Review: Whiskey Creek Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Whiskey Creek, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing uphill after the tee shot crosses a shallow valley. The fairway is pinched by fairway bunkers on the prime driver line, so you either have to negotiate them or lay up out to the right, leaving a longer second shot. The second shot is semiblind to a green hidden behind a large bunker (which looks closer to the green than it actually is). It's a long and narrow green with fairly significant back-to-front tilt; putts from above the hole can be slippery.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a 200 yard par 3 that's a lot more intimidating than one might expect. The green is not large and is maybe 20 yards wide. That is not a lot of space when approaching the green with a mid or even long iron. It's especially not a lot of space when you consider the big bunker in front, the slightly smaller bunker left, and the 10-foot dropoff right of the green. Shots hit left will bounce off the hillside down toward the green, so at least that's something. Still, this is a tough hole, and further proof that you don't need water to make things difficult for the golfer.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is Whiskey Creek's longest par 4, playing 445 yards. On the one hand, both the tee shot and second play downhill, so it theoretically plays shorter then that 445, but on the other, the fairway narrows pretty significantly once you get about 200 yards from the green, squeezed between O.B. left and trees right, so you have to be pretty confident in your driver to use it. A safe 3 wood will leave a mid to long iron to a medium-sized green with a fair amount of undulation. There are two greenside bunkers left, which is honestly the preferable place to miss. It is tough getting a chip to stay on the green if you go long or right.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 416 yards and plays uphill to a mostly blind fairway. A single bunker guards the left side, which is where you want to aim your drive. Doing so gives you the best angle into the green, which has two bunkers protecting the right side. This green is especially tough to approach from the wrong side of the fairway; it's much tougher to get away with it here than on 2 or 8. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole isn't the longest of long par 4s, playing 430 yards, but the tee shot here is very tough. The fairway is plenty wide initially, but around 250 yards out, the fairway is narrowed significantly by a bunker and encroaching trees right. Plus, of course, a pond runs along the entire length of the left side. If you want something less than a mid or long iron into the green, you're going to have a very difficult drive. And if you lay back, you'll have a long second to a green mostly hidden behind a bunker. The twelfth is a tough hole, but this one might be even tougher.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 222 yards from all the way back, and with the water right, three bunkers, and a narrow green angled 45 degrees away, this is a tough tee shot, to say the least. There are holes where you can be aggressive, and this is not one of them. Aim for the center of the green and hope to make par, that's the best strategy. 

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a straightaway 545 yard par 5 with a fairly wide fairway sloping significantly from left to right. There are a couple bunkers, but the one left isn't really in play. The drive isn't the tough part here. That comes on the second shot; with the green perched up on a hillside behind a complex of multiple bunkers, you are very much discouraged from going for the green in two. The smart play is to lay up to 100 yards, favoring the left side, leaving a relatively simple uphill wedge. 

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the fourth par 4 at Whiskey Creek to utilize the classic "the side of the fairway with the bunker is the better side to be on." The bunkers guarding the left side of this green are particularly big and deep, and the green is on the more undulating side, so it's not an easy second shot no matter what. Also, at 425 yards up the hill, it won't be a very short second either.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a big sprawling par 5 at almost 550 yards. The old farmhouse sits right in the middle of the fairway, and it's very, very easy to end up right behind it. That is certainly extremely inconvenient, and rather annoying too, since there's really not much you can do from behind a big stone wall. If you want to go for the green in two, you need to slip past the farmhouse left, while bailing out right gives you more room but basically forces a lay-up. You have options with your lay-up, either stay on the right side, which is far easier but leaves a tough third over water and bunkers, or carry a stream and native area, which will leave you with a pretty simple pitch. The whole farmhouse certainly makes this hole memorable, though it feels a little forced in terms of quirk, especially considering its location. I would not have put it in the middle of the hole. That's a little silly.

The eighteenth hole.

Had to get a decent picture of the farmhouse.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green from the safe lay-up area.

The eighteenth green.

So, how does Whiskey Creek stand up amongst the other golf courses in the Frederick metropolitan area? Pretty well, I would call it second best, behind P.B. Dye. It doesn't do anything spectacular, but it's better all around than Musket Ridge and it's certainly better than Maryland National. The 18th is a talking piece, but not really good design. The routing is okay, but it could be better. The four uphill holes to start followed by the fifth going down about 100 feet in the first 200 yards is a little silly, in my opinion. Strangely, the four par 4s that utilize the literal exact same basic strategy isn't too bad, since I didn't notice it during the round. The holes do play different enough that it's not incredibly obvious until you look back and think about it.

Overall, this is fairly solid, better-than-average golf, but solid golf isn't worth $100. That's twice as expensive as it should be. The conditions were very good, which might justify the price tag for some people, but not me. I wouldn't play this course again unless it was $60 or less.