Crosswater Detail
This review is written from the white tees, which are only 6185 yards. As the name "Crosswater" implies, there are a lot of forced carries. While the blue tees at 6811 yards are within the reach of most bogey golfers on most courses, they'll be a fairly miserable experience on this course. There are also silver tees that play at 7273 yards, which you should be a low single-digit handicap to play, and a set of gold tees at 7683 yards in case you're a touring pro on vacation. The white tees are plenty of course, trust me!
The first hole is meant to ease you into the course, while still giving you a flavor for what you're in for. The tee shot can be played a couple of different ways. The preferable one is to hit a mid iron off the tee to ensure you land in the fairway. A second midiron shot will leave you pretty close to the green, from which you can chip on and either one-putt for par, or two-putt for bogey. If you're willing to brave one of the many fairway bunkers, you can hit a driver, and then be able to follow up with a wedge or a short iron, if you can keep it in the fairway. Whatever you do, don't miss the green left. There's a big collection area over there, with a steep chip onto the green that is very ticklish. Far better to miss short.
The second hole is a short (from the whites) par 5, playing 485 yards (from the golds it's 582 -- shudder). There's a lake down the left side of the fairway, and because of the short length of the white tees, it's in play on your first shot if you get a good hit. So you want to favor the right side on this hole. There is some room on the right (burms, sand traps) if you're a little wild. The second shot doesn't have to be long, but it does have to be straight. A six or seven iron should be plenty. The third shot needs to be accurate because the green is not very large, and there's a bunker on the back right corner of the green. There are some subtle slopes on this green, so make sure you look at the putt from both sides.
The third hole is an interesting par 3. The green is elongated from back right to front left. There is sand all down the right, and OB left. Playing to the left front edge of the green is a good strategy if the pin is anywhere on the front half of the green. If the pin is back, take plenty of club and aim for the middle of the green.
The fourth hole is really what this whole course is all about. You have a forced carry off the tee over a swamp. The fairway then doglegs left around another swamp, and the green curls in behind the swamp. If you hit your driver, stay to the center and right side. The farther right you go, of course, the farther your second shot is into the green. However, if you get too far left, you can get a kick off the hill into that swamp in front of the green. From the white tees, this hole plays 344, and is very manageable. From the blues it's 368, and is a little more ticklish. From the silvers it's 393, and I don't know... From the golds it's 413, and it is fierce.
The fifth hole is more of the same. It is 357 yards from the whites, and it's narrower than #4. The forced carry looks a little longer, and furthermore, the closer you get to the green, the narrower the fairway gets. It's like a funnel -- from 100 yards out, the fairway is only about 10 paces wide. So your tee shot needs to be straight -- I was scared to death to try a driver. I hit my five iron, but not very well, and wound up with 210 yards to the pin. Being a wuss (and realizing that I'm the Bogey Golfer), I laid up on my second shot, hit a lob wedge in on the third, and made a scary downhill six footer to save par anyway! The critical thing here is to stay in the fairway. (By the way, the golds are 460 yards, and I have no idea how a Bogey Golfer would play this hole from back there. Ernie and Vijay would hit a three wood and a nine iron, I guess...)
Number 6 is another short par 5. Pay attention to the view off the back tees as you're driving by. Then thank The Bogey Golfer that you've been encouraged to stay the hell off them. The white tees are hard enough! (The back tees are 635 yards.) The first difficulty you face is that a driver can run through the fairway if you pick the wrong line off the tee. The best line is right over the big burm on the right. If that bothers you, you might want to consider hitting a fairway wood or a long iron instead of a driver. This is an okay strategy because the hole is only 471 yards. On your second shot, you'll see that the fairway splits in front of the 150 marker. Either way is fine, just stay out of the junk! The third shot needs to be accurate because the green is a bit dome-shaped, and if you're too long or too short, you'll roll down the hill. Short is probably a little better than long.
The seventh hole is a testy par 3. It's only 177 yards, but the path is strewn with obstacles in the form of sand traps and burms, and yes, a forced carry over a swamp. The bailout is short left, where a flat area leaves you an easy chip. Bogey is a good score on this hole.
Number 8 is a strategy hole. The strategy is to keep from hitting it into the river! At 336 yards, you probably don't want to be hitting a driver. The river and the natural area in front of it begin about 115 yards from the pin, so adjust your tee club accordingly. There are bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway. Aim at the 150 mark. On your second shot, take plenty of club. Far better to land in one of those traps behind the green than in the river.
The ninth hole is another one that you'll thank the Bogey Golfer for steering you clear of the back tees. From the back, it's a monster 456 yard par 4 over the river. From the white tees (go across the bridge), it's a more sedate 355. There's room to hit your driver if you're not too wild. The green slants down to the front right corner, where there's a collection area. Everything wants to go there if you're the least bit short. Pay close attention to the pin placement, and take plenty of club to reach it.
#10 looks harder than it really is. There is natural area everywhere, which makes you want to play an iron off the tee in order to accurately place your shot. Ignore all this, and hit your driver! Favor the center and left side of the fairway, and get all the distance you can. Your second shot needs to clear the swamp in front of the green, and the closer you are, the happier you'll be. Take plenty of club, and take dead aim.
The eleventh hole is 386 yards. Driver is a good play here, but don't stray too much to either side. There is a natural area and a bunker on the left, and rough (with trees) on the right. The green has some interesting protection around it too, in the form of burms and bunkers. Landing short and left leaves you well positioned for a bump and run chip shot.
#12 is a long par 5, at 572 yards. (From the gold, it's 687 yards, just to keep yourself calibrated about the wisdom of countermanding The Bogey Golfer's recommendations about tee selection.) You'll want to hit driver off the tee, and you'll want to favor the right side of the fairway. The left has a long lake and a fairway that will tend to give you left hand kicks. Take a gander at some of the log cabins along this hole. I doubt that the early settlers had it this good... Long irons and fairways woods are definitely in order for your second shot, assuming you got a decent drive. (If you didn't, play whatever you need to play to get you in position to feel good about hitting a fairway wood or a long iron.)
#13 is only 137 yards, but it's all forced carry over a swamp. Pick plenty of club, and hit it cleanly -- it's better to be long than short!
#14 is a 343 yard par 4, which is pretty short (at least from the white tees). Driver is a good selection here, because the fairway is plenty wide. A short iron into the green leaves you a fighting chance to actually make a par!
#15 is another kettle of fish entirely. There's a huge swath cut through the trees, but half of it is devoted to rough and sand traps. Your tee shot needs to be straight, and it needs to stay left. If you take three shots to reach the green, that's okay. Just stay out of all the trouble on the right side!
#16 is a tricky par 5. It's only 503 yards, but you don't get to use driver off the tee. Any shot longer than 210 yards is in trouble because of a swampy area that crosses the fairway. A midiron shot on your second is plenty -- it should get you inside the 150 yards marker. The green here is truly a piece of work. It is dome shaped on all sides. Ordinarily good-looking shots will roll to the top of a ridge, nearly stop, and then roll into a collection area. Short is better than long, but if you can land a high shot soft in the middle of the green, that's the ideal approach. Bogey is a good score here, despite the hole's short length.
#17 is a gnarly 204 yard par 4. There's a forced carry over a swamp, and bunker on the left. There's a little bit of a bail-out short right, if you don't quite reach the bunker. Bogey is a good score here too!
#18 is another strategy hole. Do NOT hit it more than 10 yards further than the 150 yard marker. There's a natural area, plus the Dechutes River to content with. Of course your second shot is going to be 140-180 yards of forced carry. Gulp. Take plenty of club. Hit it sweet. Double bogey is actually a pretty score here. The handicap is only 10, but frankly, I don't get it!
That's Crosswater. It's a great course. Stay on the whites, and you can have fun. Go back to the blues, and you'll need a couple extra sleeves of balls. And if you're good enough to play on the silvers and golds, you don't need to be reading this particular column.
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