Review: Orchard Creek Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to see the back nine at Orchard Creek, go here if you haven't seen the front.

The tenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays gently downhill to a fairway protected by several bunkers, one right and three left. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but this tee shot made me feel distinctly uncomfortable. There's no reason not to use driver, but I didn't, and neither did my brothers. Anyway, the second shot is a wedge or short iron to a long green bisected by a ridge and protected by a bunker right.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a short par 3, playing 165 over a native area. When you step onto the tee, all you can see is the top of the flag, and you have to do some searching just to find that. Once you've done that and hit your tee shot, you'll find a very interesting green. For one, the long and narrow green runs away from the tee, but in case that wasn't enough, it falls away in a series of three separate tiers. If you're all the way in the back, as I was, taking two putts is going to be a very tall order. Oh, and don't miss left or long, you probably won't find it.

This is all you can see on the eleventh tee.

The eleventh green is a unique one.

The twelfth hole is a fairly simple shortish par 4, going back up the hill the tenth and eleventh played down. It's a sharp dogleg left, and you're best suited cutting off as much of that dogleg as you can. There's a bunker guarding the front right section of the green, so the further left you are, the better angle you'll have, not to mention you'll have a shorter shot. If you can draw your drive around the tree near the tee, you'll be even better off.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a very long par 4 at 470 yards, though it really isn't as tough as the yardage might indicate. There's no trouble on the drive, so feel free to blast one as far as possible. You'll need that distance in order to get a decent view on the second shot. A lone bunker guards the green to the left, which once again slopes from front to back. The hole is very accepting of run-up shots, and considering you'll be approaching with a mid to long iron, you'll probably want to take advantage.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is also a par 4, but manages to be a whole 200 yards shorter than the previous hole. Yes, it's a 270 yard par 4. And it's a good one too. A decision has to be made on the tee. Do you play safe out the right, leaving a difficult uphill pitch over a bunker? Do you lay up short and left, a more difficult proposition but one that leaving you a straightforward second? Or do you go for the green, which is pressed up against a native area right? My brothers and I all went for the green, and our scores ranged from birdie to triple bogey. And that is the sign of an excellent short par 4.

The fourteenth hole.

Playing it safe leaves a difficult half-wedge to the fourteenth green.

For the fifteenth hole, we go from a par 3.5 to another par 3.5. Of course, the last hole was technically a par 4, and this is a 260 yard par 3. Sure, it plays downhill, but that's still a very long par 3. If you're really long, you can get away with an iron, but for most of us, a wood is necessary. Much like 13 though, the length is really all this hole has going for it. There's a pond left, but I'd hesitate to call it a real hazard. Even with a wood, you'd still have to hit a really bad shot to go in it. The green is pretty simple, and there are no bunkers. All in all, not the best hole in the world.

The fifteenth hole.

The sixteenth hole is by far the longest hole at Orchard Creek, playing to a brawny 587 yards. The first and most obvious issue is the native area running down the entire left side of the hole. That native area narrows the fairway about 200 yards from the green, meaning that a poorly hit drive has to contend with it. A pond sits about 75 yards from the green, so most third shots will end up in the wider portion of the fairway between the native area and the pond. The green is shallow and protected by a bunker front left, so laying up out to the right definitely opens things up. This is a par 5, but it's not much of a birdie opportunity.

The sixteenth hole.

You probably won't be getting to the sixteenth green in two.

A good place to be in two.

The small sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole may be 30 yards shorter than the fifteenth hole, but this is still a 225 yards par 3 we're dealing with. Other than a couple bunkers right, there's not a lot to this hole, it's just a bit of a slog, considering it comes at the end of the round.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a reachable par 5, playing less than 500 yards. The tee shot is uphill to a semiblind fairway, and other than a small fairway bunker and some O.B. far to the left, there's plenty of room to work with. The second shot is more interesting. A ditch filled with long grass surrounds the last 100 yards of the hole on three sides. You can certainly lay up short, but when the hole is 493 yards, having a third shot that long is disappointing. If you go for it, the green is on a peninsula, with very little room for error. Now, the green is pretty big, but going just a few feet over, left, or right will result in a penalty. You can easily finish with a birdie or even an eagle, but a bogey or double is almost as likely.

Not much to see on the eighteenth tee.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

My memory of Orchard Creek is unfortunately dominated by something other than the course itself. Even though we were in upstate New York, the weather was hot enough to make even the Deep South proud. 95 degrees with humidity to match. And for some reason, the owners of the golf course decided not to put any water out for people to drink. No, you have to buy water for $2.50 a bottle (or $3 if you buy from the beverage cart). So while the round itself only cost $40 per person on a Saturday morning, the reality is that you'll spend a fair amount more than that keeping yourself hydrated. I think all told we spent at least $20 extra.

It's unfortunate that the experience was marred by heat and dehydration, because Orchard Creek is a genuinely good golf course. There's no really outstanding holes, but there really isn't anything too weak, and most of the course features good strategic golf. As I said in the first part, the course didn't cost much to build, and the architect did a great job. The condition of the course was great, and there was plenty of strategic interest. The fourteenth is a fun little short par 4, the knob in the middle of the sixth green was quirky, it's a generally fun golf course. I'd say it's definitely worth playing, and that $40 is a pretty good price. Just remember to bring water with you if it's hot.