Hatteras, Sea Scape
and Superwo/man

Hatteras, North Carolina
Part 2

by Anthony Scaggs
Golf Clubs, Golf Resorts, Golf Courses

The third hole is the second longest hole on the course. It is a 511-yard par 5, dogleg right. Cut the right hand corner with your drive and you have a chance for a birdie. Hope for an eagle but once you see the three bunkers protecting the green, a par looks good. If you do not cut the corner, aim your drive for the middle or left of the fairway. Make sure that you are in position for your second shot to the green. It will be about 242 yards away. In addition to the bunkers protecting the approach to the elevated green, there are fairway bunkers.

I was glad that I brought my beach towel and suntan lotion. On hole #4which is a 185-yard par 3, I landed in the bunker. The pin was towards the back but it appeared that the ball would roll down to the pin if I cleared the bunker and landed on the front edge where the speed of the ball and the slope of the green would do the rest. These are the shots that you try in practice and only for the ego, not in tournaments. I chipped out to within three feet of the pin and salvaged a par. The 100 yards of natural landscaping between the tee box and the bunker may have intimidated my swing.

Will you be as lucky?

When you get to the par 3, hole #9, you will wish that you were back on #4. You will love the #13 par 3.

The par 5, 460-yard hole #5 is a dogleg left. I was tempted to cut the left corner but after dodging a bullet on #4; I decided to turn down the ego and play it safe. At the bend, the fairway is shaped like the side of a bowl and the ball appears to run right to left. If you are too far to the right, you will be left standing on a slope to hit your second shot. I played my ball left to middle.

Hole #6 is a 413-yard par 4. The dogleg left leaves very little room for error. If you try to cut the left corner, hit a provisional ball. On the other side of the trees are more trees and a huge bunker that slopes to a pond. The green is the size of two postage stamps. If you think that you can draw the ball just around the bend, your next shot will be at a 45-degree angle off the side of a hill. Save the glory for another hole. Take a 5 wood or a long iron and hit to the end of the fairway, then use a mid-iron to short iron to hit onto the green. Give yourself a chance for a birdie or a par.

Since you are at the beach, you probably have your bathing suit and snorkel gear. Bring it with you when you play the 165 yard, par 3, #7 hole. If you hate water hazards, this hole and #16 will either cure you or push you over the edge. Trees surround the elevated green on three sides with a body of water in the front. The longer you look at the water the bigger it gets. Did I forget to mention that if you get the ball in the air above the trees there is gusting wind that could blow the ball back towards the tee, ergo the water hazard?