Review: Hendricks Field Golf Course (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a shortish 365 yard par 4 that is apparently designed as a mirror image of the first hole at The Creek, a Macdonald original hole. Now, I haven't played The Creek, but looking at it on Google Maps (the hole in the center), I'm prepared to say with some confidence that this hole (also in the center) bears very little resemblance to anything at The Creek. That's not to say this is a bad hole, because it isn't. There's a fairway bunker right where a good driver will end up, forcing you to either squeeze it into a tight space or lay back, leaving a longer approach into a green protected front right by a fairly large bunker, which guards the direct line to the green very well. If you want the better angle, you have to play the hole to the outside of the fairway. I think it's a solid opening hole, which as you can tell from the amount of daylight in the pictures is exactly how we experienced Hendricks Field.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is easily the longest on the course, being the only one over 500 yards at a beefy 575; plus, it was playing directly into a fairly fresh wind for our round, making it play even longer. Unfortunately, while it is extremely long, there isn't much to this hole until you get to the green. There's a single fairway bunker in play right, and the fairway, while not narrow, is squeezed by overhanging trees to the right. The second shot is a simple matter of advancing the ball, though ideally you do want to favor the right side, close to the tree line. This gives you the best angle into the green, which is a mild version of the Road hole, complete with Road bunker front left and an old disused railway line just beyond the shrubbery long and right. It's a solid green complex; it's just too bad the first 500 yards of this hole aren't particularly interesting.

The eleventh green.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is the shortest hole on the course, playing more than 400 yards shorter than the last one at a listed 155. That yardage can vary significantly though, as this green is a classic (if moderated) Biarritz, long and complete with swale running through the middle. While this hole lacks the flanking bunkers, it does have a series of small bumps and hollows running along both sides, which does a reasonable job approximating the missing hazards. It is a little unfortunate that we got a front hole location for our round, which made the swale almost irrelevant; none of us reached it and so nobody had to putt through it. A back hole location would have made this green a lot more interesting. Still, the twelfth is a solid hole.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a short 345-yard par 4 that climbs up a hill for the first 225-250 yards or so, with a single bunker carved into the top that eats into the left side of the fairway. Challenge that bunker with a driver, and you'll have just a pitch for your second shot. Lay up safely short of it and the second shot will be blind. Of course, you can also skirt right of it, but that leaves a bad angle over a bunker and a group of pine trees come quite close to the fairway, giving you little wiggle room. The green here is an interesting one; it's definitely a punchbowl, the sides funneling golf balls toward the middle, but it's also distinctly elevated, making run-up shots (or pitches) tricky to get close. It's a fun little hole, and while I think using driver and leaving that tricky pitch is the best play, I can definitely see advantages to approaching this green with a full wedge. My brothers and I all played the hole differently to each other, and we all ended up with par.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is obviously not Hendrick Field's official Redan, which we've already seen, but it does share more than a few of the Redan's playing characteristics; namely, the bunker short left, the angled green, and the green slope funneling drawn golf balls in toward the hole. But at 210 yards, it's quite a long hole, especially for the course's typical crowd, and it's not as dramatic or difficult a green as the eighth. I think this hole benefited from being seen first; if we'd played the actual Redan a few holes before this one instead of at the very end of the round, I think I would have a less favorable opinion on what feels like a cheap knock-off.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is 370 yards, though it does play a bit shorter than that as the drive is significantly downhill. Although it isn't immediately obvious, this is a Principal's Nose hole, with a central bunker having fairway on all sides. I'm not entirely sure why they consolidated the three original bunkers into one larger one, since this one takes up the same exact space. Do golfers get more psyched out at higher numbers of bunkers? Is it maintenance related? Who knows. What I do know is that, while the left side is more inviting on the tee shot, squeezing a driver between the bunker and trees right gives you an ideal angle to attack this green. Obviously, when the hole is in front like it was for us, left isn't a bad place to be, but for those back left hole locations just behind the long greenside bunker, the right side is definitely the better place to be.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 335 yards and generously described as a Cape hole, which I suppose is technically true in the absolute broadest definition of the word. There is a hazard in the corner of the slight dogleg right, and you do get an advantageous angle into the green if you carry it. That said, it's rather curiously placed, being about 275 yards out from the tee, which likely puts it out of range of 95% of Hendricks Field's clientele. And if you can't reach the bunker, that makes this hole considerably less interesting. Not completely, of course; the green is still narrow and protected by a bunker on the left, so the right side is always going to be the better place to be. But a second bunker along the right side of the fairway would go a long way toward making this drive more interesting for a wider range of people. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is Hendricks Field's homage to the Eden, which is definitely closer than its attempt at a Cape. At 160 yards and downhill, it's quite short, but the front right bunker is present. No left bunker, but seeing as the green is built up over its surrounding, a 3- to 4-foot dropoff around the left and back sides do a decent job approximating the left and back hazards. The green also isn't dramatically sloped from back to front like most Edens, but there is some slope and this green isn't easy to putt, especially in the evening with long shadows crossing it.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the longest par 4 on the course, playing 430 yards. The hole doglegs left around a sparse collection of large trees, with a bunker on the far side of the dogleg guarding the ideal line for the second shot. The green is quite large, but it's got some decent undulation to it and there's a large bunker front left, so the approach – hit with a mid iron – is far from easy. It isn't a terribly complicated hole, but it has a nice scale to it that I think is appropriate for a closing hole. I also like how connected it feels with the rest of the course; there are three greens on the front nine within 50 yards of this one. It's always kind of neat when courses have routings that interconnect and flow to common areas like this one does.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Hendricks Field is a beginner-friendly golf course through and through. It's also a good golf course. But that, unfortunately, is all it is. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my round and I'd happily play here every day. This is a charming place, especially in the fall with the trees showing their full colors. But at virtually every turn, I couldn't help thinking that the course could have been better. More bunkers, more interesting greens, drives that required real thought behind them, Hendricks Field would benefit greatly from all those things. I was reminded of how I felt after playing Wilmington Municipal; both courses were very, very charming, but both constantly felt like they were coming in with one hand tied behind their back.

That's the tradeoff of public, friendly golf: You can only make the golf course so interesting before it starts getting too difficult for the below-average golfer. Hendricks Field is plenty of golf if you're the sort of golfer who struggles to break a hundred – a population that is the vast majority of golfers – but for someone like me, a lower-handicap player, this just isn't enough. It's a shame too, because at $50 or so for 18 holes, Hendricks Field is a real bargain, especially considering its proximity to New York City. The place is in solid shape too.

In the end, while I wish Hendricks Field was more interesting, it's good enough for what it aims to be, a nice, friendly place to play golf for the people who can't afford a membership at one of the many, many private clubs dotting the suburbs of New York City.