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Hole 1

Hole Name

From The Tee The first of the two Quaker Ridge par 5s favors the player who can keep his tee shot in the air for at least 250 yards.

From The Fairway The fairway plateaus at that point, and an extra 25 to 30 yards will be gained by those who can carry the up-slope, thus being able to reach the green in two.

On The Green A large, yawning cross bunker about 50 yards short of the green and about 15 feet deep forces other players to lay up and play a wedge into one of the course’s most challenging greens, which slopes severely from back to front and slightly less from side to side, with no easy pin positions. The dramatic nature of this green provides the true defense for this short par 5: Balls putted from above a l

Hole 2

Hole Name

From The Tee It has been said that the strength of the Quaker Ridge golf course is its rO-Bust par 4s; the second is a prime example.

From The Fairway The hole requires an accurate tee shot to the dogleg-right fairway. But care must be taken, as a hooked shot can catch the bunkers between the second and 14th holes. In the 1926 update of the golf course, Tillinghast used the close proximity of these holes to create a bunker scheme that can provide a challenge to the golfers coming and going on Holes 2 and 14. The second shot is played into a gree

On The Green The green slopes gently from back to front with a subtle ridge dividing the front and back portions.

Hole 3

Hole Name

From The Tee No. 3 is a long, straightaway par 4 framed on the right by

From The Fairway a fairway bunker approximately 270 yards out and by trees along the left. The left fairway bunker is more aesthetic than strategic for the better player.

On The Green An ideal tee shot played to the left-center of the fairway will open up the entire green for the second shot. A greenside bunker on the right and a green that slopes from back-right to front-left combine to make any right hole location severe. Care must be taken on this subtly sloping green.

Hole 4

Hole Name

From The Tee This is one of Quaker Ridge’s most scenic holes, with a majestic oak on the left. (When Byron Nelson won the 1936 Met Open, he thought of his tee shot as “kicking a field goal” between the big oak on the left and a similarly sized tree on the right that is no longer there; a tree has been planted in that location to eventually bring back Byron’s shot.) As on the other holes in this stretch of diff

From The Fairway The fairway narrows at 275 yards, which will tempt players to lay back so as not to confront hidden rough to the left or the boundary to the right. One of the more unusual aspects of this hole is the island of rough in the fairway that conceals a strong slope and most likely a rock outcropping underneath—a unique and interesting design solution to a natural impediment in the fairway.

On The Green A front-left hole location is guarded by the deepest bunker on the course, and a bunker that wraps around the left side of the green.

Hole 5

Hole Name

From The Tee The fifth hole is the first of four distinctly different par 3s and plays over the only pond on the course.

From The Fairway

On The Green There is room between the water and the green, so only a poorly struck middle-iron truly brings the pond into play. The green is traversed laterally by a ridge and is surrounded by bunkers left, right, and long. Hole locations immediately above or below this ridge will test the player’s ability to control distance on this slightly downhill par 3. With little frontal water on the golf course, with

Hole 6

Hole Name

From The Tee Many believe that No. 6 is the most difficult hole on the course because it provides a supreme challenge with a driver off the tee,

From The Fairway as the fairway slopes from right to left in the driving area while the hole slightly doglegs from left to right. As a result, many top players prefer to hit either a fairway wood or long iron off the tee, leaving a very long second. An overly aggressive choice off the tee brings the Sheldrake Creek into play on the far left. Two strategically placed bunkers wait in the fairway at 100 yards out, co

On The Green The small, firm green features a long bunker that runs along the left side into the fairway, while the right side, if the grass is short and the ground firm, could see a cut shot bounce out-of-bounds. There are three distinctly difficult hole locations here with the back-right knO-B and the front-left dip providing ample challenge. Interestingly, the hole originally played as a par 5.

Hole 7

Hole Name

From The Tee The preferred shot off the tee is a good, strong left-to-right drive to the middle of

From The Fairway the fairway, as the hole bends in that direction. Many strong drivers who can control a draw, however, will take their tee shot, sometimes with a 3-wood, over the right-hand corner and over out-of-bounds trees to the flat area before the stream. Two cross-bunkers frame the fairway about 85 yards out. Play is to an elevated green, deeply bunkered left and right, with a shallow bunker guarding the o

On The Green The green features a predominant back-to-front orientation, with a small knO-B in the left-center. Although No.6 is listed as the No. 1 handicap hole, and No.7 is the No. 3 handicap, these difficulty positions could be transposed.

Hole 8

Hole Name

From The Tee The eighth hole provides a respite for the first nine holes, which circumscribe the perimeter of the course.

From The Fairway Two large mounds in the landing area—the first being larger than the second—are topped with very deep, thick rough, giving golfers two driving options. In the days before a proper irrigation system was installed, most golfers played it either to the left or the right of the mounds. It is a very strategic hole—a stout tee shot to the left side of the bifurcated fairway brings into play a large,

On The Green deep bunker on the second shot. A tee shot down the more-difficult-to-hit right side of the fairway is risky, as out-of-bounds lurks a scant 10 yards away, but provides a more direct route to the green. Most putts on this fairly flat green are straight, but if there is a break, local knowledge holds that putts typically break toward Griffen Avenue. With a good tee shot here, a birdie is a distinct

Hole 9

Hole Name

From The Tee They say there are 18 signature holes at Quaker Ridge, but the shortest par 3 has elements that most of them do not. First of all, it is right at the hub of the club, with a spectacular clubhouse view. Second, the hole itself has a shallow, slightly elevated, kidney-shaped green—much like many of

From The Fairway

On The Green the greens across the street at Winged Foot—and it is surrounded by bunkers. (While not of the classic Redan shape and size of many of C.B. MacDonald’s designs, its inspiration is clearly likely that of a Redan.) There are several excellent hole locations on this small green, each presenting a different challenge. This short- to middle-iron shot will yield some birdies. Miss the green, and achievi

Hole 10

Hole Name

From The Tee Although during a round you don’t necessarily think of playing back-to-back par 3s, No. 10 is also a oneshotter.

From The Fairway

On The Green Typically each of Quaker Ridge’s par 3s require different clubs off the tee, especially from the Championship tees. Players will likely be hitting their third different iron to the largest green at Quaker Ridge. This putting surface of more than 40 paces is flanked on three sides by six bunkers. Canted from back-left to front-right, with the greatest degree of slope at the rear, the player missing

Hole 11

Hole Name

From The Tee If all a player had to go on was the yardage and the view from the tee, the 11th might be taken lightly, for it is one of the shortest par

From The Fairway 4s with one of the widest fairways. However, three well-placed fairway bunkers on the right, a majestic and large Tulip Poplar tree protecting the green on the left, and a meandering creek that crosses in front and to the right of a difficult green—virtually making the putting surface an island—all demand full attention. A seemingly wellstruck tee shot that finds the left half of the fairway deman

On The Green The front-left hole location is extremely well-protected on this back-left to front-right sloping green. A spinning short iron that doesn’t carry this false front will likely roll back into the creek. A great, short par 4.

Hole 12

Hole Name

From The Tee This hole will play all of its yardage and then some.

From The Fairway The tee shot must find a right-to-left sloping fairway that lies between a well-placed bunker on the right and trees on the left. Although a straightforward uphill hole, No. 12 demands two strong shots to reach the green. Its beauty and challenge make this hole the quintessential example of a Tillinghast parkland golf hole. The first of Tillinghast’s “deception” bunkers on the course is approximat

On The Green difficult green that slopes from back to front and is flanked by deep bunkers left and front-right, with an original grass bunker on the right. Players who find themselves above the hole on the 12th might well be off the green after the initial putt, much like the first green.

Hole 13

Hole Name

From The Tee The longest of the par 3s plays 234 yards downhill. The large deception bunker, about 25 yards short of

From The Fairway

On The Green the green and running diagonally from left to right, should not come into play for the stronger player. On the championship tee, the near side of the right “deception” bunker appears to be directly fronting the green, but is really some 60 yards from the front of the putting surface. A classic Tillinghast device he learned from camouflage experts in the Boer War and World War I, the hole toys with

Hole 14

Hole Name

From The Tee No. 14 is considered Tillinghast’s greatest-designed hole, challenging No. 4 at Bethpage Black. The view from the tee of this par 5 is spectacular. An expanse of 20 bunkers gives the aptly named “Sahara” its character. A three-shotter for most, bigger hitters might sometimes have access in two, but will need to carry their first two shots more than 480 yards to clear the cross bunkers and reach th

From The Fairway

On The Green The uphill second shot is one of only two blind plays on the course, the other being on the adjoining second hole. No. 14 is a joy to behold. The two-sided green features a hog-back that appears to have a serpent buried in the middle and divides the putting surface into right and left halves. The player should avoid the four green-side bunkers, including an old-fashioned pot bunker to the rear, to

Hole 15

Hole Name

From The Tee The landing area on this downhill par 4 is deceptively wide.

From The Fairway Ten yards of fairway are hidden behind tall trees that guard the left side at 210 yards off the tee. At 280 yards, a creek crosses the fairway, forcing many players to leave the driver in the bag.

On The Green From here, the players will hit a short iron over the third of Tillinghast’s “deception” bunkers about 65 yards short and left of the back-to-front sloping green. A small, but severe, mound on the right-front and a steep slope in the back allow several excellent hole positions. Though a birdie opportunity, a short-iron second shot played behind the hole will result in an extremely tentative puttin

Hole 16

Hole Name

From The Tee This slightly elevated tee looks down a long straightaway par 4.

From The Fairway The wall of trees on the left hides a parallel water hazard. At 270 yards, two fairway bunkers flank the right side. The approach is guarded only by a gentle upslope, and deep bunkers left and right will punish any short-sided miss. The unique Tillinghast scalloped bunker at the rear comes into play when the hole is cut at the back, although rarely so.

On The Green It does, however, provide a perception of where the green is both off the tee and from the second shot. An arcing ridge separates the steeply sloping front from the flatter rear plateau on this green. Front-left and top-right hole locations are most difficult.

Hole 17

Hole Name

From The Tee Though match play can cause players to make unusual decisions, most will leave driver in the bag here.

From The Fairway Two fairway bunkers on the right reduce the landing area by one-third at the 240-yard mark. From here, a short iron should set up a birdie opportunity

On The Green . This green was recently reduced in size to its original dimensions and is protected by four bunkers, most notably the steep-faced one at front left. Other than No. 9, it is the smallest green on the course. A short but great par 4.

Hole 18

Hole Name

From The Tee The finishing hole affords an excellent view of the clubhouse, and the drive should be aimed straightaway at the flagpole flying “Old Glory.”

From The Fairway An equalizing downslope at the 240-yard mark will likely leave most players with an uphill middle-iron into the green. Again, Tillinghast plays with visual perception, as another “deception” bunker on the course initially appears to be greenside from a drive on the right side of the fairway, but is actually 85 yards short of the putting surface.

On The Green A hole cut on the extreme right will force players to negotiate a bunker whose encroaching front corner cannot be seen from the fairway. This is a demanding approach shot to a large, uphill green.