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 Swampfire
– not a name that gives the golfer a sense of impending joy
on the first tee, but the course, as arguably the most
difficult at Garland Resort, is a layout designed to serve up
a stern test for the serious golfer. Water comes into play on
all but two holes here, and while the ideal play across these
stretches of water is a forced carry, many of them offer the
golfer the opportunity to tack around them as an alternative.
At 6,854 yards from the tips, there isn't an overwhelming
demand on length, but precision and execution are imperative.
The margin for error at Swampfire is minimal, and a round from
the back tees can be easily ruined by average ball-striking or
a lazy focus.
For
the weary golfer who did not work their slice out on the
range, the first two holes with water to the right off the tee
are not a welcome
sight. At the latter of the two, the challenge extends far
beyond the opening tee shot. The pond hugs the right edge of
the fairway for the entire length of the hole, with just a
yard or two of rough forming the buffer between safety and
despair. At 553 yards, shortening the task tempts players to
play along the right side, but the margin for error is
significantly reduced. The best play, particularly on the
lay-up, is a shot to the fairway's left edge, leaving a good
angle into a small green set near the banks of the lake.
If
three plays to a receptive green, its evil cousin is the
174-yard fifth and signature hole at Swampfire. A horesehoe
tee bends around one side of the pond, making it one of the
most recognizable holes on the property and offering several
different yardages and angles into the green. The longer shot
tends to be straight into a narrow green, while the shorter
play from the right offers a better angle but makes the hazard
loom more prominently. As with many par threes that require a
forced carry, a smart, solid shot to the middle of the green
is the best play.
Eight
is a great risk/reward par five in the traditional Garland
model. The hole plays straight, with bunkers protecting both
sides of the fairway off the tee, but at only 503 yards, a tee
shot that evades these troubles leaves a difficult decision. A
wide reed-rimmed stream crosses in front of the deep, round
green that is banked from back to front, so there is a chance
that fairway woods will hold the green, but a good lay-up
leaves an easy pitch to what will be an accessible and
receptive hole location. Here, the chance for eagle often
drowns any hope of birdie.
After
11 straight holes of scanning the horizon for yellow and red
hazard stakes, a respite comes in a brief two-hole stretch
that should be savoured. Neither hole, though, offers an
adequate reprieve, as 850 yards worth of par fours can hardly
be considered easy. At the par-five 14th, water returns,
irritatingly, in the form of a pond located just 266 yards
from the back tee marker. A long iron or fairway wood short of
the pond leaves the chance to play aggressively toward a
low-lying green with no defense short. In firm and dry
conditions, the green can still be reached in two, but no more
than a short pitch-and-run should be left for the
third.
The
16th hole is another hole that blends challenge and
beauty in a delicate manner, and at only 380 yards from the back
tees, it is too easily overlooked. A drive must be played well
down a narrow fairway banked on the right by a wide stream,
and the approach needs to carry that same stream to a green
set behind a large bunker in a grove of trees. This terrific
hole is often forgotten by the lasting memory of the 442-yard
closing hole at Swampfire, where a fade over the pond and
through a pair of pines acting as uprights is the ideal first
swing. Approach shots need to be directed toward the right
half of the green, to avoid the lone bunker left and set up a
good chance at a closing par.
Derive
pleasure in these precious pars, as the Swampfire Course at
Garland Resort is one of the more difficult tests around.
Fortunately, there are enough brilliant vistas and well-framed
shot values that an occasional stray ball finding the water is
rarely cause for discouragement. The experience alone takes
precedence over the numbers on the scorecard.
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