AURORA - The best lie we had all day was on our scorecard.
Was that a seven? An eight? We'll call it a seven. Close enough.
This isn't U.S. Open rough, but the long grass at Wells College Golf Course is thick and uninviting. Put it this way: we lost four balls combined in our nine-hole round - and those are only the ones we kept in bounds. It's that thick.
The course plays longer than its 3,134 yards, and if the rough doesn't hold you up, there's plenty of trees to block your path to the putting surface.
“I kind of think it's a tough course,” said Ted Loomis, a mainstay at Wells for 25 years. “It's long for nine holes. The trees and greens are the most challenging. My only complaint is the rough is too high; the ball hides in there. You can't find it.”
Wells is perfect for a quick nine holes before work or at dusk. There are relatively no undulations, making the walk effortless and the play steady. There aren't many opportunities to hit a ball out of bounds, but if you're like us, you may need a few extras if you lack the patience to sift through the high stuff.
“It's so handy to play nine,” Loomis said. “I can play nine early in the day, go home, and come back later if I want. I can show up at 5:00 on Sunday and get in nine holes or come over at night and play four, five or six holes.”
A creek comes into play on No. 2 and No. 7 that may have you second guessing your approach shots. If you drive down the right side of the fairway on the second hole your best bet is to punch out to give yourself a good look in at the green. On No. 7, a long and straight drive is required to avoid a long iron over the hazard and onto the green. Near-perfect isn't good enough on these holes.
Another defining characteristic of Wells is its willow trees. Although they don't always show up on a golf course, these willows come into play as they loom over greens and fairways. While we're not horticulturalists, it is our ultimate conclusion that the density of a willow tree is thus so that it will not allow a golf ball to pass through at the same rate as an oak, elm, or even spruce tree. Therefore, the “grip it and rip it” technique, which we wholeheartedly embrace and endorse, went out the window as quickly as our scores did.
“You can find yourself behind a tree without another tree in sight,” said Dr. Julian Burroughs a visitor from Winston-Salem, N.C.
With all of that said, it is possible to shoot low at Wells. The rough is tricky and the trees get in the way, just like most courses, but the layout is basic. There are a few slight doglegs but nothing obscene.
If you can play it in the fairway and can gauge the speed of the greens, which vary throughout the course, then Wells won't be that difficult. But if you struggle from the rough or left the weedwacker at home, Wells may leave you scratching your head.
Wells College Golf Course
Par: 36
Yardage: Red 2,543
White 3,134
Blue 3,162
Our Tip: Hit it in the fairway. If you have to hit iron off the tee to keep it straight, go for it. The rough is too thick to be messing around with. A wayward drive will more often than not lead to a poor lie and no chance at reaching the green in two.
Our Take: It's a good walk. Though it's longer than most nine-hole courses, there's not a single hill to climb all day.
This isn't U.S. Open rough, but the long grass at Wells College Golf Course is thick and uninviting. Put it this way: we lost four balls combined in our nine-hole round - and those are only the ones we kept in bounds. It's that thick.
The course plays longer than its 3,134 yards, and if the rough doesn't hold you up, there's plenty of trees to block your path to the putting surface.
“I kind of think it's a tough course,” said Ted Loomis, a mainstay at Wells for 25 years. “It's long for nine holes. The trees and greens are the most challenging. My only complaint is the rough is too high; the ball hides in there. You can't find it.”
Wells is perfect for a quick nine holes before work or at dusk. There are relatively no undulations, making the walk effortless and the play steady. There aren't many opportunities to hit a ball out of bounds, but if you're like us, you may need a few extras if you lack the patience to sift through the high stuff.
“It's so handy to play nine,” Loomis said. “I can play nine early in the day, go home, and come back later if I want. I can show up at 5:00 on Sunday and get in nine holes or come over at night and play four, five or six holes.”
A creek comes into play on No. 2 and No. 7 that may have you second guessing your approach shots. If you drive down the right side of the fairway on the second hole your best bet is to punch out to give yourself a good look in at the green. On No. 7, a long and straight drive is required to avoid a long iron over the hazard and onto the green. Near-perfect isn't good enough on these holes.
Another defining characteristic of Wells is its willow trees. Although they don't always show up on a golf course, these willows come into play as they loom over greens and fairways. While we're not horticulturalists, it is our ultimate conclusion that the density of a willow tree is thus so that it will not allow a golf ball to pass through at the same rate as an oak, elm, or even spruce tree. Therefore, the “grip it and rip it” technique, which we wholeheartedly embrace and endorse, went out the window as quickly as our scores did.
“You can find yourself behind a tree without another tree in sight,” said Dr. Julian Burroughs a visitor from Winston-Salem, N.C.
With all of that said, it is possible to shoot low at Wells. The rough is tricky and the trees get in the way, just like most courses, but the layout is basic. There are a few slight doglegs but nothing obscene.
If you can play it in the fairway and can gauge the speed of the greens, which vary throughout the course, then Wells won't be that difficult. But if you struggle from the rough or left the weedwacker at home, Wells may leave you scratching your head.
Wells College Golf Course
Par: 36
Yardage: Red 2,543
White 3,134
Blue 3,162
Our Tip: Hit it in the fairway. If you have to hit iron off the tee to keep it straight, go for it. The rough is too thick to be messing around with. A wayward drive will more often than not lead to a poor lie and no chance at reaching the green in two.
Our Take: It's a good walk. Though it's longer than most nine-hole courses, there's not a single hill to climb all day.