Golfing Dwan

So another golf round in March.  This time it was to Dwan, in my childhood neighborhood of Bloomington.  This course is literally 3 blocks from the house I grew up in.  I never played golf growing up and this is only the third time I have played here.  One of the other times was 9 holes and the other was the full 18.

This round was again with the same group I played my first round of the year on St. Patricks day: Michael, Keith, and Damon.

Dwan is a short course at only 5485 yards from the back tees.There are only 2 par 5s, and neither is over 500 yards.  Should be an easy round?  Yes.  If you can hit the fairway.

Too bad there was not a lot of that in this round by any of us.

Here is the layout from the Dwan website:

Hole 1 is a 325 yard par 4 with a green that is slightly elevated from the fairway. 

A view of the first hole.  The bunkers short of the green are reachable for long hitters.

The tee on hole 2.  A ladder allows you to view the downhill fairway to ensure the hole is clear before teeing off.

Keith and Michale off down the fairway of hole 2, a 325 yard hole that is a slight dogleg right.

The green of hole 2 with bunkering in front.

The tee of hole 3, a 495 yard par 5.  The hole plays dead straight.  Avoid the bunker on the right off the tee and a chance for eagle is a real possibility. If playing as a 3-shot hole. The key to the second shot is to avoid the pond on the right and you will have a short iron to the green.

Hole 4 is a 145 yard par 3.

Bunkers surround the green

The 5th is a 380 yard straight ahead par 4.  The left side is OB with the edge of the course running down the length.

The green on 5. I am sure each of these shots is not for bird.

Hole 6 is an uphill par 3at 195 yards. Anything hit short is not likely to run up.  Two bunkers are also short.

Hole 7 is a 370 yard par 4.  The play here is over the tree on the right side.  The fairway slopes to the left.  Left is OB at the edge of the property.

A closer shot of the tree to carry on the right side

Keith found extreme left- along the OB fence line.

Vigen hiding from Keith's escape from the fence.

The par 3 8th is 175 yards downhill.  Short is better than long as the deep falls off an edge.

Keith teeing on 8.

The 9th, a dead straight par 4 at 350.  A bunker right is in play off the tee.

Damon teeing off.

Keith hits one left.

And so does Vigen.

The green on 9 slopes back to front.

On to the back 9.  Our start was delayed by a two some who jumped ahead of us.  The ranger went out and got them, as they had yet to pay for their round.  Hmmmm.  Anyways while we waited for them to tee off and then come back in a gap formed ahead.  More on that later. 

The par 4 10th is a 355 yard uphill hole.  There is no need to try to carry the bunker on the right as your second shot will not be too long if you are short.

The hole doglegs right and the green is uphill again and protected either side by bunkers.

The 11th is a short 125 yard par 3. Bunkers  and pine trees surround this hole making hitting the green important.

The 12th is the back side par 5 at 480 yards.  The design of the hole encourages you to play as three shots due to the near C shape of the hole.  The best play here is just to the left og the bunker on the right side.

The aiming bunker on the right side.  Over the hill there is water right.

A view from over the hill past the bunker.  The green is on the right behind more trees. @ more greenside bunkers offer trouble short of the putting surface.

The par 4 335 yard 13th hole. A slight dogleg left.  Trying to cut the corner; you can find plenty of trees.  The better play is safely to the right side.

Damon finds the greenside bunker on 13.  Nice buried lie.  He did not make it out on the first try.

The 14th is a 380 yard par 4 that plays dead straight.  There is more OB left along the edge of the course.  So back to my tale about the gap that developed when we started our back 9- when the poeple jumped ahead and then got hauled back to the clubhouse to pay.  On the 13th green we got yelled at by a group on the adjacent 12th tee because we were playing to slow and there were 2 holes open in front of us.  Never mind the fact that this gap was caused not by us but by the other people at our turn.  Anyways, Keith didn't like the approach much of those other golfers.  Can you see the steam rising from his head in the picture above?  No?  well you certainly could after he hooked this drive OB!

Two bunkers in familiar position-either side short.

The 15th is a par 3 at 170 yards.  The green can be partially hidden from the tee.  Two bunkers are in the same short position on either side of the green.

The 16th is a 330 yard dead straight hole that plays uphill and usually into the wind.  A couple of fairway bunkers are placed to encourage hitting short of them, or you can drive long over them.

The green has side bunkers and a shot long is likely to find more trouble than short.

The 17th is one of the only holes with real water in play.  A 415 yard par 4.  A pond is on the left side of the fairway and requires a carry on your second shot.

The green on 17 is uphill from the fairway, over the water.  Two deep bunkers right should be avoided.

The finishing hole is a 135 yard par 3 with the largest green on the course.

For me the round was disappointing.  I shot an 83 which normally would sound pretty good but that is 15 over par.   At least it is still early.