Review: Rattlewood Golf Course (Part 2)

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

You don't often see back-to-back par 5s, but Rattlewood is an exception, as the tenth is a 520-yard par 5. After a surprisingly long carry over a pond, the fairway slopes sharply from left to right. That slope makes the second shot very difficult if you want to go for the green in two, since the green is shallow and very heavily bunkered. While some golfers may have the length to go for it, it may be wiser to bail out short and right, leaving a relatively simple uphill pitch running along the length of the green. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 340 yards and ostensibly not drivable, but since the hole plays downhill the whole way, you can get closer than you might think (especially if you make judicious use of the cart path, as my brother and I did). Favoring the left side, flirting with the left-hand fairway bunker, will leave the best angle into the green, which is protected by a bunker front right and a steep dropoff behind.

The eleventh hole

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a long par 3, playing 225 yards over a shallow valley. The green is quite tough to hit; it's not very deep and the bunker protecting the right side is a very major obstacle. This is a hole where you aim at the center of the green and hope things work out with the putter.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is Rattlewood's final par 5, playing 530 yards to a fairway guarded on the left side by tall grass and O.B. The drive is generally downhill, but because the fairway slopes up the whole way, don't expect to get too much roll. Beyond that, there's not much to the hole beyond a greenside bunker front right. If you can't reach the green in two, simply leave a good distance for the third. Not the most interesting hole in the world.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 340 yards with a very wide-open tee shot. Technically there's O.B. about 50 yards left of the fairway, but that's really not much of a concern. Feel free to use driver and get as close to the green as possible, but if you do that, be sure to favor the right side. There's a bunker covering the front left section of the green, making pitch shots from the left side a tricky proposition. Approaching this green is easier if you lay back and use a full wedge, I will admit. 

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is just 300 yards, making it potentially drivable for longer hitters. The green is hidden behind a pair of bunkers (and a couple small trees), so going directly at it is probably not a great idea. A slinging draw aimed around the right bunker can sneak on, however. If you don't have the length, favoring the right side of the fairway is a good idea, as that will give you the best angle for the second shot. The green has a fair amount of back-to-front slope and is fairly shallow, so missing long isn't a great idea.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a pretty uncomplicated mid-length par 3, playing 170 yards. The green is fairly narrow, with a bunker right and a noticeable slope left. Missing the green on either side will leave a tricky recovery.

The sixteenth hole.

The seventeenth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing slightly uphill to a fairway sloped from right to left. The fairway's wider than it looks, the trees looming over the left side of the tee stop about 100 yards out, so one can miss left. The second shot is a wedge up to a green protected by two bunkers; the green is highest in the middle and falls away from that point on all sides. It's not by a huge amount, and this isn't a tremendously tricky green, but it's not simple either.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a 350 yard par 4 doglegging about 90 degrees left around mounding covered with grass and a few trees. You can get pretty close to the green by challenging the dogleg, or you can play safely with a long iron to the middle of the fairway, leaving a full wedge second. The green is on the larger side, sloped from back to front, with two bunkers left and right. It's not a tough finishing hole unless you're a colossal moron and hook your tee shot straight into the pine trees (my brother and I are both colossal morons).

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

Fun fact: Rattlewood is actually the easiest golf course on Earth. It must be, since my brother and I broke 80 fairly handily despite us both making double bogey on the final hole. It was his new record by several shots. Everything about this course is mild. The greens aren't massive, but they're not small. They're not flat, but they're not particularly undulating. There's not unlimited space for the driver, but the playing corridors are very, very far from narrow. There are some greenside bunkers, but not too many. It's an easy course, and you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. Not every course needs to be tough. Golf is tough enough as it is. There's nothing to write home about, but there's nothing egregious or irritating either. It's a pleasantly average golf course with an average price tag ($45) that makes you feel good about your game. Sometimes that's all you need.

Review: Rattlewood Golf Course (Part 1)

Back in 2018, I played Rattlewood Golf Course, with every intention of reviewing it. But I forgot my camera, so all it got was a couple sentences in my review of Little Bennett. I've always wanted to get back and actually get pictures for a full review, not because of any great quality but because the course is so close. It's just over a 20-minute drive, which is a pleasant change of pace after my last couple reviews. A 4-hour round trip and a 5-hour round trip for Deerfield and Jeffersonville, respectively. That's a lot of driving.

Rattlewood is one of nine courses in the Montgomery County municipal golf system, though funnily enough it's not entirely within Montgomery County, with several holes either partially or fully in Frederick County. It was built in the 90s by Brian Ault, so there's no great pedigree or history. However, it is laid out over pleasantly rolling terrain, so at the very least it has that going for it.

The first hole is a simple mid-length par 4, a good way to ease into the round. There are no fairway bunkers and just a few trees scattered around, but the fairway slopes from right to left, which makes holding the preferred right side at least a bit tricky. The second shot is uphill to a semiblind green with two bunkers protecting the left side. The green is medium sized, and while not dead flat, isn't especially undulating.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is a pretty long par 4 at 440 yards, and is actually the only par 4 at Rattlewood over 400 yards. The drive is mostly blind, with just a tiny portion of fairway visible from the tee. Other than that, there's no trouble, and the fairway is quite wide, so there's no reason not to get aggressive with a driver. That should leave anything from a wedge to mid iron into the green. The second shot is more complicated, with much of the green protected by a bunker front right (and another left). The green is also more undulating than the previous one. It's not the toughest hole in the world, but it presents a fair challenge. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is the first par 5 at Rattlewood, playing 530 yards, uphill the whole way. That sounds like something out of reach for most, but that distance only applies if you play the hole as a three-shotter. The third is straight for about 400 yards, then doglegs right nearly 90 degrees for the last 100 or so. There are some trees in the corner of the dogleg, but they can either be skirted or carried, since none are especially tall. I was able to get green high with a driver and a 3 iron, and my drive missed the fairway left (adding a few extra yards). The fairway on the drive is reasonably generous, but there is a bunker left and tall grass right. Another bunker sits in the corner of the dogleg. The green is pretty long and narrow, with bunkers short left and long.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a mid-length par 3, playing 180 yards over level ground. The green is medium sized but relatively shallow, and there are three bunkers protecting various parts of the green. The play here is to hit your approach in the middle of the green, in between the bunkers, no matter what. It's not worth risking a short-sided bunker shot. Of course, when the hole is cut in the middle of the green anyway, it makes things quite a bit easier.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a downhill 400-yard par 4, with the drive being completely blind. Rest assured though, the fairway is completely open; unless you hit an incredibly severe slice, you'll have a shot at the green. The second shot is trickier; while the green is fairly large, it's reasonably undulating, with a large bunker front left and a native area falling off into water behind. There's also a fairly deep hollow in the fairway front right, so bailing out there leaves just as difficult a shot as any other spot.

Not much to see on the fifth tee.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is the best hole at Rattlewood, and I don't think it's particularly close. At 350 yards, it's not long, but you have to think about things on the drive. The fairway slopes severely from left to right down toward dense forest, and narrows the further you go, pinched by a bunker about 275 yards out. There's not much space for a driver, but you can use it, and the green is nearly reachable if you can carry that bunker. For most, the play is to lay back into the wide part of the fairway and hitting a wedge to a mostly blind green protected by two bunkers in front. Rattlewood doesn't present much challenge or require much thought on its tee shots, but this hole is an exception.

The sixth green.

The sixth fairway is maintained by a small robot mower.

The sixth green.

Superficially, the 360-yard seventh hole also present a challenge on the tee shot, and it's certainly not a driver hole, but unlike the previous hole, this fairway is so narrow and the penalty for missing so severe that there's really no reason to use driver. Use a long iron, get yourself to roughly 150-125 yards, leave a short iron or wedge second. The green is fairly small, with a large bunker front right. This isn't a hole to play aggressively; hit two safe shots, make par, move on. It's not worth blowing up your round for the slight potential to make a birdie.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a little 140 yard par 3, and not a complicated one either. The green isn't large, and there are two bunkers, but this isn't one of those nasty short par 3s where you have to worry about double or worse if you miss the green. Rattlewood isn't a punishing golf course.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is the longest hole at Rattlewood, playing 550 yards, though it's mostly downhill. The fairway is expansive; while there's technically trouble in the form of trees, native areas, and O.B. on both sides, in reality there's a hundred yards to work with, so there's no need to fear using driver. To set up the best angle on the second, you'll want to favor the right side. Stray into the left rough and trees will block you out from going directly at the green. The green itself is protected by a bunker front left, and slopes right will guide a drawing wood onto the green quite nicely. There's also a bit of a falloff in the back portion of the green, so be wary of that when hitting a wedge right at the flag. You can easily slip over the back of this green.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll look at the back nine.

Review: Little Bennett Golf Club (Part 1)

This was not supposed to be this month's review. In mid-April, I played Rattlewood Golf Course in Mount Airy, Maryland, and that was the course I wanted to do for May. But I forgot my camera, and to be honest, Rattlewood is really not that good a golf course. It's marginally better than Glade Valley, simply by virtue of the fact that it has more elevation change. That's a very easy way to give a course some interest. There, that's my review of Rattlewood Golf Course. It's a two for one deal today.

Looking back down the seventh fairway at Little Bennett.

Anyway, since I was lacking material for a May review, I decided to play a different Montgomery County-owned public golf course. Little Bennett is south of Frederick but north of Germantown, and is actually pretty close to P.B. Dye, which, if you'll remember, I quite liked. Little Bennett is situated inside a Montgomery County park of the same name, and features some extremely rambunctious terrain. Carts are required here, and while I don't often agree with that policy, I can see it here. There are some huge elevation changes, and they are everywhere. I don't think there's a single hole that I would call flat.

The first hole is pretty representative of what the golfer can expect over the course of the round in terms of terrain. It's also the longest hole on the golf course at nearly 570 yards, which is not something you normally see. The tee shot plays over a valley, at the bottom of which is a stream called the Dark Branch. It's apparently environmentally sensitive, and thus untouchable. So get used to forced carries. The golf course handles them with mixed results, as we'll see. This hole gets it right, cross the gap on the tee shot. It's a little disconcerting on the first swing of the day, but given the location of the clubhouse, there wasn't much choice. Anyway, if you can hit your drive to the top of the hill, you'll have a flat stance for your second. There are a couple of bunkers sort of near the green, but in general, they're not much threat. Most of this course's defense comes from the slopes. This may be the longest hole, but it's not the hardest. So, not a bad start to the round.

The first tee shot of the day plays over a large valley.

The top of this hill is a good place to be for the second shot.

The first green.

The second hole is a mildly long par 4 at 420 yards. But it does play downhill, so that alleviates some of the distance. And there is a very nice view of Sugarloaf Mountain from the tee, a view that would be even better if those trees in the corner of the dogleg weren't there. I suppose they are guarding the optimum angle to the green, but still, they're kind of annoying. And they didn't even have too many leaves on them yet, I imagine the trees are even more annoying once the leaves have properly sprouted. This is another fairly mild hole over sort of flat terrain. Trust me, things get crazier after this.

You can see Sugarloaf Mountain in the background on the second tee.

The second green.

The third hole is a mid-length par 3 at 175 yards. Well, it is on paper, anyway. I knew going into the round that Little Bennett was pretty hilly, but I still wasn't really prepared for a hole like this. It's straight down into the bottom of a valley, and there is nothing long of the green. It's not the most reassuring view, and I'm willing to bet quite a few people end up short, like I did. The green itself is unremarkable, but it doesn't need to be flashy. It's not the primary attraction here.

The third hole.

Looking back at the tee gives you a better idea of how steep the slope is.

The fourth hole is a mid-length par 4 at 390 yards, and yes, it's our first blind tee shot of the tee. The first of quite a few. Frankly, with a course this rugged, blind shots were always going to be common. Some people don't like blind shots. I don't mind them. But I can tell you know that the right side of the fairway gives you a better view of the green, so if you can hit a fade or flirt with the right trees on your drive, that would be best. The bunker you see in the picture isn't really even close to the green, so it's not really anything to worry about.

The first blind tee shot of the day.

The fourth green is also semiblind.

The fifth hole is a par 5, much shorter than the first. But again, we've got a tee shot over a valley to a partially blind fairway. It's a very adventurous type of golf you have to play at this course. The second shot is also blind, thanks to a series of mounds running along the left side of the fairway, which I wasn't a huge fan of. This course is rugged enough, we don't need a whole bunch of artificial mounding to make it worse. However, I'll give this hole a pass because it does something that you don't see all that often. The green actually slopes slightly from front to back. That makes it much harder to hold, since even high shots will bounce and roll. It takes a bit of finesse to hit a green like that, and I appreciated the challenge.

Another tee shot over a valley.

Can't see too much from the fifth fairway.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a fairly long par 3 at 210 yards, but it does play somewhat downhill. I think the picture tells you everything you need to know about the hole, it's not the most interesting hole on the course.

The sixth hole.

The seventh hole plays very much uphill from the tee, and the drive is very blind. It's another mid-length par 4 with a blind drive and a semiblind approach, except on this hole you don't even get the interesting sideslope in the fairway. So it's a less interesting version of the fourth hole.

The seventh plays very uphill.

Another semiblind green at the seventh.

The eighth hole, comparatively speaking, is pretty flat. The fairway is wide, and at 355 yards, it's a pretty short hole. Unfortunately, this course essentially depends on elevation change for interest, so once again, it's a decidedly average hole. The eighth is a good birdie opportunity though.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the longest par 4 at Little Bennett, weighing in at 450 yards, and I'd say it's the toughest hole on the course. Not only is the hole long, but you also have to lay up off the tee. Well, you don't HAVE to, but a 3 wood leaves you with a little under 200 yards and a reasonably level stance. From there it's a mid to long iron over a creek to a green that's, admittedly, not that tough to hit. It's pretty big, and very receptive to long irons. But it's not too often the lower handicap golfer has to use a long iron on the second shot of a par 4.

You'll want to lay up on the ninth.

The ninth green, across a valley.

That's it for now, next week we'll get the back nine.