Indian Hills DGC reviews
3
1
MBoehner
Experience:
9.2 years
17 played
14 reviews
Challenging with a lot of potential 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 10, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
Very challenging fairways for most the course. Nice tee pads with space around them to find decent lines.
New Course map and gathering point makes the starting location easier to find.
New Course map and gathering point makes the starting location easier to find.
Cons:
Many baskets do not stand out against the tree bark surrounding them, making it hard to gauge distances.
Other Thoughts:
Improvements are being made and it shows.
10
6
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience:
30.8 years
92 played
88 reviews
Awful Experience 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 18, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
The holes taken individually are mostly amazing masterpieces that offer a huge challenge to a good player.
I've upgraded my review score after looking at the pictures online again and realizing that it is listed at a legitimate par 59. My round rating was pretty exceptional at that par and would have been pretty bad on a par 54.
I see it more fairly now, but it still has some flow issues and some very badly placed pins.
I've upgraded my review score after looking at the pictures online again and realizing that it is listed at a legitimate par 59. My round rating was pretty exceptional at that par and would have been pretty bad on a par 54.
I see it more fairly now, but it still has some flow issues and some very badly placed pins.
Cons:
The overall design of this course is a nightmare. It is easy to follow the flow of the course for the first four holes, and then all of the structural issues become apparent. There are some horrible areas of rough full of dangerous briars that left me bloodied.
The first problem is that the 4th basket is placed down a narrow walking path beyond what should be an open green (though there would be trees). It's a very long hole that very few of the big bombers could reach, and it would only be fair that the basket be accessible for a deuce. What further makes this a bad placement is that it is right next to the basket for hole #13 and there is great confusion as to where to go next.
Getting to the 5th tee requires backtracking across what should be the 4th green, taking a short path that crosses the 7th green and then turning left. There are no markings whatsoever to indicate this, and it is very dangerous to backtrack across two greens. If the green were out in the open, it would be obvious to turn left (they could let the path to the current pin grow over so that no one enters the 13th green).
The next step would be to completely redesign the next few holes. The green for #7 should become the #5 tee and go from there. This is an incredible piece of land and it would be very easy to rearrange these 3 holes in a way that winds back around to the tee at #8 (a very easy hole that could also simply be done away with and another hole inserted somewhere to make up for it, perhaps then renumbering #9 as #8 and going from there).
The 9th and 10th holes are fine, but the 11th should move the tee about 15 feet to the left. It seems that the designer wanted to challenge right handers with a forced and extreme anhyzer, but failed to recognize that the angle is far too extreme and there is no play whatsoever for a lefty. The pin is brilliantly hidden down in an arroyo, so there is no need at all to make the tee shot that technical or difficult since the challenge is at the green.
The 12th hole is a disaster. It is far too difficult, and it is virtually impossible to make a good tee shot, even for placement (again, I am a lefty and even a right hander with a perfect turnover shot is barely going to get placement in the fairway out to 200 feet. The long pin placement should also be eliminated. There is absolutely no way to make a putt on that position, even if one were to have a drive reach within 50 feet. The short pin should be the permanent pin, as it is also located right next to the path to the 13th tee.
The 13th seems to be considered one of the signature holes, but it is one of the worst holes on the course (a tornado seems to have blown through the night before and the basket was covered with a tree, as was the tee on #11). There are no lines to reach the green for a left handed player and almost no line anywhere for a right hander. It is 220 and slightly uphill, which should be an easy midrange, even for a guy of 53 like me, yet it is nearly impossible to get a drive in the middle even halfway up the fairway. This could be solved by strategically removing approximately 4-8 trees on each side of the fairway.
The 14th could also benefit from some strategic cutting of maybe 3 or 4 trees on each side of the fairway.
The 15th is a perfect hole.
The 16th is a complete disaster. It is unreachable for a left handed player. At least a dozen trees to the left need to be removed to make this hole fair to both players.
The 17th hole suffers from almost exactly the same problem as the 16th, with no paths to the basket to the left. It is short and could be reached easily for the deuce, but I fired a driver straight up the middle and was 50 feet past the hole. It is impossible for a lefty to turn it left against slope and through that many trees. I had a difficult approach--the protected green is a fine challenge--and did leave it within 5 feet for an easy par, but the hole should be fair to both right and left handed players and should have fair routes for both to potentially get a deuce.
The 18th is a little bland for a finishing hole, but there are no structural issues and it is fair.
The first problem is that the 4th basket is placed down a narrow walking path beyond what should be an open green (though there would be trees). It's a very long hole that very few of the big bombers could reach, and it would only be fair that the basket be accessible for a deuce. What further makes this a bad placement is that it is right next to the basket for hole #13 and there is great confusion as to where to go next.
Getting to the 5th tee requires backtracking across what should be the 4th green, taking a short path that crosses the 7th green and then turning left. There are no markings whatsoever to indicate this, and it is very dangerous to backtrack across two greens. If the green were out in the open, it would be obvious to turn left (they could let the path to the current pin grow over so that no one enters the 13th green).
The next step would be to completely redesign the next few holes. The green for #7 should become the #5 tee and go from there. This is an incredible piece of land and it would be very easy to rearrange these 3 holes in a way that winds back around to the tee at #8 (a very easy hole that could also simply be done away with and another hole inserted somewhere to make up for it, perhaps then renumbering #9 as #8 and going from there).
The 9th and 10th holes are fine, but the 11th should move the tee about 15 feet to the left. It seems that the designer wanted to challenge right handers with a forced and extreme anhyzer, but failed to recognize that the angle is far too extreme and there is no play whatsoever for a lefty. The pin is brilliantly hidden down in an arroyo, so there is no need at all to make the tee shot that technical or difficult since the challenge is at the green.
The 12th hole is a disaster. It is far too difficult, and it is virtually impossible to make a good tee shot, even for placement (again, I am a lefty and even a right hander with a perfect turnover shot is barely going to get placement in the fairway out to 200 feet. The long pin placement should also be eliminated. There is absolutely no way to make a putt on that position, even if one were to have a drive reach within 50 feet. The short pin should be the permanent pin, as it is also located right next to the path to the 13th tee.
The 13th seems to be considered one of the signature holes, but it is one of the worst holes on the course (a tornado seems to have blown through the night before and the basket was covered with a tree, as was the tee on #11). There are no lines to reach the green for a left handed player and almost no line anywhere for a right hander. It is 220 and slightly uphill, which should be an easy midrange, even for a guy of 53 like me, yet it is nearly impossible to get a drive in the middle even halfway up the fairway. This could be solved by strategically removing approximately 4-8 trees on each side of the fairway.
The 14th could also benefit from some strategic cutting of maybe 3 or 4 trees on each side of the fairway.
The 15th is a perfect hole.
The 16th is a complete disaster. It is unreachable for a left handed player. At least a dozen trees to the left need to be removed to make this hole fair to both players.
The 17th hole suffers from almost exactly the same problem as the 16th, with no paths to the basket to the left. It is short and could be reached easily for the deuce, but I fired a driver straight up the middle and was 50 feet past the hole. It is impossible for a lefty to turn it left against slope and through that many trees. I had a difficult approach--the protected green is a fine challenge--and did leave it within 5 feet for an easy par, but the hole should be fair to both right and left handed players and should have fair routes for both to potentially get a deuce.
The 18th is a little bland for a finishing hole, but there are no structural issues and it is fair.
Other Thoughts:
I would have loved each hole if the course layout were more friendly and if a few holes were more balanced.
It is a wonderful piece of land that could be a championship course, but it is poorly cared for after this storm and has quite a few very bad design flaws.
Fix those and it's one of the best courses I've ever seen.
It is a wonderful piece of land that could be a championship course, but it is poorly cared for after this storm and has quite a few very bad design flaws.
Fix those and it's one of the best courses I've ever seen.
2
0
Be ready for a challenge... 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 10, 2011
Played the course:once
Pros:
A VERY difficult course with a good variety of holes. Most holes are extremely wooded with not very wide of a fairway to hit. But the open holes give you a break from all the crazy shots. I personally think the open parts are the strong point of this course. The wooded holes have very think roughs. If you get in there, you will be lucky to save par. There are a few holes where the top is open, but the lower part is very tight. It makes you feel like your not creeping around in the woods as do other technical courses.
Cons:
Definitely not recommended for new players. Every hole is extremely difficult. Signs aren't very good. Navigation can be an issue. I wish I could play better...
Other Thoughts:
I would love to play this course some other time, but at a tournament never seeing it before: not fun. I still think it's a great course...
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If you mark this review unhelpful or you find a mistake, please send me a personal message here on DGCR explaining what is wrong with it
