Review: Maple Run Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is 430 yards, making it by far the longest par 4 at Maple Run. While the tee shot is hardly a difficult one, after an entire nine of being able to pretty much hit it anywhere, having trees on both sides — even when the gap is perfectly adequate — does feel a bit claustrophobic. It's also a transition hole, as the next few holes wind through dense forest. Trees line the right side, but the left is quite open. A good drive will leave a short or mid iron to a medium-size green with a small bunker front right. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is, at 290 yards downhill, theoretically drivable, but a creek passing directly in front of the green really precludes all but the longest hitters from having a go at this. Far better to use a long iron and leave a little three-quarter wedge. That (mostly) takes the water out of play. The green is undefended beyond that water in front and quite flat as well. Even if you don't go for the green on the tee shot, this is still a birdie hole.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is 160 yards and is flat and bunkerless. There are a couple trees hemming in, but otherwise this par 3 is as bland and featureless as a hole can get, save one tiny, tiny detail: the green slopes from front to back. That's not enough to save this hole from banality, but it is something to consider on the tee shot. Basically, use slightly less club than you think. Exciting.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is certainly one to remember, though not for any excellent golfing quality. At 460 yards, this par 5 may seem incredibly short, but there's a crucial factor here that prevents the green from being accessible into two to all but the longest golfers: a 90-dogleg that presents itself a bit beyond 300 yards out. A 250-yard drive, for example, will not reach the corner, and you'll be blocked out by trees and forced to lay up. Also, there's a stream passing 10-15 yards in front of the green, so there won't be any sneaky run-up shots hooked around the trees here either.

That's all annoying, but what really elevates this hole from bad to comical is the power line quite literally running overtop the fairway. There's a pylon almost literally at the distance where a good drive will end up, and it will block your tee shot and/or approach as effectively as any tree. It is, in a word, ridiculous. But hey, at least you're not likely to forget this hole. Better to be bad than boring.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole, a 380-yard par 4, swaps out the pylon acting as a tree in the middle of the fairway for an actual gigantic tree in the middle of the fairway. And, considering the relatively narrow chute the drive has to negotiate, it really does feel like you're aiming right at this massive tree, especially since it's very much in range with a driver, unlike the pylon on the previous hole which is more of a second-shot obstacle. 

Anyway, assuming you avoid the tree (either side works; left gives you more space and a technically better angle, while right shortens the hole significantly), the approach will be a short iron or wedge to a bunkerless green angled from left to right. There are modest dropoffs front right (likely a former bunker) and beyond the green.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is nearly 550 yards, but don't mistake length for interest. The hole is dead straight as it emerges out of the forest onto more open ground, and beyond the trees lining the left side, devoid of hazards as well. Just don't miss left and you're fine. The green doesn't even have the benefit of being moderately interesting, like the greens on the front nine. So, this hole is kind of a long slog.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 380 yards and plays modestly downhill. Like the previous hole, there's not much to the drive; it's quite open and there are no fairway bunkers. A solid driver will leave just a little wedge into the green, which is slightly perched up over the surrounding landscape and does have some modest contour to it. Still not a particularly interesting hole.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 350 yards, and we do at least have a little to think about on this tee. The fairway bunker right isn't much of a threat, but there's a native area very close to the left side of the fairway, narrowing the playing area if you want to use driver. Also, while I'm sure this wasn't the intention, the green here does bear a slight resemblance to a Lion's Mouth, with a grass bunker directly in front of the green. That makes the half-wedge approach that would result from hitting a solid driver tricky, as you won't be able to properly stop the golf ball. The green too is modestly interesting, with a ridge running through the middle giving each half opposing slopes.

Obviously, this hole is no great triumph of architecture, but it's far from the worst hole in the world. That made it an odd choice for a feature on The Fried Egg's Design Disasters, a semi-occasional series spotlighting the silliest holes in golf, particularly when the thirteenth hole exists. When you're on the ground here, there's really nothing out of the ordinary. From above ... well, I'll link the video and let you enjoy. But that's why I got inspired to finally do the Maple Run review. It also begs the question: Why did they dig the pond like that?

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 with a wide, relatively shallow green with a bunker front right and a grass bunker of sorts to the left. It's not terrible, but certainly an anti-climax for a finishing hole. I think this is a result of the designer simply running out of space and needing to throw a hole down. It's just unfortunate that they chose to make the throwaway the final hole.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

Maple Run is a golf course.

Okay, maybe I can say a bit more about it. I'll give the front nine a little bit of credit, it does have some relatively interesting greens. More so than a lot of golf courses of similar caliber. And while the back nine can be goofy, it at least gives you something to make fun of. The power line on 13 is so unapologetically in your face, to refrain from roasting it would almost be doing Maple Run a disservice. 

I will say, it is a little more expensive to play Maple Run than it probably should be. $40 to walk on a weekend afternoon isn't terrible, but considering location, quality, and the ... modest conditions, it's far from a bargain. On the plus side, I played here multiple times last year, and the pace was usually quite solid. It's a reasonable tradeoff. It's not a good golf course, but playing here is usually an enjoyable experience.