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Hole 7 . Hole 7: Drop Shot 221 yards Many a first-time visitor has the opinion of "Wow!", more or less upon reaching this tee. A spectacular drop of nearly 90 feet provides an ever-memorable viewpoint. Terry Benner our caddiemaster recalls that when he started caddieing at Lehigh Country club that the clubhouse was readily visible from the tee, I'd like to see that enhanced view again. The large target is significantly sloped from front to back and has some cupping at the left and right margins of the green which create long subtle to not-so-subtle breaks and runs-out and welcomes multi-putts if the distance is not gauged correctly. The hole generally plays for the ladies as a short par 4 with a generous landing area allowing a variety of lay up shots. There is also a 150 yard tee benched into the bottom of the hill to allow golfers of all levels to go at this green in a single shot. There is no evidence that Flynn ever intended this hole to play as a par 4, only a par 3. A bit of a rarity among par 3's from Flynn there is a very large green nearly 40 yards deep and 30 yards wide. The better player will think birdie hole, but the wind can be subtle here and correctly managing spin and trajectory is needed to get the ball close. The curent photograph does not reflect the updating which melded the two right bunkers into one as originally intended. Few players ever hit it long here, but a very precise chip shot awaits the player who does. . Hole 8 .  . Hole 8: Slingshot 381 yards The landing area on this hole is out of the sight of the player most of the time. A not so subtle slope draws the ball away from the right side to the middle although a right fairway location is desired for the left and front pin positions. There was once a tee at over 440 yards, definitely proven from the 1941 scorecard memorialized with the first aceing of the long seventh. It is nicely preserved in a plaque with a timely aerial photograph from the event which hangs in the General Manager's Office. (Will hopefully add to posting soon). Restoration of this tee is currently hampered by tree growth added after the tee was abandoned. Evaluation of current property lines and aerial photographs suggests that the tee might have been built off property and that may have led to the elimination of that tee. This green is one of the most demanding that Flynn produced here at Lehigh as there is severe slope that is not apparent from the approach shot and walk up to the green. Circumstances are such that the golfer is often taken aback as the putt runs for the fairway as gravity takes hold. Flynn devised fairway cut surrounding towards the back of this green. This could potentially see life again as has the recaptured fairway cut to the left of number five green has recently been restored. There is a very nice classic bit of maintenance-design there with a swale which keeps drainage water off this green during heavier rainfall seen in the third photograph taken from behind this green. At 381 yards the hole is aided by nearly 100 feet of elevation change from green to tee. Coupled with this severe green, number eight comes in at handicap #3; be thrilled with a par on this hole. .  . . . All downhill from here. The edge of the green is a very steep slope and any ball hit from a spot near the site of this photograph will run away fairly quickly. Hole 9: Blind 415 yards .  . Hole number nine has a little bit of pleasant deception for the player and creates some doubt for many players. The overall characteristics of the hole are rather different from modern design in that there is quite a bit of blindness and semi-blindness which creates discomfort in the modern player. One of the charms and superiority of classical courses is the lack of comfort for the player, a lack of definition if you will encouraging firm convition of execution on the player's part. Even though this is the most bunkered hole on the golf course, one never has a complete comfort level as to ideal line of play. There is a downward slope the last 150 yards or so of the hole that is just subtle enough that complete visibility is never at hand unless you are playing a recovery shot near the green. There is a great right to left cant to the green and a general slope towards the back left side of the green. Knowing the pin positions and the spots to indirectly play one's approach is what adds ultimate precision and charm to this hole. Current maximum length of about 420 can easily be extended to 460 or more. Notably when Flynn originally created the Lehigh design, he designed this hole in that range length albeit giving consideration to it being a par 5. There is no evidence that a tee in the 460 yard range was originally constructed, however there are several large obstructive and grass unfriendly trees not currently in play but affecting turf growth that can easily be removed to provide an extension of this hole to as much as 475 yards, truly a proper long par 4 with today's technology. For the common handicap man at 400-415 there will remain plenty of challenge and no need to visit the back tee. . . The right greenside bunker provides a very difficult to impossible shot to many pin lcations for even the very best bunker players. Creating fairway cut length in the hollow to the left of the green will create many options for the good player befuddling him whilst allowing the handicap man a break by allowing him to try and putt up the rise onto the green. Hopefully this area will soon mimic that type of maintenance as was recently added to the left of the fifth hole. Run-up shots play an important part of approaches to many pins on this green, one of the most interesting on the course. There is a little similarity in this ninth green to the eighth green in that the right side of the green is much higher and affects putts and approaches as does the rear right flank on number 8. Eight is set at a 45° diagonal where play into number nine is straight on. . . . Hole 10: Links 427 yards .  . Approximating the view from a proposed championship tenth tee, easily this hole can be made to play470 if necessary to challenge the best players. Due to ground contours and the green complex this hole plays considerably shorter than the card. Even at 490 yards the hole would not be excessively long if kept firm. .  . Hole 10: Links 427 yards - a few less trees and a little fescue and one could futher enhance firmness and the links concept. A run up shot must be played under all but the most wet conditions on number ten. Consideration of ground countours and gravity are paramount for an effective approach. The slopes form the fairway bunker and the ground near the front of the green effectively blur the line of the edge of this putting surface. Enormous fun can be had playing shots on this hole. The pitch short of the green on the left races the ball across the surface, while at the front right a small knob must be negotioated to have those shots become properly directed towards the target of the day. To the left of this green is a fine bit of water engineering as Toomey shaped the ground to reduce the amount of water that hits this green coming from the hill above. . . Just a hint at the ground contours in play at this - the author's favorite hole at Lehigh Country Club and one of his favorite William Flynn holes anywhere. The centerline bunker is actually 45 yards short of the green and dictates the play into the green. As much as this green slopes and appearance in situ is much more extreme than is evidenced in these photographs. Ironically, the superintendent in practice uses the rear third of this green to measure representitive "Stimp Readings" for this course as it is perhaps the flattest portion of any green and allows such measurements to be most accurate. . Hole 11: Hill and Dale 501 yards . . The eleventh hole can be controversially one’s favorite or least favorite hole to play at Lehigh, but it certainly is unique, beautiful and challenging. Creatively using ground contours and slopes Flynn constructed a hole that you are very unlikely to ever see built again due to its proximity to the little Lehigh. It is not usually reminiscent of another hole to any visiting player, this hole is truly unique. Wonderful natural rolls in the landing area of a well hit drive can provide a friendly push closer to the green or a not so helpful assist into trouble. The rough especially on the left side is well-utilized on this hole. The right combination of carry, spin and trajectory are needed to stay out of varying degrees of trouble off the tee. One must hit the contours in the right place with a given shot. This delightful degree of uncertainness is often missing from modern design. Depending on relative degrees of success the second shot can get very interesting indeed. It is not unusual for a player to think that he did not get what he deserved for his well-hit tee shot. Fairness was never a consideration of the Golden Age Architects and this hole certainly helps one understand the random unpredictable nature that is epitimized in golf .
The shorter hitter getting a favorable roll may be tempted to go for the green on the other side of the creek if that player feels confident in his ability to deal with an uneven lie usually with the ball above his feet on a downhill-sidehill lie. The layup shot is not always as easy as it seems as the landing area below is rather shallow and sloped. Distance control with the elevation can again create a bit of worry. Anyone laying up will need to have a well-planned third shot in mind and not just casually play the shot willy-nilly.
If one hits a really big drive one might run through the fairway and that can be the best result of all. A nicely teed-up lie in the rough through the end of the fairway yields a shot that might fly long and high yielding a good chance at eagle if the distance control is spot on. Again you had better have a bit of luck to go with that skill of yours.
On the other hand, the unfortunate shortest and weakest hitter can sometimes be seen laying the ball up as much as two or three times and still have a shot over the water remaining. That player may just plain hate this hole. Therein lies the question of just where this hole might figure in your list of favorites at Lehigh, but it is guaranteed that you will never struggle to remember this hole!
The green is a rather small and sloped affair, however Flynn drew a much larger green than exists today completely surrounded by short grass with the green elevated. If this is restored, there will be more options at the green.
. . .  . Eleven green is currrently the smallest green at Lehigh country Club. Google Planimeter estimation is right about 4000 ft² although from 90 feet above it surely seems smaller! Original drawings (use the large drawing feature to view) suggest that the green shape was drawn less of a kidney shape and intended size was rather larger. . . Hole 12 .  . Hole 12: Creekside 410 yards .  . There is no question that number twelve is one of Lehigh's most beautiful holes. As many of my friends are familiar, I am a panelist for a national magazine's Top 100 list. In that capacity I have accompanied many a rater from Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and GolfWeek Magazine on their visits to Lehigh Country Club. In that capacity I think that more national panelists have chosen hole number 12 as their favorite hole. It is a very natural hole hugging the Little Lehigh Creek on the tee shot and requiring a carry over the water or a draw to position the tee shot strategically on the left side. As is typical at Lehigh, there is not a fairway bunker on number 12. The ground contours are beautiful and the safer shorter tee shot is aided by a hump on the right side of the fairway. There are few pin positions on this green that are not better approached from the left side of this fairway due to a downright unreceptive right margin of the green which propels balls toward the left side. This green is one of the more complex ones at Lehigh, but one of the softest due to shade and drainage. It has a right to left character, a false front, a run-off to the left middle and a very tucked rear right portion. Virtually none of the green's surface is flat. This green requires a great read and the proper putt to avoid looking foolish at times. Hopefully this green (and entire hole) will be allowed to firm up in the coming years. A reasonable amount of tree abatement has started on this hole, but it is only a start at this point. In golf architectural terms this hole is a very good lesson in the green's ability to protect itself by its internal contours and to help in determining strategy right from the tee shot. These things do not occur randomly, they are very well-planned by talented architects. Fortunately, one gets a helping hand by a very good look at the day's pin position when playing the seventh hole. |
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