Review: Bucknell Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 190 yards and plays gently uphill to a partially blind green protected by four bunkers. It doesn't look like much, but apparently it causes golfers to hit literally the worst shot possible off of the tee. That's what happened to my playing companions and I. Turned a nondescript hole into a tough bogey, which was fun. No wait, not fun. The opposite of that.

The tenth hole.

The eleventh hole, a 360-yard par 4, is a brief return to the original design, and while you can't really tell from the tee shot, which is pretty open, it's very noticeable at the green. Loeffler's greens aren't especially undulating, and this one is kind of punchbowl-y in that it will funnel shots toward the middle, but it is extremely small. That, in combination with the bunkers on each side, really put a premium on finding the fairway and getting as far as possible, where the fairway narrows between trees. It's much easier finding a 3,000 square foot green when you're 100 yards away, rather than 150.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is another Ault hole, playing just over 400 yards. You have a choice on the tee shot: Lay back at the top of the hill, leaving a long second from a level stance, or drive down, gaining additional distance but flirting with a large pond. Why is there a big pond where you can't see? Excellent question. Not sure what Ault was thinking with that one. Anyway, the longer hitters may want to use 3 wood; I wouldn't go over 275 yards here, there is very little room between the pond and O.B. right. The green is quite large and fairly undulating, and is surrounded by three bunkers.

The twelfth hole.

The thirteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 with some excellent product placement in the background. You can even see the "BGC" on Google Maps. Anyway, this is quite a tricky hole. It's not hugely long, but the green is very shallow (and very wide), and there's both a bunker and water in front. It's not a difficult task avoiding the water, but actually hitting the green is another story. It's also a fairly undulating green, so if you end up on the wrong side of it, three-putting is a definite possibility.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

From the fourteenth hole onward, the course is Loeffler, and one can definitely tell from the size of the greens. First up is a mid-length par 4 playing to a blind and rather narrow fairway winding between trees. It doesn't take much of a miss to end up blocked out. The second shot, if you do find the fairway, is a wedge or short iron to a small, fairly steeply sloped green surrounded by four bunkers.

The fourteenth hole.

The fifteenth hole is a straightaway par 5 over fairly level ground. With O.B. right and bunkers on either side of the fairway (the fancy-looking one right is also new), this is not an easy driving hole. But it's important to find the fairway, as a pair of crossbunkers jut into the fairway about 75 yards out. If you want to get close to the green and carry those bunkers, you need to find the fairway. Otherwise, you'll have a full wedge into a very small green guarded by three more bunkers.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a classic short par 3: 140 yards, downhill, tiny green protected on nearly every side by sand. The green's also got a fair amount of slope to it as well, so you really don't want to go long, which is quite easy considering it drops something like 40 feet from tee to green. This is a definite birdie opportunity if you hit the green, which is something most golfers are capable of, but if you miss it can be a struggle to make bogey.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is just under 340 yards, making it short but not drivable. The tee shot is an interesting proposition; the fairway rolls over multiple humps and valleys, all the while tilted from right to left down to a narrow ditch wandering most of the way along the fairway. Obviously, the land is flatter at the bottom, making the second shot easier, but you get a better view of the green from up top, so there's tradeoffs to both sides of the fairway. The green itself is extremely small, tilted pretty severely from back to front (with a noticeable tier running through the middle), and flanked by two deep bunkers. This is probably my favorite hole at Bucknell; it may be a short par 4, but you have to earn a good score here. 

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole closes things out with a mellow drive to a wide fairway that disappears over a ridge. However, things escalate quickly at the green. While open and level with the fairway at the front, the green is elevated above the surrounding rough (and bunker right) in that classic Golden Age abrupt sort of way. It's also incredibly small and quite narrow. Now, we're not talking a lot of elevation, just a few feet. But that's more than enough to make recovery shots from anywhere that isn't short of the green ridiculously difficult. Not impossible, but very tough. And if you struggle with your short game like I do, it's a recipe for a big number. Who says you need water to make a double bogey?

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

To be honest, I was expecting a bit more of a difference between the older holes and the newer ones. Maybe that's the renovation doing its work, but other than the green sizes and the blind pond on 12, the two halves aren't that far apart. With that said, my favorite holes at Bucknell are definitely all Loeffler holes. The last three holes in particular are very strong. 

Overall, Bucknell is somewhere in the realm of better than average to good. A few less trees would definitely help tip it in the right direction; as of right now there are just too many. So many holes feel too claustrophobic, and the trees obscure some fairly interesting landforms. Bucknell is set over excellent terrain, but it isn't utilizing it fully. As for value, it's not bad but not great; it's $40 to walk on a weekend. I'd play it again, and not just because I'd like to see it when it's not raining, but because it is enjoyable and worth playing if you're in central Pennsylvania. It's very similar to the White Course at Penn State (I know I haven't reviewed that, but trust me here): Both are similar lengths and have similar terrain, both blend Golden Age and modern design, and both are university courses in central Pennsylvania. One could certainly do worse for a weekend of college-themed golf.