Decatur Country Club

Hole #11:  The #2 handicap hole at DCC is a 402 yard slight dogleg right with a ditch crossing the fairway about 280 yards from the tee.   Trees on the right make any drive hit right of center the equivalent of golfing death.  It is virtually impossible to reach  the green from right of the fairway center.  Hit it right and you might even meet the third Bogey Brother, Triple.  Trees line the left side of the fairway also, but they are spaced widely enough to allow a shot from that side on many occasions.  Out of bounds (the same cemetery found on hole #4) is to the left of the green and claims many pulled or hooked second shots.  Birdies are rare here.

Hole #12:   For most golfers this dogleg left, 477 yard par 5 is a double layup opportunity.  The normal tee shot is a 210 yard layup to the dogleg.  Long hitters might try to hook a ball around the corner, but there is a dense forest on the left, followed by water (the fish pond - see Hole #6).  There is a carniverous creek that eats golf balls if you hit your ball straight through the fairway.  The green is fronted by water, so most second shots are laid up short of the water (or in the water - ask Golfmeister).   There is room to the right of the green if you choose to carry the water, but then the angle for the next shot makes it hard to get close to most pin positions.  The Green is terraced and slopes from back to front.  Many golfers who find the woods on the left side off the tee choose to play into #6 fairway in an effort to reach the green in regulation.

 Hole # 14:  This 477 yard par 5 is a real birdie opportunity if you can get your drive in the very narrow fairway.  From the tee you are hitting down a long, narrow chute with tall pines on the right and trees and out of bounds down the left side.  The green is trapped front and left, and is protected by large mounds which make chipping difficult from the left side and the rear. Big hitters can reach the green in 2, popcorn players usually have a short wedge to the green.  Birdies live here, or at least close by.

Hole #15:  The angled green on the 15th hole makes this150 yard par 3 much more difficult to hit than would be expected.  Traps on all four sides of the green catch balls with regularity, and escape from one of these traps with par is difficult.  The steeply sloped green can have some very difficult putts with certain pin positions.

Hole #17:  Hole #17 is a 150 yard par 3 over a deep lake.  History has shown that not a single ball entering the water has been able to succesfully swim to the other side (our pro shop sells inferior products).  The green is protected by trees on the left and a trap on the right.  Pars and birdies are plentiful here.  Splashes are pretty frequent also.

Hole #18:  This great finishing hole has determined the outcome of many club tournaments and many member wagers.  At 392 yards, the length alone is enough to be challenging.  Add trees down the right side that immediately knock down any faded or pushed tee shots our members hit, add a hazard and out of bounds on the right for any balls the trees miss, and you are left with the choice of hitting the ball straight or left.  But, if you hit it left you are in the rough behind the most cursed cedar tree in the western hemisphere.  This tree has broken more hearts than Brad Pitt and Justin Timberlake combined.  The only really good choice is to stripe a drive down a very narrow area  in the center of the fairway.  That will leave a 130-170 yard shot to a very wide green protected by 4 traps with plenty of cruel places to park a pin.  The hole can repay good play with a birdie,or it can repay bad play with a score barely under infinity.