Plan Ahead Chewelah’S 15Th Requires Lengthy Course Management

Sat., June 3, 2000

Golfers of all levels are best warned to look well beyond their drives in evaluating the difficulty of this tree-lined, 520-yard par-5 that bends gently to the left.

The tee shot, according to Chewelah Golf and Country Club head professional Kim Walker, is fairly easy and can lull even high handicappers into a false sense of security.

Long hitters can straightball a drive through the fairway on the right, but the landing area off the tee is otherwise wide, flat and inviting. The hole, Walker explained, is defined by the second shot, which can leave the bold-thinking, eagle-hungry low handicapper with decisions galore.

“If you can hook your drive around the corner, you can get down to about 200 yards pretty easily,” said Walker. “But when the pin is on the left-hand side of the green, it can be tough to get to.”

Impossible, in some cases, thanks to a tall pine tree that stands at the front left of the putting surface and protects nearly a quarter of the medium-size green.

Adding to the difficulty of the second shot are a deep swale in front of the green and another tall tree short and right of the tricky putting surface, which is divided by a hogback running from its back to its front.

The toughest pin placement, Walker explained, is in the left front of the green.

“Not only is that part of the green guarded by the tree,” he said, “but if you hit it on the right three-quarters you have to putt over the hogback and down the other side. And getting it close is kind of tough.”

Future plans call for the swale in front of the green to be filled with water. But for now, it serves as a collection area for any poorly stuck or misjudged approach.

“If you hit on the downslope of the swale, your ball could actually run onto the green because of the kick you get, especially in August or whatever when it’s dry,” Walker said. “But if you get caught up on the downslope, it can make for a tough up and down.”

Walker advises high handicappers to use three shots to reach the green.

“Hit all you can hit off the tee,” he said, “and then lay up short of swale to give yourself a flat stance for that last little 50- to 80-yard shot into the green.”

The green slopes abruptly away from the middle on both sides of the hogback and gently from back to front. There are no bunkers around it.

“With the trees, swale, hogback and water, we felt it was tough enough,” Walker said.

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