Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Course Review

That fact that you take a 58 on that hole, and over shoot it, sickens me.

#strongmikeisstrong
Wedges go further when you thin them. :alien:
 
Mike flushed that one sadly. Maybe a bit of a pull though? From my vantage point it started left edge of the green complex and just stayed there.. Then waved to it as it flew by
 
man I love this course....probably my favorite course from all of the ones I have ever played.
 
man I love this course....probably my favorite course from all of the ones I have ever played.

one of mine too. And we made sure to see quite a bit of it when we played
 
12-16, fantastic stretch of difficult par 4's. If missing your mark off the tee on those holes, you will be seeing big numbers.

Very tough stretch. I can see some momentum changing totally in some matches during that stretch.
 
Very tough stretch. I can see some momentum changing totally in some matches during that stretch.

It did in ours last year. We were 1 up after 11 holes and we lost 12, 13, 14 and 15. LOL! So yes, those stretch of holes are game changers.
 
It did in ours last year. We were 1 up after 11 holes and we lost 12, 13, 14 and 15. LOL! So yes, those stretch of holes are game changers.

#neveragain

The entire back on Caledonia is just brilliant to me. Such a great test of golf.
 
I think 8&9 are great finishing holes for the front nine, for those teeing off 1, what a great end to make the turn on!
 
Probably my favorite hole...

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Better pictures. But they don't do the course justice.

Wanted to quote myself. I wanted to ask what hole this was? I can't remember honestly. And I hope for the MC we put the tees where this picture was taken. Such an awesome dog leg left.
 
Wanted to quote myself. I wanted to ask what hole this was? I can't remember honestly. And I hope for the MC we put the tees where this picture was taken. Such an awesome dog leg left.

Should be 14 from the back tees. Looks much different from the middle tees where I'm used to playing from.
 
Should be 14 from the back tees. Looks much different from the middle tees where I'm used to playing from.
I thought it might be 7.
 
I thought it might be 7.

No, 7's pretty straight. And not that long.

7 also has a bunker and trees just on the edge of the water.
 
Hole No.14 -- Par 4, 415 Yards

This is the second hole where the black tees are much more difficult than the blue tees. The blue tees are not shown in the photo below. They are to the right and much further ahead. From the blue tees, the water is much more to the left than it is a forced carry.

The trees in the background are in play from the tee, and the preferred tee shot is to the left, closer to the water. This is one of the more difficult tee shots on the course. The hole runs parallel to the water and slightly doglegs to the left.

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the green for this hole. However, from the fairway, this hole becomes much simpler. It is a straight, level shot into a large green. The tee shot is definitely the toughest part of this hole.



Wanted to quote myself. I wanted to ask what hole this was? I can't remember honestly. And I hope for the MC we put the tees where this picture was taken. Such an awesome dog leg left.

Should be 14 from the back tees. Looks much different from the middle tees where I'm used to playing from.

You speak the truth cookie!
 
Should be 14 from the back tees. Looks much different from the middle tees where I'm used to playing from.



That's 14 from the back. Plays completely different than from the middle tees.

Beautiful hole. But they all are.
 
That's 14 from the back. Plays completely different than from the middle tees.

Beautiful hole. But they all are.
How do you know how the back tees play? If you played from those you would be hitting 5 irons into par 5's and not GW?! :D

Go have another Mandy....I mean Shandy.
 
There are a couple holes I can't wait to tangle with on this course. The long par 4 15th and number 12. Both great holes and both game changers

That false front on the right side of 12 is unruly.
 
I think 13 is still my favorite hole on this course!
 
How do you know how the back tees play? If you played from those you would be hitting 5 irons into par 5's and not GW?! :D

Go have another Mandy....I mean Shandy.


You'll see soon enough, Tiny Tim.

#PoweredByShandy
 
Just read through the first few posts of this one yet again. Such a beautiful looking course. I can't wait to be there and see it in two weeks.
 
Hole No. 1 -- Par 4, 376 yards


Caledonia sets up with a relatively short, relatively straight Par 4 to start your round. The tee shot, however, illustrates how the courses is framed to make the landing area seem much narrower than it actually is.





This photo was taken from the left side of the tee, so the overhanging tree looks much more in the way than it really is. But, it's certainly there. The bunkers to the left and right are in play, and they are larger than they appear from the tee. Similarly, the landing area is much larger than it appears.


The photo below is taken from behind the green. It serves two purposes. First, it should show how much wider the fairway is than it appears from the tee. Second, it should illustrate how much undulation this green has. A lot of these greens have a Donald Ross "turtle back" feel to them, and this green is a perfect example.





Hole No.2 -- Par 5, 571 Yards


Hole No.2 is a long and relatively straight Par 5. The bunker and trees to the right are in play from the tee. The hole doglegs slightly to the right, and the aggressive play would be just to the left of the bunker. However, there is a lot of room to the left, and the safe play on this likely three-shot Par 5 is to stay to the left.

Beyond the landing area, the hole doglegs slightly to the right, but the hole remains pretty wide and open. There are several areas in which to layup depending on your preferred distance.






The green is large, but it is definitely deeper than wider. There are also several slopes that divide the green into several smaller greens. The photo below shows the pin tucked into the front. My approach that day was long, and I was on a middle/left tier, which led to a three-putt.






Hole No.3 -- Par 3, 187

Hole No.3 starts the trend of forced carry Par 3s at Caledonia. The green is long and wide, but all you see from the tee is the massive bunker that surrounds the green. It certainly makes the green feel much smaller than it actually is.

Long on this hole is dead. If the pin is in the back, think about playing more towards the center unless you really like the number. I was just long with my approach, and my ball bounced on the back edge (sloped away from the green) and rolled to the next tee.






Hole No.4 -- Par 4, 396 Yards


Hole No.4 is a somewhat short Par 4 that doglegs slightly to the right. As you can see from the photo below, the bunker on the right and the trees on the left frame the hole so that the landing area appears to be much narrower than it actually is. Width is not an issue on the tee shot, but distance is. The trees straight ahead are in play if you are a longer hitter. Clubbing down to a 3W and playing left of the bunker is probably the play.





I do not have a photo of the green, but it is large and generally slopes from back to front. If I remember this green correctly, there are multiple tiers, and to score well you really need to be on the same tier as the pin. You also want to be below the hole.



Hole No.5 -- Par 4, 419 yards


Hole No. 5 is a tough Par 4 from the tee. This is one of the few holes that seemed to play as narrow as it appeared from the tee. The bunkers on the right are in play, and the trees to the right of the bunkers are also in play. The hole opens up a little bit beyond the bunkers, but the proper play is to stay to the left of them.






The hole is pretty straight, but the green is a little to the right of the tee. The green is slightly elevated (another "turtle back" feeling green), and there are several severe undulations. The drop off to the left is most punishing. Simply stated, there was nothing easy about this hole.





Hole No. 6 -- Par 3, 157 Yards

This is another forced carry Par 3 (the second of five). There is thick grass short of the green to the left and right, and -- as you can see from the photo -- the thick stuff is staring you in the face on the tee. The green is much wider than it appears, and there is a pretty large bailout area to the right of the green beyond the thick grass.

I also remember this hole playing longer than the number. I'm not sure if it was because of the forced carry making it feel longer.






The photo below is taken from the bailout area to the right of the green. The green is wide, and undulating.






Hole No.7 -- Par 4, 399 Yards

This was the first hole where the back tees really made a significant difference from the tee. The forced carry that you see below is not in play from the blue tees. (My dad was playing from the blue tees, and you can see him on the tee box ahead of me.)




The hole doglegs slightly to the left, and it runs a little downhill after the landing area. Longer hitters can reach the down slope, but they can also drive into the rough on the right if they do not cut off enough of the dogleg. While I do not have a photo of the approach, there are trees on the right side that block the green if you are too far right. The ideal tee shot is a little right of the bush that you see on the left corner. Beyond that bush is a fairway bunker that runs parallel to the fairway.


Hole No. 8 -- Par 5, 528 Yards.

This is very much a risk/reward Par 5. The hole doglegs to the right, and there is a forced carry (water) just in front of the green. From the tee, you have the option of cutting off as much of the dogleg as you want. Obviously, the further right you aim, the further you need to hit it to get past the bunkers. (My dad is shown hitting from the blue tees, for reference.)

Those wanting to try for the green in two will go over the bunkers. Those wanting to play the hole as a three-shot hole can play left of the bunkers. Plenty of room to the left. Very generous landing area.






The fun does not end from the tee. The photo below illustrates how wide the landing area is, but it also shows how the hole narrows as it gets to the green. The green is still rather wide, but it does not appear that way from the fairway. Also, there is a pond in front of the green.

Longer hitters can get on/around the green in two, but it takes a really nice shot to make it. The green has multiple tiers, and being on the proper tier is critical, particularly if you are hitting to the green in three.





Hole No.9, Par 3, 118

There is actually a green depicted in the photo below. It is just surrounded by the enormous bunkers. The key to this hole is to focus on the number and hit to it. You may not see the bottom of the flag when hitting your tee shot.





This green is unusual for the course. It is wide, but it is incredibly narrow. Hopefully, the narrowness is shown in the photo below. On top of that, the back of the green runs away from the hole. Anything long will likely run into a collection area past the hole, which makes for a difficult up and down.

Wow!! That looks like a great course.<><
 
It really is one of my favorite courses. Absolutely beautiful and lots of fun to play.

Without question. I get to play it 3 times in 4 days week after next.

Hell yes!
 
It really is one of my favorite courses. Absolutely beautiful and lots of fun to play.

I'll agree to agree here. Possibly my favorite course that I have ever played.
 
What a great review. Only a week and a half until we meet.
 
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