Review: Deerfield Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is the second of Deerfield's two par 5s, and the longest hole on the course at 536 yards. However, the tee shot is dramatically downhill, and you can cut even more distance off if you challenge the dogleg and the pond guarding the left side of the fairway. If you don't have the length or willingness to do so (this isn't a wide fairway), you can play it this as a three-shot hole, using a fairway wood or long iron off of the tee into the widest portion of the fairway, then laying up about 100 yards out on a section of fairway significantly sloped from right to left. However, this is a very reachable hole if you play aggressively; it's entirely realistic to have less than 200 yards for the second shot. You will need to fade the long iron around large overhanging trees about 75 yards out from the green, and the green itself is elevated and sloped severely from back to front. Putts from above the hole are very tricky, but still, this is a good birdie opportunity if you hit a solid drive.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is the shortest hole on the course at just under 160 yards. Unusual for Deerfield, the hole is essentially flat, though the green is ever so slightly elevated above the fairway, just enough to make shots that end up short very tricky to get close. There are two bunkers left as well, and the green is on the flatter side.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is 370 yards, with the tee shot playing over a valley to a fairway up on a plateau and pinched by bunkers on both sides. If you want a completely clear view of the green, you need to reach the plateau and carry the bunkers; this isn't a huge carry, maybe 225-250 yards, but it's not a short one either. If you do get up top, the second shot is a wedge to a small, elevated green with two bunkers short left and one front right, as well as a steep dropoff beyond. Going long of this green is not a great idea.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is pretty short, only 325 yards, but it bends nearly 90 degrees right around 225 yards from the tee. Massive trees guard the corner, so there's really not much point in using a driver, especially with more forest out beyond the fairway if you go too far or pull the drive. A safe lay-up, avoiding the fairway bunkers lurking right, will leave a wedge to a partially blind green that you can see more of the closer you get. The green itself is small, pretty narrow, and sloped significantly from back to front; there are bunkers on both sides and another big dropoff into forest behind.

The thirteenth green.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that, from tee to green, is fairly level. The tee shot is steeply downhill though, playing to a narrow fairway squeezed between trees, as well as a big hillside left. An ideal drive, one that cuts the corner, will leave a wedge or short iron back up the hill to a semiblind green, with bunkers on each side. This green is a particularly slippery one, with a lot of back-to-front tilt. If you're above the hole, you can very easily hit your first putt 10 feet by.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a great example of why letting trees run amok on a golf course is a bad idea. The fairway is draped on a steep hillside, and while this would be okay if it was 40 yards wide, it's not so okay when the fairway is just 20. In an ideal world, one would seek to keep their drive as high up on the hill as possible, as doing so would provide the best angle into the green. But doing this on the current hole would only mean you'd be hitting into a group of trees, with additional trees blocking the second shot. The fairway is almost impossible to hold, being so narrow and so sharply sloped; it's almost inevitable that you'll run down to the right, alongside the cart path. That means the second will be a tricky wedge over a large bunker into a small green. Removing all the trees left of the fairway and expanding the fairway out left 20 yards or so would make this hole infinitely better. It's still a fun hole, but it could be so much more.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is Deerfield's last par 3, playing 170 yards to an elevated, partially blind green. There are four bunkers around the green, two left and two right, and the green itself is fairly undulating. It's not the most exciting hole in the world, but it is a very tough iron shot, demanding quite a lot of precision, especially when the flag is tucked behind the front left bunker. The hole location we got is probably the easiest.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is my pick for the best hole at Deerfield, if for no other reason than the welcome lack of trees. The hole doglegs sharply to the right, heading steeply downhill from a high plateau about 225-250 yards out from the tee. If you want a flat stance for the second, you can lay back at the top of the hill, leaving a downhill short to mid iron. Or if you're feeling bold, you can carry the group of bunkers in the corner of the dogleg, catching the big slope, and potentially leaving yourself as little as a partial wedge for the second. 

While the width provided on the drive is a big part of this hole's charm, it's not the primary reason for it. That comes from the green, which is unlike any other at the course. For one, it's a lot bigger, and it's not simply sloped from back to front. The front half is tilted in that fashion, quite severely in fact, but the back half slopes away, and that makes approach shots very tricky. Go too far, and the ball will roll quite a long way away, turning potential birdies into potential three putts. I wouldn't want every green to be so tricky, but this one really works for this hole.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

Deerfield finishes with a fairly short par 4, playing just under 350 yards. The landing area is completely blind, and the fairway doglegs right. It's not as wide as the previous hole, but this is one of the course's wider fairways. Even a good 3 wood will leave a wedge second. The green is very small and protected by three bunkers. It's not as interesting as the seventeenth, but the second is tough enough to keep you on edge. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Deerfield is a good course as it currently stands. It's got a lot of quirk to it, and a lot of interesting land movement. There are a lot of par 4s, since this is a par 70 with just two par 5s, but they always feel varied and different. You never get the sense that you've already seen a hole. The two par 5s are very interesting, if a bit overgrown, though the par 3s are a bit too similar in distance to really be a strength. The value is okay; we paid $50 per person on a Monday afternoon, which isn't hugely expensive but not a bargain either. It's a bit too far away, and a bit too in Delaware for me to seriously think about playing again though; what's on the ground currently is just not quite good enough to be worth the 2-hour drive again.

That said, there's a much better golf course out there if the local government's ever willing to front the expense. Honestly, the only thing Deerfield really needs is a few hundred fewer trees, everything else would be nice but not necessary. Expanded fairways and greens, things like that. But the trees really constrict Deerfield, and they rob the course of so much potential. The land is so interesting, but it's hidden amongst trees, and so many holes are worse off because of untamed trees. The first, the fifth, the sixth, and especially the fifteenth, but they're not alone. Removing trees would also absolutely improve turf conditions, which weren't bad, but they're never going to be great at a busy municipal course. Anything to make the grass grow better is a good thing. I would love to see Deerfield receive a slow, methodical restoration, similar to what George Wright's gone through in the past 15 years. I don't think it would quite be on that level, but a restored Deerfield would certainly stand up favorably with courses like Keney Park and Shennecossett, and definitely worth the 100-mile drive for me.