Sedgefield Country Club – Played November 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 3201 Forsyth Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Year: 1926
- Original Architect: Donald Ross
- Additional Work By: Kris Spence
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Gold: 7,078 yards, Par 71, 75.2 Rating/140 Slope
- Black: 6,670 yards, Par 71, 73.1 Rating/136 Slope
- White: 6,371 yards, Par 71, 71.7Rating/134 Slope
- Blue: 5,911 yards, Par 71, 69.8 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 75.6 Rating/142 Slope (Women’s)
- Red: 5,373 yards, Par 74, 66.9 Rating/122 Slope (Men’s), 72.8 Rating/130 Slope (Women’s)
You might know Sedgefield Country Club if you’ve followed the PGA Tour. The club is the host of the Wyndham Championship. The tournament is traditionally the last opportunity for players to make their way into the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The history of the course goes back further of course. In 1923, the land was purchased and the plan was to have Donald Ross design 36 holes. Like many projects of that time, the Great Depression scuttled the plans for a second course.
The club’s relationship with the PGA Tour is long as well. The Greater Greensboro Open was hosted there 26 times before moving. The tournament returns in 2008 after a long absence.
Now that you have some background, let’s get into the tour.
Hole 1 – 388 yards – Par 4
The first hole starts off with a generous fairway. Like many Ross courses, the difficulty comes into play around the green. Shaved runoffs can make for tough recoveries.
Hole 2 – 409 yards – Par 4
This is one of the tougher tee shots at Sedgefield. A creek bisects the fairway and your line must be correct or you will be in the rough.
The approach shot is treacherous with the creek on the right side of the green. Missing left is a common occurrence.
Hole 3 – 147 yards – Par 3
Take not of the pin position here because you don’t want to be above the hole when the greens are speedy. Spoiler alert…they almost always are.
Hole 4 – 394 yards – Par 4
Here we have a slight dogleg left. You can run out of room on the right, so if you can play a draw, that fits the hole nicely.
The angle from the left rough is obscured visually, but it’s not a bad way to approach the hole.
The green is a large target with lots of undulation.
Hole 5 – 477 yards – Par 5
Long and straight is always a good formula and this tee shot is no different. A good tee ball will allow you to go for the green in two.
Be wary of going long and right of this green.
Hole 6 – 398 yards – Par 4
You must be mindful of the distance on your tee shot. The creek splitting the fairway could be in play. There’s more room up the left side.
After the downhill tee shot, we switch gears, going dramatically back uphill to the green.
Hole 7 – 177 yards – Par 3
Trouble lurks all around this green. The elevated approach means you probably won’t need as much club, but with the creek, you’ll need to be straight.
Hole 8 – 343 yards – Par 4
Eight is one of my favorite holes at Sedgefield. You must choose how daring you want to be with the tee shot. The farther left you go, the longer the carry. Good drives will leave you with a short second shot.
Your second shot might be short but with this green’s slopes, it will need to be precise.
Hole 9 – 371 yards – Par 4
The drive on this slight right bender can be tricky. There is a fairway bunker on the right that must be avoided at all costs.
The second shot plays to a green that is completely blind aside from the flag.
Be sure to control your spin or you’ll have a tough pitch.
Hole 10 – 397 yards – Par 4
It’s all in front of you on ten. However, the green is diabolical if you are in the wrong spot.
Hole 11 – 434 yards – Par 4
The eleventh is one of the hardest holes on the course. For best results, keep the drive up the left side of the fairway to take advantage of the downhill slope.
The green has steep dropoffs on the left and back sides. Landing your approach a bit short will serve you well.
Hole 12 – 203 yards – Par 3
Whatever you do, do not be above this pin. If you are putting from the top tier to the bottom one, bring a wedge because you’re probably going to need it.
Hole 13 – 363 yards – Par 4
The angle is a bit funky in this photo, but when you are lining up, the walking path is a good line for your tee shot. The landing area is blind but it’s not overly tight.
After a good drive the green reveals itself and you can go flag hunting.
Hole 14 – 420 yards – Par 4
The fairway bunker on the left is a par killer. On the other hand, the long rough on the right is no good either. Just hit the fairway!
Approaching from the left side (as in the photo below) can be a bit tricky.
Hole 15 – 458 yards – Par 5
One of the most picturesque holes here requires some thoughtfulness. The tee shot must avoid the creek that meanders up the left side. You also need to avoid the long grass and bunker on the right.
It’s very possible you can go for the green in two with a good tee shot. Carrying the water is the obvious goal, but you also will want to be below the hole. The layup can be tricky, so make sure you survey the landing area.
The green is bisected by a ridge, so knowing the pin location is critical.
Hole 16 – 140 yards – Par 3
This green slopes severely as you can see in the following photos. Par will be hard to come by from the bunkers. Above the hole is no picnic either. There is plenty of challenge packed into this short hole.
Hole 17 – 368 yards – Par 4
A fader’s delight and a drawer’s nightmare. Either way, a drive up the left side will set up your approach nicely.
Do your best to avoid missing right. Rough and tight lies along with a perched green make chipping from that side quite difficult.
Hole 18 – 484 yards – Par 5
A good drive will get rewarded by bounding down the slope here. Even so, you may have an awkward second shot due to the slope of the fairway.
Your approach will play to the raised green. None of the bunkers are a desirable miss. If anything, perhaps a little short is acceptable.
Playing on a pleasant November day, Sedgefield was a delightful challenge. The greens are truly diabolical if you get in the wrong spots. But if you hit good shots, you can score. Donald Ross had a style and he stuck to it here. The members have a very fun course and seeing it will give me a nice perspective when I watch the pros tackle it at The Wyndham.