Golf Course

Hole Notes:
The first hole is a short par five that offers an opportunity to get started on the right foot. Players will want to favor the right side of the fairway as the hole slope right to left. The approach shot plays downhill to a green that slopes away from the player which creates a challenge for club selection.

Hole Notes:
A short par four with a steep uphill second shot. Two bunkers guard the fairway while any greenside miss makes for a tricky up and down. Good shots on this hole will provide a player with a good scoring opportunity, however slight misses can be tough to recover from.

Hole Notes:
The third hole features the widest fairway on the course and not a single bunker. Don’t let this fool you though, as Willie Park has designed the hazards on this hole to be elevation change and uneven lies. The second shot plays roughly 10 yards uphill and is rarely a flat lie.

Hole Notes:
Another par 5 that ebbs and flows with the contours of the land. The ideal second shot is played from the left side of the fairway opening up a view of the landing area and/or green. Three bunkers left and a false front protect this steeply sloped green and create a challenge on this short par 5.

Hole Notes:
Time for a gut check. The fifth hole is the first of the long par fours at Berkshire. The tee shot plays downhill to a fairway that slopes left to right. Take on the slope and shorten the hole or play for a flat lie but add yardage. The green is elevated a bit, sloped back to front and protected on the left by a bunker.

Hole Notes:
This par three threatens to gobble up any short misses in the quarry that bisects the 6th and 9th holes. Park’s use of the quarry as a visual hazard shows a great understanding of the psychology of golf. The rock wall sits 50 yards from the front of the green but plays tricks on the golfer’s eyes and often creates doubt. The green is undulating but receptive, a true challenge of a one shotter.

Hole Notes:
The seventh hole features a tee shot with out of bounds crowding the right side of the fairway but this side does give the best approach into the three tiered green. The tiers on the green are severe enough that a ball can roll from the third tier all the way off the front of the green! The green itself is challenging not to mention the deep bunkers on either side protecting the putting surface.

Hole Notes:
One of the more unique holes in the area. The 300 yard hole has a wide fairway that ends 50 yards from the green. At this point there is a “mine field” of bunkers scattered throughout the remainder of the hole. Just short of the green the hole has a significant drop to the green which sits in its own “bowl.” You won’t find many holes like this in golf!

Hole Notes:
The front nine ends on a short par three which plays to a maximum of 125 yards. The tee shot is played downhill over the quarry to a green that slopes back to front. The green is guarded behind by a steep hill and in front by three fairly deep bunkers.

Hole Notes:
The tenth hole plays straight away from the clubhouse up over a slight rise in the property. This may be the most straightforward hole on the course but even the 10th has a unique feature. The four “Alps” mounds on the right side of the fairway can catch a tee shot just off line or obscure the view of a shot to the green. The green is undulating and protected by bunkers on both sides.

Hole Notes:
A quiet but challenging one shotter. The green here at the 11th is fairly large but for most players it takes an accurate long iron or hybrid to hit the green. The green itself is a bit of a punchbowl with the back and sides sloping severely back towards the middle of the green.

Hole Notes:
An elevated tee greets you on the longest hole on the course. The long straight fairway makes it feel like the longest hole as well. Out of bounds runs down the right side of the hole and the second shot plays back up the hill. The green slopes severely back to front and is guarded on both sides by deep bunkers.

Hole Notes:
Generally regarded as the most difficult hole on the course, this long par four plays up over a ridge to a large green. The second shot is down hill but the green sits up, repelling any ball that comes up short back down the fairway. The green is subtly two tiered and the deep bunker on the right makes for a very challenging up and down.

Hole Notes:
Fourteen is the first short par on the back nine, but don’t let the yardage fool you. Out of bounds down the right, a grove of trees on the left and a fairway that is severely sloped left to right await to challenge the player. The green complex features a false front, a rippling green, and three bunkers.

Hole Notes:
The fifteenth brings the golfer back to the clubhouse with a tee shot over “Minnie’s Ridge,” before an approach shot to the difficult two tiered green. Both sides of the green feature deep bunkers while the tier in the green itself is steep enough to push balls all the way off of its false front.

Hole Notes:
The last par three on the course plays slightly down hill to a green surrounded by bunkers on three sides. The tee shot must be played entirely through the air in order to the green as the front bunker will catch any ball that tries to run up. The green is one of the flatter at Berkshire but still has some slope to contend with.

Hole Notes:
This dogleg right par four features a fairway bunker to catch slightly errant shots but in general the difficulty on this par 4 starts with the second shot. The approach is played to a green that repels balls both front and back. The front half of the green slopes front and left, while the back half slopes towards the rear and to the left. Holding this green is the true challenge of the hole.

Hole Notes:
A final short par four, with fairway bunkers guarding the hole on both sides. The green slopes severely from back to front and is protected by bunkers both front and back. Long hitters may try to drive the green however the green complex does not guarantee an easy two putt.