Our third annual golf outing is approaching quickly! Join us Monday, July 24 at Blackhawk Country Club in Madison to celebrate a great summer. Below is Tom Still’s hacker guide to succeed at the golf outing. Registration is open until Monday, July 17 – click here to learn more and to register.
Hole 1 — “It begins…”
This Par 4 hole is straight and sloped downhill at first, but woods on the left and right can make play tricky. Off the white tees, it’s 367 yards; 350 from the red. Believe it or not, some big hitters — think the Dalai Lama in “Caddyshack” — can reach it. Sand on the right; green slopes immediately behind.
Hole 2 — “Threading the needle”
With a tee box partially surrounded by trees and a tree-lined fairway on both sides, hitting one straight is crucial. It’s a short Par 4 (301 yards white/278 red) but easy to find trouble. The green has terraces that make rolling off the front side a distinct possibility.
Hole 3 — “It’s in the neighbor’s yard”
This slight dog-leg left is 392 off the white tees and 341 off the red, with trees lining the left side most of the way and a magnetic grove of trees on the right. Hit it too far right on this Par 4 and you’re contributing to the golf ball collection of Shorewood Hills residents.
Hole 4 — “All I see are yellow balls”
This Par 4 is flanked by trees on the left and right, where Blackhawk’s driving range reaches its outer limit. That means you’ll probably spot practice balls before you find your own. At 310 yards off the white and 281 off the red, it’s not long — but sloped uphill a bit.
Hole 5 — “It looks SO easy…”
But it’s not. This downhill Par 3 has woods on the left, a pond fronting the right side, sand and a terraced green with many twists and turns. From the white, it’s 162 yards and from the red, 120 yards.
Hole 6 — “A quick left turn”
This Par 4 is best attacked straight on with a drive that lands before some sand traps and a sharp dog-leg left. There’s more sand near the green. It’s 345 yards from the white and 305 from the red. Those who are tempted to clear the trees on the left with their drive may be disappointed.
Hole 7 — “Getting off track”
At 562 yards off the white tees and 452 off the red, this Par 5 is so long skeletons can be found in the rough lining the fairway. The right side is flanked by a railroad track with magical abilities to attract sliced drives and fairway shots. Like many greens on the front nine, it slopes towards those tracks, even if it doesn’t appear to do so.
Hole 8 — “What you see is what you get”
Running east to west, this Par 4 has slightly elevated tee boxes and is straight as an arrow, but woods right and left can be treacherous. It’s 373 yards from the white and 319 from the red.
Hole 9 — “The Eagle’s Nest”
At 329 yards from the white and 279 from the red, it’s short and straight. Woods right and left can pose problems but the biggest issue is landing a shot on the elevated green, which has sand on the right and trees left. Many golfers aim left with their approach shot because it slopes down to the green. On the right, it slopes to the railroad tracks.
Hole 10 — “Table for four, please”
The tee box for this short Par 4 is right off the club patio, where members and guests may gather to watch you launch one toward the green (310 yards white, 307 yards red). No pressure there! Slight dog-leg left and plenty of sand near the green.
Hole 11 — “A tight approach”
Another short Par 4 (262 yards white, 250 yards red) with a narrow fairway and a green best approached from the left due to sand and more on the right.
Hole 12 — “A long walk …”
This Par 5 has several wrinkles: The tee box is elevated but the fairway features trees right and left. At 526 yards white and 463 yards red, it is among the longest on the course, bending left and uphill until reaching the green, which also has its share of sand.
Hole 13 — “… And a long walk back”
It’s identical in length to No. 12 off the white (526 yards) and even longer off the red (485 yards). The difference is that it’s basically downhill all the way to the green, but still a challenging hole.
Hole 14 — “Hit a house!”
Like many “back nine” holes at Blackhawk, this Par 4 features native burial mounds. They’re unplayable by local rules. At 245 yards white and 214 yards red, it’s short … but uphill to the green with trees left and a sharp slope right. Many golfers aim for a grey house visible from the tee box and hope it sticks.
Hole 15 — “Everything rolls to the lake”
At 261 yards white and 249 red, it’s another short Par 4. Unless you’re able to reach the green (slightly to the left) you’re best off hitting as far right as you dare. The entire hole slopes toward Lake Mendota.
Hole 16 — “Watch out for traffic”
To reach the tee box for this Par 3 (158 yards white; 133 yards red) you cross the street from No. 15 and get a view of the lake. There’s some rough stuff and sand mid-fairway and a tiered green.
Hole 17 — “No level ground”
This Par 4 is 401 yards from the white and shorter from the red (278 yards), but distance isn’t the issue: You just need to be part mountain goat to play it. Everything slopes to the road and the lake from the right. Many golfers hit right and hope the ball sticks before running off the fairway. In approach shots, use the telephone pole as your focus.
Hole 18 — “Home at last”
This Par 3 isn’t very long (131 yards white; 123 yards red) but it’s uphill all the way, with sand to the left of the green and a steep slope to the right. The green itself can be tricky, but if you hit, you should be in good shape for the short walk back to the clubhouse.
- By Tom Still, member with a big handicap
;
