Decatur Country Club

A accurate but slightly twisted description of the individual holes on the course follows:

Hole #1:  Only 330 yards long, this deceptive hole has ruined many a round of golf before it really begins.  Water in front and to the left of the green limits a tee shot to about 180-200 yards.  Trees line the left side and can create impossible second shots.  Shots too far right can also keep you from hitting the green on your second shot.  For those who skull-fully smash their second shot over the water, water behind the green can also wreak havoc on their ball collection.  Once on the green, putting is fairly straight forward, although there are several difficult pin placements available.  Birdies are available here.

Hole #2:  This hole plays 180 yards uphill.  The green angles away from the tee, increasing the level of difficulty.  A sand trap to the right of the green and behind the green captures many an errant shot.   A grass bunker left of the green has  been visited an infinite number of times by every golfer in the club.  Out of bounds lines the left side of the fairway, where Golfmeister's next door neighbor awaits, ready to snatch your ball into Never Never Land. The green slopes severely from back to front.   When the green has been rolled and your ball is above a front pin placement, you may want to call Dial-a-Prayer (or just count to 3 putts and pick up). 

Hole #3:  This is the hardest par 5 on the course, as rated by Golfmeister himself.  The 550 yard hole requires 3 good shots.  It is unreachable in 2 by all but the mightiest and most foolish.   Miss any one shot and Mr. Sure Bogey (or his brother, Mr. Double Bogey) is your certain companion.  Water in front of the green combine with sand traps to either side to complicate your third shot (if you survive the woods, the severe dogleg left, and the narrow fairways on your first 2 shots).  The green slopes from back to front and hosts some interesting putts, especially with rear pin positions.

Hole #4:  This 505 yard par 5 has killed many a golf round that had to be buried in the adjacent cemetery.   The drive is to a wide fairway that gets narrower as your driving distance increases.  A sandtrap on the right keeps all but the longest knockers from cutting the edge of the slight dogleg right.  The fun starts with your second shot.  A ditch across the fairway catches shots that are too short or that bounce along killing worms.  The entrance to the green is very narrow, with sand traps along the entire left side as you approach the green.  The real fun is the cemetery to the right of the green.  This plot defines out of bounds, ruining many scores and creating much gnashing of teeth and an occasional ghost story.  Even if you are short of the cemetery on the right side, you will need a Get Out Of Jail Free card to make par.  Golfers are requested to place flowers on any grave where their ball rests if they must enter the cemetery to retrieve a wayward shot.  The 40 yard long green slopes back to front and can create some real challenges.

Hole #5:  This short 305 yard dogleg left offers choices and chances galore.  The safe shot is a 180 yard layup short of the trap at the end of the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the green.  Hit it left and the trees along the side of the driving range will cause you incredible grief.  Hit it right and you can find yourself trying to hit a worm burner under the trees and through the trap to reach the green.  The adventurous sometimes try to hit the ball over the driving range onto the green, but this is hazardous since the range is out of bounds.  You need to hit a 300 yard drive, and there is a 10 ft high net at the end of the range in front of #5 green.  This hole provides a number of birdies to the accurate golfer and occasional embarassment for long hitters who are shorter than they thitnk.

Hole #6:  The 350 yard hole 6th hole is basically straight, with a slight bend to the left 100 yards from the green.  Trees, traps, and out of bounds define the left side.  A forest of evil, devilish trees on the right side of the fairway deflect many errant balls intended for the green by our golfers.  Strong, flat-bellied golfers can drive the green on occasion (our pro used to be able to do that too), but a long, straight drive can easily go in the fish pond at the end of the fairway.  The pond is called a fish pond because the long, innaccurate hitters often have to fish their ball out of the pond.  The long green is sloped from back to front and slopes in from both sides.  You can find putts here that break more than anywhere on the course.

Hole #7:  The 120 yard par 3 7th hole appears to have been added when the course designer realized he only had 17 holes in his layout.  With the exception of Golfmeister and one 80 year-old lady just starting to play golf, every golfer in the club has made a hole-in-one here.  The only real trouble on the hole is the pond around the elevated tee.  Step back to admire your shot and you will be swimming with the turtles.

Hole #8:  This 420 yard straightaway toughie is DCC's #1 handicap hole.  Out of bounds sits tightly down the left side extending all the way past the green.  Trees line each side of the fairway.  Miss the fairway and the Bogey Brothers (Single and Double) will come over from #3 to visit you.  The green is narrow and well trapped on both sides.  Putts can have a lot of break, especially in the rear of the green.

Hole #9:  This 360 yard hole can be simple if you can fade a long drive.  But if you fade it too much you will be amid and behind some ball-eating trees that can make life difficult.  Pull or hook your drive and you will be in the pines on the left looking for an opening to the green.  The fairway slopes from right to left moving everything towards the woods.  The right side of the fairway is guarded by a giant pine planted by the Devil himself with the original limb from Hell hanging over the fairway.   If you can get your drive in the fairway, birdie becomes a real opportunity.