How to play...The Frog

A hole by hole course management walk through with Troyce Postell

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Hole 1 - Par 4

The first hole can be deceiving. You have two bunkers to your right that are in play if you tee off with a long iron or hybrid. You are better off staying slightly to the left side of the fairway or dead center. Should you feel bold enough to use a driver you will definitely need to keep yourself on the left side of the fairway. Should you play a driver down the right side, and carry the bunkers, you will end up in a gully with an blind uphill shot into the green anywhere from 130 to 155 yards. The green sits on an elevated surface with a massive drop off to the right. With that being said you don't want to leave yourself short and left as it is protected by a greenside bunker. I typically play a five iron off the tee to leave myself with a 170 to 180 yard shot into the green. I always aim for the center to eliminate any chance of error. Missing the green here could potentially add 2 to 3 strokes to the hole.

Hole 2 - Par 4

This hole is tempting. You can see the green from the tee box, but you’ll really need to light the candle to get there. From the back tees, driving the green is out of play. I tee off with a 5 iron and keep to the middle or right side to avoid the 3 large bunkers that run the length of the fairway on the left. If you don’t carry at least 200, there is a massive bunker on the right side of the fairway as well. Just when you think you’re home free with a clear shot to the green, you have a massive greenside bunker guarding the middle to right side of a lateral green. Typically, you want to aim for the middle or left side of the green and go from there.

Hole 3 - Par 3

This hole has always been one of my favorite par 3’s. It has a small greenside bunker guarding the front middle of the green and a smaller one on the left side. If you’re going to miss, miss to the right side. It has a large kidney shaped green with a plateau on the back. If you land anywhere on the front of the green, you can guarantee a long uphill putt if the pin is in the back.

Hole 4 - Par 5

High risk high reward is the name of the game here. You can hit a driver into an extremely narrow fairway between a pond on the right and a set of bunkers on the left, or you can hit a wood or long iron into the wider part of the early fairway. If you manage to get yourself up into the narrow part of the fairway, getting on in two is in play. The far end of the pond is lined with a massive bunker that hides the fairway on the other side. Pick a line and trust it if you are laying up. The green sits elevated with a plateau on the right side. It is guarded by a small greenside bunker. If you miss left of the green, you are looking at a tough uphill chip out of the deep rough.

Hole 5 - Par 5

If you haven't gotten enough bunkers being in play, you are sure to get your fix now. Mr. Fazio strategically placed 8 different bunkers on this one with 4 in play on your first shot off of the tee and 4 in play around the green. Driver off of the tee is a must if you want to have a chance of getting on in two on this uphill par 5. If you do choose to play a driver, aim at the 150 marker. If you don't trust it, a hybrid or long iron off of the tee aimed at the bunkers on the right will have you in a great spot for a second shot in. The green is protected by 3 greenside bunkers and a 4th bunker short and left that pinches the last bit of the fairway. There is a backstop behind the green, but it trickles down into the rough between the treeline and the green.

Hole 6 - Par 4

This is another tempting hole. You can choose a driver and go for the green, but it will take the perfect left to right ball flight to get around the towering pines on the right. I usually play a 5 iron to the middle of the fairway and have a pitching wedge in. Beware the bunker on the left side of the fairway. There is a greenside bunker that runs the entire depth of the left side of the green. Anything long is no man’s land as the tree line is only 10 feet from the back of the green. Should you need to make a pitstop the restrooms are right next to the tee box.

Hole 7 - Par 4

This dogleg left has plenty of danger on both sides. Anything left is in the woods with a red stake hazard and anything to the right runs the risk of trees and 3 bunkers. As a right handed player, I always play a cut off of the left side tree line. This leaves me with a wedge into a green guarded by a small greenside bunker on the front left. Anything left of this green is no man's land to a drop off with the thickest rough that you’ve ever hit from.

Hole 8 - Par 3

If the natural wetland area between the tee box and the green doesn't intimidate you enough, the pond right behind the green will. There is a hill on the right that slopes back down to the green but has thick rough. There is also a small bunker left of the green. I play a long iron at the middle or right side of the green. Know your yardage and trust it!

Hole 9 - Par 4

This uphill par 4 is beautiful with 3 bunkers that line the right side of the fairway. There is a group of trees that stick out just enough into the fairway from the left side to intimidate you off of the tee. A driver here isn’t frowned upon, but missing the fairway here can betray you. For your second shot, the green is so elevated that you can’t see the surface. Aim for the 3 pines behind the green and trust your yardage. Anything short will roll another 20 yards back down the hill.

Hole 10 - Par 4

This hole gives you plenty of room to hit a driver off of the tee. The tea boxes are elevated and you can see the entirety of this beautiful hole.There is a creek that runs the entire length of the hole on the right side and scattered pines on the left. There are two large bunkers that are in play on the left side of the fairwayIf you are a long hitter. The green is protected on the front left side by a green side bunker and I would advise you to always go for the middle of the green with your second shot in.

Hole 11 - Par 3

This par three usually requires a mid iron and has bunkers that line the entire right side of the hole. The back of the green is plateaued higher than the front. Aim for the middle and trust your yardage. Anything long will end up in deep rough or the woods.

Hole 12 - Par 4

This slight dog leg right has bunkers on each side of the fairway. Should you tee off with a driver it is easy to carry the bunkers on the right but note that if you end up in the trees on the right your windows at the green are limited. If you are a long hitter then your second shot will have a downhill lie over a wet weather area to an elevated green that is surrounded by rough.

Hole 13 - Par 5

This beast of a hole has everything thrown at you. The right side of the fairway drops off into the woods with three bunkers between the fairway and the tree line. If you are a long hitter there is a small bunker in the dead center of the fairway over the hill that is not visible from the tee box. The smart play is to lay up to the left side of the fairway with your second shot or you can take a gamble with a wood and go for the green over the pond on the right. Anything long of the screen will end up in the wood line.

Hole 14 - Par 4

The signature hole has a natural waste area to the right along with a pond that pinches the fairway for any long hitter off of the tee. A long iron or hybrid off of the tea is the conservative play here. A driver is for the bold. If you like uphill putt then you would want to have your second shot land on the front of this kidney shaped green. Keep it in play off of the tee and you will have a green and regulation.

Hole 15 - Par 4

Between the tea box in the fairway there is a pond that runs under a beautiful wooden bridge. If you need to make another pitstop the restrooms are right here next to the tee box. The same natural waste area that you saw on hole 14 is now to the right of your fairway here. Not to mention there being two small bunkers in play on the left side of the fairway. The fairway splits into two different lanes about 100 yards out from the green. Anything between those lanes are deep roughIncluding two greenside bunkers that guard the middle of this narrow lateral green. For your second shot in, I advise you to choose the right or left side of the green. Going for the middle of the green will require a more precise shot. Anything long of this green drops off into the woods.

Hole 16 - Par 3

A creek runs between the tea boxes and the green. The green is also lined by two bunkers on the right side. If you think you want to keep to the left side of the green, beware of the massive oak tree that hangs over. Your best bet is to aim for the middle of the green and trust your yardage with a mid iron.

Hole 17 - Par 4

This is a long par 4 so if you want a GIR (Green in Regulation), you'd better play driver off of the tee. If you are able to carry into the middle of the fairway and catch the down slope it will bring you into a great second shot. The fairway is lined with the bunkers on the left and a creek on the right. Your second shot is over a creek that runs between the fairway and the green. This green has a lot of depth so it's acceptable to go long here. If you are nervous about this green, club up and two putt after.

Hole 18 - Par 5

This iconic hole is absolutely beautiful with the back of the clubhouse overlooking the green. There is a small bunker in play on the left with the tree line close by and two long bunkers on the right side of the fairway. If you can carry at least 270 then you will be in a great position to attempt being on in two. The conservative play is to lay up because there is a creek that runs between the fairway and the green. As you move down the fairway on 18, you can't help but stop and take in the atmosphere. This is one of my favorite finishing holes in the state of Georgia. If you end up long on this green, there is a bunker to the left and extremely deep rough. The green has three tiers and you are better off landing on the middle tier to ensure a two putt finish.

The Frog Course Review