Malone Golf Club Through The Eyes of a First Timer

Avid golfers can pinpoint the quality of the course the moment they step onto the first tee box. Seriously.

Me, I analyze everything, and within a few seconds, know what I'm in for. Is the tee box flat, is the grass cut evenly and tight, are the markers set all the way into the ground and pointed out towards the fairway; does the ball washer have water in it? My initial impressions of the course quality happen in 10 seconds or less on the first tee. At Malone Golf Club, they've got it all.

Whenever you play a course that you're unfamiliar with for the first time, there's always some uncertainty and a fair bit of skepticism. You've heard what other people say about it. With Malone Golf Club, everyone I talked to kept raving about both 18-hole courses (East Course & West Course). How great the layouts were, the quality, the service. I was excited; I also tried not to form a pre-visit opinion on it. I've been fortunate in my lifetime to play some top PGA course across the U.S., so, yes, I am a little picky when it comes to the courses I play.

Now, the day I got to play the East Course of Malone Golf Club, it was 75 degrees with not a cloud in the sky - what's known in the biz as perfect golf weather. The only thing that worried me driving there was that it had rained 23 of the last 30 days. I expected a swamp course, you know -- puddles in the sand traps, plugged balls in the fairway, anytime you drive the cart off the cart path you leave tire marks and dig up mud.

But man! I was blown away when we started playing. The fairways (besides three very low valley areas) were dry and pristine; the sand traps, dry with fine grain sand and no little pebbles to nick up your club. Whatever drainage system they have in place, it works. It works really well.

I was lucky enough to play with two guys from work, one who grew up playing the course, the other who has played it multiple times. They "helped" me on each hole in terms of where to place the ball off the tee to set up a good second shot. They told me where to hit it - not saying it actually went there though. Now that I think about it, I was maybe in the right spot 25% of the time. The nice thing though, the East Course is decently wide and there aren't many trees to worry about. You will however have to deal with uneven lies due to the fluctuation in elevation. Walkers take note.

To better help those first time golfers on the East Course I took notes while playing. Below I will go through hole by hole and explain some helpful information. (Note: My trio played from the whites just in front of the tips.)

Hole 1:

Par: 4
Distance: 404
Tee Shot Placement: Tee box is elevated and you hit over the entrance driveway (look out for cars driving in). Place your ball in the left center of the fairway to take the traps out of your approach into the green.

Hole 2:

Par: 4
Distance: 376
Tee Shot Placement: Place your ball in the left center of the fairway to take the traps out of your approach into the green.

Hole 3:

Par: 3
Distance: 177
Tee Shot Placement: Below the hole. Green is nicely rolled and can be quick.

Hole 4:

Par: 4
Distance: 306
Tee Shot Placement: Right angle hole. Depending on the type of driver you are, you may want to use a 3 wood. If you crush your drive you will end up through the fairway and in the trees. Aim for the right center of the fairway.

Hole 5

Par: 5
Distance: 432
Tee Shot Placement: Stay Left! Aim for the left rough as you get a flatter lie for your second shot in. Big elevation swing on this hole.

Hole 6

Par: 3
Distance: 125
Tee Shot Placement: Large green but stay below the hole. Stream on your right that will pull the ball when putting.

Hole 7

Par: 4
Distance: 287
Tee Shot Placement: Stay right. On second shot in, the bushes to the left of the green are closer than they look so try and avoid (or hit directly towards them like I did).

Hole 8

Par: 5
Distance: 506
Tee Shot Placement: Straight (easier said than done I know). Second shot, straight. Green, sloped with fun breaking putts.

Hole 9

Par: 4
Distance: 385
Tee Shot Placement: Grip and rip. Try catching the crest of the hill. Aim left center of the fairway.

Hole 10

Par: 5
Distance: 495
Tee Shot Placement: Place your ball in the right center of the fairway, it will kick left. The creek running through the fairway is a ways out there but if you crush your drive then maybe a 3 wood is best.

Hole 11

Par: 3
Distance: 132
Tee Shot Placement: Deceiving length so don't shy off your shot just because it looks downhill.

Hole 12

Par: 4
Distance: 371
Tee Shot Placement: Place your ball in the left center of the fairway. The further left you are the less you have to worry about the bunkers by the green on your second shot.

Hole 13

Par: 4
Distance: 351
Tee Shot Placement: Place your ball in the left center of the fairway for a flat lie on your second shot. Don't let the backdrop trick you into thinking the second shot is closer than it actually is.

Hole 14

Par: 3
Distance: 152
Tee Shot Placement: On the green. The big downhill will play with your club selection but due to some crosswind that funnels through down by the green, play it closer to its true distance. Don't go right!

Hole 15

Par: 5
Distance: 446
Tee Shot Placement: Straight out. Another straight hole that makes getting on the fairway off the tee crucial.

Hole 16

Par: 4
Distance: 369
Tee Shot Placement: Place your ball in the left center of the fairway. Just right of the left sand trap is perfect.

Hole 17

Par: 4/5
Distance: 404
Tee Shot Placement: Play your shot as close to the dogleg right curve as possible. Risk and reward? Try hitting over the tree line.

Hole 18

Par: 4
Distance: 403
Tee Shot Placement: Last drive of the day, give it every last bit you've got. If you catch the crest of the hill you'll get an extra 50 yards of roll to the bottom.

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