While this writer has not played it, another writer on Wegoblogger31.blogspot.com has ranked the course #305 out of 330 courses played as of this writing. Pottawatomie was ranked #15 on the 9 hole courses ranking.

Given these three examples and other 9 hole courses played, it would seem to be, sadly, the case that 9 hole courses are generally of a lower quality. That is not to say there are not good ones, indeed The Dunes Club in Michigan and Royal Worlington and Newmarket are widely acclaimed by a large number of people. But those seem to be great outliers.

This is quite sad really. 9 hole golf courses that are of high quality would be a great way to get golfers onto high quality golf courses without having to spend 4 or 5 hours on the course. The courses would also take up less land, making them cheaper to own, which should lead to lower costs passed on to the golfer. That would seem to be a winning combination, lower cost to the golfer and faster play.

Of course 9 hole courses exist everywhere. Some were originally designed that way. Some, like Annapolis, were designed to be part of an 18 hole facility, but only 9 were built. Some are what remains of a course that once had 18 holes, but for whatever reason had to close the other nine holes. But few are of solid quality.

Indeed, Northwoods is the finest 9 hole course this writer has played. But in an overall ranking, probably fits somewhere around 125 of 183. The other courses fall below that, some far below. It's quite sad that so few of these courses are built and maintained at even an average quality. Of course, the market yields this, few people want to play 9 hole courses, they even have a stigma, deserved these days, of being low quality courses. It would be great to see attitudes from golfers and operators change to allow for more of these little courses. The game would not suffer if that happened.

Moose Run Golf Course (Hill)- Fort Richardson, AK

This is the older and short course at Moose Run. This course is also a bit wider and generally easier than the Creek course. The two nines were built at different times, and while this writer does not know which nine was built first, there is an obvious quality difference between the two. The front nine occupies rolling land and has solid holes. The back nine occupies a very flat section of land and, sadly, is rather repetitive. The par 4's blend together on the back nine because they are all flat, though the one par 5 has some interest and is scenic playing back to the mountains. But this is simply an average course and, due to the back nine, the lowest quality course among the six 18 hole courses around Anchorage and out into the Valley.

Holes to Note

Hole #2: Par 4, 422 yards
From the tee, this hole bears a passing resemblance to the eighth hole at Pine Valley. The landing area is obscured by a large hill that enters from the left and slopes down across the fairway to the right. The best play is to aim for the center or left-center of the fairway and let the ball feed down to the right. The green is easy to approach from either side of the fairway, but players that reach the right side will be afforded a flatter lie and level approach. From the fairway, the player may choose to either fly the ball to the hole or bump it along the ground. The green is equally receptive to either shot with very limited protections from approach shots. Easy second hole and a fairly good chance for birdie.

From the tee, the hill is imposing and blocks the landing area from view. For those who have seen it, the resemblance to #8 at Pine Valley is readily visible. 

From the right side of the fairway, the green is easily accessed from a flat lie. The green sits in wait with limited protections.

Hole #5: Par 5, 518 yards

Solid par 5 that plays blind over the hill to the fairway. The hole bends to the left, but the player is given no indication of that from the tee. The best line is to play up the right side, leaving the player a chance to go for the green with a straight shot. From the top of the hill, the hole spreads out in front of the player and, while not an exceptionally strategic hole, it's certainly photogenic. The green is, like most here, lightly defended (the green actually has a bunker left and also long, but due to green shrinkage over time, they are so far offset that this writer failed to even notice them on the course and only saw them upon looking at the course from overhead).

 Completely blind off the tee, the player has no idea what is in store.

 Fortunately for him, there was no trouble awaiting in the fairway and the only concern is whether or not the ball ended up in the fairway and if he can make an attempt to go for the green in two shots.

From the 150 yard marker, the shot is uphill to the green and not very difficult.

This course could be a solid golf course if they did some work on it and perhaps brought in a professional designer to add a bit of interest to the back nine. It simply gets repetitive on the closing stretch. But there have been changes over time here. Bunker shrinkage can be seem in numerous places, as can green shrinkage. An aerial view of the front nine shows how far offset the bunkers are from the greens. If there existed some cash to spend on this course, it could be as good as the other courses in the area, if not better than some. 

The square edge indicates where the green used to be and how much rough encroachment exists on the third green.

This course is not bad, indeed it is actually average. It is actually something of a compliment to the quality of golf in this area overall that this course is at the bottom of the heap. For an area with as short a golfing season as Alaska, there exists a generally high quality of golf here. This course: 3 out of 10.