Review: Range End Golf Club (Part 2)

We're back for part 2 of our exciting Range End adventure. Go here if you haven't seen the front nine.

The tenth hole is a long par 3 at nearly 230 yards, and it plays slightly downhill to a green flanked by bunkers. A pond lurks short left, not quite in play, but close enough to make the golfer uncomfortable. I actually have a bit of a story about this hole from that high school postseason tournament I mentioned last week. It was a shotgun start that day, and this was my seventeenth hole of the day. My coach had told me before the tournament that the cut to move to the next tournament was always in the low 80s, and as the round was coming to an end, the rumor at the clubhouse was that 81 would be in, and 82 would playoff for the remaining spot or two. Coming into 9, I was nine over and thinking birdie would give me a good cushion. Not an unreasonable idea, 9 is a short par 4 and in a practice round I'd driven the green. Unfortunately, my play that day had been scrappy; while I'd gotten away with things several times, my luck ran out on the tee shot. I went wide right and I couldn't even get a par. Instead of being 8 over, I was 10 over. I had to finish with two pars to avoid the playoff. I was steaming as I stepped onto this tee, I knew I had to hit this green. Chipping has never been my strong point, so getting up and down was iffy at best. In retrospect, a 3 iron to 40 feet isn't the greatest shot I've ever hit, but under the pressure, it was exactly what I needed. I got my par, and with a par on the next hole, I had my 81, and my place in the next tournament was secured.

The tenth hole.

The eleventh hole is the longest hole at Range End at 535 yards, and while it's only a few yards longer than the first hole, it plays a whole lot longer. The tee shot is pretty straightforward, as is the second. This is a true three-shot hole, so the goal should be to lay up about 80-100 yards from the green, leaving a wedge up the hill. The green is small and very well guarded by bunkers.

The eleventh hole.

Heading up the hill toward the eleventh green.

The third shot is semiblind.

The twelfth hole is, by virtue of the fact that it's the only hole at Range End to feature any sort of side slope, the best hole on the golf course. It's a 370-yard par 4, so it's definitely on the shorter side, but that side slope makes the second shot so much more complicated. Especially since it's the only time the golfer is confronted with such a shot during the round. To be honest, this hole doesn't even feel like the rest of the course, which in this case isn't a bad thing. It's surrounded by forest, it's pointing in a completely different direction, so it's a nice change of pace. Anyway, the hole can play very short if you cut the dogleg, but that will leave you with an awkward half-wedge from a hanging lie to a green that you absolutely cannot go long on. Sure, you'll have a hanging lie pretty much anywhere, but a full shot is often preferable to a half shot. The green is reasonably sized for once, but like I said, long is dead. It's tough to be aggressive when the flag is in the back. Also, I think this is just a good looking hole. The sideslope and the mountain backdrop work well together.

The twelfth hole. Forgot to take any more pictures. Oops.

The thirteenth hole is the shortest hole at Range End, playing just under 180 yards. It's slightly downhill too, and is situated on the same bit of hill as the previous hole and the last hundred yards of the eleventh. The little pot bunker to the left of the green is definitely something to avoid, but missing right is no picnic either. The area just right is maintained as fairway, and there's a small swale running parallel to the green. Any chip from the right has to negotiate that swale, and if hit in the wrong place, the shot can either stop dead or be kicked past. This is also a pretty decent hole.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is sadly a return to Range End  routing standards. Yes, it's back to parallel holes. At least there's a bit of elevation change here still. Much like the previous par 5s, there's no issue off the tee, so get as far as possible, because at 480 yards, this hole is easily reachable in two. If you're doing that, then the second is a tough long iron or wood to a green guarded by three bunkers. If you lay up, obviously those bunkers are less of an issue. The green is fairly large and inviting, so if you are in range, I say go for it in two. I think it's worth the risk.

The fourteenth hole.

Not a bad position to go for the green.

From behind the fourteenth hole.

The fifteenth hole is a straightforward mid-length par 3 with a fairly small green surrounded by three bunkers. It plays over basically level ground and there isn't anything particularly interesting about it. Moving on.

The fifteenth hole.

The sixteenth hole is a 425 yard par 4 playing slightly downhill. The hole looks almost wide open at first, but the big tree to the left of the fairway really does dominate the flow of the hole. To be honest, the effective amount of room to work with on the tee shot is actually pretty small. So you'll need to be pretty accurate. The second shot is over a small creek to a long, narrow green flanked by two bunkers. There are only three par 4s on the back nine, and this is by far the longest of the three, and the toughest par.

The sixteenth hole. Definitely steer clear of that tree on the left.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the third of three par 5s on the back nine, and is in the middle in terms of length and difficulty. This hole is notable for actually having some sort of hazard come into play on the tee shot. It's been a while, and in this case, it's not even a silly hazard. The same stream cutting across the last hole crosses the fairway 240 yards out from the back tee. It shouldn't be a problem to clear, but it's definitely on your mind. If you're successful, you can have a go at the green in two, which is defended in the typical Range End standard.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a short par 4, not driveable, but at 335 yards it's little more than a drive and pitch. Range End isn't on a particularly big piece of land, and considering the tee shot is hit over a road, you kind of get the impression that this hole was squeezed in to get back to the clubhouse, rather than routed naturally. It's a pretty simple hole, avoid the trees left and leave yourself a little wedge into one final tiny green. It's a great opportunity to finish with a birdie.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

To be perfectly honest, Range End is not a good golf course. While the back nine does a little better than the front, the routing consists mostly of straight, flat holes in parallel. That is not a recipe for exciting golf. And Range End doesn't even have the courtesy to at least be difficult. Sure, the greens are tiny and well defended, but there is almost no trouble at all off the tee. You can pretty much drive it anywhere and still have a reasonable chance at hitting the green in regulation. The greens had some slope to them, but they were pretty slow in general, which surprised me. I've said many times that I'm not a fan of super-fast greens, but I'd have preferred a bit more speed.

However, the same flatness that makes the course a bit dull does make it a pretty easy walk. Tees are generally pretty close to greens as well. And the course was in pretty good shape, though it was early May, which is when courses in the mid-Atlantic are at their best. The price was a little high ($33 to walk just after noon on a Saturday), but from what I can tell, the course can be walked at any time, so the most you'd ever have to pay is $42. During the week, walking prices max at $27, which is more reasonable.

Would I play here again? Well, I wouldn't go out of my way to do so, but I wouldn't say no. It's just under an hour away, but it's easy to get to. I could see myself going here if I ever want a fairly cheap, low stress round.