Review: The Bridges Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 420 yards and pretty much feels like a longer version of the first hole. The drive is extremely wide open, and since the hole's got an extra 50 yards to it, the stream that crosses the fairway  a hundred yards short of the green isn't a concern. The lone greenside bunker front right is reasonably threatening though, and the green itself does have a fair amount of back-to-front tilt. Still, a little too much like a copy-paste of the first hole, in my opinion.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole, on the other hand, is actually a pretty solid and fun golf hole. It's a 180-yard par 3 with a narrow green carved out of a hillside. There are two bunkers right which function both as hazards and as a means of catching slightly wayward shots from bounding down into the trees further right. Also, this green's got some interesting contours and isn't just a basic back-to-front proposition. I do wish the hole was slightly shorter, as this would be an excellent candidate for a genuine short par 3, but I'll take what I can get.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a fairly short par 4 at 350 yards, and while it may appear to be as wide open as most of the previous holes, there's actually something to pay attention to on the drive here. Two staggered bunkers eat into the fairway right where a driver would land, so if you want a short pitch into the green, you'll have to thread the needle between those bunkers. The green is open in front but is flanked by one large bunker left and two tiny little bunkers right. Also, there's a tree guarding the front-right corner that I imagine does an excellent job of interfering with approaches hit from right of the fairway.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays uphill to a partially blind fairway, with a completely blind water hazard about 275 yards out essentially cutting the fairway in half. Everyone's favorite, blind water hazards. At least you can see it from the previous green, so you know it's coming, and the scorecard does give a distance to it. Theoretically, you could squeeze between the water and the trees left, but we're talking about a gap of like 15 yards. Not something you can depend on. A 3 wood is fine on the tee and should give you a short iron second shot. The green's pressed up against a boundary line with a single bunker left; the approach is open and right isn't a terrible miss.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is quite a short par 4 at 325 yards, but since it plays uphill the green really isn't within reach. Also, driver is a very bad play, since the margin for error is so tiny. Big trees overhang the right side, and a bunker and more trees cut in from the left; unless you've got a long fade at your disposal, this is definitely long iron time. That leaves a wedge into the green, which is on the narrower side, sloped pretty significantly from back to front, and protected by a large bunker to the right. Given it's length, this isn't the birdie opportunity you'd think it would be.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a 535-yard par 5 and is definitely the best hole on the course. The hole is mostly blind, with the fairway falling out of sight about 225 yards out. That's not a big carry, but with O.B. right and forest left, the landing area is relatively narrow, certainly narrower than most of the holes The Bridges presents. If you can carry past the top of the hill, you'll be rewarded with a massive kick forward, potentially bringing the green into reach with the second. If not, the second shot has to contend with a massive right-to-left sideslope that dominates the second half of the hole, as well as a bunker about 50 yards short that's perfectly placed to catch overly ambitious lay-ups. The green is pretty small, with a single bunker left. Not the most exciting end to a fun hole, but this isn't that sort of golf course.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is just over 200 yards but does play significantly downhill, making it play a bit shorter than the scorecard indicates. The green has a fair amount of slopes and breaks to it, and there are two bunkers left. There's also a pond back right lurking in the background, but you'd either have to significantly overclub and slice or virtually shank your tee shot to get to it. It looks more intimidating than it actually is.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a little bit awkward when you step onto the tee, as the tee's angled well away from the fairway, pointing more at the twelfth fairway than its own. Also, there are a couple of small trees about 30 yards away that come uncomfortably close to the line you want to take. Beyond that, this 370-yard par 4 is relatively straightforward. The fairway's pretty open, and the pond that does come in from the right is basically out of range unless you're a long hitter. The green is pretty big and has some significant undulation, so if you can't get your second shot close, three putting is a distinct possibility. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The Bridges closes things out with a 540-yard 5 that plays parallel with the ninth, with the teeing grounds literally 20 feet apart from each other. I actually overheard a brief heated discussion when I was walking away from the eleventh green where one group accused another group of jumping in front of them, only to realize that they were the ones who were standing on the wrong tee. Anyway, the fairway negotiates the same rolling ground as the ninth, with a bunker guarding the corner of the dogleg. Carry that bunker, and you could go for the green in two. The green is pretty small though, and protected quite closely by two large bunkers, so a lay-up is likely the more prudent play. It's a decent way to finish out the round; not too easy, but birdie is a distinct possibility.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

The Bridges is far from being the worst course in the world. It's also far from the best. Our amateur architects built a distinctly average golf course, with a couple fun, interesting holes and a couple weird, not-so-good holes. I really did enjoy the fifteenth. All in all, though, The Bridges doesn't really rise above the numerous pleasant yet forgettable layouts dotting the south-central Pennsylvania countryside. Well, except for the Links at Gettysburg, but moldy bread is more appealing than that place.

The price was fine, being sub $40, but there are cheaper options (namely Gettysburg National). Maintenance was also fine, and the course was in good shape, but at that point in mid-April, if you can't grow grass and have your golf course looking lush, you're kind of doing something wrong. In the end, there's nothing wrong with The Bridges, and it's a perfectly reasonable place to play if you're looking for a round, but there's no good reason for me to go back.