It's time to check out the back nine at Sly Fox, go here to see the front nine.
The tenth hole is about 500 yards, so initially you're probably thinking about going for the green in two. It's not a long par 5, it definitely feels like it could be reachable, especially considering the lack of hazards on the tee shot. But the scorecard doesn't tell the full story, as this hole plays like the eighth hole on steroids. The landing area is blind, but beyond 275 yards out the fairway dips down 30 feet into a valley – which means solid drives will end up on a precarious hanging slope. Kind of tough to hit a solid long iron or fairway wood when the ball is a foot below your feet. The fairway does rise up onto a plateau again, which is where you'd ideally lay up, but keep in mind that it dips down again more than a hundred yards from the green, and that level of restraint is not easy. The alternative, of course, is a less-than-full wedge from another hanging lie up a big hill into the green. The green is at least fairly long and large, but the bunker left does complicate approaches. This is definitely a hole where you need to think about every shot; mindlessly slugging away will only cause you issues further along.
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| The tenth hole. |
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| Approaching the tenth green. |
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| The tenth green. |
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| The tenth green from behind, highlighting the severe rolls in the fairway. |
The eleventh hole is a dramatic mid-length par 3 playing about 50 feet downhill to a green guarded by water both in front and to the left. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, this is by far the most severe green on the course; there's got to be something like 4 or 5 feet of height difference between the front and back edges. The greens aren't too terribly fast, though, so missing long isn't necessarily grounds for an instant three putt. Even so, this is one of those par 3s where you really just want to hit a good tee shot and get out without too much damage to your scorecard.
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| The eleventh hole. |
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| The eleventh green. |
The twelfth hole is not a long par 4 at just 350 yards, but you'd have to be absolutely crazy to hit driver on this one. The fairway is offset about 45 degrees from the tee (so it's functionally a dogleg) and narrows the whole way, wedged between a steep slope left and a falloff into bushes and scrub right. Also, the fairway ends at a narrow, deep valley about a hundred yards from the green, and while you can hit out of it, you wouldn't want to. The play here is a safe wood or long iron into the heart of the fairway, leaving a short iron or wedge into the green, which is perched on the edge of the course, peering precariously over dense forest just to the right.
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| The twelfth hole. |
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| Approaching the twelfth green. |
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| The twelfth green. |
The thirteenth hole is a very short par 5 at 480 yards, but before you think of getting home in two with just a mid iron, there's a couple things to consider. One, there's a gigantic valley cutting across the fairway about 275 yards from the tee; I did not realize this and hit my best drive of the day straight into it, leaving a horrific hanging lie that I could not solidly hit. If you've got a 300-yard driver in you, using 3 wood is probably the better option here. Two, and this is just as important, this green is not meant for long approaches. It is tiny, and with water left and a massive hillside right, there is precious little room to work with. So, despite the hole's modest length, discretion really is the smart choice. Hit the fairway, lay up to a hundred yards, hit the green with a wedge, two putt for par.
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| The thirteenth hole. |
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| Approaching the thirteenth green. |
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| The thirteenth green. |
The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing uphill to a blind fairway, so initially it really doesn't seem like much. Since the hole bends right, and considering the lack of trees or hazards, you'll likely be tempted to take the direct line straight at the green. This is not a good idea. The green here is tilted sharply from right to left, and considering how firm Sly Fox's greens are, it is next to impossible to keep an approach shot from the right side on the green. Seriously, if it lands on the green, it's automatically way off the left side. Approach the green from the left, and suddenly you have a lot more space to work with and a much friendlier angle of attack. It's actually a really neat and fun green, and that makes the entire hole a lot more interesting than you'd initially expect.
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| The fourteenth hole. |
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| Approaching the fourteenth green. |
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| The fourteenth green. |
The fifteenth hole is ostensibly 320 yards, but the tees were up for our round, so the hole was actually playing a meager 265. Something I wish I'd realized, as the 3 wood I hit for safety sailed into the woods left. I still think laying up is the smart play on this hole, as long as you do it properly. Obviously, at 265 yards this hole is reachable from the tee by a decent number of people, but the green is tucked in amongst trees and O.B., with precious little room for error as it falls away on every side. Miss by even a little and you'll bounce someplace you really don't want to be. You may not make eagle if you lay up, but you can least guarantee you don't make a big number.
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| The fifteenth hole. |
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| The fifteenth green. |
The sixteenth hole is the final par 3 on the course, playing 160 yards down a massive hill to a green carved into the side of the ravine wall. With forest left and a big hillside right, the green is not an inviting target. You've also got to keep in mind how far downhill the tee shot is and adjust the club selection accordingly. At the very least, if you do hit a good shot, the green is pretty flat, so birdie is definitely possible.
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| The sixteenth hole. |
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| The sixteenth green. |
The seventeenth hole is another driveable par 4, this one playing 290 to a plateau-style fairway that falls away on both sides. If you don't have the length to reach the green, a precision lay-up is extremely important, as the falloffs lead into unplayable scrub and brush on both sides. This green is friendlier than the fifteenth though, at least when it comes to attempting to drive it. Actually, if anything you have more room for error using driver than you do laying up with a long iron, so if you're even close to being long enough, going for this green is actually the smarter play.
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| The seventeenth hole. |
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| The seventeenth green. |
The eighteenth hole is the longest par 4 at Sly Fox, playing 435 yards to a mostly blind fairway on the far side of a small hill. There's really no trouble to worry about save the driving range very far to the right, so feel free to swing away with driver. The second shot will be a mid or short iron into a medium-sized green that's bunkerless but mostly surrounded by mounding and filled with little humps and bumps to keep any putt of significant length from being too easy. Not an especially difficult finishing hole, but not a terrible one either.
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| The eighteenth hole. |
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| Approaching the eighteenth green. |
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| The eighteenth green. |
Can a golf course both exceed and fail to meet expectations? Because Sly Fox manages to do both of those things. I was hoping for a quirky, offbeat golf course like Westminster National, and while the roller-coaster par 5s are fun, that is kind of the only trick they have. And by the time 13 rolls around and you hit your best drive in months straight into a ravine you couldn't see, the charm of the thing is kind of lost. At least in the moment.
That said, while Sly Fox wasn't the quirk-fest I was hoping for, it made up for it by being kind of actually a good course. Nothing crazy, but solidly above average. The round starts off slow, but once you hit the seventh hole you're in for a surprisingly good time. The greens are much more interesting than I was expecting, with numerous falloffs ensuring that you can't just mindlessly pitch golf balls in and have them stop. You need to think about where you're landing your golf ball, and you need to account for rollout. The fourteenth is a particularly fun example of this, and it's definitely the best green on the course.
As for value, Sly Fox isn't exactly a bargain, costing $55 to ride in the middle of the week, but it's not absurdly expensive. It is kind of annoying that you can't walk the course before 2 p.m., but this would be a pretty tough walk. There's a long way between 16 and 17 in particular, and a lot of elevation change too. Conditions were pretty solid though, with the course playing very firm and fast, even in early May, when golf courses should be at their most lush. I'm sure some people would complain, but I'm very much not one of them. Overall then, of all the various golf courses I've played near Front Royal, Sly Fox is definitely the best, and I'd definitely choose this one if I'm ever in the area and looking for a round.
