Eagle Ranch - Course Detail
This writeup was done from the blue tees (6718 yards). I played it at the very end of October, and the weather was gorgeous (they would normally close by the first of November, but chose to extend the season a week because the weather had been so pleasant). The shortest par 4 is 310 yards, and there are two par 4s around 440 yards. Par 3s range from 162 to 183 (but pay close attention to windage, tee placement and pin placement!!). The longest par 5 was 569 yards (and this was slightly downhill, but with lots of trouble).
#1 is a medium length hole (365 yards), and pretty much straightaway. A good warmup hole to ease you into the round...
#2 is a 554 yard par 5, with a stream in the middle of the fairway that comes into play on your second shot. Swing away with your driver on the tee shot, and then hit a long iron to set up your final approach. There's another stream in front of the green, so you want to be playing a short iron or wedge to avoid any wetness...
#3 is a 418 yard par 4. It's wide enough to hit your driver, which is good because you'll need all the distance you can get. There are no bunkers around the green, which is also good, because you're likely to be hitting a mid iron or long iron in here.
#4 is a strategy hole. It plays only 327 yards. Trouble is easy to reach with a driver, so a bit of a layup might be advisable. Aim at the 150 pole in the middle of the fairway, probably with a three wood or hybrid. A reasonable tee shot (say, 200 yards) will leave you with a short iron or wedge into the green. There are some bunkers defending it, so pay attention to distances and pin placements.
#5 is a beautiful par 3 over a pond. It's a downhill tee shot, so you might want to back off one club, depending on the wind. Obviously, short is no good, so if you have any doubt, err on the side of extra distance.
#6 is a straightaway par 5. There's enough room to hit a driver, but it needs to be relatively straight (the rough is really rough here...). There are lots of bunkers up by the green, so use the longest club you can get away with on your second shot.
#7 is a 358 yard par 4. Since it's fairly short, you don't need a huge tee shot. On the other hand, it's wide enough to hit your driver anyway. This sets up a wedge or short iron into the green, which is a good idea due to the bunkers and undulations on the green.
#8 is a 183 yard par 3. It feels like it plays a little longer than that, possibly because of all the undulations scattered across the fairway. Pay attention to the wind, and be committed to the shot. If you're a little short, but still straight, you'll be fine.
The ninth hole is a fairly serious test. It's a 443 yard par 4, around a lake. Of paramount importance here is to get your tee shot in play (don't hit your driver if you tend to hit hooks with it). Get as close to the green on your second shot without tempting the edge of the water. Bogie is a good score here.
The tenth hole is 394 yards. Driver is a good play here, because it's slightly uphill, and you'll need all the distance you can get. There are some fairway bunkers to worry about here, but no particular need to obsess about them. The green is surrounded by burms and collection areas, so if you miss your approach shot, your short game skills will certainly come into play.
#11 is a 161 yard par 3. No muss, no fuss -- what you see is what you get!
#12 has some muss and fuss. It's a 523 yard par 5 with a split fairway. Job one -- keep your tee shot in play. There's plenty of room to hit your driver, but this hole is not so long that you have to. So any solid tee shot in the middle of the fairway is fine. Job two -- get across the creek on your second shot. Don't be too greedy with how much of the second fairway you need to go for -- just get it across (and it's easier to get across the farther right you aim. If you can execute the first two shots, you're left with a short iron or wedge into the green over a bunch of bunkers, but hey! No big deal, right?
#13 is a monster downhill par 4 (442 yards) which spills down the ridge. Aim at the 150 pole off the tee. Plenty of time to go after the dogleg on your second shot. Get that tee shot in play! After that, it's pretty straightforward, if you can stay out of the trap on the right side of the green, that is...
#14 is another strategy hole. It's only 310 yards. The first shot can be a wood or long iron -- just keep it in the fairway. This will leave a short iron or wedge to the elevated green. (I made my only birdie of the day here...)
#15 is a downhill par 3. I backed off one club, and it was a mistake. I wound up short and in the junk, probably because I didn't get a good swing on it. However, there may have been some wind up high that I wasn't aware of too.
#16 is a 569 yard par 5. This hole bends around to the right, and you can see a pond in the far distance. This combination made me do a couple of foolish things, like trying to hug the right side of the fairway. Listen up: Play it down the middle! Or even the left! You can't possible reach the pond! The first order of business is to get the ball in play, preferably by staying well away from the sand. For your second shot, there is a stream across the fairway you need to think about. Laying up is a viable option because it's not that far in to the green on your third shot. Depending on the distance, flying the stream is also an option -- there's plenty of room beside the lake. Note that the lake makes it improbable that you can reach the green in two... 'Nuff said?
#17 is ranked as the hardest hole on the course. It's 412 yards, with a stream down the right, and bunkers down the left. You probably need the distance, so use your driver. No need to kill it, just keep it in play. Favor the left side on your second shot, to ensure you stay dry...
#The home hole goes around the left side of the same lake that you went around on #9. Again, the trick here is to keep it in play on your tee shot. Favor the left side of the fairway, and don't over-extend yourself. Bogey is not a bad score here.
This is a fun course. Great golf, lots of hole shapes, lots of design features, breathtaking views, reasonably priced. | 
