MEDIA CONTEST: "Amen Corner" [Willow Lakes Golf Course series pt. 15]

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ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  With November and another Omaha winter knocking on the door, we at the Air Pulse realized we should probably step up our schedule if we're going to finish our series on the Willow Lakes course before the snows set in.

To that end, we asked Senior Master Sgt. Hector Campos, superintendent of operational engineering with the 97th Intelligence Squadron and Offutt's base golf champion, to help us out on a pair of par 3s near the end of the course. Sergeant Campos claimed that title Aug. 13, beating out the nearest competitor by five strokes.

We are proud to present the best golfer at Offutt's take on these two challenging holes.
Sergeant Campos on hole #15:

The 15th hole at Willow Lakes is the 10th hardest hole according to the handicap rating. The key to playing this par 3 hole is to hit the green, period.

The tee box is elevated and measures 174 yards from the blue tees and 161 yards from the white tees. The hole itself is protected by a bunker to the left of the green and another immediately in front.

If you miss to the right and there is a strong wind from the south, the wind will help your ball drop down into a low area. Your next shot will be blind, with the green sloping severely away from you.

If you miss long and to the left beyond the bunker, you have a very difficult shot to make the ball stop where you want it to. Of course, if you can chip like Phil Mickleson this won't be a problem.

Basically, try not to miss the green.

Once on the green, the fun begins with your first putt. The key to this green is to stay below the hole otherwise you'll have some serious left-to-right or right-to-left sloping putts, depending on where the pin is located. If you're tempted to fire at the flag and can shape your shot with the required draw or fade then by all means have fun, but I strongly suggest you aim for the center of the green.

This hole can make or break a round of good solid golf, and I have heard golfers refer to it as one of the three "Amen Corner" holes along with #14 and #16.

Sergeant Campos on hole #16

I remember the day of my hole-in-one like it was yesterday - and it was right here at hole #16 at Willow Lakes. I can honestly say that when I made that shot I wasn't thinking about how to play the hole. I was just going to "grip it and rip it."

Since that day, I've come to appreciate hole #16. It's virtually the same length as hole #15, with 180 yards separating the blue tees from the hole, and 152 yards from the whites.

It's very well protected by three strategically placed bunkers on the left, right and front of the green. With all those hazards, it is absolutely crucial to hit your shot on the green - no easy feat for such a small target.

If you happen to go over the green, you'll find yourself with an uphill chip back to the hole. If you somehow manage to land your ball between the bunkers it's still possible to get a par with a quick up-and-down onto the green.

Again, this hole has been referred to as part of "Amen corner" along with holes #14 and #15. If you can get around with even par on these holes you can breathe easily and bring it on home. If not, you'll find yourself bellied up to the table explaining to your buddies how this hole ruined a great round, and that's a situation I've found myself in more often than I like to remember.

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Holes #15 and #16 aren't the most difficult on the course - but please don't go into them thinking they're an easy par. Nothing on this course is that easy.

Like most par 3s on this course (or any other), the trick is to hit the green on your first shot. What makes these two holes hard (or fun, if you prefer) is how much they'll punish you if you miss the green and end up in one of the many bunkers, or down the wrong side of a hill.