Review: Gauntlet Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a short par 5 at 475 yards, but while the green is reachable in two for quite a few people, you do have to contend with what is the narrowest fairway on the course. Trees crowd in from both sides, and flanking bunkers pinch in right where a solid drive would land. If you do hit driver, though, you can get far enough to open up a view of the green; using a 3 wood will leave you with a blind second shot. The green is small and benched into a small hillside, with bunkers short left and right. 

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a long par 4 at 445 yards, doglegging significantly (though gradually right) around marshy woods and eventually the lake for the second half of the hole. There are no bunkers on the drive, though of course sticking close to the hazards right will give you a much shorter approach than playing more safely out to the left. The approach will be a mid iron to a medium-sized green with a single bunker right. The water's not in play but does provide a nice backdrop, though the view would be even better if some of the trees behind the green were cleared out. 

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a short little par 3, playing just 140 yards. Of course, the green here is tiny, probably the smallest on the course, and it's angled from right to left behind a bunker, with another bunker lurking long. It's really not a difficult hole, and if you do hit the green the surface is almost completely flat, but it's also no pushover. Miss the green and bogey becomes a decent score.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is the longest hole at Gauntlet, playing 560 yards (it was even into the wind for my round) alongside the lake the entire way. Beyond that obvious hazard, a line of ... I'm not entirely sure what to call it, since only one is a formal bunker while the other two bunker-like patches are dirt with some bushes planted in the middle. Anyway, a line of bunker-like hazards cut diagonally across the fairway where a long driver would end up, which further encourages you to aim out left, worsening your angle for the next shot. There's a small central fairway bunker about 125 yards from the green to give you something to think about on the lay-up, but mostly you want to favor the right side close to the tree line. That will give the best angle into the green, which is small and significantly two-tiered, with bunkers left and right.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 with a simple, open drive to a wide fairway. The approach will be a wedge or short iron into a large, fairly undulating green with a single bunker left. It's not a particularly complicated hole, but that's fine. It represents an opportunity to breathe before the last few holes, which are generally quite difficult.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is quite the back-breaker par 3, playing an uphill 245 yards. The two bunkers in front are quite intimidating, but they're actually 20-30 yards short of the green, so they're not actually that much of a concern. While the green is generally open, it's also quite narrow and slightly elevated. Tee shots that miss either left or right thus have to contend with a tricky chip that you can't easily bump and run; you basically have to go with a high, lofted recovery shot if you want to hold the green. Meanwhile, people who miss short have a pretty easy chip, provided they don't find one of the bunkers. This is actually kind of a clever hole in that the longer, low-handicap golfer who more often misses laterally instead of falling short is punished just as much, if not more so, than the golfer who simply comes up short of the green. It's a very difficult hole either way, but it's equitable in its difficulty. At least it is for me, someone who doesn't struggle for length but does have issues with short game.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 375 yards and bends hard right about 250 yards out. Fortunately, the corner of the dogleg is wide open, which means you can quite easily cut the corner, leaving yourself a much shorter approach and the best angle into the green. People who play safely out left will have a full wedge or short iron into a very well-bunkered and quite shallow green. The small bunker directly in front is especially nasty, since it's got long, thick rough surrounding it. I can speak from experience: you do not want any part of that stuff. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the sort of hole you can't help but smile at. The tee shot on this 370-yard par 4 is pretty nondescript — the hole bends hard left about 225 yards out, so you'll need to hit a long iron or fairway wood, favoring the left side close to the bunker and small stream cutting across the fairway to give yourself a shorter approach. The second shot then promptly ascends 50 feet up the side of a hill to a ridiculously narrow green dominated by a tier of biblical proportions that's also flanked by deep bunkers. Frankly, those bunkers are the best-case scenario if you're off-target, as anything else will get bounced far, far away, leaving you with a pitch up to a shallow target from 10-15 feet below the surface of the green. Even if you do hit this green, if you're not on the right level you'll be faced with a putt going up (or down) 2-3 feet. Have fun two-putting in that situation. I wish the tee shot was a little more interesting, but this is still one of the craziest and most fun holes I've ever played. Of course, it's easy for me to say that, seeing as I hit the green in regulation, found the right level, and made an utterly ordinary par. Ask someone who just made a triple bogey what they think of this hole and I'm sure you'd get a different response. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green. I couldn't even begin to hazard a guess as to why there are three random rough-covered mounds in the middle of the fairway.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a fairly long par 4 at 425 yards, and since this is a Dye family golf course, you're probably expecting me to follow up with "with water running down one side." But no, no water here, though there is a valley right with tall (but not impenetrable) grass that you could definitely play out of. You still want to avoid it, but it's not an automatic penalty, which is nice. Anyway, the fairway bends (and slopes) right around this valley, and you can play safely out left or challenge the dogleg more directly. Doing so will leave just a wedge second shot. The green is protected by a cluster of small bunkers in front and left and is very wide and shallow. It's separated into three sections, cascading down from left to right, and if you find the wrong section, you'll have a very challenging putt. This is a tough finishing hole, but it's also not annoying difficult, and I appreciate that.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

PB Dye golf courses have been a mixed bag for me. I really liked PB Dye Golf Club, but I admittedly played that very early on in my golf course reviewing days, and if I ever went back I'm not sure I'd be quite so generous in my assessment. Then there's Moorland at the Legends Resort, which I was decidedly not a big fan of. 

Gauntlet was definitely a surprise for me. I knew it would be interesting, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy the course as much as I did. I don't usually have a lot of fun with the courses where most holes are lined with dense trees, but the playing corridors here were plenty wide and I rarely had issue with width. I also wasn't expecting so much elevation change; Gauntlet has tons of rolling hills that are a lot of fun to play across and around. There was a lot of variety to the greens as well; some were small and flat, some were large and gently undulating, and a few were absolutely insane. Not my favorite set of greens ever, but solid enough.

Very importantly, Gauntlet is walker friendly. It's a tough walk, to be sure, but there aren't any massive walks between greens and tees. It's another thing I was really surprised by. And the price isn't terrible either; at 3 PM on a Saturday, I paid $55 to walk. For suburban Virginia, that's not too shabby at all, and you even get a fun and very good golf course for your trouble. It's a long way to go, but I'd definitely play here again.

Review: Gauntlet Golf Club (Part 1)

I think it's rare for someone to really love the Dye family design ethos. Pete Dye and sons built golf courses that, in general, are not universally loved. Places like Sawgrass and Kiawah are respected, perhaps even admired, and they're held in high regard, but I don't think too many people fall in love with Dye golf courses. That said, the Dyes almost always built interesting golf courses. You won't walk away bored.

That brings us neatly to Gauntlet Golf Club, a PB Dye golf course located in central Virginia near Fredericksburg. Even the name itself demonstrates the course's intent. Is it a little overly dramatic? Yeah, but you're not going to forget it easily. And frankly, a Dye family golf course was exactly what I needed when I played here in late August. After a summer of playing either boring or bad golf courses (or as we saw last month at Locust Hill, boring AND bad), I needed a palate cleanser. The last decent course I played was Armitage, and that was back in April. So, was Gauntlet worth the 2-hour drive? Let's find out.

The first hole is not a long hole at 370 yards, but the fairway bends hard left about 250 yards out, limiting your ability to hit driver. However, you do need to get far enough to avoid being blocked out by trees in the corner of the dogleg as well, so don't take this tee shot too lightly. Or listen too closely to the marshall who told me 230 yards was enough distance to open up a shot to the green. Anyway, a good tee shot will leave a wedge or short iron downhill to a medium-sized green with a single bunker bunker front right and a big dropoff behind. Long is very much not the miss here.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a very short par 5 at just 470 yards, though it has a lot of trouble to compensate. Though dense trees obscure it from the tee, a man-made lake lines the entire left side of the hole. The tee shot goes up to a plateau about 200 yards out, then drops down; a well-hit drive will get plenty of roll, even considering the more grabby zoysia fairways. You'll have a decision on the next shot: Either lay up safely on the far side of a small arm of the lake that cuts the fairway in two about 150 yards from the green, or go for the green itself. You'll likely have under 200 yards in if you've hit even a slightly decent drive, but the green here is quite small and protrudes out on a narrow peninsula jutting out into the lake. You're also going to have a hanging downhill stance, which will make the long iron second even tougher. That may not be the sort of shot you want to hit so early in the round. So, while it may feel a bit bad playing conservatively on such a short par 5, I really don't think this is the hole to be super aggressive on. Par here is perfectly fine.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is 175 yards, though you can get some considerable variation in that length as the green here is nearly 50 yards long. A front hole location makes this a fairly short par 3. It's quite a narrow green as well, possessing multiple tiers. There are two bunkers left, but the green slopes from right to left and there's a slight falloff right as well, so right isn't the safe bailout you might think it is. It's almost easier to get up and down from the bunkers left.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is 365 yards, but much like the first it doglegs quite severely (basically 90 degrees) about 225-250 yards out, meaning your ability to hit driver is limited. It's even more limited because the hazard left is the lake, which pokes into the fairway in the landing area as well. With bunkers beyond the fairway, this is a drive where accuracy is paramount. That said, you do want to reach the corner of the dogleg, as the axis of the fourth's small, narrow green is angled perpendicular to the angle of the tee shot. The green is quite undulating as well, and has three bunkers protecting it. Plus, there's water left and long. The hole itself isn't very long, but this is definitely one of the toughest holes on the course.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 510 yards, but this isn't a par 5 practically reachable into two, as we'll soon see. The fairway here is quite generous, but runs out 300 yards from the tee as the hole bends hard left over an arm of the lake. Long hitters will want to show some restraint on the tee shot, likely using 3 wood to avoid going too far and getting blocked out by trees. A good tee shot leaves a shot over the lake to the hole's second fairway, which bends left to right up and around a big hill toward the green. That green is medium sized, possesses multiple tiers, and is protected on both sides by two small bunkers. While the longest hitters could likely hoist a long iron or fairway wood long and high enough to clear the brow of the hill, it's just not practical for most people, who will play this as a three-shot hole, with the lay-up preferably favoring the right side. This isn't the most subtle hole in the world, but it is a good one, and I was really surprised with how much elevation change this golf course had. These are not small hills we're talking about.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green (to the right).

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 175 yards, making it pretty much the same length as the third. The two holes do play quite different, at least. This green is fairly small and angled from left to right as it juts out onto a promontory well below the level of the tee. With falloffs right, short, and long, there's really not much room for error here. But, since the hole has just a single small bunker, the penalty for missing the green isn't incredibly steep. It'll still be tough to make par, but since the green is tilted from left to right, recovering from short right (the obvious place to miss) isn't the most difficult thing in the world. Just don't overclub on the tee shot, and you should be okay.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 355 yards and doglegs right between a pair of bunkers (and over a pair of former bunkers turned grassy hollows) to a high point about 250 yards out. In order to get a full view of the green, you need to reach that central plateau. Doing so will leave just a wedge to a fairly large green, though the penalty for missing is quite severe. There's big 10- to 15-foot dropoffs left, right, and long, as well as bunkers left and right. It's not a tough approach, but it can be intimidating.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is 470 yards, making it the same length as the second, though this is a par 4. Admittedly, this hole is much easier and has no water in play, so I do understand the reason for the different par. The tee shot here is blind, with the fairway reaching a plateau about 200-250 yards out. If you hit a solid drive, you'll actually get over that high point and hit a big downslope that will propel your golf ball at least 50 yards further. If that happens, the second shot will be just a short iron or even a wedge. The green is wide but fairly shallow, and while it has no bunkers, there are grassy hollows and slopes scattered around that perform a similar function.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The ninth hole is a mid-length par 4 with a very similar tee shot to the previous hole. Blind drive, and if you get far enough, the fairway drops down so you'll get a generous amount of roll. This fairway does also have some significant right-to-left slope, however, which makes the small pond left of the green a significant hazard. Still, a good drive will leave just a wedge for the second shot, and there's plenty of space right to bail out. The hole's two bunkers are curiously placed, being not really in play on the drive but not greenside either. The green here slopes from right to left, with a ridge dominating the right side.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

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

Cider of the Week

The cider: Maple Stout

The cidery: Cobbler Mountain Cellars, Delaplane, Virginia

Description (from the website): "Red Delicious apples ware warmed up with cinnamon and given a smooth Maple finish for this full-bodied, you-know-you-want-it, cider."

Would I buy it again? This isn't quite as good as the maple bourbon barrel–aged cider I reviewed last year, but that stuff was actual ambrosia, so I won't hold it against this cider, which is also very good. Maple and apple cider just work very well together. I'd happily buy this again.

Review: Bryce Resort (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is a 350-yard par 4 that plays through a fairly narrow corridor lined by trees to a fairway that slopes noticeably from left to right. No need to hit driver here, a 3 wood or long iron will still leave you with a wedge second shot. There's a big bunker right of the green, which actually has its highest point in the middle; past that point, the green falls away, making back hole locations a bit tricky to get at.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 180 yards, just like the previous two par 3s. There are two bunkers, one on each side, though there is a bit of breathing room between them and the green. The green itself is a bit punchbowl-like, with the slopes all working to filter golf balls toward the center. Not a particularly difficult hole.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a short par 4 at just 310 yards, which is out of range for all but the longest hitters. Still, you can get quite close, and this is where a decision needs to be made. If you use driver, you can leave yourself just a little pitch for the second shot, but the green is small and well protected by sand. That 50-yard pitch could be very awkward and difficult to get close. You can also lay back, but a fairway bunker right is in just the right place to threaten long irons and fairway woods. The fairway bunker is easy enough to avoid, but still, if you purposely play conservatively and end up in the bunker anyway, you're going to feel pretty silly.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 550-yard par 5 that plays slowly but steadily uphill. The fairway is initially quite narrow but the forest does bend away in the landing area, so there's a bit more room left than you might think. The second shot isn't very interesting and is mostly just a matter of advancing the ball to the best place for the third. The green here is fairly small and quite significantly sloped from back to front, more so than any other green on the course. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a downhill 370-yard par 4 with a bunker right of the fairway slightly pinching in and making the drive a little bit tougher. A solid driver will leave just a wedge into the green, which is quite small and guarded by bunkers on both sides. There's also a pond wide right, but the hole is short enough that it shouldn't come into play on approach shots.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is thankfully a par 3 that isn't 180 yards. This is the shortest hole on the course, playing 145 yards slightly downhill to a fairly large green.. There are two big bunkers both left and right, and there's a bit of a dropoff behind, so long isn't a particularly good option either. Still, the green's big enough that the tee shot is hardly uncomfortable.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 530 yards, and it's the lone example of quirky fun that Bryce Resort has to offer. A small stream cuts across the hole about 260 yards out, meaning you have to use a wood or long iron on the tee shot. The second shot is then a long or mid iron off to the right to a section of fairway on a high plateau, which will leave a wedge third from a hanging lie down to the green. The green itself is fairly small and protected by a pair of bunkers. Is this a good hole? No, but I appreciate it immensely for at least being memorable. I was hoping more of the course would be like this. 

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 355 yards and plays straightaway to a narrow fairway flanked by large trees. The entire hole is tilted pretty sharply from right to left, so a fade to counter that tilt will do very well. A good drive will leave a wedge into the green, which has bunkers both right and left. I know, quite imaginative there, we definitely haven't seen that 10 times on this course.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole really says it all about the limited space Bryce Resort had to work with. I don't imagine anyone is particularly happy with a relatively uninspired, vaguely Redan-like 155-yard par 3 with a bunch of apartments immediately behind, but it was pretty clearly the only that could be accommodated, given the space. Sure, they could have not built so far along, but come on, we all know that housing comes before golf concerns. At least there's no odious ponds lurking, just the single big bunker protecting the green. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

I really want to like this golf course. Genuinely, I do. It's in such a cool spot, and I loved driving to and from the place (especially on the way back, when I took the scenic route through part of George Washington National Forest). But it's just so boring! It's aggressively pleasant, and while that's fine if you're playing in a foursome with your buddies, riding around and drinking beer, it's not what I'm looking for after a 90-minute drive. It's a typical Ault course then, and an expensive one at that. $90 is not cheap. Granted, I was using a cart (it was very hot, and I was coming off of a bit of an illness), but still, this course is not worth nearly three figures. If you want a golf course routed through a narrow valley in the mountains, go play Cacapon. Even with conditions being mediocre, it's way more fun and interesting, not to mention much, much cheaper.