Sauganash Country Club

$16 (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2023 at 8:30 AM

Drove by here a couple of weeks ago to check this formal Country Club and found out about their Thursday special of $18 for 18/cart. ($38 normally) I took a quick view of the Front 9 and decided it was worth getting a couple of friends to take the 1.5 hr drive.

Sauganash CC was originally established in 1924 as a nine (9) hole course and the Back 9 was added later on the "other side of the tracks". Some twenty (20) local businessmen got together a couple of years and invested to ensure that it could celebrate 100 years of fine golfing, and I believe it will pass that. Though it's short on yardage, it holds its own with rolling terrain, fast small greens, narrow fairways, and well-placed sand traps. The Blues play 6,157yds / 70.7 /132 down to the Reds at 4,615yds / 67.4 / 117 with four (4) other options in between on this Par 36/36 wooded/ rolling layout.

The Front 9 starts out with an uphill blind shot, dogleg right that has you hitting down to a hillside shelf green on this 316yd Par 4. The #2 is a Par 3 water carry to a elevated large green with O.B. Road 10' pass the green. The #3 at 394yd Par 4 protects its Hcp 2 by being narrow and treelined to the raised green. The #4 is a 332yd Par 4 that has your elevated tee hitting to a 50yd wide deep valley with trees left, pond right, and a 50' elevated blind green at the end. The #6 is a flat 536yd Par 5 that has OB/railroad tracks down the entire RH side, so favor LH side. The #8 Par 4 may be short at 233yds but the 30' steep front/sides on this elevated green makes playing 50 yards short, not a bad plan. The #9 is an easy 267yd Par 4 if you stay left of the BIG righthand tree, so it will run right up to the small, fully sand-bunkered blind green.

The Back 9 has you crossing the railroad tracks to a wooded layout with five (5) true doglegs that are all to the left, sorry Fade players. The #11 is a sweeping left 513 yds Par 5 with O.B. on the entire left side and tall trees to the right. The #12 is a hard dog left 414 yds Hcp 3 Par 4 with 230-250yd drive to see the green and stay to the outside. The #14 is a 212yd Par 3 to a narrow elevated green with trap left and bailout right. The #15 is their 417yd Hcp 1 hole with a LH dogleg and 220yds to view this elevated RH trap protected green. The #17 is a long and narrow 536yd Par 5 with O.B. down the LH side. Conditions here today were great from tee to greens with sand traps well placed and maintained.

For the price today, it was a steal and worth the $38 during regular play days. Worth the stop and playing a 99-year-old course that can still defend itself with style. I ended up shooting 85, Dennis had 89, and Mark 91, All with 33 putts, crazy first time for this.