Review: En-Joie Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at En-Joie, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a fairly short par 4 that goes slightly downhill. It's not exactly parallel to the first hole, though they share a teeing area, but in many ways it functions as a mirror. It goes downhill in a similar way and it has a pond by the green on the right side instead of the left. If you're a long hitter, you'll want to be careful as a 300 yard drive will reach the pond, and the fairway narrows considerably when the water starts. The water is just a foot or two off of the green, so there's no wiggle room right, and a big bunker left that makes for very tense recovery shots. Not much green to work with, a slope that runs right to left, water just beyond, I wouldn't recommend it.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a fairly long par 4 that bends slightly to the left around some big trees. There's a bunker on the outside of the dogleg, and the green is best approached from the right side, near that bunker. The green is slightly elevated and is protected by two bunkers on the left side.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is the shortest (and final) par 5 at En-Joie, playing just 510 yards. That means it's definitely reachable in two so long as you avoid the right side and the overhanging trees. Actually, if you can get close to the green with the second, you probably should, as there's a pond about 50 yards short of the green that complicates lay-ups. Either you've got to go out to the right of it, leaving a bad angle, stay short which leaves a long third, or go past. I think that's the best option. The green is angled 45 degrees to the fairway, which makes shots easier from the left side, especially with the bunker in front.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 425 yards, making it the longest par 4 at En-Joie. The playing corridor is wider than many others, so feel free to swing away with the driver. Just avoid the fairway bunker left. The second shot is to a slightly elevated green protected by a bunker right and two small bunkers left. It's the longest par 4 on the course, but it's honestly not that difficult a hole.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 185 yards and plays parallel to the fourth, even utilizing the same pond. There's a distinct left-to-right lean to the hole, so keep that in mind when hitting your tee shot. There are two bunkers left of the green to catch shots purposely hit away from the pond. The green isn't bad, like the two par 3s on the front, but it suffers from playing almost exactly the same as those two.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is, at the very least, something different. It's a mid-length par 4, and for once it doesn't have trees lining one side of the fairway. Instead, it's got water. The pond runs down basically the entire left side, ending all the way at the green. The smart play is really to use a wood or long iron, since the hole isn't long and the fairway is widest about 200-250 yards from the tee. The green is big (though it's got quite a bit of slope to it), so it's okay to approach it with a slightly longer club. Use a driver and you'll be heading right into the narrowest part of the fairway for not a whole lot of reward. I'm not a big fan, but like I said, at least it's a bit of variety.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is easily the best hole at En-Joie, and a bit of an outlier, if I'm being honest. It's a quirky little par 4 that's drivable by quite a few people, being only 275 yards. There's also eight bunkers scattered about, which is two more than the fifth (the hole with the second most, and a long par 5 at that). The green is elevated and a group of three trees protects the green from the right side, meaning you'll have to hit a fade if you do want to go for the green. If not, you'll hit a long iron, avoiding all the sand, and then a little wedge up the hill. There's a small tier in the green, but it's enough to provide interest. It's a neat little hole and I wish En-Joie had more like this.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a little par 3, playing just 145 yards. The green is long and in a bowl of sorts, with a single bunker to the right. There's quite a bit of back to front slope to the green as well, though the back does flatten out. It's a pretty easy hole, but that's okay. It's nice to have a less demanding par 3, especially considering how similar the first three are. 

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole is a 400 yard par 4 that plays a fair amount up hill. It's not an easy drive – there's trees overhanging the right side and water left. But if you do hit the fairway, you're rewarded with a pretty easy second shot. The green is fairly large and receptive, with just one bunker to the right. It's definitely a reasonable birdie opportunity if you hit a good drive, and I appreciate that it's not extremely difficult while not being super easy. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

If you're looking for a golf course filled with interesting, strategic options, En-Joie is going to disappoint you. Wouldn't you know it, but it turns out putting a golf course on a small, flat property isn't a recipe for success, especially when the holes are all parallel and lined with big trees. Virtually every tee shot is the same, and unless you're extremely accurate, you'll be hitting punch shots out from underneath those trees all day. The greens aren't awful, but there's little imagination around them and not much in the way of advantageous angles. 

There is a "but" coming, and here it is. While my brain wasn't particularly stimulated by anything En-Joie did, I can't deny the good things it has going for it. This is a golf course that has and currently does host professional golf events, that is a fact. This is also a fact: If you walk, you can play En-Joie for $27. That is a very good price for 18 holes of golf. En-Joie is a municipal course, so absolutely anyone can play it. You might think that it would be too difficult for the once-a-year golfer who can barely get a drive 100 yards, but it really isn't. There are no forced carries so long as you utilize the proper tees, and the only hole that might give a high-handicapper trouble is the fifteenth. Even that hole is tolerable, since the water is limited to one side. There are trees, yes, but the vegetation isn't dense, and when you play here at a time when the leaves aren't covering the ground, it should be relatively easy to find golf balls in the trees, and it's relatively easy to get out of them as well. I didn't lose a golf ball at En-Joie, and that is no small feat.

In the end, I didn't really like En-Joie and I have no particular interest in playing it again. But I'm glad it exists for the people of Binghamton, and I hope they continue to enjoy it for years to come. It's cheap, it's not particularly difficult, and it's friendly, and that's all you can really ask for from your local muni. Just don't go out of your way to see it.