MEDIA CONTEST: A watery grave [Willow Lakes Golf Course series pt. 3]

  • Published
  • Series Entry 4C
ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  Willow Lakes Hole #3 is the first look golfers will get at one of the course's most feared hazards - the many waterways and ponds that course designer Robert Trent Jones added to challenge players.

To help us navigate the hazards, the Air Pulse recruited Airman 1st Class Jonathan Hanner, 55th Security Forces Squadron. Airman Hanner has been playing and placing in amateur championships since 2000 in his home state of Minnesota. In Nebraska, he finished second in the 2003 Nebraska Open among amateur golfers.

Airman Hanner on the third hole:

Hole #3 is a downhill par 3 approximately 166 yards from tee to pin. Although it is only a par 3 and the shortest hole on the course, it is nevertheless very difficult to par. The presence of a large - in fact, huge - water hazard on the left side of the hole makes it very easy to put a big number on the scoreboard.

Airman Hanner on how to escape with a three:

The goal here isn't to be a hero - there are holes on this course where you can make an easy birdie, but this isn't one of them. Play it safe, try not to make mistakes, and you can par and go to the next tee.

If you play this hole from the back of the tee, it's basically a blind shot. Know where you want to put your first shot, and trust that you can put it there.

Because this is such a short hole, many golfers will be tempted to aim for the green with their first shot and go for a birdie, rather than playing short and to the right. The green is protected on the left side by a steep slope down to the pond, and a bunker on the right.

Whatever you do, avoid missing to the left. The slope is steep enough that any shot that misses the green will end up wet. If you play too far to the right, though, you're liable to end up in the sand, and if your bunker shot goes too far, you might end up in the drink anyway.

The only truly safe setup shot is short and to the right. This will land you a bit further from the pin, but stays well clear of the bunker and the water hazard. This will give you a clean look at the flag from short grass, and give you a chance at an up-and-down shot to the hole. The green has a minor slope from back to front and right to left, but that should play to your favor.

If the pin is on the left side I don't even think about trying for a birdie; if it's toward the front or middle and conditions are calm, I might take a chance. Usually, though, it's par 3 and run to the next tee on this challenging hole.

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The water's fine

However, since this is golf, you don't want to get wet. Rather than being a hero and aiming straight for the pin on your tee shot, consider playing it safe by going short and to the right. It may not set you up for a birdie, but it will keep your ball well away from the steep slope leading to the water.