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Course
Rating/Slope/Par
Blue Tees: 69.8/120/70
White Tees:
68.6/113/70
Red Tees: 68.6/109/72
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Blue Tees: 390 yards
White Tees: 378
Red
Tees: 318
The first hole at Franklin Park Golf Course is a
relatively forgiving hole, as any first hole should be. There is
plenty of room on the left, but a pushed or sliced tee shot (for
right-handers) could flirt with out-of-bounds on the right, as this
hole is adjacent to the street. A small bunker guards the left side
of the small postage stamp green, so an accurate second shot is
called for. Up-and-down is easier from the front or right side of
the green.
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Blue Tees: 316 yards
White Tees: 302
Red
Tees: 302
The second hole is a slight dogleg left. There is
not much trouble off the tee and it is a short hole, so a lay-up mid
to long iron shot will leave you with a short iron into the slightly
elevated green. However, a pushed shot may leave you behind the
large trees and boulder that protect the green on the right. Best to
play left, so an errant tee shot will still find the short rough
and leave you with a relatively easy shot into the green. The green
is deep but narrow, and is guarded on the left by trees and on the
right by the bunker, trees, and boulder mentioned
earlier.
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Blue: 413
White: 404
Red: 401
This
hole is wide open, but is a great test of your driver and long irons
(or fairway woods). To reach the two-tiered green in regulation from
the blue and white tees, a long drive and a long uphill second shot
is required. Since this hole is a par 5 from the red tee, it is
possible to be putting for eagle if you can launch two great shots.
But you can still putt for birdie with a regulation
on-in-three.
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Blue: 187
White: 163
Red: 161
The
teeing area is on a hill. You are playing downhill to a green
well-protected by bunkers. Nothing flamboyant is called for. While
this hole works straightforward, be sure to factor in the wind for
club selection. Up-and-down is tough out of the bunkers because they
are deep and the green runs away from you. Three is a good
score.
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Blue: 352
White: 344
Red: 276
Do you
like blind tee shots? Most people do not care for them, but on this
hole you cannot see your landing area or the green. The fairway is
carved between two hills. You need to get the ball up in the air on
your tee shot and keep it left. Assuming you have made the fairway,
your second shot will be uphill to a bunkered green. This is a very
testy par four with a canted green from front to back. Bunkers await
on every side. If you are long you have got a tricky downhill chip
to a downward sloped green. Good luck!
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Blue: 384
White: 334
Red: 330
This
hole has a really cool teeing area. It is on a hill surrounded by
some stone remnants of early 20th century buildings. Sometimes you
will have an audience for your tee shot, since there is a picnic
area a little further up the hill behind you. Don't choke! Once
again, you can swing away on this downhill drive. Then, in typical
Franklin Park fashion, you have an uphill second shot to a really
tight little green. It is long and narrow, with a small bluff on the
right and sand traps below it on the left. The green is slightly
canted right to left. I would not consider this a birdie hole. Get
your par and move on.
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Blue: 392
White: 370
Red: 300
You
have reached the number one handicap hole from the blue and white
tees at Franklin Park. This hole is a severe dogleg right. The tee
box is on a hill. On the right is a pond surrounded by trees. The
fairway slopes to the right as well, so any tee ball that is weakly
hit or sliced is going to find either the trees or the pond. The
perfect drive will be in the left part of the fairway, which will
leave you a fairly long shot into a long, narrow elevated green.
Super-long high ball hitters can take a chance and try hitting
directly over the trees and pond. The green is protected by a couple
of small trees and bunkers on the left which shields the eighth tee.
The green is large and you could theoretically have an extremely
long putt, depending upon where the pin is set. Three putts are not
uncommon on this green due to the severe left ro right slope. Par is
a great score.
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Blue: 180
White: 149
Red: 131
Here
is a nice little par 3 that requires a mid to long iron, depending
on your length. There are bunkers surrounding the green. But, a
well-struck shot on or short of the green should allow you a shot at
birdie or par.
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Blue: 345
White: 331
Red: 323
Hole
number 9 is a slight dogleg right with a blind tee shot. Out of
bounds is to the right. A well-struck tee shot leaves you a short
iron in. The green is large but is friendly and receptive. A nice,
easy finishing hole for the front nine. Hopefully you put up a good
number here, because things are about to get
tougher!
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Blue: 345
White: 299
Red: 288
From
the back tees this hole provides a somewhat obscured tee shot. The
back tee is on a hill tucked amidst trees and boulders. It is a much
more intimidating shot than from the front trees, which are set at
fairway level. Once again the tee shot is pretty wide open with a
wide fairway and relatively thick rough on either side. The green is
extremely elevated with thick rough growing on the hill in front,
and a deep bunker protecting the green just past the rough. It is a
small green and anything short or long is going to make for a tough
up and down.
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Blue: 514
White: 502
Red: 424
Number
11 is a good par 5 and only the longest ballstrikers could think of
hitting this elevated green in two shots. Even then, the second shot
would have to be extremely high and soft. It is a gentle dogleg left
and easily reachable in three shots. From the back tee it is very
tempting to hit your drive over the small trees lining the left side
of the hole. Just make sure you get it up in the air so you do not
get stymied by one of those trees. The green is extremely elevated
with trouble to your right and behind. A couple of bunkers in front
will catch those third shots that are short. The green is wide but
shallow, and a shot over the green leaves you with a downhill touch
shot that can leave you feeling uncomfortable.
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Blue: 407
White: 382
Red: 371
This
is the famous "Bobby Jones" hole. Legend has it that Bobby Jones
practiced on this hole and the area just to the right of the fairway
when he was attending Harvard. This is an extremely difficult hole.
It is virtually all uphill sloping left to right. The fairway narrows
and is protected by groves of trees on either side. You must hit a
perfect drive to have a chance of hitting the green with your second
shot. The green itself is elevated and trouble lurks to the right
and behind. This hole is listed as the number four handicap hole,
but I personally think it should be number one or
two.
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Blue: 145
White: 138
Red: 105
This
is a rather testy little downhill par 3. It is extremely short, but
there are all kinds of trouble if you are long. If you go over the
green, which you are apt to do, you will find a brush, rough, and
trees to contend with. Too short and you may catch the bunker to the
right, or find yourself with a tricky downhill chip to a green
canted away from you. Even holding your tee shot on the green is
tough due to the greens' front to back slope.
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Blue: 359
White: 338
Red: 259
Here
is another blind tee shot. You are hitting straight into the side of
a hill. There is plenty of room on both sides of the fairway, but
also lots of thick rough. Better to play your tee shot to the left
side. Above the hole, to the right, is much more problematic as
there is thick rough.
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Blue: 162
White: 152
Red: 148
It
seems like I am always hitting uphill! On this mid-iron par 3 you
should hit one or two clubs more than you normally would from this
distance. A high ball hitter has a distinct advantage on this hole.
The best shot is an extremely high shot that lands soft. No
extraordinary undulations on the green, but it is fairly large and
quick. It sits on top of a hill and is often quickened by the sun
and wind. A very demanding par three.
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Blue: 343
White: 327
Red: 322
Put
away your driver! As a matter of fact, put away anything longer than
a five iron! On this hole you are firing downhill into a chute. The
fairway is very narrow and lined by trees on both sides. At about
150 yards out the fairway begins to descend, ending at a creek. The
green lies past the creek and is two-tiered. It is important to get
on the right level with your second shot. Once again there are
bunkers to collect errant shots.
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Blue: 288
White: 267
Red: 210
This
is the second of the two consecutive chute holes. Only on this one
you are teeing off directly in front of the creek you just crossed
on the last hole. Plenty of trees on the right and left again. The
green is elevated and very canted. The really big hitters can try
and drive the green. You can use anything from a five iron to a
driver off the tee. This is a real birdie hole so go get
'em!
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Blue: 485
White: 462
Red: 371
The
final hole finds you teeing off from the top of a hill, over some
rough and trees on to the fairway below. Try to stay left, since you
can get blocked on your second shot if you get too far right. The
second shot is virtually straight uphill, and you can reach the
green in two if you leave yourself enough room to get up and over
the hill. Too close to the hill and you may find yourself with a
slightly uphill lie and no chance to hit the green. The green is
long and large, but rolls well. Another birdie hole, and a chance to
whittle down that score a little. Now your round is complete and you
are right next to the luxurious Franklin Park clubhouse and ready to
settle the match with some great cold refreshments in the spacious
lounge. Hope you have as much fun playing as I have had describing
the course.
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