The Lair has something waiting for you at every hole, and you must pay attention and not lull asleep. So many holes that are unique, that I could write a magazine article on them, whether its off the tee, in the fairway, around the basket, or a combination. I love playing a wooded course, and the Lair overloaded the senses. What few open holes are no slouches. I found the course very fair for my game, and only a few holes out of reach at this time. Some good memories lacing 1, parking 10, a fading lace skip on 13, and hitting the basket on 14. Even the approach from the creek on 7 was fun and will be memorable! I also threw a few duds. Very easy for me to call the Lair my favorite of my favorites! The Lair replaces the Lion, nothing wrong with the Lion, just at this time out of my reach, and could remain that way?
From tee 1 to basket 18 the Lair is a 5.0 and that's where my overall ranking stands. The time to play was 1 hour and 40 mins taking a few photos, and very little disc looking.
***The holes I selected to share with you, are the ones that made the greatest impression a few weeks after playing. It was difficult to choose.
Notable Tee's:
-#2 elevated platform tee next to Lake Marshall is a straight away to the basket, and a blind tee shot. Water all the way down to the left and in front of C2, heavy trees to the right. There's a rise blocking your sight to a roller green.
-#8 raised platform over a water runoff collection from the creeks into the lake. There is heavy brush over the water, and foot bridges to get you across. Very scenic from the tee. After crossing water it's a 54-foot rise straight up hill to the basket.
Notable Basket Placement-
-#13 basket is placed on a 19th century horse and buggy loading dock for logs. The basket is a roller, and if not careful a roller all the way down to the lake.
Notable Holes:
-#1 Par 4 at 531 feet with an 18-foot elevation drop, don't let the number fool you, it drops more on the approach. Straight away from the tee almost to the basket. Heavy woods both sides and only about 25 feet wide, the fairway rises until about 200-feet from basket, then drops straight down slanting right, then back straight. There's a creek that crosses in front of tee with a foot bridge. Tee is on a raised platform, basket a roller into the lake. Very scenic hole can see Lion's course across the lake from basket.
-#4 Par 3 at 189 feet with a 12-foot elevation drop. Straight away from tee to basket clutter with trees. It will take skill with very narrow gaps, and heavy canopy. The basket is a roller straight downhill with guardian trees. I just stood there on the tee and saw nothing to reach the basket. Threw a putter up into the canopy, got about halfway there.
-#5 Par 3 at 251 feet with a 14-foot rise in elevation. Straight away from tee to basket heavy woods both sides with gaps as small as 15 feet. It's the putting circle's that makes this hole treacherous. At C2 both sides of a narrow fairway are mini ravines with humps from one ravine to another both sides. Only about 3-4 feet deep, but you're putting up to a basket that sits on a very narrow shelf, and three feet behind the basket is gully about 12 feet deep and a straight drop, the gully wraps around the sides of the basket area. Plenty of room to putt straight back up if you need too. Not really a death putt because there's a steep wooden staircase to get you down into the gully. Before the basket is a small landing area of about 15 feet wide, its marked by the end of a dead tree and a good landing spot whether from the tee or an approach. I wonder what the record is for putting on this hole.
-#7 Par 3 at 379 feet with a 38-foot elevation drop. From the open tee you're throwing into a 25-foot gap into heavy woods, the gap is about 150 feet out, and your disc will disappear into darkness. The fairway slants left to right at a 45-degree angle away from you. A creek runs all along the right side, the creek had solid dry sand bars with a few inches of water. The basket is mounted on rocks, the ground is raised with just a few feet level. It's a roller all the way around back into the creek or woods. Very scenic. Found my drive in the creek and played it, threw it up and rolled back into the creek. This was my fun hole, and favorite!
-#10 Par 3 at 283 feet with a 54-foot elevation drop! Straight away to the basket with a ton of trees in the way. The basket is in the open and a roller into the lake. This lefty saw a path high up into the canopy on the left and took it with a mid. Hit my mark, heard leaf splashing, thought I saw it hit the last tree, but didn't see it drop. Found my disc just 10 feet away and hit the putt. Fun! Didn't see much on the right side.
-#14 Par 3 at 276/210 with a 19-foot elevation drop. From the long pad straight away to the basket over the lake, need at least 260 feet to clear, and an open throw, has its own basket. The tee sign was at the short tee where the elevation is listed, the long would have been elevated less than 10 feet. The short is straight away to clear water at least 180 feet, there's guardian trees around the short basket, the angle has you throwing into the leaves. Both baskets roll back into the lake. It was my intention to throw from both tees, but a fisherman drifted into my line from the longs. From the shorts I hit the barrel of the basket.
-#17 Par 4 at 609 feet with only 2-foot rise. Straight away open tee to an open basket, sort of. On the left is an O.B. farmers field with a very bushy crop about 4 feet high, I wouldn't want to look for a disc in there. On the right heavy trees and bushes all the way down with canopy hanging over the fairway here and there. The fairway narrows as you get closer to the basket to about 40 feet wide. To get any height on the disc, you're going to be forced over the farmer's field. Behind the basket at 10 feet is a steep drop off with heavy trees and brush, I wouldn't want to look for a disc in there as well.
Signature Hole:
-#15 Par 4 at 571/455 feet with elevation drop of 23 feet that looked higher. It's a two water carry hole with the lake all along the right, the first carry you need at least 220 feet that has a lazy dogleg left from the tee towards heavy trees on the left. The first landing zone rollers into the lake, and has a DZ. The second carry is a partial water carry; the trees dominate the left so you might as well bring it over the water about 200 feet from the basket to make the carry. From the long tee there is a gap to hit off the tee that brings you over the water, the basket has some light guardian trees and has water on the right and behind. Very scenic hole from the tee!
Trouble Hole:
-#16 Par 5 at 834/634 feet with an elevation rise of 28 feet and another number to con you. To about 150 feet from basket a rise of about 40 feet, then the fairway drops down to the basket, it's a roller behind the basket into the woods. From the long tee straight up hill as a lazy dogleg left to the basket with heavy woods each side, gaps as small as 25 feet all he way up to the rise except at the gully. The fairway opens at the gully that is about 100 feet across and about 10-15 feet deep. There are catch trees in and around the gully, but plenty of room to hit a gap. No matter your personnel distance each mistake will likely cost you a stroke, and anything into the woods you may do some disc looking. IMO this par 5 is more difficult than the Lions #18 par 5. Both gave me a beat down.