Course Breakdown: Kingsley #17
The 17th hole at Kingsley has undergone the most changes since the course opened. When I started working here in 2011, this hole actually had two fairways. Before that, the hole was lined with trees on both sides of the fairway. Luckily, Google Earth came through and has overhead photos from prior years, so I could see how it used to be.
The hole is most memorable for its giant ski-slope fairway after the left fairway bunkers. A ball dropped from the top of the slope will roll another 70 yards down to the bottom. A good drive can easily lead to the longest drive of your life, followed by an iron shot into this tough, elevated green. When you factor in the significant downhill on this shorter (510-yard) par 5, the hole uses other methods to keep golfers from thinking too highly of themselves.
Looking at the overhead, you can tell this is a tough driving hole. There’s all sorts of trouble in the typical landing zone, and golfers need to choose either the left or right set of bunkers to challenge. From the blue tees, the right bunkers are about 210 to 230 yards to carry. The left set of bunkers is about 225 yards to reach. Shorter hitters should aim left.
The area you must avoid is the right bunkers or beyond them, where the trees come into play. You’ll either be in an awkward bunker or blocked out by the right-side trees. From here, your best option might be to play a shot that trickles down the ski slope, leaving you with about 175 yards uphill to the green.
A miss left puts you in the left bunkers, but at least you’ll have a good angle to advance the ball up the fairway. This area used to be fairway, but that was a long time ago, and now the native grass is thick. If your ball is sailing left, make sure to pick a good reference point that your ball was flying toward. It’s very easy to get lost over here, especially if the ball disappears over the downhill. If you can't see where you're needing to hit your second shot from the left side, use the bush above the last bunker as a reference point. Generally speaking, if you're short of the first two left bunkers, your aim should be directly over this spot.
You have to be careful not to hit your lay up shot too far. There is a large cross bunker short left of the green that needs to be avoided. From the top of the ski slope, this bunker is 185 yards away. When you factor for the downhill, you need to play at least 10 yards shorter to compensate.
The green is round and is protected by a massive false front short, with a handful of bunkers short and right. A ball that catches the false front will roll backward about 30 yards, coming to rest between the left fairway bunker and the shortest of the right-side bunkers. The green itself has two tiers separated by a steep ridge, creating three distinct areas. I’m going to break down each of these pin locations. The green sits 20 feet higher than the fairway, so shots from 100 yards should factor in an additional 15 yards for the uphill.
Location 1
A short par 5 usually has some tricks hidden up its sleeve, and the front pin on 17 is its pride and joy. This area is an incredibly small ridge on the green that places a huge emphasis on distance control. Too short, and your ball catches the false front and rolls back 30 yards. Too far, and you’re on the green, but the ridge you have to putt down is incredibly fast. Depending on course conditions, you might not even be able to stop the putt when aiming at the hole. This can come down to which direction the wind is blowing and the green speeds. When I know the pin is in this location, I choose my club with the idea that I’d rather be short than long. It really pains me to see a good shot come up just short and roll backward, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I missed long and then putted off the green—especially to a position I should have favored from the start. The more right your angle of approach, the more green you have to work with. The front right bunkers are not a bad spot to be.
Location 2
This pin location is arguably the easiest on the hole. Much like the front pin, you have a better angle if you’re coming in from the right. The middle ridge can act as a backstop, allowing some creativity to get the ball close. A miss right is preferred over left because you always want to be chipping into the hill instead of down it. When the pin is in this location, I try to leave myself about 80 yards from the right side of the fairway. It forces you to carry the bunkers but gives you the best angle to hit one close.
Location 3
The back left pin location has the least amount of danger surrounding it but is the toughest to get close to. Because of the uphill approach, balls tend to land and take a big kick forward due to the altered angle of descent. You must hit the ball far enough to get over the ridge, but a few yards too far, and you’ll end up on the back fringe with a quick downhill putt or chip. Unlike the first two locations, a miss left is better than right. When the pin is in this spot, I prefer to take a full swing to generate as much spin and height as I can. My favorite wedge for this shot is my 54*, which has a 110-yard carry. I try to leave myself 95 yards so I can hit the 54* full and be perfectly adjusted for the uphill.
