STONE LINKS GOLF COURSE… Hole-by-hole…

StoneLinks was worth every minute of my time. StoneLinks has no trees, plenty of sand, lots of water and is the only course I’ve played with the wind blowing behind my back, right to left, left to right, and in my face during my round. Golfers, You’ve got to do it! Call 945-0945 and have a great round.

No. 1…520 yds---Par 5… Slight dogleg right. Fairway trap about 170 yards from the green. Open fairway, with a grove of trees left about 130 yards from the green. Sand trap left and right of a back to front sloping immaculate green.

No.2…414 yds…Par 4… Lake impoundment comes into play on the right. Stay a little left and enjoy your dogleg right second shot to the green. Sand trap left of this elevated green.

No. 3…410 yds…Par 4… Fairway trap on the left about 125 yards from this elevated green. Grass knolls left and right of this narrow fairway. Stay right on this hole.

No. 4…361 yds…Par 4… A slightly uphill fairway. Green protected by huge grass mound and a small body of water between the mound and the green. There is a small sand trap right.

No. 5…413 yds…Par 4… Dogleg right. Water down the right side. Hit a little right then a little left toward the green. Water protects the green if you’re approaching from the right. You earn what you get on this hole. No “gimmes” here.

No. 6…167 yds…Par 3… A very wide and deep green. Water protects the left side of the green as do the sand traps left and right.

No. 7…495 yds… Par 5…Dogleg right. Narrow sand trap left side about 30 yards long. Green protected on right by water. Watch the sand trap right of the green. Straight tee shot, straight second shot and you could take the water out of play.

No. 8…155 yds…Par 3… Open to the green, which slopes back to front. The only problem here is how much to adjust for the headwind.  I went down two clubs, hit high and just barely made the green. Naturally, the pin placement was in the back of this deep green.

No. 9…420 yds…Par 4… You may think you’re lost after leaving the number eight green. It is a ways to number 9-tee box.  Flat open fairway. Trap on front right of an overly large green. All the greens have some type slope to them and it is possible to read too much in them.

No 10…339 yds…Par 4… A thinking hole. “Big Boys” stays in the bag here for me. Water crosses the fairway, then a landing area, then more water between the fairway and the sloping back to front deep, narrow green, which has traps left, right and left back.

No. 11…490 yds…Par 5… Severe dogleg left. A large grass mound on the left makes you think you had better stay in the fairway to the dogleg, take a wood or long iron toward the green and then a third shot to this very deep green, two putt and go to 12.  Sounds easy if you don’t let all the sand traps left and right bother you.

No.12…186 yds…Par 3… Sand trap left, back and grass knolls on the right. Sometimes the easy looking holes add strokes to your round. This was no exception. A bad shot followed by a bad decision doesn’t make sense. But, I do this on occasion.

No. 13…540 yds…Par 5… Yes, you could carry the water but what have you gained? Here’s the hole: 220 yards straight, immediate left 320 yards, four traps line the right side of the fairway after the dogleg. Water lines the left all the way past the green. Fairway is wide enough, but the gambler in you wants to surface. Smart might get you a “birdie”. Not so smart could be a “double”.

No. 14… 140 yds…Par 3… A “tester”. Pin placement today puts a sand trap between you and the hle, which is wider than is deep. Go for the pin or for the green away from trouble and a long putt?

No. 15… 410 yds… Par 4… Water on the right, but you can miss it by staying a little left. This uphill green has traps left and right. Staying below the hole could save strokes on this back to front sloper.

No. 16… 280 yds…Par 4… Water left protects the front of the green. Sand traps on both sides of the fairway could interfere with your “laying up” shot here. Grass knolls right side of the green.

No. 17… 400 yds…Par 4… Now you’re tired and 17 looks long. You’ve had to think, you’ve had to plan and then you get to 17 with a left to right crosswind. What a break! Grass bunkers left, and the fairway trap right is about 40 yards long. Traps left and right of the green. I played left hoping the wind would help. I lost!

No 18… 405 yds…Par 4… Flat, open fairway with a trap left and three traps right on this back to front sloping green which is big. Check your alignment, breathe deep, relax and get it on! Make yourself proud. Don’t forget the headwind.

I can’t say enough about the wonderful condition of StoneLinks. The fairways were akin to walking on carpet. The greens were in superb shape. The challenges were there.  I want to congratulate Bob Thompson, Manager, Trey Keller, Director of Golf, and Rober Cole, Superintendent and Tommy Rutherford, Teaching Professional. Gentlemen, you have done a super job of maintaining a course that is a joy to play. Golfers, if you don’t play StoneLinks, you are missing a good golfing opportunity and ought to be ashamed.