Stonehouse Golf Club-Toano, VA

Another of the few golf courses that Mike Strantz designed. This one, sadly, lacks that "it" that the other courses have. That said, this is a quality golf course and certainly one to play. This course is simply a normal golf course, if there is such a thing. It does not reach the extremism seen at Tobacco Road and Tot Hill Farm. It does not play extremely difficult like Royal New Kent. This course plays somewhat similar to many other housing based membership clubs. In most cases this would be a fine course, but compared to Mike Strantz's other work, it falls a bit short.

Ranking
Variety of Design: The par 3's have only modest variety, ranging only from 172 to 204 yards. The par 4's virtually all fall in the mid-400 yard range, none being very short nor very long. And the par 5's have only moderate variety as well. Directionally, the holes would seem to balance out well, having 6 holes playing right, 7 holes playing left and 6 playing straight (the 7th doglegs both left and right), yet upon digging a bit deeper one finds that the holes on the front nine are broken down as 6 holes right, 1 left, and 3 straight, while the back nine is 6 left and 3 straight. The overall balance is fair, the by each nine, quite skewed. 5 3/4 out of 10

Flow of the Course: This course has limited flow. None of the holes stand out as exceptional to give high points to the round. But none are so poor as to give extremely low points. 5 out of 10

Course Conditioning: In most places the turf is solid. A few greens had some dead spots due to heat and lack of air flow, but in general, the conditions were what one would expect give the fees. 5 3/4 out of 10

Ease of Walking: Not good. Significant distances between many of the holes, road crossings and hilly terrain makes this a difficult walk. 3 1/4 out of 10

Atmosphere: Mike Strantz being the designer gives a bit of a boost, but other than that, not much atmosphere here. 3 out of 10

Total: 50 out of 100

*All photos property of and used with permission from The Buffalo Golfer www.buffalogolfer.com*

Holes to Note
Hole #1: Par 4, 401 yards
This is likely the easiest opening hole from Strantz that I have played. The play off the tee is fairly simple. The bunker on the right can be easily carried, but the player must be mindful of the fact that the fairway ends at 285 yards from the back tee. Longer players may be able to run the ball through the fairway. But in general, the tee shot should not be overly difficult given that the fairway is over 60 yards wide. From the fairway, the player will have an open approach shot to a green cut into the side of a large hill.

The fairway runs from the center of the bunker on the right to a line pointed towards the lone tree on the left. Anything in the fairway will give the player a solid look at the green.

The green is cut deeply into the side of the hill. Shots missed more than a fraction in any direction will be done no favors.

Hole #5: 431 yards

This hole plays fairly long with a blind tee shot and then an approach shot to a Punchbowl green. The best line off the tee is to favor the right side, even with a line over the shorter tree. The green is fairly open in front and could allow for a run-up shot, though that would not be the preferred option.

From the tee, the player is unable to see the fairway. The stake visible in the middle of the fairway is not the 150 yard stake, indeed that stake is more than 225 yards from the green. Any shot left of that stake will not find the fairway.

The green is surrounded on 3 sides by the bowl. Shots hit a slight distance up on the hills will kick down onto the green. The wide opening in front may allow for a roll-up shot, but there is a depression short of the green which likely prevents that.

Hole #14: Par 4, 402 yards

This is a solid hole even though is has an awkward green site. The bunkers visible off the tee are completely out of play unless the player tops a shot. The tee shot is blind and the best line is directly over the two bunkers seen on the left side of the image; the orange bunkers in the foreground to be specific. That will leave the player with 150 or less yards into the green. To a certain degree, the farther right the players tee shot is played, the better, due to angle and being able to see the pin or the green, but this is certainly not a green that one will want to approach with a long iron.

From the tee, the best line is directly over the grass that separates the two orange sand bunkers in the foreground. That will allow the player a clear view of the green.

From around 150 out, this is the look at the green. This is certainly an aerial only approach and any miss hit shot will be severely penalized.

A closer look at the green shows the jungle surrounding the green on all sides.

Hole #18: Par 4, 453 yards

This is a difficult closing hole. The fairway is over 100 yards wide before part of it comes to an end 265 yards off the tee. The shortest line to the green comes from playing the tee shot close down the treeline on the left. This is where the fairway runs out. Playing over to the left, over the large shrubby tree in the center of the below image will give the player more length for the tee shot, but will also leave a longer approach. To the green the player has multiple options. From the shorter route, the player must fly the ball all the way to the green. From the longer route to the right, the player is able to bring the ball in low with a run-up shot. Very solid finishing hole.

The shortest line to the green comes from playing close to the treeline on the left. Players who hit the ball more than 275 yards off the tee will need to play less than driver when playing down this side. From there, the player will have around 170 yards to the center of the green, but the ball must be carried onto the putting surface, there is no run-up option. Players who choose to play to the right, over the shrub, will be left with about 190 yards to the center of the green even if they are able to hit the tee shot 300 yards. This shot, however, can be played with a run-up shot if desired.

From the center of the fairway, both approach options are visible. Anything left of here will not have the option of playing the shot on the ground. Anything right will need more club to reach the green but is able to be played to the green by rolling the ball up. The bunkers serve as saving features for players who slightly miss their approach shots.

Overall, this course is good but not great. It does provide a great break from the ordinary however, and is worth a look because of that. 5 out of 10

Modern Day Template Holes: The Island

The Island green hole is one of the most used modern 'Template' holes. These holes are not all identical, or very close, like the Macdonald School holes, but the concept is certainly the same for each hole. The nature of the green, being surrounded by water, makes the hole somewhat uniquely capable of bringing drama and a high point to the round. 

While not the first Island green built, that distinction is generally thought to belong to Ponte Vedra Country Club just a short ways away, the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass (PLAYERS Stadium) is the hole that started the trend of island greens. The positioning in the round and the length of the hole, combined with the water-surrounded green, give players in match or stroke play opportunity for any score from 1, which we have seen during the PLAYERS Championship numerous times, to the 66 that Angelo Spagnolo made during the Golf Digest Worst Avid Golfer contest. That is the kind of drama and build-up that other courses have attempted when building the Island hole.

The 17th hole at PGA West (Stadium). This one was designed by Pete Dye a few years after the one at Sawgrass. In the same way, it provides the unique drama to the round, but this hole is over 20 yards longer than the hole at Sawgrass, making it much more difficult. 

This is the 16th at Golden Horseshoe (Gold) in Williamsburg, Virginia. This is a much older Island hole, dating to 1964. Obviously the concept is the same, but this hole has more room for the player to miss the green, being surrounded by 5 bunkers and significant rough space.

 This one, from Stone Harbor in New Jersey, is one of the holes that went beyond a normal Island concept and into foolishness. This green has since been rebuilt, likely at significant cost, into something more normal. This hole, and the one below, represent what the Island has become to many places, a gimmick to draw attention to the course.

 The 14th hole at Coeur d'Alene Resort in Idaho is a true island green, requiring the player to take a boat ride in order to reach the green. The green is located on a barge and the yardage can be changed day to day by allowing the green to float out farther from land. Again, a bit of a gimmick to draw attention.

The Island template is a solid hole. There are those out there who believe that holes with forced water carries are generally unfair. Perhaps they are. After all, there are virtually no options for the player when playing an Island hole. However, there do not always need to be numerous options for the play of a hole. The problem with the Island template or concept of that it has become somewhat overused and that has tarnished the quality of drama and flow to a round this type of hole can provide. But when executed well, this hole provides a high point to a round not matched by many other holes or especially hole types.

Spring Hill Golf Course-Mobile, AL

This is a simple, modest golf course in Mobile, AL. The course does not try to be anything that it is not and that is quite refreshing in this day and age. The course as a whole occupies a very interesting site. Several holes are located down on perfectly flat land near a large concrete drainage canal. Those holes are not exceptionally interesting. The rest of the course plays up and down a significant hill that makes some holes play severely up or down hill. But overall, the course is simply an average golf course for an average rate, and I think that is exactly what the course tries to be.

Ranking
Variety of Design: Fair. The par 3's have reasonable variety in yardage, but the two longest holes are not very good. One plays directly uphill to a green with a 10 ft fall off in front and the other plays to a 2 ft elevated green. Not the finest set up for 210 yard holes. Par 4's have reasonable variety, but lack a really long hole and the par 5's are all roughly the same. Directionally the course has 10 holes playing straight, 4 holes playing left and 4 holes playing right. 4 1/2 out of 10

Flow of the Course: In general, the course does little to build up. Holes 7, 8 and 9 provide the best three hole stretch on the course and the overall flow would be better if those were the finishing holes. The front nine overall is rather solid but the back nine comes through not quite as good. The flow and build to a "big finish" would be better if the nines were reversed. 3 3/4 out of 10

Course Conditioning: Conditions were average, a few bare spots, few issues with drainage, but overall the conditions were fair, especially considering the price. 4 1/4 out of 10

Ease of Walking: The course is routed well. Transitions from green to tee are generally easy, the only exception being to and from hole 8 and then to and from hole 15. Both have rather large distances from the previous green to the tee and then long, uphill walks to the next tee. The hilly nature of the site also makes it no bargain. But it is certainly not the most difficult walk, not even the most difficult in town. 6 1/2 out of 10

Atmosphere: None. No significant tournament or rankings history. 1 out of 10

Total: 40 3/4 out of 100

Holes to Note
Hole #2: Par 4, 360 yards
This hole plays significantly downhill which obviously shortens the hole even more. The pond in the distance is most certainly reachable from the tee, being 275 yards from the back markers and that downhill. Players wishing to play short of the pond must contend with the fairway bunker guarding the right side of the fairway, roughly 235 yards off the tee. Playing close to the bunker gives a better angle to the green which is angled from right to left away from the player.

 The pond is visible in the distance as is the bunker. Playing close to either hazard will give benefit to the player, either a better angle or a much shorter shot.

 This is the play to the green from around 125 yards

 This shot gives an up close view of the green that is a double plateau or biarritz green, depending on your naming preference

Hole #7: Par 5, 560 yards

This is the longest par 5 on the course, but it plays significantly downhill from the tee. A bunker guards the left side of the fairway, and farther left from there is a road that is out of bounds. The bunker is roughly 280 yards from the tee and certainly reachable for longer players. Longer players may wish to play a fairway wood off the tee, unless the are able to shape a fade around the corner or have confidence enough to play the tee shot over the trees on the right. From the fairway, the hole plays over a drainage canal that begins 65 yards short of the green. This canal dictates whether or not the player will try to go for the green in two or lay back to 80 or 100 yards short of the green.

 The bunker on the left is visible and certainly reachable. The ideal and semi-aggressive line off the tee would be to play towards the peak of the roof on the hospital in the distance.

 This view is from the fairway, perhaps 275 yards from the green. The fairway bunker on the left side is just short of the drainage canal.

 This look is from the right side of the fairway, 100 yards short of the green. The canal is marked by the tall grasses that run across the entire hole.

Hole #13: Par 4, 275 yards

This is a perfect example of a reachable par 4. The hole is very tight, having out of bounds down the left side and long of the green. Due to the shadows, many of the features are not visible, but a bunker defends the right side of the fairway for those players attempting to play safe off the tee, a fairway bunker down the left side protects the open side of the green and two deep bunkers defend the front of the green. This hole can be easy or quite difficult, a perfect combination for a short par 4.

 The bunkers are not visible here due to the shadows, but the green lies out in the distance on direct line with the left side of the large oak tree.

 These deep greenside bunkers protect the front of the green

Hole #15: Par 3, 210 yards

This hole is the longest par 3 on the course, but also the worst. The hole plays significantly uphill to a green that is elevated perhaps 8 feet above the front approach area. The hole is simply not meant to be played this long. The dark green area in the center of the image indicated the front approaches and the rise can be seen.

Hole #16: Par 4, 390 yards
This mid length par 4 plays quite a bit down hill from one of the highest points on the course; the 13th green is directly behind this tee and is slightly higher, but this is the highest elevated tee. A pond down the right side provides a heavy penalty for shots hit too far right and there is a drainage creek that crosses the fairway around 50 yards short of the green. Long hitters are certainly able to reach the creek given how far downhill the hole plays. The shot to the green must be played with precision because the green falls off sharply beyond the hole and to the left. This hole gives the player a chance for birdie before two rather difficult closing holes.

 From the tee, the City of Mobile can be seen in the distance and give the player a quality view. Any shot starting right of the edge of the trees down the right will either need to hook left or get a luck break in order to stay out of the pond.

From the bottom of the hill, near the drainage creek, the green sits in front of the player, significantly elevated above the fairway.

Overall, this is a fair golf course. It's not a great course, but the operators do not try to pretend so. This is just a fair golf course for a fair price. More courses like this are needed today. 3 out of 10