He uses a lot of terms that most golfers now a days wouldn’t be familiar with. He also relies on stories and references that the average golfer won’t experience. He spends a whole 4 pages on putting. To me putting is half of the game. It certainly is half of most peoples score.

His other tips on wind play and uneven lies is more general then specific. Its a quick read and those with good swings will find validation in his words. Those who are struggling to improve should read “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons : The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” it will do more to educate and inspire the average golfer.

First I’ll speak a little of the Club house and amenities. The clubhouse is really just a Pro Shop. There is a set of washrooms in an adjoining building that to be honest need some major updating.

Again, the golf carts do not have GPS in them. Same comments here at the General. That being the area where I think the course’s amenities suffer the greatest – the practice facilities. Golfers have to get their range balls there and then drive/walk across the street to the range. The range does have golfers hitting off of the grass from an elevated tee, down to the range itself.

The hole by hole description and strategy is written playing from the Gold tees. Chances are if your playing from the tips at the black tees you won’t need the insight presented below. The greens are usually a 10 on the Stimpmeter. They are fast, but not blazingly so.

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Hole #1 – 347 yard Par 4 - Green 42 yards Deep by 22 yards wide
This dogleg right Par 4 can be real easy or real difficult. If you try and cut the dog leg and land in the traps or the tall grass it will be the later. 3-Wood off the tee to the heart of the fairway will set you up for an easy par.

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Hole #2 – 501 yard Par 5 – Green 32 yards Deep by 25 yards wide
This hole is as hard as it gets. A double dogleg with a tight tree-lined fairway. The tee shot is tight, so is the landing area. Your second shot is also tight. Unless you are very skilled, and hit a fantastic tee shot forget about going for the green in two. I recommend playing it safe. The green is surrounded by the now familiar tall grass, and the green has a big slope down behind it to the tall grass.

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Hole #3 – 416 yard Par 4 – Green 45 yards Deep by 27 yards wide
This one looks tighter off the tee then it really is. If you can draw it do it. If not try and stick the fairway as close to the 150 pole as you can.

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Hole #4 – 182 yard Par 3 – Green 34 yards Deep by 33 yards wide
This is the longest par 3 on the course. There is danger in the form of reeds to the right. There are large traps to the back left and front right. The fairway has quite a bit of roll in it. Mostly down towards the afore mentioned reeds. Block out everything but the green since your tee shot will fly all of that trouble.

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Hole #5 – 482 yard Par 4 – Green 37 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
Uphill par 5. Large landing area off of the tee, especially to the left. The hole tightens up near the green. There are 2 sand traps on the left hand side of the green.
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Hole #6 – 333 yard Par 5 – Green 33 yards Deep by 36 yards wide
This dogleg left takes a 90 degree turn about two thirds of the way down the fairway. Trees and out of bounds line both sides of the tee shot. Use the big tree on the right side of the fairway as a reference. You want to land about 20 yards to the left of that. That will put you in a good position to hit to the green, which is guarded by traps long and right and short and left.

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Hole #7 – 357 yard Par 3 – Green 29 yards Deep by 25 yards wide
A beautiful dogleg to the left. You won’t be able to tell from the tee, but the green slopes downhill quite a bit from then landing area. The approach shot into the green presents the golfer with one of the most picturesque views anywhere at eagle ridge. The green is basically at the edge of a clift. Beyond that clift is a lake.

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Hole #8 – 147 yard Par 4 – Green 31 yards Deep by 37 yards wide
This is a tough par 3. The severe elevation drop from teel to green will leave you scratching you head on what to hit here. It’s better to not have honors on this tee. Between that sharp drop off from tee to green is a body of water. To the left side of the green is a large rock, most likely deposited by the glaciers that formed this area of Illinois.

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Hole #9 – 377 yard Par 4 – Green 38 yards Deep by 28 yards wide
The walk up to the tee box is long and involves about 30 railroad tie stairs. Bring 2 balls with you to the tee. You’d think with all the stair climbing that the tees for this hole would be elevated, but in fact the fairway landing area is elevated considerably from the tee. You landing area will be blind. Long hitters here are in danger of driving through the dogleg left. The danger her is the same tall grass and sand traps from the first hole. I’m sure the course architect thought putting a large tree, in the valley, in the middle of the fairway, between the landing area and the green was a good idea. (How’s that for a run-on sentence?) I personally do not. In my opinion the ideal tee shot will put you about 5-10 right of the 150 marker stick. You’ll need those extra yards on your second shot to give the ball time to climb over the tree. If you are close to the tree on the tee shot then you face the prospect of playing a low punch/bump-and-run type shot up the hill of the valley to the green. Good luck with that! Sand traps guard the green left and right.

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Hole #10 – 314 yard Par 4 – Green 32 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
The back nine is easier than the front nine. No question about it. But do not get sloppy or complacent.
Do not be tempted to go for the green. I know it will look tempting, be strong, be smart. Nothing but trouble will result. There is more sand here then was on the entire front nine combined. Where there isn’t sand its tall grass. A safe tee shot with a mid-iron to hybrid and then a wedge to the green is the smart play here. The green has a lot on undulation in it so take not of the pin placement. Shoot for the safe part of the green, not necessarily the pin.

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Hole #11 – 527 yard Par 5 – Green 30 yards Deep by 20 yards wide
The tees are well elevated above the large landing area and this can be scary the first time. Go ahead an take a whack with the driver here, but don’t expect a ton of roll here though. This is one of the easiest and most pleasant holes on the course.

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Hole #12 – 390 yard Par 4 – Green 39 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
This straight away par 4 is one of the flattest holes at Eagle Ridge, so enjoy it.

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Hole #13 – 146 yard Par 3 – Green 27 yards Deep by 31 yards wide
This par 3 is the most difficult par 3′s on the course (Despite being listed with a handicap of 16) and one of the more difficult holes on the back nine. It plays longer than 146. The green is surrounded by 3 bunkers. The green itself has a lot of undulation in it. It’s easy to put past the pin and rol of the green here depending on pin placement.

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Hole #14 – 383 yard Par 4 – Green 41 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
The tees are below the fairway here. Slight dogleg to the right with a bunker on the left of the green. The landing area is pretty wide open. Bang away and enjoy.

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Hole #15 – 529 yard Par 4 – Green 26 yards Deep by 30 yards wide
This is one of the holes you’ll remember long after your round. It is a Par 5 dogleg left. As the hole curves to the left it slopes down towards the hole. Gradually at first and then rapidly from about 130 yards out. There is also water running across the fairway in front of the green. There is also a large willow on the right of the fairway by the water. Unless you can play a really long draw off of the tee and are confident in your ability to fly the water, then play a safe lay up on your second shot. There are also sand traps guarding those who are short and long on their approach shot.

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Hole #16 – 159 yard Par 5 – Green 37 yards Deep by 26 yards wide
Avoid the water, both front and right and the traps right, left and back, and you should be fine.

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Hole #17 – 411 yard Par 3 – Green 41 yards Deep by 30 yards wide
This one begs for a full swing as hard as you can driver. Just don’t get lazy bringing your hands through. If you do go right into the rough you’ll have a very difficult time hitting the green on the approach shot. Be mindful of the bunkers to the right of the fairway as well. The approach shot needs to be accurate as the approach angle and sand traps don’t allow the golfer to roll up the shot.

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Hole #18 – 385 yard Par 4 – Green 38 yards Deep by 27 yards wide
This is a nice finishing hole. It is the least demanding finishing hole of the 3 courses. Just do not spray it way right. that is the driving range so you’ll never find your ball. Relatively wide open. No rocket science here. Avoid the traps and you should be fine.

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Ariel View

First I’ll speak a little of the Club house and amenities. The clubhouse has 3 main areas. There is a dining area, a Pro Shop, and downstairs a set of locker rooms. There is also a patio area to watch golfers finish their rounds from. The pro shop like the General isn’t overly large and has a smaller selection of items than the General. The food and service in the dining area is really well done as well.

That being the area where I think the course’s amenities suffer the greatest – the practice facilities. There is no driving range at the course itself. There is one driving range for the whole resort. It is located across the street from the North Course’s clubhouse. Golfers have to park at the North Course, get their range balls there and then drive/walk across the street to the range. The range does have golfers hitting off of the grass from an elevated tee, down to the range itself.

The hole by hole description and strategy is written playing from the Gold tees. Chances are if your playing from the tips at the black tees you won’t need the insight presented below. The greens are usually a 10 on the Stimpmeter. They are fast, but not blazingly so.
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Hole #1 – 359 yard Par 4 – Green 34 yards Deep by 23 yards wide
This is a fairly simple by the books par 4. It has a slight dog leg to the right. Avoid spraying it too far right off of the tee and you won’t find trouble here. On your approach shot to the “egg shaped” green avoid the bunker on the front left hand side.
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Hole #2 – 522 yard Par 5 – Green 31 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
This hole is very much just a longer version of first hole. Like before it has a slight dogleg to the right at the end. There is a creek running along the left side of the fairway up towards the green. On your approach shot to the “left foot” shaped green avoid the bunker on the front right hand side.
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Hole #3 – 136 yard Par 3 – Green 32 yards Deep by 32 yards wide
The third hole is the first hole where water truly comes into play. The amount of water to cross is dependent on the tee you are playing from, and which tee box they have been moved around too. The green is large enough to hit, but missing short or left or right will find water, creek, or woods respectively. There isn’t a huge area behind the green either.
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Hole #4 – 325 yard Par 4 – Green 47 yards Deep by 15 yards wide
This is one of the trickier par 4’s on the course. Its very short, but shot placement is key here. It doglegs to the right, to a very thin green which slopes to the water on its left hand side. Put away the driver here. Hybrid or iron is fine. What you want is a club you can hit between 190-215 yards long. Because the green is so thin you want your first shot to be hit with a club that will leave you with a yardage on your second shot that you have a go-to club for. So for me I’ll hit it a hybrid 200 off the tee and be left with the ideal distance for my 9 iron which I am accurate with. The dogleg is actually more severe than the scorecard shows. On the right side is a steep upward sloping hill of trees and brush which end at a rock wall. The fairway itself is narrow and if you go with a wood, then expect to go through the fairway in to the rough and beyond into the trees. As I mentioned this is the deepest and thinnest green at Eagle Ridge of any of the courses. If you play it smart then a par should be what you walk away with. Dead eye accuracy on the second shot will be needed for a birdie.
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Hole #5 – 401 yard Par 4 – Green 27 yards Deep by 41 yards wide
#5 is a downhill dogleg to the right. Although that may not immediately apparent off of the tee. The course really opens up on these next two holes. Gone are the tree-lined fairways for the next two holes. 5 and 6 are wide open rolling hills. Both make greater use of fairway bunkers as well. While you’re on the 5th hole you might as well sneak a peak at the hole location on the #6 green. The two holes mirror each other. The tee shot will beg for a driver because of how open it is. Just don’t drive through the dogleg and go into the bunker on the left side. The green is well below where your tee shot will land. A bunker guards the front right of the green.
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Hole #6 – 466 yard Par 5 – Green 20 yards Deep by 26 yards wide
This dogleg left will have you hitting from tees which are below the fairway. Break out your driver and just swing away. You can test your nerve and see how much of the of two bunkers guarding the left side of the fairway you want to try and go over. It will be risk/reward to hit it over the traps to try and shorten the hole If you hit to the right side rough expect to face a row of large but widely spaced trees. If you can not see the green on your second shot then aim at the crazy looking dead tree (As long as it hasn’t been removed that is). The approach to this small green has a slight valley in the fairway from about 80 yards out that builds back uphill to the apron of the green. So do not count on being able to roll your shot up and on the green. The green is pretty small so if your going to miss, then miss right as there is a cloverleaf shaped bunker on the left side.
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Hole #7 – 162 yard Par 3 – Green 38 yards Deep by 18 yards wide
There are slightly elevated tees here in relation to the green. The hole is lined by trees and is a singular flat spot on what is otherwise a large right to left downward sloping hill. There is a large bunker guarding the left front of the green and it is much lower than the green. There is another rock wall similar to what was on the 4th hole on the right side. Ricochets off of this wall are something you don’t want to contemplate. The green is very deep but narrow. A good approach off of the tee for someone who hasn’t found their game with the mid iron clubs would be to just roll up a 6 or 7 iron. The depth of the green will allow it to hold.
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Hole #8 – 348 yard Par 4 – Green 31 yards Deep by 23 yards wide
#8 is a large dogleg to the right. The hole itself is very short for a par 4. There is no advantage to hitting a driver off of the tee. A 5-wood, hybrid, or low iron will put the golfer in a good spot to attack the green. There is water in the form of a creek running down the right side of the hole, which then cuts through the fairway in front of the green and feeds into the larger water hazard on hole #9. Your approach shot to the green has to fly the water hazard (Not hard) and the large long sand trap which guards the entire front of the egg shaped green. This is a course management hole. A smart tee shot will dictate your success here.
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Hole #9 – 380 yard Par 4 – Green 36 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
The hole is long enough that most golfers (including me) will always go driver off the tee. There is a significant water hazard off to the right of the fairway, which is 242 yards from the tee. And a good size sand trap to the left of the fairway, which is 264 yards from the tee. The widest part of the fairway, which offers the safest landing area is only 221 yards from the tee. So pick you club carefully off of the tee. The green is somewhat narrow and made more so by the sand traps guarding it left and right and the water on the far right. It is an intimidating shot. The hole has the ability to make you feel frustrated and flustered no matter how well the previous eight holes went. I usually walk away from it feeling like I let a great score for nine slip away at the end. My strategy this year will be to try and go long and left. I’ll flirt with the bunker but will actually try and go into the rough. It will leave me with a good angle into the green. However this hole makes you feel, prepare yourself to feel worse after #10. Not surprisingly the handicap for the two holes show them as being the second and most hardest holes on the course.
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Hole #10 – 408 yard Par 4 – Green 32 yards Deep by 25 yards wide
This hole has a split fairway. The one you drive to on the left, and one which is elevated on the right. The one on the right has trees and water preventing even Tiger Woods from hitting it from the tee. This is the hardest hole on the course. In my mind the hardest hole at Eagle Ridge. It is far harder than #13 at the General or #9 on the North course. The drive from the tee is tighter than it looks. Avoid going right at all cost. Long and left is the plan here. The rough does transition into weeds and tall grass. This is the one part of the course where some Scott’s Fertilizer + weed control formula would do some wonders. I have lost my ball in them. I hate taking strokes because dandelions have swallowed the rough. The approach to this green is protected by water in the form of a creek, sand traps left and right of the green and weeds all around it. The green is actually a good size, but from the fairway it will look small as a postage stamp. Don’t beat yourself up here if you bogey it. Depending on your tee shot, playing a lay up shot for your approach to the elevated right fairway may be the smartest thing you can do.
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Hole #11 – 481 yard Par 5 – Green 30 yards Deep by 34 yards wide
#11 is your reward for finishing the two hardest holes on the course. It is pure fun. It is a beautiful significantly downward sloping dogleg to the left. It is open enough that even the fade hitter won’t be penalized to harshly. The only thing it needs is a bell that the group ahead of you could ring to let you know they are leaving the landing area. Because of the shape of the hole and the elevation change that happens about 215 yards out from the tee you most likely will not be able to see the group ahead of you or where your ball lands. The straight and draw hitters will have the best advantage on this hole. To the left of the fairway is a large pine tree about 177 yards out. If you can drive it right over that then you will be in excellent position. The ball will hit the fairway and roll down significantly towards the hole following the contour of the hill. The green is well protected by 3 sand traps guarding the left, center and right of the green. There is also water behind and to the right of the green.
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Hole #12 – 327 yard Par 4 – Green 32 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
This is a fairly standard, flat, no frills par 4. There are trees to the right of the fairway and a large sand trap to the left of the fairway. Avoid these pitfalls and the sand trap to the right of the green and you’ll be fine.
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Hole #13 – 197 yard Par 3 - Green 33 yards Deep by 34 yards wide
This is the longest Par 3 at the South Course. The tees are elevated slightly in relation to the green. There is a ravine with water in front of the green. There is also a large sand trap on both sides of the hole. The green is large though so fire away. I always use 1 more club here than what I normally would hit for this distance. It is easy to come up short here.
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Hole #14 – 364 yard Par 4 – Green 39 yards Deep by 19 yards wide
This hole has a strong dogleg to the right. The tee shot will be tight. The trees lining the right side of the fairway are thick and should be avoided. Left opens a bit, but tall grass awaits anyone who pulls it. Try and hit a fade off of the tee. The green is protected center and right by sand traps.
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Hole #15 – 429 yard Par 4 – Green 33 yards Deep by 35 yards wide
This is the longest par 4 on the course. Avoid going too far left or right. Both are trouble you don’t want. The green is slightly down hill of the fairway and has a large bunker protecting it front and right.
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Hole #16 – 535 yard Par 5 – Green 37 yards Deep by 19 yards wide
This is the Longest par 5 on the course. It’s a double dogleg. First it doglegs right then left. Only the super long hitters with supreme control of their fairway woods will attempt hitting this in two. The fairway goes downhill from the tee, then it goes uphill as it goes to the right. The green is about 100 yards behind a large oak tree on the left side of the fairway. From the fairway you won’t be able to see just how much space there is between the tree and the green. It is more than it looks like.
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Hole #17 - 137 yard Par 3 – Green 36 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
This is a nice, simple, relatively flat par 3. Check the wind here. Other than that the hole is straight forward. Avoid the traps.
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Hole #18 – 384 yard Par 4 – Green 41 yards Deep by 24 yards wide
A beautiful finishing hole. From the tee it will appear longer than it actually is. The tee is very elevated in relation to the fairway landing area. A stream runs through the fairway from right and flows into the same large water hazard on the right which you faced on #9. If you are a long hitter with your driver then leave it in the bag. You will most likely find the water. For the long hitter go 3-wood off of the tee. This long green is boxed by 4 sand traps and elevated higher than the fairway.
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Ariel View

The Amenities

First I’ll speak a little of the Club house and amenities. It has a beautiful clubhouse with its signature silo with Glass bubble top. The clubhouse offers parking on both sides. The pro shop while not overly large is well stocked with premium apparel, shoes and equipment if needed. Last year I wound up getting a $80 Fleece pull-over to help combat the wind. One of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I own.

The Staff is friendly and the starters in particular are helpful. If its your first time their they’ll go over local rules, where the carts can and can not go and most importantly, give you some strategy for a few holes. Some of which I will repeat verbatim in this guide.
The bar/restaurant in the clubhouse ” Spike’s Grill” is everything you will want it to be when you finish your round. Good food, quick service and premium and import draft beers on tap. For golfers wanting something to eat at the turn, there is a snack shop/grille ready for you. Good Bratwurst, only down side is you can call ahead with your order. It also servers pasties and coffee for the early morning golfer.

Lastly, is the area where I think the course’s amenities suffer the greatest. The practice facilities. The putting green is large, but not quite large enough in my opinion. Also its built about 5 feet higher than the area where the carts. Its held in place by a retaining wall. There is no driving range at the course itself. There is one driving range for the whole resort. It is located across the street from the North Course’s clubhouse. Golfer have to park at the North Course, get their range balls there and then drive across the street to the range. The range does have golfers hitting off of the grass from an elevated tee, down to the range itself.

The hole by hole description and strategy is written playing from the 3 star tees. Chances are if your playing from the tips at the 4 star tees you won’t need the insight presented below. The greens are usually a 10 on the Stimpmeter. Fast but not blazingly so. Note, before teeing off, walk over by the 9th hole green to check for pin placement. Might be good info to have.

Hole #1 – 378 yard Par 4 – Green 34 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
The entire front nine is basically one large valley of the overall area. This hole slopes gently down hill into the larger valley. Take advantage of the downhill slope to boost your confidence in your driver right at the start of the round. Only truly errant tee shots will get you in trouble here. This hole is one of three cart path only holes on the course. The trouble on the left side is the tall grass that feeds down the hill from the cart path. The right side is just rough unless you really slice it into the trees. Beware on your second shot. There is a steep drop off behind the green that feeds into a creek. Better to be short on approach than long. There is a sand trap guarding the front right of the green.

Photo Courtesy of Dan Perry

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Hole #2 – 528 yard Par 5 – Green 35 yards Deep by 20 yards wide
A slightly elevated tee that presents a fairly tight tee shot on this slight dogleg right. Getting away with a par isn’t difficult. It all depends on your tee shot. The trees lining the right side can be intimidating. And the downward sloping hill of tall grass on the left can also rack your nerves. Focus instead on the wide open landing area to the left hand side of fairway. Aim just left of the large tree straight away. Going for the green on your second shot is risky. The green is 35 yards deep but only 20 yards wide. There is also a small creek and a large willow tree protecting the right side of it and a small bunker on the left. Safer to play a lay-up shot to within 100 yards.

Photo Courtesy of DanPerry.com

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Hole #3 – 143 yard Par 3 – Green 33 yards Deep by 28 yards wide
The tee box for this one is moderately elevated above the green. The green is fair large. Take note of the wind it tends to swirl here. I always go one club longer than what I think I need off the tee here. Trouble will find you if you sky the tee shot way over the green into the water. Missing short and right will put you into the weeds. Missing far right and your in the water. Missing left will put you either in tall grass or the sand trap. The water behind the green will cause golfer who went into the tall grass to hit a shot softer than normal to avoid the water, which can then put you in the trap. Once in the trap, which has a small lip to it you again will feel scared of going over the green into the water and hit a tentative shot. You can probably tell by reading this that this is exactly what happened to me in 2007 here. I took a 7 on the par 3. Enough of what not to do. Focus on it being a large green, even if you hit it short it’ll be safe worse case and roll up best case.

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Hole #4 – 354 yard Par 4 – Green 40 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
Tee shot over water on this dogleg left. Aim for the 4 sand traps on the right side of fairway. This will give you a good approach to the green. Going left here is a bad idea. Weeds, trees, creeks, and assorted wildlife await you. The green like many at the General is surrounded by tall thick grass. Not rough, but knee high crap which will swallow your golf ball whole. There is a set of restrooms after this hole.

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Hole #5 – 418 yard Par 4 – Green 32 yards Deep by 27 yards wide
A big dogleg to the left this time. If you can draw the ball off the tee then you’re golden. DO NOT go right. Right is a massively sloping hill of weeds and tall grass that eventually reaches the 4th hole fairway. You can’t take your cart over there. If you slice so badly that you clear this stuff and land on the 4th hole fairway, then you will have a blind shot over the steep slope. If you’re a slicer then hit an iron off the tee. The green is fairly large and framed left and right by large trees. It also is protected by the worlds smallest water hazard in the form of a creek running in front of the green in a small valley. There is also a large sand trap front right of the green.

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Hole #6 – 479 yard Par 5 - Green 32 yards Deep by 28 yards wide
Dogleg right over water. This is the hole that will temp you to break out your driver and just swing away. You can test your nerves and see how much of the water you want to fly. It is farther than it looks. If you want an eagle than cut it over. If Birdie/par is more your goal then hit a safe tee shot to the heart of the fairway. There are traps between the water and fairway on right hand side. For your second shot there is plenty of safety in a lay-up shot. But not a huge amount of danger in going for it either. There is a bunker on the right hand side and weeds left.

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Hole #7 – 132 yard Par 3 – Green 35 yards Deep by 27 yards wide
Do not miss short, right, left or long. In short don’t miss the green on your tee shot. Harsh slopes and tall weeds will be your penalty for missing.

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Hole #8 – 351 yard Par 4 - Green 27 yards Deep by 33 yards wide
You really do not need a driver here. The tee shot should be to the meat of the fairway before it begins its dogleg to the right. Use the rocks as your target. Do not miss this green long. It is protected by the now familiar tall grass. A fairly easy par 4 which I screw up almost every time.

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Hole #9 – 390 yard Par 4 - Green 33 yards Deep by 33 yards wide
The tee is slightly below the height of the fairway and that feeling is increased by the small valley full of wildflowers you need to clear to reach the fairway. The silo provides as good target for the tee shot. Tee shots to the far left side will find tall grass/weeds in a downhill slope towards fairway. Shots missed right may find one of the two sand traps. The fairway is quite large and the largest obstacle to par on the hole is hitting the green on your approach. Two bunkers guard this sliver of a green on the front right.

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Hole #10 – 361 yard Par 4 - Green 28 yards Deep by 22 yards wide
The tee is depressed well below the elevated fairway. There is an ugly water hazard to the right off the tee. You won’t hit it, but I can’t help but wonder why they don’t dress it up a bit more to fit the natural beauty of the surroundings. It is the one true eyesore on the course. The tee shot can be intimidating. Trees line the rough on both sides. Focus on that fact that your warmed up now and you know what swing to make to avoid trouble. On your second shot avoid the trap that awaits you short and left of the green. It is one of the smaller greens on the course. I also remember a steep drop off behind the green. Par is a good score here.

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Hole #11 – 152 yard Par 3 – Green 23 yards Deep by 29 yards wide
You might as well think of this as an island green. The green and tee are at same elevation. However, between the tee and the green is a sharply sloping valley of weeds and tall grass. If you miss short, right, left you could find yourself at best 50 yards down in the valley. That is if you can find your ball at all. If you go long its a deep green, if you go really long then there is tall grass on a slight upslope and for some reason I haven’t figured out 2 very large fans. This one is a gut check. While 152 yards is prime 8-iron distance for me I will always club up here and go 7-iron.

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Hole #12 – 466 yard Par 5 – Green 29 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
This is a wide open slightly undulating slight double dogleg par 5. Far left is the road and far right is trees. Not a whole lot of strategy to this one. Just don’t get fooled by the sand traps (left and right), on your second shot. The green is not right behind it. There is a lot of room between the them and the green. Great hole to just open up and go for it in two.

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Hole #13 – 423 yard Par 4 – Green 30 yards Deep by 22 yards wide
This is listed as the hardest hole on the course on the scorecards handicap. I personally think there are harder holes here. It would be hard as hell for the slicer. Straight hitter should be fine. It is one of the most enjoyable holes on the course for the draw hitter. The tee shot seems a bit tight from the tee. But it opens up as the hole doglegs to the left and down a slight hill. Straight hitters might want to drop down a club off of the tee to avoid driving through the fairway and winding up in the trees. For your second shot try landing it short and rolling it on as the green is wide but not deep.

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Hole #14 – 341 yard Par 4 – Green 31 yards Deep by 21 yards wide – A cart path only hole.
This is it. The biggest elevation change between tee and green of any hole on the General, possibly at all of Eagle Ridge. When your on the tee the green looks like its about a mile below you. All you can see of the hole from the 3 and 4 star is the green. When you’re on the green looking back at the tee it looks more like 100+ feet of elevation difference. The urge to swing away with everything you have and more is almost overpowering here. The landing area however is not that wide. Its too easy to push or pull it over into Iowa if you really go at it. A driver of the tee is not needed, but it will take some restraint not to pull it out of the bag. I’ve seen tee shots land within feet of the green on this par 4. The cart path down from the tee is a bunch of switchbacks designed to allow you to survive the trip down the hill. There fairway itself actually has natural springs running under it and can be very soggy. Take note of this as its the reason its cart path only for this hole. The soggy fairway can lead to a very fat second shot and the ruining of a good drive. So try and test your ball lie before popping it onto the green. A small sand trap guards the front right side of green.

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Hole #15 – 189 yard Par 3 - Green 23 yards Deep by 36 yards wide
At face value this is a simple par three. I screw this hole up every time though because I tempt myself into going for the pin. The green surrounded by the tall grass/weeds and has a large deep bunker below guarding the front left half of the green. My advice is always go for the right hand side of the green which has a clear area in front which will allow you to roll shots up. Going long there is a upsloping hill to the 16th tee of very deep tall grass. The bunker in front is very difficult to get out of because it is a good 10 feel below the surface of the green.

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Hole #16 – 380 yard Par 4 – Green 41 yards Deep by 21 yards wide
A severe dogleg to the left. Straight hitters might want to drop down a club off of the tee to avoid driving through the fairway and winding up in the trees If you can draw the ball do it. But do not be tempted to draw it and try and cut the corner. If you do the steep sloped hill on the left hand side will catch and eat your ball. A sand trap guards the front right of the green. The green is deep so hitting it won’t be a problem.

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Hole #17 – 398 yard Par 4 – Green 27 yards Deep by 31 yards wide – A cart path only hole.
This hole has the golfer start from a slightly elevated tee hitting to a more elevated landing area with a valley between the two. The danger on this hole is your second shot. The green is more elevated than the landing area in the fairway. If your second shot comes up short, you’ll watch your ball roll back down the fairway past where you hit it and wind up at the bottom of the valley. Moral of the story better to be right on or long on your approach. A green side trap guards the front right.

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Hole #18 – 510 yard Par 5 - Green 39 yards Deep by 28 yards wide
Tight tee shot here, use the silo again as your target. Trees guard the fairway entrance left and right. The duffer will find a deep valley/creek about 100 yards off the tee. The natural shape shot for the hole is a draw. But do not start to far out to the right or you will clip the tree and drop into the valley. Your better off pounding it out straight or pulling it slightly. The issue with this tee shot is that if the tees are back, then just reaching the fairway can be a real challenge. There is a actually a double fairway on this hole which is separated by a mound of rough. All it really does is provide extra bail out room to the left on your second shot if you’re laying up. With a good drive this is reachable in two. But if its winding, then the wind will tend t be in your face the whole time.

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Ariel View

The three courses are magnificent, even that early in the season. The General is more a roller-coaster than a golf course. Large elevation changes will either inspire or scare the crap out of you. The South Course presents the user with so many different views that it feels like you’ve played 5 courses at the end of your round. The North Course is in my mind the most traditional of the three courses. Traditional, but not boring in the least. It will challenge you to place your shots rather than a “swing and hope” game plan. I can not honestly say which course I like the best. Each will impress you for different reasons. Most courses are lucky if they can give the golfer one memorable hole. One where the golfer can remember every detail of it for years to come. Eagle ridge’s three course offer literally dozens of memorable holes. I will be writing reviews and hole by hole guides for each in additional posts.

Until then here are their scorecards.
The General
The South Course
The North Course