Spring Creek Golf Club – Played September 2017
- Rankings: Golf Digest Public #58
- Location: 109 Clubhouse Way, Gordonsville, Virginia
- Year: 2006
- Architect: Ed Carton
- Course Access: Semi-Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Championship: 7,389 yards, Par 72, 76.5 Rating/152 Slope
- Marble: 6,673 yards, Par 72, 73.1 Rating/144 Slope
- Onyx: 6,197 yards, Par 72, 71.0 Rating/139 Slope (Men’s), 76.6 Rating/146 Slope (Women’s)
- Salmon: 5,589 yards, Par 72, 68.2 Rating/132 Slope (Men’s), 73.3 Rating/139 Slope (Women’s)
- Pewter: 4,781 yards, Par 72, 68.7 Rating/129 Slope
In late September of 2017, Clemson had an away game and I was itching to get in some golf. I had had the Virginia courses on my list in my mind for a little while. I thought that it made sense to head up and get some golf and sightseeing in. The wife and I did some research and got everything booked for a quick getaway.
First up on our schedule was Spring Creek Golf Club. It was designed by Ed Carton who has had professional associations with Hurzdan Golf, Gary Player, Sam Snead, and Raymond Floyd. He believes in challenging courses that are also playable. Now we hear that all the time, but his strategy has a tangible aspect. For example, he likes to keep the fairway 40 yards wide at the landing area, but narrower at around 300 yards. He also likes to employ “speed slots” to give a boost to good drives.
Spring Creek Golf Club is semi-private, but the access is pretty easy. I played on a Friday with no problem. While Ms. TGT did some work in the grill, I was off to play. You can see the clubhouse below. I played the Marble tees and all distances will reflect that.
Hole 1 – 425 yards – Par 4
Your attention is grabbed on the first tee of Spring Creek Golf Club. This longer par 4 is more open than it looks. There is fairway to the right so cheat that way to avoid the large bunker on the left.
The approach shot plays uphill slightly over another large bunker.
I liked the runoff areas around this green. It is a large putting surface with plenty of slope.
Hole 2 – 532 yards – Par 5
For me, this is a three-shot hole. You can see that the ground is angled right to left. A draw up the right side is ideal.
A hazard cuts in and is in play for long hitters.
Below is a look at the approach shot.
In the photo below you can see the raised back portion of the green. Putts from there to this front pin will be very speedy.
Hole 3 – 430 yards – Par 4
The tee shot here isn’t overly demanding on the accuracy, but the length of the hole is evident. Keep the drive between the bunkers and hit it as far as possible.
The approach plays over a hazard to a green with tightly mown areas. The better miss is to the right.
Hole 4 – 362 yards – Par 4
The course tightens up a bit here, but the shorter hole allows for more options off the tee. The shape of the hole and the trees favor a fade.
The approach is slightly uphill with the bunkers only coming into play on wayward shots.
It’s good to know where the flag is to avoid running off the green. Additionally, there is plenty of slope to challenge your putting.
Hole 5 – 167 yards – Par 3
This is one of the prettier holes at Spring Creek. The bunkers frame the green nicely and the hazard is definitely an eye-catcher. It plays slightly downhill, which helped me because the tees were well back of the stated yardage.
Hole 6 – 394 yards – Par 4
This is an interesting hole that varies depending on your strategy and length. If you can carry the right bunker the hole opens up. If not you can plat short, but will face a long shot in. To the direct left of the bunker there is fairway, but it is considerably narrower.
Below is the approach shot view.
And green.
Hole 7 – 426 yards – Par 4
This is a difficult driving hole. Length and accuracy are required. Both bunkers are quite large, but I imagine the right one is a bit more playable.
I didn’t take my own advice and ended up in the left bunker and was faced with this view.
You may start to see the theme of closely mown areas around the greens.
Hole 8 – 151 yards – Par 3
On this hole, I joined up with some locals so I only got the one picture. This shorter par 3 has a very large green.
Hole 9 – 495 yards – Par 5
The end of the front nine definitely provides a birdie opportunity in this short par five. The hole bends to the right off the tee.
Here’s a look at the second shot.
The green is open in the front with tightly mown grass. You don’t want to miss to the right as it falls off severely.
Hole 10 – 423 yards – Par 4
This is a tough hole to start this side. A sharp dogleg to the right that plays uphill is challenging from the start. If you can carry the bunker on the right that is the ideal play.
Below is the second shot angle.
The green is pretty large and as you can see below has some serious contouring. Putting can be a difficult task.
Hole 11 – 377 yards – Par 4
The tee shot here is to a wide fairway, but due to the uphill slope, you won’t get too much roll.
The approach shot is uphill as well, but beware the deep bunker fronting the green. You can barely see its outline in the rough. This can be a sucker pin if you come up short.
Here’s the view behind the green.
Hole 12 – 514 yards – Par 5
There is a wide-open target here, but you play to a blind landing area over the hill. If you can shade towards the left side the better the angle.
The third shot must deal with plenty of sand from this angle. If you are up the left side the bunkers are less in play.
Hole 13 – 176 yards – Par 3
This hole varies greatly in difficulty depending on the pin position. On this day, we had it in the skinny front section of the green which is a small target. There is a backstop behind the flag, however.
Here is a closer look.
Hole 14 – 412 yards – Par 4
This is a very difficult driving hole. You need an arrow-straight drive as there is trouble on each side. The fairway slopes from right to left so the right side of the fairway is the best landing spot.
The second shot is a doozie. The green is angled to the fairway. This back left pin is hard for faders. If you can bring it in from the right it is a much easier shot.
Hole 15 – 342 yards – Par 4
You get some options off this tee. Long hitters can go for the green, but for the mere mortals, we can take a long iron or three wood off the tee. The fairway is pretty wide, but you may run out of room on the left.
Below is a look at the approach shot.
The green is bisected by a large ridge you can see below. I like the aesthetics of the run-off area in the front of the green.
Hole 16 – 351 yards – Par 4
The play here is to keep the ball to the right. A hazard extends the entire left side of the hole. Due to the length driver is not needed.
In addition to the hazard, the large bunker below guards the left side. This hole can be a nightmare for those fighting the hooks.
Hole 17 – 181 yards – Par 3
There’s nothing tricky about this one. It requires a solid mid to long iron shot to a larger green.
Hole 18 – 515 yards – Par 5
The 18th is probably the signature hole of the course. The pond goes the entire length of the hole so just like a few holes before the right side is the goal.
The second shot view is below.
This is one of the best views on the course with the magnificent clubhouse dominating the background. The green is pretty big to accommodate long second shots.
Here is another view of the putting surface.
The experience at Spring Creek Golf Club was a fun one. It has the feel of the upscale, daily-fee that it is. The course was in good shape and the greens rolled very smoothly. Like all public courses, it could use some TLC from the players on their ball marks. I suppose the same could also be said for some private tracks as well. If you are in the area I certainly recommend stopping by. Along with the courses at Colonial Williamsburg, this can be a great weekend trip. That course tour is coming up next.