On The Tee

 

Callaway Gardens: Mountain View Course

Shot Making in the Foothills

Posted by Alistair Orr

Mountain View is a shot makers paradise right from the driving range through to the 18th green. The course flows naturally along the contours of the Appalachian foothills that Callaway Gardens Resort calls home taking advantage of the wetlands, forests and the sloping landscape that graces the property. Characterized by narrow heavily tree lined fairways, tricky doglegs, green complexes guarded by deep face bunkers and putting surfaces that are devilishly slippery and bordering on miniscule.

 

The brain child of Dick Wilson, of Royal Montreal fame, and Joe Lee, Mountain View was born in 1963 and was crafted with the more skilled player in mind. The routing is longer and more challenging than the Resorts sister course, Lake View. Your shot-making and course management abilities are measured on every swing with patience finding reward while greed penalized.

 

Home to the PGA’S Buick Challenge from 1991 to 2002 the pros who enjoyed success here tended to be those who were known more for their ball striking abilities and crafty short games than brute force. Major winners Steve Elkington, Michael Bradley, David Toms, David Duval and Davis Love III all found the winners circle along with top PGA players such as Chris Dimarco and Fred Funk among others.

Course Stats:

Par 72, 4883 - 7057 yards, rated 68.2 -73.5, slope rating 122 - 163

Public

Location:

Pine Mountain, Georgia. A hour south of Atlanta on US Hwy 27, 15 minutes east of I185.

 

Editor's Shot Makers Picks:

Hole 3		Hole 6		Hole 14
Par 3	HCP 17	Par 5	HCP 1	Par 3	HCP 16
Blue	186	Black	539	Black	212
White	166	Blue	520	Blue	197
Green	146	Green	411	Green	182
Red	122	Burgundy	404	Burgundy	164

 

Feature Holes Descriptions:

There are numerous holes at Mountain View that are worthy of special mention, however, holes 3, 6 and 14 are a cut above. Although the character of each hole is unique, superior execution and sound strategy in needed to tame par. The 3rd hole presents a downhill tee shot to a green site set among pines and oaks with a lake looming to the left. Protected by bunkers front and right and a sharp fall off to the lake, nerve and distance control are paramount. The prudent player will fire to the middle of the green and let the putter do the talking.

 

The signature 6th is a truly spectacular hole that features a lake skirting the entire right side with a cove encroaching short of the green some 100 yards out. This par 5 is a true three-shotter for all but the longest of hitters. A drive long down the left side of this severely left-to-right tilted fairway is required followed by a lay-up second to a comfortable yardage short of the cove. Care must be taken with the approach for the elevated green site is protected by a large bunker left while steep slopes run down to the lakes edge front and right. The feel of the apporach is similar to that of the 15th at Augusta -If you dare go at this green in two only the purest if strikes will be rewarded and the layup area leaves you with a tricky down hill lie for the pitch to the elevated green.

 

The most demanding approach shot on the entire course may be the tee ball on the par 3, 14th. Success here requires a high left-to-right shot to the green which features a right side tier tucked behind a deep faced bunker and a putting surface flowing nastily back-to-front and right-to-left down to a false front where another bunker awaits the bail out. Short siding yourself right on this hole is a recipe for disaster. The wise player will play conservatively to the green centre, two putt defensively and tip toe away to the 15th tee happily, safe in the knowledge that par will likely steal the honours more often than not.

 

Related Articles: Callaway Gardens The Lake Holes of the Lake View Course

 

Contact:

Callaway Gardens

17800 US Hwy 27

Pine Mountain, GA. 31822

706.663.6799

[website]

 

*Courtesy of Callaway Gardens