Sanctuary Cove Golf Club (Waverly, GA on 03/13/13)

I played an early morning time here on 03/13/13 on my way down to Florida. Part of the reason I played here is that it is just off the the interstate. Last November on my Thanksgiving trip to Florida I played Crosswinds which is north on I-95 and loved it. After today’s round Coastal Georgia is quickly becoming one of my favorite value places to golf. I paid $25 on Golfnow to play and while the layout wasn’t a personal favorite of mine I appreciate a great value which the course offered.

I played the Blue Tees at 71.2/128/6640 and thought that the rating and slope should be higher as I found the course very challenging. The course plays to a par 71 with only three par 5’s so the yardage plays a bit longer than normal. The course is in a upscale community but the homes were not in play and not any bother during my round. Like most courses in the area, Sanctuary Cove is flat and winds through the marsh. There is only so much that any course designer an do with a flat piece of property, but there was something peaceful and secluded about playing in the marsh. The course starts out with a mid length par 4 to a green that was in the shape of a bowl. Because of this, it was tough to see where the flag was on the green. The 5th had a tree just short of the green and the 7th and 9th had elevated greens. The holes on the back were a little more memorable as the 13th was on the perimeter of the course and had a good view of the marsh. The 16th, a 175 yard par 3 to a green with trouble all around, is the signature hole. The 17th is a long dogleg right par 4 that is beautifully framed by trees. The tee shot opens up a view of the green surrounded by bunkers and more trees in the background. Speaking of bunkers, there were some square bunkers which is a feature that I really like.

The course conditions were nice, especially for $25 but it seemed there were a couple greens that were a bit thin. The course was open off the tee which I really like, but it was extremely tough everywhere else. Most greens were raised with collection areas and fall offs around the greens. This meant that I could not see where I needed to land my chip or pitch so I had no idea how the ball was going to react. Most of the time a shot with any spin one way or the other would hit the green and roll off into one of the low areas. Because of this it was not one of my favorite courses, but I wouldn’t write it off as I think it could be a course to grow on me if I played over and over as it does allow for some imagination. Sanctuary Cove would not be my first choice based on what I have played in the area, but it would not be a bad choice either.

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