GREAT Holes
No.5
PAR 5
YARDAGES
BLACK:
THE COUNTRY CLUB OF VIRGINIA
(TUCKAHOE CREEK COURSE)
524 yards
WHITE/GOLD:
454 yards
GREEN:
478 yards
F
or many, The Country Club of
Virginia’s Tuckahoe Creek Course
has always been in the shadow of
the club’s signature James River
Course, long considered one of
the premier layouts in the commonwealth.
Fortunately, great golf is in the eye of the
player, and each course has its advocates.
More recently, the Tuckahoe Creek
Course has gained converts as the result of
a renovation program that is breathing new
life into the Joe Lee design, which debuted
at CCV’s western Richmond campus in
1988. As part of the changes over the
last three-plus years, nearly 45 acres of
fescue grass has been added, significantly
enhancing the aesthetics and eye-catching
appeal of the course.
The Tuckahoe Creek layout is decidedly
modern from a golf course architecture
perspective, and the par-5 fifth is an excellent
example of a contemporary, risk-reward
10
hole. With a large body of water that must
be carried with one’s drive, the hole moves
from right to left and options abound. (In
2012, two new tees were added on the left
to bring the water more into play.) The hole,
which has a “Cape” effect, presents a dogleg
left and a cut-off-as-much-as-you-dare tee
shot. The hole tends to entice an aggressive
(some might say risky) play, because those
who find the fairway after taking a bold line
off the tee almost invites the purest ballstrikers to go for the green in two shots.
The fairway bunker on the right is more of
an aiming point than a hazard that must be
avoided on the initial shot.
The job is hardly finished for golfers
who find dry land with their drive. On
the second shot, players are faced with the
lake on the left and another challenging
decision. One option is to try to get home
in two shots, which requires negotiating a
finger of the lake that juts out and guards
the front of the putting surface. Those who
lay up short of the water must make sure
to hit an accurate shot to avoid the hazard.
Success with a precise and bold second shot
can set up a good scoring opportunity. On
V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY/F EBRUARY 2014
Master_VSGA_JanFeb_2014_v20.indd 10
RED:
395 yards
the other hand, playing safely still leaves
a delicate approach over water to a small,
subtly undulating putting surface that is
bunkered on both sides.
Challenges that test one’s decisionmaking are the marks of the best golf holes.
Sometimes the choices are so interesting
that golfers can be left thrilled with the
results of their acumen or left to secondguess themselves on other occasions.
Ultimately, these traits and high shot
values are showcased extraordinarily well at
Tuckahoe Creek’s fifth hole.
Few clubs in the United States feature
the golf and other amenities provided
to members at The Country Club of
Virginia. With more t [