The front nine holes at Rock Hill Golf & Country Club provide a challenging test for the author. While Hole 1 often provides a birdie opportunity, Hole 2 is the author's nemesis with only two pars in 25 attempts due to tricky lies and multiple traps. Hole 5, a long par 3 with hazards on both sides of the green, is also a struggle and "deserves its 1 handicap status." Overall, the author's scores on the front nine vary significantly depending on pin and tee placements, with rounds as low as 42 but usually in the mid-50s due to the hilly terrain.

1. Rock Hill Golf & Country Club Front Nine
Rock Hill is one of my favorite courses. The front 9 and back 9 are designed differently, and
play differently. This is the one course I put up 9 hole 42’s back to back, and finished both well
over 100. At least I know I have an 84 in me. This is the only course I have been put with
people playing off the black tee. I’ll stick with the whites, though have occasionally played the
blues. The course is kept in great shape.
Hole 1 plays nicely for me. The traps are to the left, so my slice keeps me away from them. I
have missed a lot of birdie putts here. Occasionally I save par.
Now for hole 2. Out of 25 tries, I have pared it twice. Hit the tee shot short and it is just a
mess. I concede those balls as lost, I don’t even like walking through it, no shot I’m hitting a ball
out. Hit a slice and you are getting an uneven lie, unless you manage to catch a trap. There are
3 in a row, I’ve hit from trap to trap a few times. The green is elevated from the fairway, so it
will punish you even more if you are short.
The 3rd
hole is a nice little dogleg. After the frustrations of 2, it is a nice par opportunity. The
trick is to stay left to have a shot at the green. Coming up the right is a lot harder. 4 is a nice
par 3, unless you hit one of the 3 traps. I can range from par to a 6 here.
The 5th
hole and I rarely get along. There is a small water hazard to punish slicers. Over a
season, I prob put a box worth in it. Miss the trap right, it is a messy shot out of the woods.
Once you get close, you have a big, elevated green to contend with. Come up short, it can be a
blind shot up the hill. My only par here was a lucky 20 foot putt. This hole deserves its 1
handicap status.
6 has a lot of hills. It is hit or miss for me. If I hit the trap or slice into the trees, it is not that
easy to recover. Miss left and it is just a hot mess with water in front of the green. I do like this
green, and make a point to park behind it to use the lil bridge. This hole either ends with a

2. bogey or 8 for me. I don’t remember ever making par. 7 is a nice par 3, depending on is the pin
position brings the front trap into play. Miss long and there is another trap waiting to catch
you.
Is a nice little dogleg left that plays to my swing. I get a good look at the green for my
approach shot. Come up the left and you need to contend with trees. My tee shot has been
known to end up on the 6th
hole. The green is hard to read. I had the pleasure of playing
with one of the rangers, who was kind enough to point out I was playing the wrong break.
Buddy saved me par.
The 9th
hole looks so easy. Straight and wide, what can go wrong? My tee shot is usually
good enough. My 2nd
shot always misses left! After a few rounds, I noticed that the slope of
the fairway pushes me that way, which I’m sure happens other places, but this is the only time I
can feel it. I occasionally am putting for par, but this can easily turn into an 8 for me going back
and forth from the traps by the green.
This front 9 varies from round to round for me. One day the tee and pin positions work for
me, the next I am just all over the place. It is very hilly, which turns some of my friends off from
it. I came in under 45 twice on it, normally I’m in the mid 50’s. My best run was a 42, but my
putts were just dropping that day.
By Sebastian Wyczawski