Course Tour

Par 4

The opening hole at Columbia is a straightaway par 4, with a slightly elevated tee box that gradually inclines after the creek that runs through the end of the fairway. With this green being sloped back to front, anything long of the green or in the three bunkers surrounding it make it a tricky up and down if you miss the green.

Pro Tip: Don’t be tempted to hit the driver. Lay up off the tee to the top of the hill and have a second shot that always plays a little longer than the number.

Par 5

The second is the first of two par fives that favors a right to left shot shape off the tee to an elevated fairway. An overhanging tree on the left side guards the left, while new bunkers on the right penalize errant balls.  Avoiding trouble off the tee is essential, especially if you want to give it a go in two shots. The large green is one of the flattest on the course, so be sure to capitalize on a simple roll if you can.

Pro Tip: Land your approach shot just short of the green, as balls tend to release onto the green from 5 to 15 yards short of the green. 

Par 4

The third is another draw hole as it slides slightly right to left with a large tree about 240 yards off the back tee. Hit it too far left and you’re in danger of going out of bounds.  This is arguably one of the hardest greens to hold, and even if you do keep it on the dance floor, the subtle breaks confound many players.

Pro Tip: Good golfers try to limit their big scores, and Hole 3 can certainly have big scores. That’s why it’s always wise to play your approach short as anything long essentially assures bogey or worse.

Par 3

The first par 3, the 4th hole is a shot up the hill that always plays long. With bunkers left, right, and long of a severely sloped green, anything short will roll off the false front back down the fairway, leaving a difficult pitch. Anything long of the green will test the short game and getting the ball to stay on the green is a true feat.

Pro Tip: Hole 4, also known as “Phil’s Hill,” has plenty of moments of glory with memorable aces over the years. Leave it below the hole with a straighter uphill putt. Par is your friend.

Par 4

The fifth hole features an elevated tee box that requires pinpoint accuracy. The fairway is protected on either side by two ponds, leaving the window only about 25 yards wide. Landing it successfully in the short grass will still leave you a difficult approach shot up the hill, which plays at least 15 yards long. It requires two very good shots to hit the green in regulation. What awaits putters is a two tiered green where no straight putt exists. Anything long feels eerily similar to hole 4.

Pro Tip: If you aren’t scared of a longer 2nd shot, hitting a short iron up the hill takes the water out of play. This can be the toughest hole on the course when the pin is in the back. Don’t be tempted to go at it.

Par 4

The 6th hole is interesting, with two separate tee boxes, the hole will play differently depending on the day. From the lower tee box, the hole has a much more significant dogleg to the right, while from the upper tee, it plays relatively straight. Once in the fairway, two greenside bunkers and a collection of pine trees protect the green.

Pro Tip: While it can be attractive to take an aggressive line and hit driver, the smart play is to lay back to the 150, where the fairway is the widest, and have an easy line into the green.

Par 3

The 7th is the second of the Par 3’s and has a similar distance to two of its counterparts, but an entirely different shot shape and demand off the tee. This is another two tiered green that leaves a challenging putt no matter where the ball lands. Avoid the bunker on the front left since it is a hard up and down, no matter the pin location.

Pro Tip: Aim for the middle of the green no matter where the pin is and two putt for par. There will be other gettable greens to challenge the pin.

Par 4

Number 8 is a valley shaped hole where the tee box and green are near the same elevation with the fairway dipped underneath. The creek that meanders this side of the course comes into play on either side of this fairway, plus the trees on both sides make accuracy another premium on this tee shot. If in the fairway, you’ll have an uphill wedge shot to a back to front sloped green. A greenside bunker on the left side is the only impediment, but anything long poses a difficult low chip underneath the trees behind the green.

Pro Tip: If you are a long hitter, take out the big dog and hit it past the trouble since the right side opens up about 250 yards off the tee. If you lay up, avoid missing left at all costs. Even pitch outs can be challenging.

Par 4

This is one of the hardest holes on the course. As an uphill dogleg left, with a creek, trees, tight tee shot, and wildly undulating green, there are few challenges this hole does not have. A perfectly placed bunker right in the layup zone can leave good tee shots with a challenging approach. This green can be the most challenging on the course, as a three putt is highly likely if the approach shot is left in the wrong place.

Pro Tip: Always play your approach short of the pin, leaving yourself an uphill putt. Bogey isn’t a bad score on 9.

Par 4

The Back 9 opens with a straightforward Par 4 that slides slightly to the left. The creek is about 220 off the tee and the smart play is to be more aggressive. The only serious trouble is for approach shots that go over the green into the line of trees that divides the 10th from the 17th, making a chip shot very challenging.

Pro Tip: If you’re playing well, this is a good time to be aggressive. If not, then laying back behind the creek still leaves a manageable 150 approach to the green. Favor the right side of the fairway for an easier 2nd shot.

Par 4

Hole 11 runs parallel to the 10th and is a complete straightaway to an elevated green. A dense set of trees occupies the left side once the fairway begins, making any wayward shot left an automatic punch out. The right side has its own scattering of trees but is much more open and can still leave you a look. Be sure to hit the correct tier of this green or face the consequences.

Pro Tip: This hole doesn’t play long, so hit a 200 yard club off the tee and take the trees on the left out of play. From the fairway, this is a good green to be aggressive.

Par 5

This short Par 5 is a classic high-risk high-reward. For longer hitters, the drive is up the right hand side of the fairway, leaving a short iron over the tall trees that protect the corner. Two great shots lead to a small, undulated green that can easily lead to a three putt, especially with a front middle pin.

Competitors face this dilemma: take on the right side and climb up the leaderboard going for eagle? Or, play conservatively up the left, setting up an easy up-and-down? Either way, to go low at our place, a red figure must be marked on the scorecard on this gettable Par 5.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to play it up the right side. For the longer hitters, even though it is a blind shot, flipping it over the corner is much easier from the right than the left. If you can’t get to the green in two, play your second shot to the left side of the dogleg for the most open angle into the green.

Par 3

The longest of the Par 3s, the 13th is an all carry shot. From the back tees, the elevation remains the same, but from either of the two lower tees it becomes an uphill shot slightly longer than the number. One bunker on either side below the green guards the apron, while trees run the length of the right side and anything short gets sucked down the hill. This is one of the larger greens on the course, so anything on the surface could still leave players with a long two putt.

Pro Tip: This hole always plays long, so it’s best to hit one club extra, but there isn’t much of a tip when you have to hit it 210 yards in the air from the back tees.

Par 4

The 14th hole is the most picturesque on the entire golf course, as this is the highest elevation point. The tee box sits 45 yards above the fairway, giving players a little extra distance off the tee. Trees frame out the hole and a fairway bunker about 230 yards off the tee keeps players honest. The green is protected by bunkers on either side and the green itself is sloped from right to left and putts usually break the opposite way of what meets the eye. In 2021, a new tee box was installed at the base of the hill for the green tees, making it a Par 4 for all players.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to look to your left off the tee, as you don’t want to miss the best view on any golf course in Columbia County!

Par 4

The 15th is another hole with two sets of tees that changes the layout of the hole. From the left side tee box, the hole is essentially straightaway, while from the right side tee box, it becomes a gentle dogleg right. The left side is more forgiving than the right and the approach plays true to the distance, but like many holes, the miss is short. This green tends to run slightly quicker than meets the eye, so let the ball do the work, especially when putting from the back of the green to the front.

Pro Tip: Don’t challenge the right side unless you’ve been practicing your heroic punch shots. Aim up the left center off the tee and be rewarded with a flat lie in the fairway into a green that yields plenty of birdies.

Par 4

Hole 16 is our longest par 4 and a challenge by anyone’s standards. From the tips, players must carry their tee shot over water to an elevated fairway with trees on both sides. If you’re fortunate enough to hit it to the top of the hill and in the short grass, there is still a long approach shot measuring almost 200 yards. The only reprieve is the fact that this green is one of the flattest on the course.

Pro Tip: Tee it high, and let it fly! This hole requires a long straight tee shot followed by a quality mid/long iron. Depending on the wind, it’s not bad to think of this as a par 5.

Par 3

The only downhill Par 3 on the course is also one of the most beautiful places on the course. The hole itself poses its toughest challenge on the putting surface, with heavy slopes and a swell and valley on the back third. Play to the center of the green from the tee and try to make the putt.

Pro Tip: This never plays as far downhill as players think. Play the actual yardage and swing easy.

Par 4

The finishing hole at Columbia presents a familiar option off the tee, play conservatively with an iron, or take an aggressive line and hit driver. The hole plays left to right, naturally favoring that shot shape. The final approach of the day typically plays between 100 and 150 yards, with the clubhouse as a backdrop, good shots are often rewarded with applause from members on the deck.

Pro Tip: Don’t challenge the trees and just get into position off the tee. Par is a good score to finish your day.