Championship Course

Hole
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

Hole #1 "Adam"

Par 4

The most inviting of the opening holes at Ridgewood, a relatively straightforward par 4 playing 375 yards from the championship tees, opens the East nine. The fairway has a relatively generous landing space for tee shots, but misdirection is punished by out of bounds on the left and a pond and trees on the right. There is a cross bunker that stretches across the fairway from the left side about 60 yards from the green. The green is challenging; its big surface is well bunkered and slopes steadily and deceptively uphill from left-to-right.

Tee	Yards
Championship	375

Hole #2 "Water"

Par 3

A shot-maker’s par 3, this downhill second hole is played at 187 yards from the championship tees from the back to a green that is protected by bunkers to the left and right side. A narrow band of fairway allows a short tee ball to bounce on to the green. The green slopes back to front and features interesting contours. The two bunkers on the left side are deep and deadly and make it almost impossible to chip close to a pin on the left side of the green.

Tee	Yards
Championship	187

Hole #3 "Gorilla"

Par 5

As is often the case with Tillinghast, the most efficient route to the hole is the most dangerous. The best drive favors the left side of the fairway, but out of bounds lines the left side the entire length of the hole and the thin rough encourages the ball’s journey into the woods. Hitting to the right side, away from the out of bounds, may be prudent, but excessive prudence will leave the golfer blocked in a line of oaks.

The all-important second shot must be carried over a minefield of mounds running across the fairway. Once again left is better as the reward on the dogleg right is a shot that crosses only fairway to a long up-sloping green protected on three sides by bunkers.

The third shot challenges the golfer to negotiate a false front and find the correct tier on the narrow and deep undulating, multi-tier green. Golfers following the shorter route from the right side of the fairway must fly a series of bunkers and bring their shot to rest on a narrow green. The lightning-fast green can produce profound disappointment even in those fortunate enough to be on in three shots.

Tee	Yards
Championship	585

Hole #4 "Bog"

Par 4

A dangerous dogleg left par 4, out-of-bounds runs the length of the hole on the left side. Once again caution encourages a shot played to the right side of the fairway, but trees and deep rough punish balls played too far to the right. A well-positioned drive to the left center of the fairway is important because the green is very difficult to hold on long approach shots. A green side bunker presents an obstacle for those hitting approach shots from the right side of the fairway. A false front and soft landing area short of the green discourages balls from bouncing on.

The work is not completed until you have holed out as hard-to-read speed and breaks make for a very difficult green.

Tee	Yards
Championship	495

Hole #5 "Knuckle"

Par 4

Playing 468 yards uphill with a left-to-right slope to a “plateau” green, this par 4 requires a strong uphill tee shot to a generous landing area, with bunkers on each side of the fairway. The second shot is played to a plateau green, surrounded by deep bunkers. A well-placed oak tree front-right of the green swats away shots that fail to fly over it or pass to its left.

Missing the green to the hillside or bunker to the left can produce nasty scores as a sharply sloping left to right green makes it almost impossible to bring chip shots to a halt. The severe back to front slope of the green is in evidence as the first 25 feet of the front of the green are part of a false front. Many a ball has come to a halt for 30 seconds or more only to resume its doleful journey to twenty feet off the front of the green.

This green is very deceiving and stopping a putt near the hole is often greeted with profound relief.

Tee	Yards
Championship	468

Hole #6 "Cobra"

Par 3

At 226-plus yards downhill, this par 3 is “as tough as they get.” The shot plays downhill at 226 yards downhill from the blue tees. A well struck shot is needed to avoid the cross bunker on the right and the small pot bunker on the left, and a bit of luck is needed to influence the ball not to run “hot” to the back of the green away from a front pin placement. The result will be a fast, double breaking downhill putt.

Tee	Yards
Championship	226

Hole #7 "Stockton's Lair"

Par 4

Uphill, this dogleg left sloping, left-to-right to a “plateau” green, 7 plays like 5, only more difficult. This par 4 plays 478 yards from the back tees. Both the tee shot and the approach to the green play steadily uphill and fall left-to-right. Be sure to take an extra club for the second shot to account for the uphill slope. The plateau green is protected by deep bunkers on the left and to the right. Players playing long irons for their approach shots need to account for a severe left-to-right swing on a very fast and tricky putting surface. A false front sends promising shops cascading back down the fairway.