Review: Bryce Resort (Part 1)

What does one do when the thermometer starts creeping uncomfortably close to the century mark, but the skies are clear and you have nothing else to do? You head for the mountains, where elevation keeps things merely hot instead of furnace-like. That was the situation in late June, and its why I drove nearly 90 minutes to Bryce Resort, an isolated outpost west of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, close to the border with West Virginia and George Washington National Forest.

The golf course here, designed by Ed Ault (he of seemingly infinite work in the Mid-Atlantic), is threaded through a narrow valley carved by a small creek. Never is the property more than two holes wide, though the land that the course itself occupies is flatter than you might expect. The final descent to the resort after driving along the adjacent ridgeline, on the other hand, is very much the opposite. Anyway, let's get to the golf.

The first hole is actually the longest hole on the course, playing 575 yards as the fairway bends gently right around the creek and the adjacent forest. There's also a fairway bunker left, just to make the landing area for driver a bit tighter. Since the hole is so long, and the creek crosses in front of the green, the second shot is really a question of where you want to lay up. A second fairway bunker, also left of the fairway about 100 yards from the green, makes the lay-up not just a matter of advancing the golf ball. A good second shot will leave a wedge over the creek to a green both modest in size and interest protected in front by two bunkers.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is 375 yards and doglegs slightly left between groups of large trees. Driver is unnecessary on this tee shot, and unless you challenge the trees left, actively harmful if you push or slice the drive at all. A 3 wood will leave a wedge or short iron into the green, which is wide and shallow, and is also fronted by the creek. It's also got two bunkers for a bit of additional protection.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is 180 yards, the first of three par 3s at Bryce Resort that plays to that length. The green is pressed up against the forest, and with three large bunkers both left and right, this is not the most inviting target in the world. The green is at least bigger than it looks from the tee, so there is some breathing room.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is a short par 4 at just 315 yards. But don't expect to go for this green with the drive, as a small group of large trees stands directly between the tee and the green. You'd have to hit a big hook to get at it, and if you can't get that draw, you'll just fly straight in to the forest right. A long iron will leave you a 100-yard wedge, and that's honestly the best way to play this hole. The green is fairly small and flanked by bunkers.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 395 yards, which actually makes it the longest par 4 at Bryce Resort. This is not a long golf course. The tee shot is pretty straightforward; there are no bunkers, just the standard assortment of trees. A good drive will leave a wedge or short iron into the green, which is medium sized and has bunkers both left and right.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 510 yards and doglegs significantly to the right around a pair of bunkers about 260 yards out. They can be carried, and doing so brings the green into reach in two. Most will lay up, which is a simple matter of advancing the ball to your favorite length. The green here is on the smaller side and has some undulation to it, and it's also very well protected by three bunkers. Quite a difficult target if you're going for it in two, but not bad if you've laid up.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 390 yards, and while the fairway looks fairly narrow, there's actually quite a bit of open space right of the fairway. There are no fairway bunkers, but seeing as the green is guarded by a bunker front right (and back left), you're better off favoring the left side on the tee shot. The green itself is quite small and also has a steep dropoff behind leading down into forest. Definitely not a green to go long on.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole, just like the third, is 180 yards, though this hole does play a bit downhill. There are two big bunkers just left of the green, which is fairly narrow and tilted slightly from right to left. Hitting a little draw at the right side is the ideal shot to play, as the ball will kick toward the hole; conveniently, this also takes the bunkers out of the equation. The green itself does have some humps and bumps to it, but nothing too extraordinary.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 390 yards and presents the toughest tee shot we've seen thus far; there are four fairway bunkers guarding the fairway, two on each side, and a concrete drainage ditch cuts across the fairway about 275 yards out. Not something you'll lose a golf ball in, but worth mentioning. A good drive will leave a slightly downhill wedge or short iron into a medium-sized green guarded both left and right by large bunkers.

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.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cucumber Lemon Hefeweizen

Brewed by: Lost Barrel Brewing, Middleburg, Virginia

Description (from Untappd): "This classic wheat ale was brewed with fresh cucumber and zesty lemon for a refreshing, citrusy flavor with a hint of spice."

Would I buy it again? This was one of those beer that I didn't expect to like, but was so weird I couldn't help but try. I've never seen a cucumber beer before. And unfortunately, there's a reason for that. Theoretically, this should be nice and refreshing, a pleasant summer beer, but it just doesn't work. It's a little too cucumber-y and not lemon-y enough. I'm glad I tried it, but it's just not very good, and I would not buy it again.

Review: Sly Fox Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The tenth hole is about 500 yards, so initially you're probably thinking about going for the green in two. It's not a long par 5, it definitely feels like it could be reachable, especially considering the lack of hazards on the tee shot. But the scorecard doesn't tell the full story, as this hole plays like the eighth hole on steroids. The landing area is blind, but beyond 275 yards out the fairway dips down 30 feet into a valley – which means solid drives will end up on a precarious hanging slope. Kind of tough to hit a solid long iron or fairway wood when the ball is a foot below your feet. The fairway does rise up onto a plateau again, which is where you'd ideally lay up, but keep in mind that it dips down again more than a hundred yards from the green, and that level of restraint is not easy. The alternative, of course, is a less-than-full wedge from another hanging lie up a big hill into the green. The green is at least fairly long and large, but the bunker left does complicate approaches. This is definitely a hole where you need to think about every shot; mindlessly slugging away will only cause you issues further along.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The tenth green from behind, highlighting the severe rolls in the fairway.

The eleventh hole is a dramatic mid-length par 3 playing about 50 feet downhill to a green guarded by water both in front and to the left. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, this is by far the most severe green on the course; there's got to be something like 4 or 5 feet of height difference between the front and back edges. The greens aren't too terribly fast, though, so missing long isn't necessarily grounds for an instant three putt. Even so, this is one of those par 3s where you really just want to hit a good tee shot and get out without too much damage to your scorecard.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is not a long par 4 at just 350 yards, but you'd have to be absolutely crazy to hit driver on this one. The fairway is offset about 45 degrees from the tee (so it's functionally a dogleg) and narrows the whole way, wedged between a steep slope left and a falloff into bushes and scrub right. Also, the fairway ends at a narrow, deep valley about a hundred yards from the green, and while you can hit out of it, you wouldn't want to. The play here is a safe wood or long iron into the heart of the fairway, leaving a short iron or wedge into the green, which is perched on the edge of the course, peering precariously over dense forest just to the right. 

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a very short par 5 at 480 yards, but before you think of getting home in two with just a mid iron, there's a couple things to consider. One, there's a gigantic valley cutting across the fairway about 275 yards from the tee; I did not realize this and hit my best drive of the day straight into it, leaving a horrific hanging lie that I could not solidly hit. If you've got a 300-yard driver in you, using 3 wood is probably the better option here. Two, and this is just as important, this green is not meant for long approaches. It is tiny, and with water left and a massive hillside right, there is precious little room to work with. So, despite the hole's modest length, discretion really is the smart choice. Hit the fairway, lay up to a hundred yards, hit the green with a wedge, two putt for par. 

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing uphill to a blind fairway, so initially it really doesn't seem like much. Since the hole bends right, and considering the lack of trees or hazards, you'll likely be tempted to take the direct line straight at the green. This is not a good idea. The green here is tilted sharply from right to left, and considering how firm Sly Fox's greens are, it is next to impossible to keep an approach shot from the right side on the green. Seriously, if it lands on the green, it's automatically way off the left side. Approach the green from the left, and suddenly you have a lot more space to work with and a much friendlier angle of attack. It's actually a really neat and fun green, and that makes the entire hole a lot more interesting than you'd initially expect.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is ostensibly 320 yards, but the tees were up for our round, so the hole was actually playing a meager 265. Something I wish I'd realized, as the 3 wood I hit for safety sailed into the woods left. I still think laying up is the smart play on this hole, as long as you do it properly. Obviously, at 265 yards this hole is reachable from the tee by a decent number of people, but the green is tucked in amongst trees and O.B., with precious little room for error as it falls away on every side. Miss by even a little and you'll bounce someplace you really don't want to be. You may not make eagle if you lay up, but you can least guarantee you don't make a big number.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the final par 3 on the course, playing 160 yards down a massive hill to a green carved into the side of the ravine wall. With forest left and a big hillside right, the green is not an inviting target. You've also got to keep in mind how far downhill the tee shot is and adjust the club selection accordingly. At the very least, if you do hit a good shot, the green is pretty flat, so birdie is definitely possible. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is another driveable par 4, this one playing 290 to a plateau-style fairway that falls away on both sides. If you don't have the length to reach the green, a precision lay-up is extremely important, as the falloffs lead into unplayable scrub and brush on both sides. This green is friendlier than the fifteenth though, at least when it comes to attempting to drive it. Actually, if anything you have more room for error using driver than you do laying up with a long iron, so if you're even close to being long enough, going for this green is actually the smarter play. 

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the longest par 4 at Sly Fox, playing 435 yards to a mostly blind fairway on the far side of a small hill. There's really no trouble to worry about save the driving range very far to the right, so feel free to swing away with driver. The second shot will be a mid or short iron into a medium-sized green that's bunkerless but mostly surrounded by mounding and filled with little humps and bumps to keep any putt of significant length from being too easy. Not an especially difficult finishing hole, but not a terrible one either.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Can a golf course both exceed and fail to meet expectations? Because Sly Fox manages to do both of those things. I was hoping for a quirky, offbeat golf course like Westminster National, and while the roller-coaster par 5s are fun, that is kind of the only trick they have. And by the time 13 rolls around and you hit your best drive in months straight into a ravine you couldn't see, the charm of the thing is kind of lost. At least in the moment.

That said, while Sly Fox wasn't the quirk-fest I was hoping for, it made up for it by being kind of actually a good course. Nothing crazy, but solidly above average. The round starts off slow, but once you hit the seventh hole you're in for a surprisingly good time. The greens are much more interesting than I was expecting, with numerous falloffs ensuring that you can't just mindlessly pitch golf balls in and have them stop. You need to think about where you're landing your golf ball, and you need to account for rollout. The fourteenth is a particularly fun example of this, and it's definitely the best green on the course.

As for value, Sly Fox isn't exactly a bargain, costing $55 to ride in the middle of the week, but it's not absurdly expensive. It is kind of annoying that you can't walk the course before 2 p.m., but this would be a pretty tough walk. There's a long way between 16 and 17 in particular, and a lot of elevation change too. Conditions were pretty solid though, with the course playing very firm and fast, even in early May, when golf courses should be at their most lush. I'm sure some people would complain, but I'm very much not one of them. Overall then, of all the various golf courses I've played near Front Royal, Sly Fox is definitely the best, and I'd definitely choose this one if I'm ever in the area and looking for a round.

Review: Sly Fox Golf Club (Part 1)

Apparently you can never get enough Front Royal golf, because we're back south of the Potomac after a month-long break (okay, the rounds were the better part of a year apart) for a round at Sly Fox, which is located barely a mile away as the crow flies from Blue Ridge Shadows. And that's about all the information I have as a preamble on Sly Fox, which is about as unassuming a course as can be imagined, apparently. I couldn't even find an architect responsible for building it or an opening date, so we'll have to assume the course sprouted out of the ground an eternity ago. This is actually the second coming of St. Andrews.

In all seriousness, I was looking through their website and some of the pictures intrigued me. Not in a "oh, this course could be good" sense, but more in the "this course could be really wacky and offbeat" sense. The images reminded me of Westminster National, which is a course I unironically enjoy precisely because it's so silly. So, can Sly Fox stand up against the heavyweight quirk champion? 

The first hole is a short par 4, playing 320 yards to a very wide fairway. However, while you can hit it pretty much anywhere, you will want to favor the right side, especially if you're using driver. The green is angled from right to left, and tucked behind a bunker on the left side. Also, in addition to being on the small side, this green is the first of many greens at Sly Fox to pull an interesting trick: They fall away at the back. There aren't too many purely back-to-front greens at this course, which makes them quite difficult to hold, especially if you've used driver on the tee and left yourself a delicate half-wedge over the bunker. So, despite the hole's modest length and lack of trouble, a lay-up to ensure you have a full wedge into the green may be the best play.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a short par 3, playing just under 150 yards. In classic fashion, the tee shot clears a deep valley, with the green perched on the far side. There's a bunker short left (and possibly a former bunker short right), and the green is tilted mostly from back to front. Not a terribly exciting hole, but nothing too bad either.

The second hole.

The third hole is the longest hole on the course by a fairly hefty margin, playing 550 yards to a fairway angled from left to right, with O.B. closely guarding the entirety of the far side. It pays to take an aggressive line here, otherwise you can quickly run out of hole. The second shot isn't particularly interesting, just avoid the O.B. left and you're fine. The green is bunkerless, but just like the first hole, the back half falls away, complicating approach shots.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a straightaway mid-length par 4, with a tree line left being the only real hazard in play. The landing area is blind, though, as the fairway crests a hill about 200 yards out and begins to descend toward the green, which fully plays from front to back. That's really the only interesting thing about this hole, which is pretty simple otherwise.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is another mid-length par 4, doglegging slightly right to a fairway sloped from right to left. You'll want the drive to stay right, flirting with the small pine tree at the corner, in order to open up the best angle into the green. Drives that miss the fairway left will bound very far down, likely disappearing into the woods; at best, you'll have a very tough second shot with the golf ball a foot above your feet. While the fifth green doesn't fall away at the back, it does have plenty of contour and break to it. It's not a tough hole, but that didn't stop me from losing two golf balls and making a triple bogey. Oops.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 375 yards on the scorecard, but plays significantly shorter thanks to a fairway that tumbles down a hill. The fairway's blind from the tee, but so long as you don't go left you'll be fine. Once again, it's the green that really provides all the challenge, sloping from front to back in a manner similar to the fourth. This time, you're also hitting your approach from a pretty severe downhill lie, which makes holding the green all the more tricky. You really do need to land the ball short of the green and let it run up to the flag.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is where things start to get interesting. This par 3 is 150 yards and plays through a rather narrow corridor between two groups of large trees over a valley to an elevated green visibly built up over its surroundings. If you end up short, you are going to have a severe uphill lie for the chip shot. The green is sloped from back to front, and with O.B. long, that makes going over the green a distinctly bad idea. There aren't any bunkers, but honestly, this green doesn't need them.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a short par 5 at 490 yards, and while the drive isn't particularly exciting, playing to a wide, mostly flat fairway with only a single small bunker left to add challenge, the second shot will definitely require your full attention. Beyond 300 yards, the fairway dips down into a valley, rises up again into a 50-yard-long plateau between 75 and 125 yards from the green, then crosses another valley before rising up to the green, perched at the top of that hill. If you're laying up here, you need to commit to it fully; you do not want a 50-yard pitch up a 30-foot hill into the green. This particular green is sloped pretty severely from back to front, and while the greens aren't very fast, a downhill putt is still best avoided. And the best way to avoid being above the hole is to approach the green from a hundred yards back with a full wedge in hand.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a shortish par 4 at 340 yards which plays over a ravine to a mostly blind fairway. Beyond the pine trees lining the fairway, there's no trouble on the tee shot, but the green is sloped from front to back; there's also a distinct right-to-left tilt to this green as well. All this makes the front-right hole location we had for our round very difficult to get close to, especially if you're approaching from the right.

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.