Men’s Handicap: 11    Ladies Handicap: 13

The second hole is the shortest par 5 on the golf course. The back tees make for a beautiful tee-shot over a small pond to a semi-blind fairway. Out-of-bounds protects the entire left side of the hole, and runs behind the green. A large waste bunker, as well as our well-known long fescue can come into play on your second shot if you hit it left, and a small waste bunker also rests to the right side of the fairway around 80 yards from the green. Often this hole plays downwind and many players have a chance to get close to the green, if not on, in two shots, making our second hole the home to many eagles and birdies every year.

Men’s Handicap: 5      Ladies Handicap: 5

While straightaway in appearance, the third hole plays deceptively difficult and can easily catch you off-guard. Left once again spells trouble with both fescue and a waste bunker reachable off the tee, as well as out-of-bounds far to the left up to the 100-yard-marker. However a tee-shot up the left side of the fairway is ideal as the ball tends to run and feed toward the middle. Your approach shot into the green usually plays a bit longer than the yardage and is protected by water left, long, and along the back-right side. The third green is large and has several subtle breaks throughout, requiring a lot of attention to make a good putt.

Men’s Handicap: 9      Ladies Handicap: 15

The difficulty of the first par 3 on the course varies greatly depending on the location of both the tee boxes and the pin. Hole locations on the right side of this large, sloping green tend to play easier than when the pin is tucked on the left. A large pond to the left, between the teeing ground and the green, comes into play and makes for what can be a challenging tee shot, while a small creek over the back-left side of the green spells trouble for shots that are hit too far. Picking  the right club for the yardage can be difficult, especially on windy days.

Men’s Handicap: 17    Ladies Handicap: 11

The shortest par 4 on the golf course comes at the fifth. The wide landing area is protected by a narrow waste bunker down the right side, while the left boasts two waste bunkers of its own, as well as fescue and out-of-bounds. A solid tee-shot down the middle can leave a shorter approach shot into a wide but very shallow green that slopes steep from back to front. Distance control is a must on this hole as lush rough protects the front of the green while shots hit too far will run down the slope toward out-of-bounds that rests close behind the green.

Men’s Handicap: 3      Ladies Handicap: 3

The second par 5 on the course will require at least three shots from most players from the back tee, especially because the hole tends to play into the wind. A big drive can reach the fairway left of the tree marking the dogleg left, but most players will want to play down the middle to avoid fescue, several waste bunkers, and out-of-bounds that runs down the left side of the hole. Long shots off the tee that are too far to the right may end up in a waste bunker through the fairway, with a wall of trees making for an extremely difficult second shot out of the sand. A good drive on this hole rewards you with an open second shot without a lot of trouble, meaning you are free to swing away toward one of the smaller and flatter greens on the course.

Men’s Handicap: 7      Ladies Handicap: 7

The seventh hole sets up for a hard hit ball off the tee that shapes from the left-center of the fairway toward the middle. The rough on either side of the fairway tends to be thick and difficult to hit out of, and long tee-shots heading too far to the left will risk finding one of our smaller ponds on the course about 140 yards away from the green. Depending on where the pin is located, care should be taken on the approach to avoid trouble around this multi-leveled, long, sloping green including a medium-size grass bunker to the left and a large lateral water hazard over the back.

Men’s Handicap: 15    Ladies Handicap: 17

Like the first par 3, the eight hole requires a well struck tee-shot over a large pond toward the green. The pond also protects much of the right side of the green, which steeply slopes down toward the water, making shots that land off target almost certain to get an unfriendly bounce into the hazard. From the tee the depth of this hole can be deceptive, and the multileveled green hosts a severe slope from left to right from the top tier down to the bottom. Being on the wrong part of the green in relation to the pin can make for extremely difficult putts in either direction.

Men’s Handicap: 1      Ladies Handicap: 1

The closing hole on the front 9 is also the longest par 4 on the front and as it stands is the number one rated handicap hole on the course. Out-of-bounds and a large waste bunker run along the left-hand side of the hole, while the rough down the right side of the fairway tends to grow thick and long. Not to mention that usually the ninth tends to play directly into the wind. The approach shot into this very large green often plays longer than the yardage, sometimes by as much as an entire club, and you can easily end up with a putt across a sloping green that spans well over 50 feet.

Men’s Handicap: 14    Ladies Handicap: 12

While just 369 yards from the back tee, the back 9 starts with a difficult par 4 that requires good course management and a precise tee-shot to avoid trouble. A ball hit long or right will find trouble either in a large pond through the fairway or blocked out from the green by the large, unforgiving tree that rests on the waters edge. Shots too far to the left also spell trouble, with out-of-bounds, large waste bunkers, and a lateral hazard all in play off the tee. The best play is down the middle, leaving just under 150 yards into the extremely wide tenth green, however a risky shot off the tee can leave longer hitters with just a wedge in their hand giving a great chance at a birdie to start off this nine.

Men’s Handicap: 6      Ladies Handicap: 4

The eleventh hole is the longest on the back 9. Most players will require at least three good shots to reach the green, but longer hitters have been known to have a chance to reach in two. Left of the hole is out-of-bounds from tee to green, and large waste bunkers guard the left all the way down. A good tee shot will hug the right side of the fairway. A large mound of fescue, surrounded by a waste bunker will spell trouble for shots into the green that miss left, and the large green can be difficult to navigate due to slope from back to front and away from the center both left and right.

Men’s Handicap: 18    Ladies Handicap: 14

Rated as the 18-handicap hole on the course, the twelfth is a relatively straightforward par 4. Trouble along the left-hand side of the hole comes in the form of out-of-bounds, a long and narrow waste bunker, and a fair amount of fescue near the landing area for your tee-shot. Approach shots into the green will find plenty of room on this large green that can allow for both very makeable chances for birdie and extremely difficult two-putts depending on where the pin is. Several yards right of the green is a small patch of fescue that can make for a tough up-and-down if you find yourself in it.

Men’s Handicap: 16    Ladies Handicap: 16

The last par 3 that requires you to hit over water comes on the thirteenth, a short and beautiful par 3. The green is large but does not leave a lot of room for error if you come up short, so it is important to take enough club to carry all the way to the green. Missing the green left, right or long all can make for difficult chips onto a sloping green, but solid approach shots have been known to lead to a lot of birdies on this great hole.

Men’s Handicap: 2      Ladies Handicap: 2

Our signature hole is number 14, a 416 yard dogleg-left par 4. The hole has a narrow creek running down the entire left side of the fairway until it crosses the dogleg about 140 yards from the green. Long hitters are often tempted to cut the corner by hitting over the dogleg, facing the risk of O.B. left, and a narrow gap protected by tall trees that can leave you blocked out on the next shot. If you, like most players, choose not to cut the corner, be sure not to hit through the fairway as shots hit to far will find themselves in a lateral water hazard. Once you get your tee shot in play, you must then deal with an approach shot into a severely undulated green, with a pond guarding the right side. Birdies here are rare, and even par can prove difficult to come by. This is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding holes to play in the area.

Men’s Handicap: 12    Ladies Handicap: 10

While straightforward, the fifteenth hole is still easy to walk away from with a big number. Tee shots to the left will find a lot of trouble thanks to a large and long waste bunker that spans the length of the hole, thick and tangling fescue, and out-of-bounds. Shots missing the fairway right will be penalized with thick rough and added distance. The approach into the green plays longer than it’s yardage, and the large grass mound in the front can deceive your depth perception as there is more room between the mound and the green than you think.

Men’s Handicap: 8      Ladies Handicap: 18

Though it is the only par 3 on the golf course that doesn’t require a shot over water, it is often regarded as one of the more difficult holes Deer Park Golf Club has to offer from the white and blue tee boxes. At 176 yards from the back tee, and generally playing into the wind, a good mid- or long-iron is required to hit the green here. Short of the green is a wide waste bunker, as well as a dry rock creek that functions as a hazard. The green is large and can be difficult to putt, and the surrounds are some of the thickest rough on the course, making for a difficult area to chip.

Men’s Handicap: 10    Ladies Handicap: 8

A favorite among many at our club, the seventeenth is a great risk-reward par 5. Tee shots hit too far to the right will find themselves blocked out from a good second shot by a collection of trees, while shots hit too far to the left will find waste bunkers, fescue and out-of-bounds. A good drive for most players will hug the left side of the fairway, with longer hitters potentially wanting to opt to ‘cut the corner’ as the fairway drifts left before cutting back to the right toward the green. The second shot on this hole will test your abilities as a good drive will tempt many players to go for the green in two, requiring a long, forced carry over a pond to a green almost completely surrounded by water. The safer play is to lay up in the fairway left of the pond and play a wedge or short iron into the green from there. The green slopes hard from back to front, and this hole regularly finds itself home to both eagles and big numbers.

Men’s Handicap: 4      Ladies Handicap: 6

The closing hole to our club is the longest par 4 on the course and makes from a great challenge to end the day. It’s important to get off the tee well to set up a good approach shot into the green. The left is guarded by out-of-bounds and a final waste bunker, while the right is protected by more thick rough. On the approach, getting close to the pin can be difficult due to a multi-leveled green with a severe slope between the front and back tiers. Care should be taken to ensure a big number on the last hole doesn’t ruin a great round.