Hole By Hole
No. 1
Par 5 Tees: Black 503, Green 491, White 482, Silver 475, Tan 393 Handicap 7
Your round opens with a Par 5 slight dogleg to the left. Drive the ball at the bunker straight ahead of you. Next you must decide if you are going to try to knock it onto the narrow green or lay-up in the spacious landing area. If you go for the green, be mindful of the ditch that is exposed on either side of the fairway about 40 yards short of the green. Once on the green, try to capitalize as it is one of the flattest on the course.
No. 2
Par 4 Tees: Black 305, Green 295, White 295, Silver 295, Tan 260 Handicap 15
What you see is what you get on this short Par 4. If you choose to try to knock it on the green be careful not to put it in one of the two deep green-side bunkers. The smarter play is to put it in the fairway and leave yourself a full iron shot in to the extreme back-to-front pitched green. Take care to stay below the hole.
No. 3
Par 4 Tees: Black 469, Green 443, White 420, Silver 320, Tan 317 Handicap 3
A good drive favoring the right side is necessary to start this long, difficult, and picturesque Par 4. Even a good drive will leave you with a longer shot down the hill to the green with the beautiful lake behind it. It should play about half a club shorter down the hill. Try to get your shot on the same tier as the pin as this green has a lot of shape to it.
No. 4
Par 3 Tees: Black 211, Green 186, White 171, Silver 117, Tan 114 Handicap 11
Don’t be fooled by this basic looking Par 3. Many golfers don’t take into consideration the uphill shot and come up short. Take at least one extra club on your tee shot to make sure you get there and give yourself a good chance at a birdie putt.
No. 5
Par 5 Tees: Black 548, Green 528, White 481, Silver 480, Tan 406 Handicap 5
A long, wide-open tee shot welcomes you on this Par 5. The real difficulty comes next when you must decide to go for the green or lay-up. There is a large silver maple tree in the middle of the fairway at the 100 yard point. The green is hidden down the hill and behind three small ponds. It’s typically best to lay-up just past the tree and try to wedge it close. This green is separated in the middle by a large mound. Five is a good score on this hole.
No. 6
Par 4 Tees: Black 411, Green 351, White 333, Silver 329, Tan 266 Handicap 9
A good drive down the fairway of this rolling, tree-lined Par 4 leads you a short iron to the green. Take care to miss the green-side bunker, and the subtle breaks on the green provide good chance at a birdie.
No.7
Par 3 Tees: Black 176, Green 146, White 132, Silver 128, Tan 107 Handicap 13
Forget about the water on this Par 3 and carry your shot to the green which is pitched hard back-to-front. Precision is necessary as hitting the green doesn’t guarantee a 2-putt par.
No. 8
Par 4 Tees: Black 457, Green 421, White 393, Silver 333, Tan 328 Handicap 1
This is one of the most difficult Par 4’s you’ll play. A difficult and demanding tee shot to a sloping fairway begs for a draw off the tee. Manage a good drive and you’ll still have a lot of work ahead of you down this long, tree-lined fairway with out-of-bounds to the left. The slightly elevated green features plenty of undulation and provides a challenging finish to this hole.
No. 9
Par 3 Tees: Black 209, Green 183, White 157, Silver 152, Tan 127 Handicap 17
A nice Par 3 closes out the front 9. The left side is out of bounds, and bunkers protect the left and right front of the green, which ramps severely from left to right. The right pin placement lends itself to a great opportunity for a hole-in-one.
No. 10
Par 4 Tees: Black 428, Green 401, White 376, Silver 325, Tan 320 Handicap 10
No. 10 is one of Ellsworth Meadows’ prettiest Par 4’s. Out-of-bounds threatens from your left, but there’s ample space to hit your drive onto the fairway. The green is set back, surrounded by trees and bunkers. Advance down the fairway as your shot into this green will be over a large, deep bunker protecting the front of the green. You’ll love the look into this green but hate your shot if you can’t clear the bunker. A mound in the middle of the green separates the front and back.
No. 11
Par 5 Tees: Black 538, Green 500, White 475, Silver 470, Tan 413 Handicap 8
You’re out of bounds to the left, and a water hazard looms to the right on this beautiful Par 5. Keeping a drive in play is more crucial than distance. Your second shot to the elevated fairway must clear a large fairway bunker to a spacious landing area in front of the green. If going for it, beware of the small pot bunker in front of the green. A hump in the middle of the green calls for you to land hole-high as putting over it is quite a challenge.
No. 12
Par 3 Tees: Black 193, Green 172, White 137, Silver 132, Tan 12 Handicap 18
Be wary of this innocent-looking Par 3. It’s hard to tell, but you’re typically hitting into the wind here, and that makes choosing the proper club difficult. This is definitely a green where you do NOT want to get above the pin.
No. 13
Par 4 Tees: Black 385, Green 379, White 371, Silver 359, Tan 303 Handicap 6
This Par 4 calls for a very tight tee shot. Be careful not to bail out too much right as there is a pond at the bottom of the hill just past the trees. A drive to the 150-yard post or beyond will give you a nice opportunity to hit your next shot over the pond in front of the elevated green. Stay below the hole as this green slopes pretty significantly back-to-front.
No. 14
Par 3 Tees: Black 209, Green 181, White 154, Silver 149, Tan 126 Handicap 16
There’s plenty of space on this Par 3 to land on the large, kidney-shaped green, yet many prefer the pond that lays to the front-right of the green. This is a great birdie opportunity for those who hit the green.
No. 15
Par 4 Tees: Black 464, Green 433, White 418, Silver 321, Tan 317 Handicap 2
This long, uphill dogleg left Par 4 will test even the most skilled golfer. A good drive toward the 150-yard post will leave an uphill shot to the green. Take an extra club to get up this hill to the huge green. Aim for the middle of the green as the false front will roll your shot back 30 yards.
No. 16
Par 4 Tees: Black 391, Green 367, White 359, Silver 352, Tan 296 Handicap 14
Tee it high and let it fly on this downhill, tree-line, picturesque dogleg right Par 4. Bigger hitters will challenge the trees lining the right side of the fairway to leave a short wedge to the green. Others will play a tee shot down the right side of the fairway and have a mid-to-short iron approach. Shots played up the left side like to run through the fairway and get blocked out by the trees. The very accessible green appears to be pretty flat, but has some subtle breaks in it. This is a great birdie opportunity.
No. 17
Par 5 Tees: Black 521, Green 493, White 487, Silver 481, Tan 389 Handicap 4
This is the signature hole at Ellsworth Meadows, and the Par 5 has everyone talking about it after their round. A wide-open, slightly downhill tee shot running toward the lake is the only easy shot on this hole. Favor the right side to make your second shot easier. Decide whether to go for it or lay-up. Going for it calls for a demanding shot that carries the water all the way to the green. Laying up short to the right is much safer and easier. Hit your shot out to the spacious fairway to the right and leave yourself a wedge into the long, skinny green. The hump in the middle-right part of this green demands you land your wedge in the proper location. If you’ve done this, you have left yourself the best opportunity for an easier putt.
No. 18
Par 4 Tees: Black 414, Green 397, White 362, Silver 319, Tan 317 Handicap 12
This Par 4 is a great way to complete your day at Ellsworth Meadows. Take aim at the middle of the fairway and avoid the bunker on the right side. Two ponds on both sides of the fairway shield the green. Beware on this mid-iron shot to the slightly elevated green because you are typically hitting into a slight breeze. Proper club selection may be difficult but could lead to a birdie opportunity.
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