Review: Whitetail Golf Resort (Part 1)

I've been playing golf for a long time, and obviously there's a lot of golf courses that I've played but haven't reviewed. I've done that very thing a few times, going back to review someplace I already know. But this is a review I didn't think I'd ever do.

To put it mildly, the course at Whitetail Golf Resort, located just south of the bustling metropolis of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, is not really my cup of tea. In fact, it's pretty far away from the sort of golf course that I usually enjoy. It is thoroughly modern in design and there are places to lose golf balls virtually everywhere. I played here several times during my junior golf tournament, and I piled up some rather gruesome scores and memories during that rounds.

Fast forward almost 10 years to September 2019. I had a day off of work, was sort of in the vicinity, and the course I originally had my eye on was annoyingly busy at the time I was looking, so I made my way to good old Whitetail for a round. How would a decade change my opinion of the course? Let's find out.

The first hole is a classic opener: the mild par 4. At 380 from the blue tees, the hole doglegs left as it falls gently downhill. (Note: all distances during the review will be from the blues, not the blacks. I highly doubt many people play the full 7,000 yard course.) While it can be tempting to cut the dogleg, doing so will leave a worse angle, as you'll be left with a second shot directly over the bunker in front of a very shallow green. You're better off going out to the right, which gives a slightly longer shot but with less bunker to worry about.

The first hole.

Not a terrible place to be on the second shot.

The first green.

The second hole concludes the warm-up portion of the round in an abrupt manner. On paper, it's only 15 yards longer than the first hole, but practically speaking, it punches well above the 395 on the scorecard. That's because this hole features the first of what will be a bit of a theme at Whitetail: the forced lay-up. The hole is bisected by a pond and native area at the bottom of a valley, so drives have to be out to the left, and at most you can advance around 275 yards. Practically though, you'll be shorter than that, and that will leave you with a mid iron for the second. The green is pretty generous, but left is dead. This is the sort of hole you're happy to make par on.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a pretty standard mid-length par 3. It's just under 180 yards, and the green is angled left to right behind a pair of bunkers, so a fade will be the better shot to hit here. Not a bad hole, but nothing outstanding.

The third hole.

The third green.

The third hole loops back to the clubhouse, and it takes a long cart ride (not the only example at Whitetail, to be sure) to reach the fourth hole. The hole is 320 yards, but it's downhill the whole way, so when the wind is at your back, it's certainly tempting to pull out the driver and get as close to the green as you can. But if you do that, be aware of the cluster of bunkers that narrow the fairway considerably out past 275 or so. For my money, the better play is to lay up short of the bunkers into the wide portion of the fairway, then hit a 100 yard wedge into a fairly undulating green. This green has a lot of slopes, and it's very easy to three putt if you're not on the correct section.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a mid-length par 4 at 374 yards, but much like the second, it plays a lot longer than that. For one, it's uphill, but it's mostly because the fairway stops something like 240 yards from the tee. That mean's you'll be hitting a long iron or 3 wood if you're feeling dangerous. The result of this is that the second shot is a significantly longer iron than you probably expected up the hill to a semiblind green that falls away into jungle on the left and long. Shots that come up short are at risk of rolling back if it's dry, and shots right have to contend with a shallow target that slopes away, with a bunker in between you and the hole. Getting up and down if you miss the green is not an easy proposition.

The fifth hole.

Not the easiest approach into the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is about as pleasant as a golf hole can get. 160 yards, downhill, reasonably generous green, little trouble save for a single bunker set curiously far away from the green itself, this is a great opportunity to relax, swing easy, get a shot in close, and make a birdie.

The short sixth hole.

The sixth green.

At just over 500 yards, the seventh hole is the first par 5 at Whitetail, and the whole "hazard cutting across the fairway" thing makes a quick return. This time though, the cross hazard starts about 290 from the blue tee (the blacks are the furthest set back) and is fairly short, so many golfers won't be able to reach it, and if you're feeling bold, you can clear it. I know because I did precisely that many years ago. Definitely not something I can do anymore. However, the hole is still reachable in two even if you do go down the left side. The shot is 200 plus and up the hill to a fairly well defended green with plenty of slope. It's almost better to go for it, as it eliminates the pond left of the fairway in the lay-up zone.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

Looking back down the seventh. Look, I took 180 something pictures of the place, I want to use some of them.

The eighth hole is just under 400 yards, and once again, a hazard crosses the fairway at the range where a good driver would end up. That means, to be safe, you'll probably want to use a 3 wood. That's especially true seeing as there's less room on the right side of the fairway, which is the better side to approach the green. Go further down the left side and you'll have a shorter shot, but the approach will be over a bunker to a shallow green.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the longest par 5 at Whitetail, playing 510 yards over rolling, sidehill terrain. No matter where you hit, the ball will be above your feet (unless you're left handed, of course). A low draw hit up the right side of the fairway will run out a lot, making this hole completely reachable. If the drive isn't so great, a series of cross bunkers run across the fairway about 75 yards from the green, so if you want to lay up, you'll have to leave yourself a full wedge. The green is undulating, and putts from the wrong level will be tricky. Overall, definitely one of the better holes at Whitetail.

The ninth hole favors a big draw off the tee.

The ninth from a different tee.

I did not hit the mower.

The ninth green.

That's all from scenic Whitetail for now, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.