Ask the Pro: 3 Most Challenging Holes at River Club
It has memorable holes along its back nine including the island green 14th and dramatic par-5 finisher. But when it comes to the most difficult holes at River Club, Head Golf Professional Tim Bachand offers his thoughts on three others that give the Tom Jackson signature design a challenge with plenty of teeth for the next time you tee it up there.
Bachand’s choices include:
No. 8 – This par 3 plays as long as 190 yards from the tips, with a forced water carry tee shot into a peninsula green with water on three sides. “The bailout would be left, but is still no bargain with O.B. potentially coming into play – which leaves you with a pitch shot where the green slopes away from you towards the hazard,” Bachand explains. “The green is not very deep from front to back, so club selection is paramount here. The safest play is to the left/center of the green.”
No. 9 – This fairly lengthy par 4 is River Club’s No. 1 handicap hole, playing 413 yards from the back tees. “A long and accurate tee ball is crucial with a large fairway bunker waiting down the right and a couple of giant Magnolia trees that can block you out down the left,” cautions Bachand. “The green complex is well bunkered, with two large traps front left as well as on the right and behind the green. The only opening to the green is a sloping false front on the right side that’s looking to run your golf ball back down to the collar. You want to knock it down the fairway as far as you can to get a more lofted club in your hands for the approach shot into this challenging front nine finisher.”
No. 15 – This 409-yard par 4 is River Club’s No. 2 handicap hole, playing as a slight dogleg right with water running down the entire left side and O.B. down the right. “An ideal target off the tee is left/center of the fairway, leaving you a forced water carry approach shot into a wide, but not very deep, back-to-front sloping green,” says Bachand. “There is a catch-all sand trap running along the back side of the green that leaves you with a very speedy bunker shot sloping towards the water. A back right pin location can be diabolical, as it is blocked out by a cluster of trees and leaves you very little green to work with. Center of the green is always a great play here.”
