The Course
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HOLE #1
309 Yards | Par 4
Tucked within a stand of oaks and slightly left, the green for #1 is barely visible from the tee although the elevations are about the same. Trees line both sides of this fairway. It’s the only bunkerless hole on the course and offers a wide approach. The green slopes from back to front with a steep cliff on the right. A par here is a definite confidence booster.
HOLE #2
315 Yards | Par 4
This green is hidden from the elevated tee as the fairway curves from left to right. The ladies get a 40-yard break here with their own personal tee. Sycamores, oaks, and maples flank both sides of the fairway, and bunkers guard the right front and back of the green. You will also want to watch out for the steep embankment surrounding the left
HOLE #3
404 Yards | Par 4
At first glance, this hole looks like a simple straight line to the green. But it features an elevated pro tee that is located to the right of the center of the fairway. Then it’s down six flights of steps to the playing surface. This green is bunkered on both sides and offers a great view of the lake that borders the course. Don’t let the view fool you. With “Jake’s Lake” situated on the left side and trees on right side, trouble is lurking.
HOLE #4
139 Yards | Par 3
Featuring the largest tee complex, this hole actually has the smallest green. The pro tee markers can be placed as much as 25 yards back and to the right increasing the difficulty of a tee shot requiring a 100 yard carry-over water. The ladies get a 40-yard head start but still must hit over the water to a green surrounded by traps. It is the most intimidating hole on the front nine.
HOLE #5
495 Yards | Par 5
Hole #5 features a dogleg to the right, which wraps around the lake. The first fairway bunker is located at the bend on the left where the green can finally be seen nestled amongst willow and cypress trees. Your approach will seem clear, but there are two bunkers to the left and one to the right.
HOLE #6
447 Yards | Par 4
Standing on the tee, all you can see is a steep hill in the fairway with oaks, maples, and pines on either side. At the crest of the hill, you will be able to see the green, which is slightly to the right. It is surrounded by bunkers and leaves little room for a shot that does not reach the flat surface.
HOLE #7
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426 Yards | Par 4 or 506 | Par 5
A par 5 for the ladies who have their own tee at the beginning of the fairway, this hole features two sets of white and blue tee markers, the forward is a par 4 while the back set plays as a par 5. You will notice a plateau in the fairway about 200 yards from the green. But your approach comes to a bottleneck with a fairway sand trap on the left. Although bunkerless around the front of the green itself, a steep embankment around the back and right offers its own set of challenges.
HOLE #8
343 Yards | Par 4
Go big or go home on #8. Clearing the hill off the tee buys you an extra 40 yards on this hole. The combination of a large fairway bunker and rolling false front makes for a tricky approach to this green. There is a large bunker on the left side and a cavernous one on the right side. Did we mention that the surface of this green undulates, which requires imaginative putting.
HOLE #9
298 Yards | Par 4
The green for #9 is visible from its elevated tee at the opposite end of a valley. You’ll see a fairway bunker on the left approximately 100 yards from the green and a deep depression in the right rough. Both threaten par on this hole. Your approach is narrow with bunkers on both sides of the green. Behind this sloping green are three small traps and a high bank that increase the hole’s difficulty on long shots. The green itself is severely sloped from back to front. Staying below the hole location is key to taking advantage of the short yardage
HOLE #10
199 Yards | Par 3
The pro tee here adds another 15 yards to this lengthy and difficult par 3. Ladies have a 35-yard advantage here, hitting to a green that slopes back to front and left to right. Tee shots that drift to the left of the green will encounter oak trees as well as a large incline back to the green. The right side bunker, which wraps around almost a third of the green, and the left side bunker allow for a modest approach. One more hazard behind the green completes this formidable par 3. Any pin placement on this green promises a challenging putt.
HOLE #11
333 Yards | Par 4
Two pro tees, in a stair step fashion, are elevated in a box behind the men’s tee as much as 75 yards back. Even the ladies only get a glimpse of the green from their vantage point 57 yards forward. A hillside on the right, riddled with oak and hickory trees, translates into many a lost ball. Two fairway bunkers on the left dare players to drive for the best spot to approach. Sand traps, one at the bottom of the hill and one at the top, hamper what is a blind shot to the plateau that is the green. Watch your placement here; the right side of this green slopes dramatically to the left down to a sharp cliff just off the collar.
HOLE #12
495 Yards | Par 5
A gradual dogleg skirts the willows on the right while a large fairway bunker at the bend on the left looms ominous from the #12 elevated tee. One more hazard waits on the left side of the fairway on the way to the green. Two large bunkers are located on either side of the green posing a threat on approach shots. Fortunately, the green is very puttable. Perhaps the only thing that makes this flat green difficult is the horn blast of a passing train.
HOLE #13
419 Yards | Par 4
The appearance of this generous fairway is a welcome sight from this elevated tee. However, the trees are thick on the right-hand side. This hole also features the only corkscrew willow on the entire course; it’s located in the left rough. A white marker on the cart path is inscribed with, “125 yards to water,” referring to the creek that separates the two fairways. Many players choose to lay up for the creek rather than risk a penalty stroke. Two formidable bunkers also flank both sides of the green and approach. A rather steep slope on the backside poses an additional problem for the ball that rolls off this flat green.
HOLE #14
400 Yards | Par 4
It’s a short walk for the ladies from #13 green to their tee for a 70-yard gain. The ample tee complex can place the pro markers at the extreme northwest corner of the property. Although the creek runs under the fairway, it’s still a hazard to be reckoned with in the left rough area. The landing zone in the fairway is strategically flanked by bunkers. To add further difficulty, the spreading branches of a majestic oak tree creeps over the left side fairway bunker. The green sits at the top of a hill with two traps on the left and a steep grade of rough on the right. The putting surface is uneven throughout sloping right to left and back to front.
HOLE #15
117 Yards | Par 3
Even though it is short, most players agree that this is the signature hole of the South Bend Country Club. With the large tee perched on a high bluff offering a magnificent view of the lake, the green below looks like an easy target. Don’t be fooled. It’s surrounded by bunkers and rolling mounds of rough. However, aces and birdies are possible for those who hit this relatively flat green.
HOLE #16
331 Yards | Par 4
Just to the right of #15 green is a peninsula that is the pro tee box for #16; it adds another 57 yards over the water to the fairway. A signature stone inscribes a historic round in which Byron Nelson hit three consecutive tee shots into the lake. Depending on the placement of the markers, both the men and ladies could have a nerve-racking tee shot. On the left a pair of fairway bunkers taunt those who play it safe. A thin strip of rough on the right lined with willow trees is the shoreline of the lake. The green has bunkers right and left with a friendly approach.
HOLE #17
193 Yards | Par 3
It’s the home stretch. Even with the water on the right, a sense of relief comes over players hitting toward a copious amount of bent grass fairway and approach on the right to the largest green on the course. The ladies are awarded an extra 34 yards, and the pros are forced right and back an extra 20. A modest bunker on the left guards this flat and playable green.
HOLE #18
471 Yards | Par 5
From the tee box players can see the green perched upon a hill at the end of the fairway. In fact, it’s adjacent to the Clubhouse. The fairway stretches 400 yards to a rough and a large bunker. The large green slopes from back to front and requires careful navigation to get in the Clubhouse safely. Diners on the veranda of the clubhouse have a bird’s eye view of the day’s final shots and putts. But all of the Clubhouse’s large picture windows provide a great view of this hole, and someone is always watching.