Dressed For The Dance Before Making A Date With A Birdie, Try Negotiating This New-Look Par-3

Like most holes inspired primarily by aesthetics, the most intriguing aspects of this 193-yard, uphill par-3 are best ignored by most golfers.

As part of a 1994 redesign, a small pond — surrounded by young trees, shrubs and rocks — was placed near the front left of the green. While adding to the beauty of the hole, the pond has done little to affect its playability.

The biggest change was the result of a new tee box, which has stretched the hole to 193 yards and given golfers a better view of the deep, sprawling green and original troublesome bunkers situated at the left front and right rear.

“Really, for the most part, the water doesn’t come into play that much,” explains Hangman Valley head pro Steve Nelke. “The bunker (in front) comes into play much more often — mainly because most people tend to under-club.”

The keys to playing the hole, according to Nelke, are club selection, accuracy and imagination off the tee.

“The green is medium-sized and slopes from back to front,” he says. “It’s good to hold a middle- to short-iron shot, but you can put a lot of different pin positions on it, which can change the (tee) shot quite a bit”

The hole plays 126 yards from the red tees and 166 from the whites. From the tee, low-handicappers might hit anything from a 6-iron to a fairway wood, depending on the velocity and direction of the wind. Because of the water, bunkers and nasty weeds and grasses to the right of the green, bail-out areas are at a premium.

The safest place to miss, Nelke says, is long. But if the pin is up front, a safe play off the tee is apt to result in a treacherous downhill chip or 50-foot putt for birdie.

“Most people get into trouble by hitting it short (off the tee),” Nelke explains. “But if you’re above the hole, the green can fool you, because it breaks quite a bit and it’s a lot faster than it looks.”

Still, Nelke rates the tee shot on the 11th as “one of the really fun shots on the golf course.”

And for that, he adds, you can credit the redesign.

“Really, there wasn’t much there before,” Nelke admits. “It was just an uphill, semi-blind tee shot, and if you missed the bunker, you still had a chance to pitch and putt for par. Now, you’ve got the water, which you have to at least be aware of, and the added distance.”

In the past, water would drain and collect into the low area where the pond now stands, creating an eyesore.

“Basically,” Nelke said, “we took an area that looked like hell and spruced it up.”

Graphic: The 11th at Hangman Valley