Litchfield Country Club: 3 Best Holes

Litchfield Country Club combines a traditional design and a mature setting to deliver a memorable round of golf. The dean of South Strand layouts, Litchfield is a pure test of golf.

The course is straight-forward and manages to challenge without overwhelming players. With that in mind, we asked Litchfield’s head pro Christa Bodensteiner to tell us the venerable layout’s three best holes.

Below are her answers:

No. 4, 202-yard, par 3 – A well struck long iron is a prerequisite for success at the challenging par 3, which requires a carry over water and has a green flanked by a pair of bunkers. One thing to keep in mind, the green runs from back to front and there isn’t much danger in going long.

“If you can hit a good long iron shot you are going to love it,” Bodensteiner said. “But don’t come up short. Hit one more club than you think you might need.”

No. 13, 520-yard, par 5 – Litchfield Country Club’s signature hole, No. 13 features a lake running all the way up the left side and out-of-bounds on the right. It’s one of the course’s toughest holes, but the green is reachable in two for long hitters.

“It’s a beautiful golf hole,” Bodensteiner said. “You have to hit a very good tee shot and a really good second shot. It’s a very interesting, very challenging hole.”

Everyone dreams of an eagle putt, but the priority here is finding the middle of the fairway.

No. 18, 406-yard, par 4 – An outstanding finishing hole, the 18th is a dogleg right that provides a dramatic conclusion to a match. A well placed drive is essential to reach the green in regulation. The hole plays 359-yards from the white tees, but water to the left of the fairway is reachable and drives that get to close to the dogleg will bring trees into play on the approach.

The approach will require a shot across water so being in good position off the tee is vital.