Thunder Cove V1.0
Hole-By-Hole Documentation
Hole 1: A fairly difficult starting hole, you must find the fairway off the tee (a common theme at Thunder Cove). Even if you hit the fairway, it will be a tough green to hit in regulation; a par is a great way to start the round on this course.
Hole 2: An uphill par 3 that demands an accurate tee shot, and even more control with the flat stick. Depending on the hole location and where your ball is located, you can get some difficult 2-putts on this green.
Hole 3: A par 5 that can be reached in two with a well placed drive and accurate 2nd shot, this hole is a great place to get a birdie. However, if you miss the fairway off the tee, or even if you just end up short of the corner of the dogleg after the drive, par may be a good score.
Hole 4: Worthy of being the #1 handicap hole, you may score better on hole 3 than on hole 4. More than on most of the holes at Thunder Cove, you must find one of the two fairways; otherwise, par is almost out of the question. After finding the fairway off the tee, the best play is normally hitting close to the green, and trusting the short game to save par. If you somehow manage to get birdie here, you are probably gaining 2 shots on the rest of the field.
Hole 5: Unlike hole 3, this par 5 is meant to be a 3-shot hole. Even after hitting a good drive, you may have to hit a second shot over trees to a narrow landing area in the fairway. A par 5 where par is a good score.
Hole 6: A long par 3 with a large green. You might have to land the ball in the rough first, then have it bounce on the green in order to get the ball to stay on the green in regulation. Par shouldn't be tough, but not an easy birdie hole.
Hole 7: Normally a 90 yard shot at max, from this distance you should be able to hit the green and have a makable birdie putt. However, if you miss the green and go in one of the two pot bunkers, par may be difficult.
Hole 8: A short par 4, fairway not too hard to hit, try not to get too greedy by cutting off too much of dogleg. A small, inverted-bowl shaped green is hard to hit, even after good drive. Potential for high score if unable to deal with slope of green.
Hole 9: A par 5 with 2 fairways. Take the wide fairway and it is pretty much a 3 shot hole that should produce a makable birdie putt. Take the small fairway and you may have a shot of getting on in 2, but obviously the danger of going in the heavy rough off the tee box makes this a dangerous option.
Hole 10: The easiest hole on the course, must not get careless by missing fairway, toughest part may be getting 2nd shot clear of trees. Feature includes tree in middle of green, which may come into play. This hole should produce a birdie putt, but even this, the easiest hole, can create problems if you get in the rough.
Hole 11: A fun par 5 with a fairway that twists and turns like crazy. You may have the distance to get on in 2, but trees, rough, and a green that slopes away from the player make this a tough birdie hole for being a par 5.
Hole 12: Finally, the cove part of Thunder Cove comes into play. Although the water may only mess with your mind, the beach could come into play if you hit your tee shot short. However, going long may leave the daunting task of hitting a delicate chip shot toward the water to a downhill green.
Hole 13: Hole 12 contributed to the naming of the course, but hole 13 was the real reason for naming it Thunder Cove. The signature hole offers several options. The most used option is to hit a drive to the widest part of the fairway, followed by a short iron to the island green. It is vital to hit the fairway with this option, but unless you are 100% confident in your game, the 2nd shot will put fear in your eyes. Another option is to go for the green in 1, at least going over the green into the water so that you can drop the ball on the island for a birdie chip. There are many options and variations of these options, but the bottom line is this: There are no easy shots on this hole. The cove will come into play, and if you hit a less than perfect shot, the only should you'll hear is the thunder of your ball hitting a tree, or more likely, the water.
Hole 14: No more cove, so it gets easy, right? Wrong. Possibly the toughest hole on the course, this hole shows no mercy. Don't think eagle on this par 5. In fact, it may be best to think par. A long, grueling hole, if you can keep your ball in the fairway away from the trees, you may be able to get on in 3. However, hit the rough, and par will be a very good score. Trees, rough, and the length of the hole make this a killer par 5.
Hole 15: Dual greens, same problem: Avoid the trees and the bushes surrounding the green(s). Not a long hole, regardless of which green the pin is located, trees and bushes surrounding the green should come into play.
Hole 16: Another par 3, but very different than the last hole. A longer hole that slopes toward the player off the tee. Trees will again come into play, as they surround the green.
Hole 17: A tricky par 4. Safe shot is hitting short of bend in fairway, leaving an extremely long 2nd shot. More aggressive shot is hitting past bunker, rough, and trees to longer part of fairway, with a good drive possibly leaving a mid-iron to the pin. Enormous green with rough in the middle of it, rough in middle of green not a bad place to miss, as it leaves decent chip to any pin location. Good, aggressive drive may grant birdie; otherwise par is very good here.
Hole 18: Good finishing hole with eagle potential. Of course, as with all of the fairways at Thunder Cove, miss them and par is a good score. Can get on in 2 from either fairway. Left fairway is harder to hit, but normally makes getting on in 2 easier, because hitting to deep green without too many trees in the way. Right fairway is much easier to hit, but trees will come into play if going for green in 2, and if you decide to lay-up, could leave long 3rd shot to green.
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