December 17, 2007

PERU, IN — How many times have you opened a round of golf with a signature hole? Rock Hollow Golf Club opens with a beauty that should get everyone excited. Even more surprising, there is no letdown either as you work your way through another Carl Spackler Open character-driven front nine.

Laid out over 300 acres of a mined-out stone quarry, Rock Hollow Golf Club has become one of the premier public tracks not only in Indiana but also throughout the Midwest. Designed by Indianapolis native Tim Liddy, protégé of world-renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, Rock Hollow boasts a terrain like none other in the Hoosier State.

The first hole, a short 286-yard signature par 4, is setup for a 260-yard bomb over the rock pit or a stinger 5-iron into a very generous fairway banking slightly to the left. The tight green, stretching just 51 feet, is heavily guarded by the rock pit, front sand trap, and woods behind the green.

"This is a great opener," says Greg Long of the Captains Club. "It is pleasing to the eye, has risk and reward, and easy enough for a high-handicapper."

The 2nd and 3rd holes continue to impress with rock pits, obese fairways, wetlands, underbrush, and freshly cut pot bunkers.

The 2nd hole is straight up the gut over the wetlands. "The fairway bunker on the right side is not very welcoming," says Long of the very deep 26-yard sand trap 210 to 236 yards from the tee. "Imagine peering over the lip of a bunker at a double-tier green. If that is not bad enough, you are 185 yards away."

The 3rd hole is very scary using the yardage book with overstated water hazards. It is a very slight dogleg left from an elevated tee with rock pits with underbrush surrounding the fairway. The three fairway traps are 260 yards from the tournament tees, which remain out of play for most of the tournament field.

"The pot bunker is awesome," says Long of the bunker 20 yards short of the 3rd green. The excessive fairway left and in front of the green is very 'Grande-like'. Liddy gives you tons of bailout, but that pot bunker in the center of the fairway is jail.

These first three holes contain great character," said Long. "The tournament course continues to impress one hole at a time."

The 4th hole is a short par 3, but the green is built up with a biarritz style green similar to the 4th at the Grande. The green features the biarritz style swale in the middle of the green, but instead of bunkers alongside the hole, Tim Liddy raised the green surface almost ten feet above the surrounding plush fairway that completely circles the green. The 4th hole is nearly turtle back similar to greens at the #2 course at Pinehurst.

The next set of holes should also be considered very aesthetically pleasing and photogenic. "Along with the 1st hole, the rest of the front nine with the exception of the 9th could be the signature hole," says Long of the Tim Liddy design. "'The Rock' continues to deliver all day like very few courses in America."

The 5th hole is similar to the 2nd hole as traditional golf, but even more beautiful. You need 130 yards to eliminate the rock pit full of cattails and short enough to miss the fairway bunker. The fairway also narrows considerably on the left at the 150 marker. "Liddy gives you all kinds of fairway for the first 250 yards. He then tightens the hole considerably in every attempt to take driver out of golfer hands."

The 6th hole (photo shown) is the longest hole in tournament history at 571 yards. "The length should play about 590 yards, but that is the least of your problems," says Long. "The fairway is closter phobic tight similar to Pine's 6th hole at Mountain Valley Golf Course." The fairway swoops a smidge right and then back left before it moves up the hill to the comparatively small, reverse-saddle green.

The downhill tee shot on the 3rd hole and climb up the 6th hole create some wonderful thrill moments on the front nine.

The 7th hole will visually scare most of the tournament field out of their comfort zone. The possible signature hole draws left onto a peninsula. The left and back fringe drop straight into the wetlands. "There is water left, far right, and behind the green," says Long. "You have lots of fairway and even some rough, but big slices and big hooks are big trouble."

The 8th hole is another visual pleasing hole. The 173-yard par 3 is slightly downhill through a very low-lying rock pit full of water. The green is outlined by a wall of rocks. "A strong hole with even stronger green," says Long of the tight 50-foot green. "The middle of the green is your highest point and considerable bailout fairway is available to the left."

The 9th hole appears to be your boring hole at Rock Hollow. It is a very slight uphill tee shot into nowhere. The outline of trees suggests the hole moves to the right, which implies this hole might be built for Kevin Long, Jr. and his power fade. At least he will think so off the tee.

The hole is a short 352-yard par 4 that doglegs right. There are two deep completely hidden bunkers in the line of the flagstick temping golfers to cut the corner. "These bunkers are not just cut out of the turf," says Long. "The rough has been elevated in the front of each bunker to make them very deep."

In addition, one of the largest greenside bunkers at Rock Hollow can be found in front of the 9th green. The fairway at the 9th hole actually shoots straight out, but suddenly snakes right as it slides between bunkers. "The 9th is another decision by Liddy to give golfers a considerable bailout for golfers laying up," says Long.

The 2nd and 9th holes are two holes that become easier to play after a practice round.

The 2008 Carl Spackler Open Championship will be played at Rock Hollow Golf Club in Peru, IN starting on June 5. Formal registration began on November 15 and lasts until the tournament cap is reached or December 28.