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While the first hole appears to be a straight-away par four, most players are pleased with a bogey 5 because of the treacherous three-tiered green which awaits the approach shot. Get above the hole and you will usually find yourself chipping or putting back up the hill.
Called Chicago’s toughest Par 3 in the 1960’s by the Tribune, the true test of this hole begins after you reach the green. At 32 yards in depth, the well-bunkered green is sloped from back to front and remembered for the subtle crowns that divide it into 3 sections.
While the fairway of this uphill par 4 is one of our widest, the fairway bunker on the right is a very popular landing area. Though kinder than its predecessors, the third green is protected by bunkers on each side and sloped aggressively from back to front.
Even thought the driving area is generous, the heart of this par 4 lies in the demanding second shot that plays a bit downhill to a small, elevated green. A tree and a large bunker in front of the green make any approach from the right side most difficult.
The green on this causal dogleg is hidden from the tee and a slight draw will leave the ideal approach shot. Even though the green is quite level compared to most of Midlothian, bunkers on both sides border it and subtle breaks make putting a challenge.
It is not known whether the name applies to the shape of the narrow, deep green or the high scores often recorded. Either way, a very demanding uphill tee shot and out-of-bounds on the left contribute to make this long par 4 Midlothian’s most difficult hole.
While the large green appears to be straight-away from the tee, the keys to success lie in keeping the second shot to the left of the tree-lined right side and avoiding the severe fairway bunkers. A deep green is protected by bunkers on either side and a creek behind.
One glance at the shallow green sitting quietly in the distance tells you that making par on the front side at Midlothian isn’t easy. Length, trees, bunkers and a deceptively tricky green make this hole one of the most challenging on the course.
While the landing area for the tee shot on this very long par 4 is quite generous, even the most perfectly struck approach shots often settle just short of the green or run through it because of the severe left to right slope that most members call impossible.
The tenth is probably the most difficult fairway to hit from the tee because the landing area slopes toward the rough and trees on the right side. While “Cottage Row” provides a wonderful view and the pear-shaped green is large, this is a very challenging par 4.
Eleven begins a stretch of holes that might be our most picturesque. While this is a relatively short par 4, a very narrow landing area, out–of-bounds along the right side and a very large, elevated green make this hole one that can never be taken lightly.
Even though only a short iron is required to reach this hole on many days, it had better be well struck and above all, it had better be straight because of an elevated green and the pond with “fingers” that surround the front position of the green.
Drive the ball long down the right side for an open look at the green. Hit your second shot too far left and the thick timber lining the entire left side will lock you out. A challenging green slopes from middle to front and beyond a ridge, from left to right.
There’s nothing easy about this short par 4. If water, trees and deep bunkers don’t offer enough of a challenge, the large green, severely sloped from front to back, just might. A 2006 renovation firmly established this hole as a classic “risk-reward” par 4.
While this plays as the easiest of the par threes at Midlothian, and our most straightforward hole overall, it always seems to provide more of a challenge than expected. This may be due to a prevailing breeze or the deep bunker guarding the entry to the green.
On this final par five, many of the tee shots will find fairway bunkers lining the right side of the fairway. Approach shots often stray into bunkers surrounding the green and a back-right pin placement can require an occasional “chip” from one side of the green to the other.
Drive it long and straight and you might wonder where the name came from. Hit it anywhere but straight and you’ll discover that the only thing easy about this long par 4 is the shady walk from the level, yet very difficult green to the home hole.
Water and a breathtaking view of the clubhouse make the finishing hole one of the prettiest at Midlothian. One look at the green will confirm that when Walter Hagen birdied this hole to win the 1914 U.S. Open, he kept his approach shot below the hole.