MEDIA CONTEST: A long shot [Willow Lakes Golf Course series pt. 4]

  • Published
  • Series Entry 4D
ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  By the time golfers reach hole #4 at the Willow Lakes golf course, they will have seen a little bit of everything the course has to offer - bunkers, water hazards, trees and steep slopes.

This fourth hole presents a new challenge to putters, according to our amateur expert Airman 1st Class Jonathan Hanner of the 55th Security Forces Squadron. It's a long hole with a lot of risk, but also the possibility of some big rewards. If you feel like taking chances, this hole is a good opportunity to hop in front of the competition.

Airman Hanner on the fourth hole:

Hole #4 is a 510-yard dogleg left par 5. It definitely falls into the category of risk equals reward.

There is one bunker on this course on the inside corner of the dogleg, with a creek running along the outside that eventually feeds into a large water hazard abutting the right side of the green.

The fairway narrows dramatically as you get closer to the green, and the water hazard isn't the only danger. A large row of trees guards the left-side approach to the green, and out-of-bounds stakes mark the east edge of the course just 10-15 yards from the putting surface.

Airman Hanner on risks and rewards:

The tee shot on this hole is relatively plain. Even with the bunker at the corner of the dogleg, getting this shot into play is the easiest part of the hole.

You need to make a choice with your second shot; lay up to a good wedge yardage and go for par, or aim for the green in hope of an eagle or easy birdie.

If you manage to hit a great drive and decide to go for the green in two, you'll be faced with what is arguably the tightest shot on the course. The fairway gets very narrow toward the green, and if you miss the green even slightly to the right the large water hazard will consume your ball (as well as your hopes of posting a low number on this hole). Use a fairway wood or long iron for this shot.

Regardless of how you get there, the green offers its own set of challenges. Hole #4 is one of only two holes on the course without a green-side bunker, but it slopes toward the water. When the pin is in the back you'll have a flatter and easier putt compared to the front pin location.

Overall, this is a fun hole because so much can happen. I often get to the tee thinking birdie, but end up walking away with a bogey. Hitting the green in two shots is a great feeling, but when I'm in a competition situation and don't need a birdie I'm more likely to play the percentages and lay up for a comfortable third shot.

[Graphic text]

(Almost) the longest yard

As measured from the championship tee, hole #4 is only the fifth-longest hole on the course. However, from the regular tee (the one most of us will be using) this hole is the third longest, with only holes #13 and 18 edging it out.

Even though it's not the longest hole on the course, #4 shouldn't be underestimated. You can fit just over five football fields between the tee and the pin.

This hole rewards golfers who are willing to take a risk, according to Airman Hanner.

With a good drive, it's possible to aim for the green on your second shot. Going that route requires hitting a tight alley between a water hazard on your right and a row of trees on your left.

Any shot that misses the green on the right will end up wet. That said, if you make it to the green with your second shot, you're looking at an eagle or an easy birdie.